I had an interesting lunch today. I was with a client who spied a woman he knew at the restaurant. He invited her to join us. He asked her what she had been doing lately.

She replied that she had been on unemployment for the past year and half but it was running out so she had to get a job. She had the option of several jobs but didn't know which she should take.

I politely kept my mouth shut.

thats two,, there are HUNDREDS of others which do have taxpayer funding,,,

As for food.
Breakfast oats 328 or. 11 per serving, eggs 1.5 or. 12 per service, milk 3 or. 19 per service.
Breakfast total 0.42

back apple bag of 10 is 2.70 or. 27

Bread 1.4 or. 12 for 2 slices, peanut butter 5.50 or. 16 per, jelly 2 or. 05
lunch 0.33

back banana 0.26 each

Dinner 10 pound bag potatoes 3.50 so half a pound 0.18, rice 20 pound bag 11 or 0.06 per, can veggie. 70 0.2 per, chicken $2 a pound. Serving size for poultry is 4 oz or 1/4 pound so 0.25

Dinner 0.69

total 1.97

if we assume $100 a month we need 3.33 a day for 30 days and I still have 1.36 left over. Not to mention that if you kid is school aged and you are poor school provides both breakfast and lunch.

nonsense,, seriously

we dont buy in SINGLE Servings and food doesnt remain edible thorughout the month, especially produce

besides the poultry which can be frozen, little on your list represents a realistic SHOPPING trend for those with children,,,

There is a serious case of fecal saturation in all of this math.

I don't depend on any services, and for starters, in baby formula alone, I spend at least $100.00/month, not to mention diapers clothing, et al. I'm not complaining, but rather, suggest you try to feed yourself on $100.00 a month before telling others how to live. That being said, I know how it would be possible, but it wouldn't be by buying food, it would be by growing it, which I'm pursuing for the sake of the poorer communities and involving the city in it. What are you doing, other than treating the poor like substandard creatures?


I was raised in poverty. What is in schools just barely qualified as healthy and contrary to your claim, there was only free lunch, no breakfast. In fact, it's one of the reasons I rarely missed any school, because there just wasn't enough for everyone. Summer months were the hardest. People blame the poor, when in fact, it was the very rich that caused the problems in the first place. Name one poor person who could bring drugs in from Afghanistan, Iraq, or South America. Name one poor person who could figure out how to rob the world blind of resources. Name one poor person who was involved in the creation of the Federal reserve.

Are you serious? The only thing that might go bad is some potatoes. Rice doesn't go bad. Bread you will use in a week. The fruit you will use in a week. Oats don't got bad. Canned veggies don't go bad. You can buy large potatoes for like 0.80 each that would very around 3 servings. What I listed is plenty of food to eat from. In reasonable numbers and all healthy. You won't finish a loaf of bread in a week? Peanut butter and jelly doesn't go bad. 1 gallon of milk in a week? I used to drink 2 by myself. These items assume a family, not just 1 kid. You buy things whole but you consume them per serving. Can't finish 12 eggs before they spoil? 1 egg a day and 2 people is 6 days. I also had over 1.35 left. My gf and I eat healthy for very cheaply because we don't buy junk, and drink only milk and water.

I was not even raised in poverty. I have worked since I was 16 until the time I turned 40. I have worked in some capacity even since then, but there is noone to 'pay' me for my productivity.

I tire of people assuming that not earning an income means not 'deserving' the basic necessities,,,


there are many ways to be productive which either dont pay at all or underpay,,,


but people place the value of fellow humans on the dollar amount attached to their productivity,, an amount completely controlled by the HAVES at the top,,,,

sigh,,

my point is you WILL finish them several times over during a month,,,meaning you will be SPENDING money to buy them several times within a month

so breaking it down to single serving prices is not a realistic account of what will be spent in GROCERIES,,,

you and your girlfriend dont have NEARLY the requirements that a child has as your bodies are no longer trying to DEVELOP the way a childs still has to,,,

I was in school more recently than you. I had friends that qualified for free breakfast and all my schools served breakfast. Also I was challenged to feed someone at $100 a month. I did it for about 2/3 that. As for babies you can breast feed for free. You can use and wash cloth diapers. They did that before invention of disposable. If you can't afford kids don't have them. Now this doesn't apply to unemployment as that is paid by companies and not individuals.

There is nothing in there that wouldn't be used in 1 month time that is not insignificant in price except rice. That can be bought in a smaller size and still keep a lot of the cost effective status but in the long run it's cheaper. In fact with the 1.35 I saved a day on average per person it could easily be paid for. The point is you asked me to do it and I did. Those are actual prices from my local Walmart as I was there today.

yes, you have all the answers,,,,like most non parents I know,,,


not everyone CAN physically breast feed, something they dont know until they have tried

most babies are ready to come off of a breast by one or two and still need to eat healthy and balanced for the rest of their physically developing years, ESPECIALLY grade school aged


growing kids eat more than BREAKFAST,

they DID use cloth diapers, but that is even something that a child is only needing up til the first two years,,,



did you feed a CHILD for less than 100 a month? did they get their recommended 1600-2000 calories a day on what you fed tham? all their vitamins and minerals too?....Im doubting it,,


Im not sure where you lived, but you shouldnt assume all impoverished children live in areas that have the same things offered as were offered WHEN you were that age in the area YOU LIVED,,,,

