I AM A WELFARE CASE MANAGER

[montanacowboy]

and I do not have ONE Black or Hispanic or Asian person on my case load.

I have White men and White women

I am sick and tired of this Rmoney filthy lie - and the work component is NOT going away!

Each participant has to work between 27 and 33 hours EACH FRIGGIN WEEK!

THE PRESIDENT HAS TO COME OUT IN A SPEECH AND ARTICULATE THIS POLICY - HE HAS TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT RMONEY IS A FILTHY DIRTY LIAR AND CALL HIM OUT ON IT.

[Rex]

1. I'm down for that.

'The Obama calling RMoney a filthy dirty liar' part.

[nanabugg]

2. Just posted to FB. Thanks. nt

[bkkyosemite]

26. Me too hopes it okay ...

[Aerows]

3. It's a convenient lie

for the Republicans to secure the racist segment of their base. They won't say they hate black people, but they pretty much say everything else that indicates that they hate black people. I'm white living in the South. I hear it every day. You don't hear white Democrats and Liberals saying things that indicate that they believe all black people are welfare recipients or ignorant, but you hear white Republicans say it every chance they get when they aren't around black people or latinos.

Any white person living in the South can tell you that Republicans are by and large racist, because we have heard our family members, coworkers and people around us say things that are flat out racist as hell about everyone that isn't white. Since I am also a very feminine lesbian, those that don't know me also say a lot of horrible things about gay people, too. I haven't met a Democrat yet that says such things. We know who the bigots are, and it isn't the Democratic Party.

[Hestia]

7. True all Aerows - now, how do we get rid of them? I'm sick and tired of hearing the crap that comes

out of their mouths but sometimes feel I'm held hostage to it, especially from older family members. Those my age or younger, NO, I won't tolerate it.

[Aeroette]

58. I've seen the same thing here in NC. I was told in 2008 that I shouldn't vote for Obama because...

"the blacks are already too uppity".

[truedelphi]

62. A warm welcome to DU.

I like your avatar. Think my kitty would like it too.

[Aeroette]

78. Thanks. I'm glad to be here.

[xxqqqzme]

61. The situations you describe

are not occurring just in the 'South'. I've heard the same said about First Nation peoples in Arizona and New Mexico, African-Americans in Indiana and Missouri, Hispanics in Texas and California and LGBT everywhere.

You are right about one thing - I have never heard a Democrat use the divisive dog whistle language we all recognize.

[steve2470]

4. k&r nt

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Your the typical case worker,

and your probably over loaded. Our daughter has 122 clients,every one is a Vet,and most are homeless. Only one is African American,and 2 are Hispanic. F--en Faux News(GOP TV) will never report the facts.

[cali]

8. typical case worker in some areas

Last edited Tue Aug 28, 2012, 09:33 AM - Edit history (1)

that would be typical in Vermont. It would not be typical in Detroit.



These are statistics that I believe reflect the history of and current state of racism more than they reflect anything else, but they are statistics that we can't pretend don't exist.

http://www.statisticbrain.com/welfare-statistics/


Edited to add DHS site which has demographic breakdowns from 2000-2010:

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/character/fy2010/fy2010_chap10_ys_final.html

[kimbutgar]

15. The Cato institute created this website.please give another link

The Koch brothers fund the Cato institute and they probably manipulated the data. Where did you get this site from the rmoney campaign or the rnc?

[cali]

66. DHS

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/character/fy2010/fy2010_chap10_ys_final.html

TANF figures

[Live and Learn]

46. It doesn't explain how they gathered these statistics

and I for one would love to know how they came up with this BS

Total amount of money you can make monthly and still receive Welfare $1000

Total Number of U.S. States where Welfare pays more than an $8 per hour job 40

Number of U.S. States where Welfare pays more than a $12 per hour job 7

Number of U.S. States where Welfare pays more than the average salary of a U.S. Teacher 9

[yardwork]

52. Those figures don't look right to me at all, and the phrase "Welfare pays more...." is misleading.

Like you, I would like to see the source for that data. It doesn't look right to me.

[cali]

68. Here are the TANF figures from DHS

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/character/fy2010/fy2010_chap10_ys_final.html

[yardwork]

71. That link shows that by 2010, the percent of white and black families on TANF was essentially equal.

[cali]

72. yes, but African-Americans comprise around 12% of the population

and whites comprise about 70%.

There is no point in playing pretend. 2/3 of those on TANF in 2010 are either African-American or Hispanic. And there are reasons for that. Less access to a decent education, a history of discrimination and oppression that continues to this day, fewer job opportunities. Look, many, many more women than men are on TANF. Does that make women somehow slackers and moochers? The most common demographic on TANF is children. Are children just a bunch of lazy little critters who should be sent off to Dickensian factories?

We need to fight the bullshit from a place of truth.

