So, I've been a bit MIA off and on here lately, mainly because my work schedule is kicking my butt...........It REALLY is. But, after talking to a friend about a few things yesterday, I felt the need to try and get a rant-y post done.....because this is something that definitely does really kind of piss me off.................
There is an aspect of my life that I haven't really discussed on here, not because I am ashamed, but because I feel like it is really no one else's business.....we're on public aid. We receive food stamps every month, the kids get WIC and they are also on state insurance. Without these programs, we would be far worse off financially than what we already are. My kids would not have access to the medical care that they deserve, and that wouldn't be fair to them.
There are some people out there that think it is okay to judge those of us that are on public aid when we make a decision to expand our family......and to them I say, "SCREW YOU."
Now, that being said.....YES, there are some people that abuse the system and honestly just have more kids so that they can increase the amount of money they get from the state every month. There are for sure some that take more than they deserve and lie and cheat. My deciding to have or not have another child should not be frowned upon because we are receiving help that my husband's paycheck helps pay for!
Something that I think a lot of people don't realize is that in some states (TX being one of them) there is a cap on the amount of help you can receive from the state. You only have so long to be on aid without a job before they will cut you off. Now if you have a job, it's a bit different, but still.....there is only so long that you are eligible to receive the assistance. And not only that, but the assistance is exactly that....ASSISTANCE. It by no means provides enough that you can get by without having to supplement. Food stamps only go so far, and it is never enough to last us the entire month without having to spend money for some things. WIC is the same way. Between us and the kids, we go through pretty close to 10 gallons of milk a month (Billy helps with that too). WIC only provides 6. At $4 a gallon, that's nearly $20 that we have to provide on our own. When Muscles was on formula, we usually had to buy at least 1-2 cans a month out of our own pocket, because WIC only provided so many, and he went through more than what they provided.
Hubby works 40 hours a week (well, here lately it's been 32, but still) and he pays taxes and such out of every check. Those monies go to fund programs like food stamps and medicaid, etc., so why shouldn't we be able to utilize that resource without feeling like we are scum or low lifes? I have worked, with the exception of the last 3 years, since I was 16.....I've paid into those programs as well.
Anyone who knows me knows how difficult it was for me to go and apply for the aid when we were desperate. It about killed me, and I seriously came home and cried because it was not something that I wanted to do, but I knew I had to do what I had to do in order to take care of myself and my family.
Do I plan on staying on these programs forever? Heavens no! I am hopeful that within the next year we will be able to get completely off of them.....I'm hoping to get a much better paying job soon, which will allow me to provide all the things that my kids need without having to use state assistance for help. But until that happens, we're going to use the assistance, because that is what it is there for.
I hope that those who feel the need to judge people on assistance never have to feel the humiliation of walking into that public aid office for the first time to ask for assistance that you really don't want to ask for, but have no choice but to ask for. I know there are some people out there that happily go to try and see how much they can get and not have to do anything for it. I would like to think though, that the vast majority of people on assistance actually do NEED it, and are trying to get to a point where they won't have to be on it at all.
You know, I believe it says in the bible somewhere, "judge not lest ye be judged." Don't judge me for needing food stamps, and I won't judge you for your tacky nail job and over priced shoes. :P
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