How NOT to fund the cruising kitty: Welfare Fraud

[dpddj]

A couple years ago I went to a clinic in Lewiston, Maine to have carpal tunnel testing (only appointment available within a month) done prior to surgery. Lewiston is known for a lot of section eight housing and lots of welfare queens. While in the waiting room some guy talking to a woman across the aisle from him rolled up his pant leg to show her this beautifully airbrushed carbon fiber artificial lower leg. I figured he was a vet with a hard earned souvenir. She said, "How'd you do that?" He "Snowmobiling while drunk - slammed into a tree." She "Must have been expensive." He "Yeah, cost about $60,000." She "How did you afford that?" He "I was on unemployment. State of Maine paid for it - I'm on assistance now. I have five other custom limbs with different themes." She "Wow, Maine paid for those - how'd you get them to do that?" He "I told them I lost the others."

So, math (before Common Core) tells me he has $360,000 worth of show pieces that I, as a taxpayer, helped pay for under fraudulent circumstances. I reported this to the state but I have never been asked about it since then.

Want to know the kicker? She, on welfare, told him she loved kids, wanted to have more, but was divorced. Before I left, they had exchanged phone numbers with her asking him to help her have more.

Think there is anything wrong with the system?

[Cormorant]

For cases like that, I recommend the good old oaken pegleg. And one free parrot.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by dpddj

Think there is anything wrong with the system?

Yes, but some people's (American) Dream happens to be my nightmare.
The rest of the world deals with many hundreds of thousands of one legged children.
Victims of american made landmines, sold in the open market to whatever evil rationalisation the media choose to either ignore or support.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Yes, but some people's (American) Dream happens to be my nightmare.
The rest of the world deals with many hundreds of thousands of one legged children.
Victims of american made landmines, sold in the open market to whatever evil rationalisation the media choose to either ignore or support.

The majority of those land mines that maim children are NOT American made.
Sort of like all over the world, wherever you go, the Warlords, and just plain Criminals all carry American made M-16's, right?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by mausgras

It seems the concensus in the topic is that welfare is good and necessary and we just have to tolerate the minority that cheat on the interest of the greater good.

The other side of the coin is welfare dependency. When welfare becomes a crutch to which the recipient becomes addicted. They then lack the incentive to return to the workforce, accepting a sub standard of living when they could better themselves.

This thread, like most hot-button topics has wandered widely around the the OP which was: a millionaire couple gaming over $100k from Minnesota in welfare.

btw we know how this will play out. When it's apparent that they're about to be caught, or they decide they need to resurface to attend some cocktail party in Minneapolis, they will lawyer up, said lawyer will approach Minnesota looking for a deal, they'll end up paying maybe $200k or $300k, and life returns to normal. Like they simply borrowed the money.

Bringing up "welfare dependency" in this context? I don't think it's relevent any more . The main problem isn't "welfare dependency" or a work ethic problem, it's an employment problem - there aren't enough decent jobs out there that someone can live on, let alone raise a family. And it's getting worse.

(Canada has been shafting some of our injured and disabled veterans too. Pretty lame from a vocally pro-military government)

[hellosailor]

"The number of disabled plates has increased exponentially, it has to be tied to some kind of free money "
Not really. What it is tied to, is that "Everyone Is Special!" and especially in some places, everyone wants the really good up-front parking spot that they think they deserve more than the next person. So they ask their doctor for a note, and what's the doc going to say? No? You're not lame enough?
That could be fixed easily enough. Instead of giving the fakers a fine or a ticket, just break their legs, so they can experience the inconvenience of really needing that spot, and finding some lame ass "I'm Specialer Than You Are!" has taken it.

Same thing with the little untrained foo-foo dogs that have become "support" animals, making it harder for those folks who really do have, and need, support animals. Too many wanna-be Little Ralphies wondering around going "I'm Special@!"

No money needed to explain that one.

Colonials seem to have forgotten how to ride scoundrels out of town on a split rail. Or how to apply tar and feathers. Either one has really marvelous deterrent powers. What they no longer teach in grade school, is that if you got rode out of town on a split rail, it was pointy side up, and usually resulted in a lingering death. If not death, certain removal from the gene pool.

[Ocean Girl]

Sigh.

The rate of disability claims are tied to two wars being fought, modern medicine advances causing people to live longer when certain illnesses would of killed them, along with the largest aging population America has ever seen.

The biggest contributor to fraud are businesses, doctors, etc. more than likely it will come out that this couple used a business front to scam the gov.

The amount of kids you have is irrelevant. Especially considering many solders families have to go on food stamps to make ends meet. So a guy or gal serving his country can't have kids?

