My husband and I were discussing this last night. It seems more and more people expect the government or someone else to bail them out when they make a mistake. Does anybody else feel this way? What prompted this discussion in the first place was a news story on a couple who b/c of the economy had to close their business and went through their savings and are now dealing with mounting debt. Yet they still wonder what the government is going to do about the economy to help them. This just angered me because, as I've mentioned before, my parents went bankrupt during the last recession. Instead of dumping the business my dad decided to go through all of our savings to try to keep it afloat. In the end, my parents ended up losing everything and selling the house for $40,000 less than they paid for it. Not once did I hear them ask..."what's the govt going to do about this?" or "who's going to bail us out?" My mom went to work for Walmart for minimum wage, they rented a cheap little house and both of them began building themselves back up. It took a good ten years to get completely back on their feet where they felt comfortable enough to buy another house and they don't worry anymore but they never once asked for help. As a result my dad is more cautious with his business decisions and my mom is more sure of herself than I've ever seen. Now it seems when people overextend themselves or make bad decisions they expect someone to bail them out...instead of learning the lessons they need to learn to avoid the situation in the future. I guess this turned out to be a vent. sorry

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Jenny, wife to Brad, mommy to two crazy little kids with one on the way!

my sil got pregnant at 19 with a total loser of a boyfriend who is wanted by the police for numerous crimes. well from haning out with him she has no job, no car, no where to live, nuthing. we asked her how she was planning on taking care of the baby she told us " thats what the govt is for", "theyll pay for everythin". i couldnt believe it! she thinks the govt should pay for everything, her food, her roof over her head, her car. here in PA the govt buys you a car. im still in shock i was always taught to work for everything and there she is expecting it to be handed to her!

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WIFE TO MIKE
MOTHER TO HUNTER 3YRS OLD AND HEATH BORN 9/22

"if you got yourself INTO trouble then its up to you to figure out how to get out of it and work to do so....do not expect a handout as you do not need it"..

my dad taught me this and his dad taught him that too.

I totally agree with you.

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"It's time to move from what we can do, to what we must do, to what we will do." ~Hillary Clinton

I think that part of the problem is that politicians get their power and votes by promising things. Hearing promises enough will affect you. That and public schools and current education practices promote group responsibility rather than personal responsibility.

Cathleen

Thanks for sharing your parents story -- people need to remember that even when things do get bad, you can still work your way out of 95% of the problems. Even if the government doesn't step in!

I think it's awful how people abuse the things that are set out to help them. It disgusts me! I think that is a part of the reason why our government is in so much debt. If it didn't have to pay out so much money to it's lazy citizens, it would have more money to put towards other things. I am not ragging on anyone who has been on WIC or anything when they NEEDED it, and were busting their butts and just can't make ends meet, or anything that was/is a necessity or only option. I can totally understand that. That is the reason these programs were instituted.

We have neighbors that have been on food stamps and any other type of govt. assistance you could imagine. They have been "playing the game" and neither of them work very much - I would say 15 hours a week or less, but both drive decent vehicles, they go out to eat whenever they want, etc. Their kids have nice clothes, they also have cars, and they all have the nicest cell phones and iPods that you can get. Then, they burned down their over insured shed in their yard, claimed it on insurance, bought a new one, and then had it reposessed because they spent the money on a new flat screen and wouldn't make payments on the shed. I seriously wanted to go over there and give them a piece of my mind.

We have this discussion often at our house.

This is a very sore subject for me because my mom is such an abuser of the system. My stepdad works hard but my mother is the queen of entitlement. She will find any and every way to get out of working. She is such a victim!
Niether one of them has healh insurance. My stepdad goes to VA hospital and my mom goes to Misson of Mercy. They have more money for cigarettes that way! I don't like calling her because I'm always "wound up" when I get off the phone.

I think the programs that are their to help people are sometimes over abused by people who could help themselves.

For example the disability program, I persoanlly know 2 people who are getting disability because they hurt their backs. But the funny thing is they can work for cash. This is wrong, if you are too hurt that you have to draw a disability check, then you are to hurt to work under the table for cash.

It is no shame in asking for help when you seriously need it, but asking for help over and over again, to me is just plain not trying.

I think that some of the programs should be on a limited time period. That way people that need help could get it, but then they know that when it ends they have to help themsleves.

Ok, I am stepping down off of my "soap box"

I can totally agree. Having been a former gov employee in claims processing doing data entry of medical and dental claims it is staggering the amount of claims that came by me and our unit only handled the 10% that were still paper claims.

Yes people feel they are entitled and whats worse is that they teach there children to abuse the system and so on. People can really know how to work the system. I knew a guy who's family had a 6 figure income and he went to college entirely on grants because they were able to set him up as an independent as to not claim there income. Another friend who has gone on lavish vactions while on unemplyment and the most recent while on paid maternity leave (she sent the brand new baby and her other 2 kids to grandmas)

Yet at the same time these programs can be such a blessing when they help those they are intended to help. My Little sis when she found herself preg was very grateful to have the goverment step in and cover her healthcare until she could find a job. The point is she was on in for 2 years and it got her through a tight spot but now she doesn't use it, While too many other people would.

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006