[Live and Learn]

76. Yes, but African Americans make up a much larger percentage of those

Last edited Tue Aug 28, 2012, 12:25 PM - Edit history (2)

living in poverty and I think we all know why that is.

If you took percentages of those receiving welfare only from the impoverished population I am betting whites would make up the largest share.

Edited to add:

And it is true only for TANF which has the strictest income limits. SNAP and Medicaid are by far the most used welfare programs and the majority of recipients are white.

Additionally, the GOP has been working systematically to deny African Americans welfare by creating legislation such as disallowing those with drug convictions access to programs.

[Live and Learn]

77. I wasn't questing the TANF figures

In fact I posted them myself downstream.

I was questioning the welfare payments higher than a teacher salary and jobs that pay $12 per hour. Where the heck did they get that from? Are they using a payment for someone with 12 kids and trying to pretend that is the norm?

[Laelth]

64. AFDC no longer exists. Clinton destroyed it.

Yet that website, supposedly "verified" in 2012, lists recipients of AFDC. I don't trust it.

-Laelth

[cali]

67. Here: TANF From DHS

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/character/fy2010/fy2010_chap10_ys_final.html

[xtraxritical]

20. How do people meet the work requierment when jobs are almost impossible to get?

[montanacowboy]

28. They get 4 weeks of job searching

everything has to be verified and documented; if no job is found the first month, then they are put on a site (non profit) to work out their hours. We provide childcare at a low $10/mo copay.

Right now almost half my load has found work, others are going to school which we count as hours through their Pell grants. Many of my young mothers are getting degrees through the Pell grants.

[marlakay]

45. Then I would say what Clinton did is good

Since now most are not home full time just receiving a check.

I don't have a problem with welfare or helping people but I knew a guy who was cheating the system years ago and on welfare not looking for work so he wouldn't have to pay child support. He had custody of one of the kids and if he worked he work have to pay the ex.

I actually after years got him in the electricians union as a trainee and he is off it, but it bothered me for a long time.

[Live and Learn]

47. Except that they are thrown off completely after a certain number of years

whether they have a job or not. In CA we just reduced it from 5 to 2 years. Not good at all. The safety net is full of holes.

[uponit7771]

79. Ah, thx for this info

[progressivebydesign]

80. I grew up, at times on welfare. And I don't support anyone being on assistance for over 2 years...

.. unless it's a verifiable disability. If someone is on public assistance more than two years, then something else needs to be figured out. It's completely disincentive after a few years. I live near an area with many people on assistance, and I've worked with families who had generations on assistance, and pretty much only a few of them will ever go on to lead productive lives because of it. I applaud the work-to-welfare, and the schooling and child care opportunities. In my work with kids from abused homes, the families would have girls having babies at 15, going onto assistance, and each generation born the same way, and it repeats. They will never be lifted from poverty if there is a guaranteed income without some sort of incentive to change the cycle. Assistance should be temporary, with other services required. Assistance without some sort of services, and some sort of personal initiative, is useless.

[Live and Learn]

81. Unless you are going to force someone to hire people that

nobody seems to want to hire, you will always have an unemployable population. And what of those that have limited or no skills? Even if they get minimum wage jobs, they can't afford childcare. Do you suggest we just let these people and their children starve?

I always thought that one of the things that made this country better than others was that we had a safety net. Now people are advocating that we allow kids to beg in the streets for food?

[truedelphi]

82. It's my understanding that in Calif. and many other

places, the "emergency status" for the county, put into effect by Obama, means a person applying for benefits may not have to work.

So if you know someone or several someones, and they aren't asking for help because the idea of looking for work means huge expense, they should try and apply as things have changed.

[madamesilverspurs]

6. Having spent a considerable amount of time

in the waiting rooms of various social services agencies (due to disability), I've also noted the overwhelming white majority among my fellow clients. When I try to share that observation, I'm told that I'm lying or making things up. I've invited people to come and wait with me and see for themselves; not one has ever taken me up on the offer. People just don't hear what they don't want to hear.


-

[craigmatic]

9. this is true but Obama can't just come out and say white people make up the majority of the welfare

cases for obvious reasons. But you're right he needs to refute this republican bullshit.

[cali]

36. It's not true.

I wish it were because it's so wretched that the racist right uses these statistics in ugly ways, but from all the statistics I've seen, whites do not make up the majority of those on welfare.

[Live and Learn]

53. Actully, it depends on what Welfare program you are talking about.

For TANF blacks make up the highest percentage although whites have been closing in the last few years.

For SNAP (Food Stamps) and Medicaid whites have the highest percentage.

