That really sucks man. Sorry to hear that. 

I don't blame the employer though man, I think it's the government's fault you don't have a job. If there wasn't a minimum wage then the business could pay you a fair/competitive market wage for your services, instead of being forced to pay you more than the value you would bring to the company. Yeah you wouldn't earn as much, but you could gain the experience you need for a better job down the road. 

Shit the fact that I have is why I like the idea of a negative income tax best, replacing all forms of welfare.

All the restrictions and random bullshit they try and pull just doesn't work and it seems like all it does is make it so the people who can game the system give the benefit while regular people just end up screwed.

Seen so many people who deserve aid not get it because they go in looking for help, while other people you just wanna slap get coverage just because they're looking for some extra money for drugs or gambling or whatever.  So many people staying up for days wandering around getting kicked out of where they live because they're doing this or that.

Truth is, you can do EVERYTHING in the world and there are still some people you can't help.  Best to just go at it with a negative income tax, give everyone who makes below a certain amount some money, and then leave those who refuse to change to themselves... that and hope those that actually give a damn do suceed.

Cause like I said, as it is, making strict requirements usually just lead to ONLY the conmen getting this stuff.

Lol. Mark you're very ignorant

wow, this is very sad. The fact she knew about the marker and was purposely doing this.

Yeah, no real way to stop it though.  Outside like... Eugenics.  Which... no.

The thing to realize with government policies is there isn't a perfect one, (even inaction) it's all about finding the one with the most palatable short term AND long term flaws.

Well, there is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which gets close to the idea of Milton Freedman.  Since people in America support people working, they don't mind something like this.  As clean and simple as the Negative Income Tax is, look at the rants that pop up against how people are irresponsible and exploit government handouts (even the guy in here who thinks I am a leech, despite the fact I am recovering from a disk being removed via surgery and can't even sit prolonged periods).  Then there is talk of booze or whatever.   Because people WANT the government to be a nanny for those on welfare, to make sure their tax dollars aren't wasted, you will never get a real negative income tax, because people feel that the poor just aren't responsible.  Thus, no negative income tax and a big nanny over everyone unless they have enough money to hire lawyers to navigate the system.

The goal of working isn't just to work: It is to make a living.  Of course, for the human wellbeing to end up not doing anything rots the soul.  What usually pops up whenever minimum wage is discussed is that there isn't really a need for it, because the free market pays people enough that it isn't needed.  And the argument to end up with no mimimum wage is so that teens would be able to become more employable.  Maybe in this, people would want to make bagging groceries for tips alone in America as a viable option.

Anyhow, there are ways to do end arounds and get things going, if one works things right.   But, on the other side, there are MUCH deeper systemic issues at work here that are a problem, because you are looking at 50% of college grads either unemployed or underemployed (working jobs that don't need college degrees).  

It all depends on who you are and how you look at it.

I've been a landlord over tenants who were on welfare for considerable periods of time. They were always the worst to deal with. Rarely paid on time, but always had beer and cigarettes. Kids would be in tatters, but mom would have decent clothes most of the time.

Like others have said, welfare should begin and end inside the society itself - what it can contribute to help the needy. It sickens me how much money I have to pay out in taxes for Social Security, Medicare, and other welfare-type systems.... Arguably 60-70% of what I am taxed goes towards some sort of redistribution as opposed to services I get.

God knows that if I didn't have to pay out that 60-70% (which amounts to quite a bit of money), I could do a lot more for the needy in my area.

Points:

* People can give more than money to help people.  People can give stuff they had at one time, when they were working, and no longer need now.  People can also give their time.

* You apparently do not know how welfare works.

* You apparently know nothing about my situation, how I had to give up a part-time janitor position due to my back and went through two back surgeries and am not in a place where I am employable at this time.  You also don't realize I do get help from family and church.  

* You apparently are blind to the concept of a social contract and norms, and understand that in a nation, people aren't islands, and there is a need to maintain things.  You also, on the one hand, harp that I should get a job, but then also fail to realize the only way I am now on the path to get a job was to get surgery via Medicaid so I can be able to work.  I had a degenerative disk in my back that had to be removed.  There was NO other source to pay for it, outside of Medicaid to cover it.  This is not some sort of fictional universe where all of a suddent welfare goes poof and things go right.  Flat out, without government paying for surgery, I would of been permanently out of action the rest of my life.  But go on, and don't see how things are connected.  Believe you are a special person who isn't connected to anyone else in any way.  You can do that.  Of course, you would be detached from reality here, but that is your choice to do so.  This article would go into where you come from:

http://open.salon.com/blog/awop/2012/05/17/how_the_ayn_rand-loving_right_is_like_a_bunch_of_teenage_boys_gone_crazy

As for myself, due to the lack of an ability to work, I currently do freelance game design stuff, getting published, working to find ways off welfare in ways I can do things.  I also started a non-profit when I could even find volunteer work to beef up a resume.  I do work on what I can, within my ability to act.  Well, I wouldn't expect you to see this, but you apparently do manifest a very ballsy ignorance that is braisen and really stands out as not having a clue.  Seriously, you lack a number of clues.  If you had one, you might even find some compassion.

I will go with the reasoning found in Mike Huckabee's book, "Do the Right Thing" which looks at two towns and asks which one would have lower taxes.  One is a high crime inner city where people are hostile, there is drugs and the whole lot.  The other is one with better values, and people doing the right thing, and being good neighbors.  Mike asks which one would have lower taxes, and I believe lower costs, to live.   It utterly sucks that you have that with kids, where the mother uses the kids, and barely takes care of them.  All that ends up causing an even large nanny state to pop up, unless either people stop caring how children are treated, or starts to intervene as a community.  When they don't, the government grows.  What I find folly is that there are people who believe all these problems will just go away if you stop funding government.  That is cart before the horse, in my opinion, although the cart can contribute.