I am an adult male who lifts weights and works out 5 days a week. My caloric needs are over 2000 to maintain my weight. The point with kids is if you can't afford them you shouldn't have them. Tax payers and the children shouldn't suffer for parents decisions. I am not opposed to people needing help and receiving some. I am opposed to pople feeling entitled to said help. Yes people can contribute and not make money, but if you are draining money you are not contributing.

people are not FORTUNETELLERS Chaz

people dont have them and foresee their financial future for the next EIGHTEEN YEARS

people hit UNEXPECTED Hard times and need help,,,

its not about 'having' them when you cant afford them

its about already having AFFORDED To have them and finding things have changed,,,,

If you are mentioning baby formula then yea it's pretty recent. Yes a minority of people are fine and hit hard spots. Lots of people are already on welfare and having kids. Many are single and having kids. Many are not educated. Again people are not entitled to welfare. They are lucky they live in a country that offers aid at all. There are plenty that abuse the system and people like me pay for it. Let's just say if someone received what I pay in taxes every month then they would be over the poverty level. And people want Us working people to pay even more.

its a male who mentioned baby formula, Im pretty sure he cant breast feed.

People may not be 'entitled' to alot of things , depending upon what makes you feel someone is entitled

but the US BUDGET is set up for the american public, not just those who have a 'paid' income and as such has a fund for those times americans fall into that category and need help

Im glad you are fortunate enough to have such a well paying job,, you are NOT The rule ,,,,

especially not for those who have, are having, or already had children

although you may be more representative of young people who are 'getting' in at the right times into the right jobs where the benefit is given to them that they will contribute based upon their education and that they will devote more to their job because they have no family (on paper)


MOST poor people, have not had such a craps shoot with picking the right job at the right time,, and thats more about how the capitalist economy is DESIGNED (for only a minority to have those jobs) than it is about being unproductive or unentitled,,,,

Actually there was no income tax until the world war. When we developed our nation our founding fathers didn't think we should provide for others. Everyone provided for themselves.

The baby, where is the mom? There are very few circumstances where there is going to be a family with a new born, that has a single parent, that was in a stable 2 parent home not on welfare prior to being born and then became a welfare single parent family. Not that it is impossible but it is improbable.

Crap shoot of picking a job? There is tons of information out there on what jobs are trending and what jobs will be needed the most. I purposefully got education in a relevant field that would have good career opportunities and that pays well and offers good benefits. Also, getting in at the right time? Unemployment numbers are pretty much at an all time high starting around when I graduated. Where have you been?

You are also wrong about those jobs being for "minorities"

https://www.acteonline.org/uploadedFiles/Publications_and_E-Media/files/files-techniques-2009/Theme_4(3).pdf

In 2009 62% of jobs require a 2 year degree or higher and that is estimated to rise to 75% in 2020. Capitalist societies thrive on education. A company can't grow in today's society without gaining more educated people. For example any defense contractor will need to hire more engineers every time they win a new contract. If they want to be competitive and grow their business then need more people. If you were in engineering you would have heard by now about the engineering shortage they are expecting over the next decade or so. Many are reaching retirement age and not enough graduates are coming out to replace them much less fill the new jobs being formed. Hence my large salary for a job I am considered entry level at. (as it is a change from an integration and test engineer to an RF)

On a positive note, the mother will be coming home tomorrow most likely, but because of medications she takes, breast feeding is not an option. I was also very clear that I am not receiving any services. I'm paying my own way and refuse public aid that is freely available, such as WIC and medicaid. My own background reminds me to be empathetic towards the poor and to never crimimalize them for being poor. With the attack on food stamps to the tune of $90.00/month per family combined with hyper-inflation on food, I'm deeply concerned about my community. There is no room for arrogance in this economic crisis. Rich or poor, which are arbitrary terms based on a monetary system about to collapse anyway, we are all the same. Our wealth is really not what we have but who we are and what we can do for others.



Let's be clear. The financial conditions at this moment are already significantly worse than they were in the great depression and we are in the great Depression 2.0. In fact, they're about to get much worse. Contrary to the selfish assertion that every individual for themselves assures survival, it's us working for our community will assure our own survival. In fact, I wont be surprised at all if I spend a significant amount of my own money to help set up systems for people who can't afford them in addition to free time to produce the modular components, at least for as long as money continues to have some delusion of value.

I've already stated where the mom is, although there is good news on that subject and she'll likely be returning home tomorrow and while it will take a good deal of time to repair our relationship, our baby will have her mother back, which is the most important issue.

What makes you think I'm on welfare? In fact, what makes you think I've had to work for anyone in the past decade? No amount of money will mean anything soon and each of us will find that our only wealth is ourselves, and what we have to offer to our communities. From your attitude, you seem pretty bankrupt.

I Dont think thats an argument against what I Said

so if 65 percent or MORE require at least a two year degree, and

my statement was that the economy is set up for a MINORITY of people to find employment in well paying jobs

not everyone has the intellectual capacity to succeed in the higher paying 'high tech' or 'professional' jobs which pay the best salaries,,

but that doesnt mean they should starve , being productive should be an asset, whatever its monetary value , and all those being productive should be able to know they will have the basics

even when a contribution may not be 'paid' some monetary value, it can still and often does make a difference in the COMMUNITY and profit SOMEONE SOMEWHERE,,,,

This came off wrong. I wasn't thinking you were on welfare. I was speaking of a hypothetical family on welfare with a newborn as you had mentioned baby formula and diapers are expensive. It was in no way meant to imply I was talking about you.