[yardwork]

55. TANF - whites make up 65-70% of recipients, according to data I've seen.

[Live and Learn]

56. I am going according to the data on the US Dept of Health and Human services website

for the TANF information. Their tables are for the fiscal year 2004 and show:

White: 32.9
African American: 37.6

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/character/FY2004/tab08.htm

I also found this chart on http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/chart-graph/trend-tanf-families-raceethnicity-fy-2002-fy-2006

[cali]

65. link to that figure?

that's not what I'm seeing as I rummage on the web. It's what I thought I'd find because it reflects the demographics of the country, but according to the DHS in 2010 it was

2010


31.8% White


31.9% African-American


30.0% Hispanic

You can find more statistics here at this DHS site:

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/character/fy2010/fy2010_chap10_ys_final.html

[yardwork]

54. All the data I've seen shows that whites make up 65-70% of welfare recipients.

I've never seen reliable data that shows otherwise. Whites make up the majority of those on welfare, by a high margin.

For example, see: http://theobamacrat.com/2012/01/05/welfare-recipients-which-race-gets-more-benefits/

[Live and Learn]

57. That why I said it depends on what you are calling welfare.

Your site is including Social Security.

[yardwork]

59. I didn't realize that. Thanks for the correction and graph.

[Cali_Democrat]

75. According to the Census Bureau...

Over 60 percent of Americans who receive welfare are white.

You should do some more research.

[rhiannon55]

10. I just retired from 15 years as a welfare case manager

You are completely accurate about the clients. They are mostly young, caucasian women who have babies too soon--you know, the ones that Rmoney and Ryan think should have and keep their babies, regardless of the circumstances. Of course, those jerks resent the hell out of feeding those mothers and babies once they're born. And yes, the work requirements are still there. I get so sick of the "welfare myths" that those hateful people keep alive with their hateful lies.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. Right on.

[Gregorian]

19. Wow. That's potent.

This is what should be on tv. Not the bubble headed bleach blonde fake news.

We're living in a fake world. We'll wake up when we have to start treading water.

[Plucketeer]

22. Indeed! Quite an ad

The unborn's protection buys them salvation (in thier minds) - the starving and the disadvantaged are to be loathed.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. Found it on DU. Hosted by ...

Hosted by http://www.atheistmemebase.com/

I find it very potent too. All life is precious, but children who are conscious and out of the womb are more alive and more precious than a not-yet-viable clump of cells.

The born-again types think they have twice as many rights as anyone else.

However, their biggest failing, one that they share with all too many people, is seeing or wishing the world in black & white terms, binary, sharp red lines, no gray zones.

[freshwest]

60. Cuts right to it. Thanks for the link, too.

[darkangel218]

27. I saved the image

And sent it to everyone on my phone contacts.

[chknltl]

29. Thanks for this, and the citation downthread.

I will be re-using this powerful and eloquent message again and again.

[AllyCat]

34. Stealing....

[Cha]

42. PERFECT!

MAKE IT VIRAL!

[calimary]

48. Powerful!

Keeping a copy of this. SAYS IT ALL!!!

Thanks for posting, Bernardo de La Paz! One of the best yet!

[moondust]

50. Indeed.

[66 dmhlt]

69. Very powerful! (And stolen)

[PADemD]

11. Do you have any elderly clients?

Are they made to work, too?

[montanacowboy]

31. No - you need to have children 18 yrs of age or under

If a grandparent is raising grandchildren they do not need to do the work - they just get grants for the children and not themselves

[Cleita]

13. When I lived in Idaho, the land of mostly white people, almost every

other woman ahead of me in the checkout lines had food stamps. This was not once in a while but every time I went shopping and they were all white. It seems half the state was on some kind of welfare and they were all white with the exception of those on the reservation and I don't know what kind of social programs they had. Also, with the lovely Republicans that Idahoans so like to put into office, there were hardly any taxes for the rich and few social services that weren't backed by the federal government for the poor. That meant other states, like California, were providing tax revenue to the federal government to give to states like Idaho that couldn't pay for them because they didn't like to collect taxes from rich people.

I'm sick of rich asses like them too. I'm up to my gullet with them.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. The Blue states subsidize the Red states, predominantly. nt

[southern_belle]

17. Thank you

for speaking the truth.

[spanone]

18. k&r...

[CatWoman]

21. and here I am thinking

you were a montana cowboy

[montanacowboy]

33. Even cowboys need to make a living

especially here in Montana where making a living is very hard

I did have a ranch for 20 years and raised, trained, bred and showed Quarter Horses

[CatWoman]

39. you know I was just kidding

I think Montana is gloriously beautiful

[montanacowboy]

43. I know you were CW

no problem

[indivisibleman]

23. thank you.

agree 100%

[Oldfolkie]

25. Easy to check

How about a write in campaign to CNN or other news group to send out reporters to check with agencies in the five states in question? Have requirements been changed or eased?
This - is so - is not - squabble is stupid and easily verified one way or the other.