If you see fraud, call the police. Many have stated to witnessed fraud. Why the heck didn't you report it? That makes you either lazy or apathetic, so why complain if you don't even do anything when it is waving in your face?

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by dpddj

A couple years ago I went to a clinic in Lewiston, Maine to have carpal tunnel testing (only appointment available within a month) done prior to surgery. Lewiston is known for a lot of section eight housing and lots of welfare queens. While in the waiting room some guy talking to a woman across the aisle from him rolled up his pant leg to show her this beautifully airbrushed carbon fiber artificial lower leg. I figured he was a vet with a hard earned souvenir. She said, "How'd you do that?" He "Snowmobiling while drunk - slammed into a tree." She "Must have been expensive." He "Yeah, cost about $60,000." She "How did you afford that?" He "I was on unemployment. State of Maine paid for it - I'm on assistance now. I have five other custom limbs with different themes." She "Wow, Maine paid for those - how'd you get them to do that?" He "I told them I lost the others."

So, math (before Common Core) tells me he has $360,000 worth of show pieces that I, as a taxpayer, helped pay for under fraudulent circumstances. I reported this to the state but I have never been asked about it since then.

Want to know the kicker? She, on welfare, told him she loved kids, wanted to have more, but was divorced. Before I left, they had exchanged phone numbers with her asking him to help her have more.

Think there is anything wrong with the system?

I don't believe a word of this. I wonder if you do?

[MBLittle]

Want to talk welfare dependency?

Let's talk about social security.

Its been well documented that almost no one on social security put in as much as they get. What with the massive amount of stay at home moms in the 50s-80s getting checks and the fact that hundreds of thousands of people are living decades longer thanks to medical advances.

Yet here these people are, droves and droves with the baby boomers getting at that age, happily cashing checks, knowing full well it's a defunct and bankrupt system.

I've wondered why I haven't heard nearly as much drama in the news about social security being broke in the last 10 years. Seems a lot of the vocal opponents of then are now cashing their checks and apparently are ok with it.

Talk about a taxpayer paying for lazy people. Why is it that my check is deducted because these people couldn't be bothered to plan for retirement properly?

Obviously that's not the case for all. Like my mother who worked 50 hours a week her entire life, is still working, and will be dying of a brain tumor in 6-8 months.

But doesn't making a grand sweeping generalization make me sound like an idiot? Time for someone to cash their SS check and buy a mirror.

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[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by MBLittle

Its been well documented that almost no one on social security put in as much as they get.

...citation? links?

While I don't doubt that there's a looming problem with SS funding, I don't believe your statement is true.

[mausgras]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

...citation? links?
.

"They say" ...is the most respected of sources

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[a64pilot]

Well I think we can pretty much all agree that almost all that don't draw SS until retirement will ever draw nearly as much as they put it, so I gotta think he means people that draw their SS early.
Statistically I bet me may be correct, but again I doubt if that is something that you could get a straight answer to.
When I lived in Germany my neighbor said in Germany they say statistics are like a lady of the evening, if your paying, you get what you want.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by mausgras

It seems the concensus in the topic is that welfare is good and necessary and we just have to tolerate the minority that cheat on the interest of the greater good.
The other side of the coin is welfare dependency. When welfare becomes a crutch to which the recipient becomes addicted. They then lack the incentive to return to the workforce, accepting a sub standard of living when they could better themselves.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

That's good then, I now live ( again from the to time ) and work in an EU state that provides no support whatever to " self-employed " people. I don't work, I starve, period. , wait, my wife reminds me I would get a destitution allowance of €20 a week, that'll keep the Merc running so !!!!!

Dave


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[MBLittle]

http://www.cato.org/publications/com...ocial-security

By get more than they put in, I meant the fact that SS is a generational swap of wealth.

All GenX and after have paid 12.5% of earnings into SS and will only pay more as SS becomes more and more bankrupt. Compare that to the less than 7% most baby boomers put in for most of their working life. Also factor in most GenX and after are making far more money earlier in life than BBers.

At 21 I made exactly what my ex father in law At 56 was making even after he worked for GE for 25 years.

So yes, BBers are getting more than they put in and its their children's and grandchildren's checks they draw this money from. Seem to remember someone before mentioning burdening future generations with "welfare" debt. SS will be completely bankrupt in 2033. Oddly enough I'll be 63 then, and collecting exactly ZERO so the "gimmie now" generation before me didn't have to plan anything.

Thankfully though, I won't need it. I got to retire at 30.

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[MBLittle]

Also, as some have apparently missed, my post was mostly satirical pointing out how sweeping generalizations about people I don't know makes me look like an idiot. Oddly enough, people missed that and jumped right to defend their SS checks.

Much like what others were doing here in defense of the actually disabled receiving checks.

Never argue with an idiot. They bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

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