During the 2010 and 2011 summers, I was a cashier at Wal-Mart #1788 in Scarborough, Maine. I spent hours upon hours toiling away at a register, scanning, bagging, and dealing with questionable clientele. These were all expected parts of the job, and I was okay with it. What I didn’t expect to be part of my job at Wal-Mart was to witness massive amounts of welfare fraud and abuse.
I understand that sometimes, people are destitute. They need help, and they accept help from the state in order to feed their families. This is fine. It happens. I’m not against temporary aid helping those who truly need it. What I saw at Wal-Mart, however, was not temporary aid. I witnessed generations of families all relying on the state to buy food and other items. I literally witnessed small children asking their mothers if they could borrow their EBT cards. I once had a man show me his welfare card for an ID to buy alcohol. The man was from Massachusetts. Governor Michael Dukakis’ signature was on his welfare card. Dukakis’ last gubernatorial term ended in January of 1991. I was born in June of 1991. The man had been on welfare my entire life. That’s not how welfare was intended, but sadly, it is what it has become.
Other things witnessed while working as a cashier included:
I see this every day in my poor little town myself. In another community, my daughter is a manager at Walmart. Change will come to this welfare "entitlement" system...probably only when it hurts real bad.
ReplyDeleteArctic Patriot has left a new comment on your post "My Time at Walmart: Why We Need Serious Welfare Re...":
ReplyDeleteAmended code:
No person, remaining on welfare for a period to exceed three months, shall be eligible to vote in the next two elections.
No person will remain on welfare for a period of longer than six months.
No person who, having received welfare for a period equal to six months in aggregate, shall be eligible for welfare until either:
a.) The full amount of welfare received for the period has been repaid in full, or:
b.) A period of not less than ten years has elapsed since reaching the six month aggregate limitation.
Or just do away with it.
Sounds good to me. It started out as relief in that you got some relief between jobs.
ReplyDeleteIf a man does not work, he shall not eat.. Thessalonians I belive. I hate quoting Bible but there it is.
ReplyDeleteI have a family member who takes full advantage of this system and it makes me mad as hell. I had her a job lined up and she wouldn't even take it. She pays $12 a month rent in a brand new apt complex, buys ribeye steaks by the side, goes on more vacations in one summer than I do in a 5 yrs or more and get Medicaid. Argghhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
D.Stroud
Tarboro NC.
I don't think I would consider her family anymore. :)
ReplyDeleteChange will come to this welfare "entitlement" system...probably only when it hurts real bad.
ReplyDeleteYou are probably right, unfortunately.