I worked on the War On Poverty back in the mid '60s. I heard complaints constantly - in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - about all the "able-bodied men laying around on welfare." I quit and became a reporter for a local rag. Ist assignment was to go out into the town and find those guys.
I found guys on disabilities, union men on guaranteed wage layoffs, retired Army, etc. Yes, I found some who had girlfriends on ADC, but these types were usually unemployable for some reason, or pool hustlers or cons between stretches who had no intention of ever working.

As I said, investigate the GOP charges!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

38. EXACTLY what needs to be done!

A few seconds in any of these states' office should be enough to clarify things. Romney must be pretty cocksure about this or figures it won't matter by the time the debates start but there is NO WAY he will be able to defend it once he's face to face with President Obama IMHO.

[Burma Jones]

30. Oh, I'm sure that the work requirement only applies to White Folks

Sorry, I was channeling Dumbass for a minute there..........Although I would not be surprised if that was a prevailing sentiment.

[Hamlette]

32. and only 8 of those hours can be used for education

which is why we asked for a waiver, to let clients get a GED so they can get a better job and stay off welfare.

[hay rick]

35. The ad is meant to confirm "what everybody knows"- especially when what they know is false.

The ad doesn't mention race but blatantly panders to racists by feeding their confirmation bias- "everybody knows the real problem in America is welfare queens."

The cynical calculation is that they will gain more by motivating their racist base than they will lose to "independents" who are finally disillusioned by one lie too many.

Obama saying it's a lie is just one more point of confirmation for the GOP basest.

[Don Draper]

37. I am a welfare case worker too

The notion that Obama has gutted the work requirements for TANF or Food Stamps is a complete lie. I know this for a fact. Shame on Romney & the GOP for their lies!

[montanacowboy]

40. I guess we would be the first to know

if the requirements were dropped

I would be out of a job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[calimary]

49. Welcome to DU!

Testify! Glad to have you here! We'll be needing you!





Now get to work.

[pitbullgirl1965]

41. The majority of people on welfare

that I've met hate it. Being poor sucks.

[UTUSN]

44. Yip, the average profile is white n/t

[cali]

70. For what? TANF? the average profile is

minority. For Food stamps? The average profile is white. For both? The average profile is that of a child.

[patrice]

51. Second this motion! Please President Obama help us red-staters out here! nt

[davidpdx]

63. Can I ask you a question?

I think you would be one of the best people to ask how to counter some of the BS I see on Facebook about people on welfare. I have one person who I don't know very well (she is a friend of a friend who I added, I know I'm stupid) who says she's seen people come in to the store she works at and says (basically) that she's seen most everyone abuse food stamps or assistance. She's a libertarian and even worse she supports Ron Paul. Personally I don't know much about the way things work with assistance. I was unemployed in 2003 and briefly received it (for 3 months).

I'll post a few of the comments I've seen on her Facebook page. Warning some of them are nasty:

"So, I have a "friend" here on Facebook. For OVER a month he's done nothing but boo-hoo because he wasn't getting any food stamps. They cut him off his Link card. Waiting to get his "teenie" paycheck to buy food, then talk about buying pizza and banana cake (from Schnucks. I worked there. A banana cake is like $15). That was on July 30th... Now, this morning I get up and see he's posted last night about "chillin and chiefin", I was young once... I know what "chiefin" is. Oh, he also posted a picture of his brand new tattoo. He has money for weed and tattoos, but can't afford food? WHAT THE FUCK? Priorities? Maybe?"

This one is a little different but just as nasty:

"I know that our society is in bad shape... Today a young woman came in with her daughter. Her daughter was have a tantrum, just screaming and crying and throwing herself around the store. The little girl dressed in only a tank top and a diaper. When they got to the register the mother finally got the girl to stop screaming by buying her a pair of princess sunglasses. The mother explained that the child, who was 3 years old and not potty trained, was having the tantrum because she couldn't have a candy bar. She couldn't have a candy bar because they had just left the doctor's office and the child was, at 3 years old, 20 pounds over weight and had developed type 2 diabetes. Not the autoimmune, Type 1 diabetes... But Type 2 from bad eating habits. At 3 years old. 20 pounds over weight at 3 years old. That's a damn shame. Did I mention the mother was holding another baby and was pregnant yet again? That's our tax money hard at work folks."

[marew]

73. I am a retired social worker!

I worked with families of all colors. I so highly resent the implications against people of color. You are absolutely correct. These are filthy lies!
This is because they are determined to take services away from those who need them most and give the 1% the spoils.
The extremely small number of individuals- all colors- who may abuse the system are nothing compared to the 1% who used the loopholes available only to them to avoid paying their fair share of taxes!

[HiPointDem]

83. "Each participant has to work between 27 and 33 hours EACH FRIGGIN WEEK!"

This is the part most people don't get about 'welfare'.