I've been thinking about this a lot and the more I see people struggle and other people take advantage, the more it makes me angry...perhaps I'm blowing this put of porportion but I really dont think I am , so I welcome feedback. I used to do this volunteer work, called meals on wheels..I'm not sure how common it is, so ill tell you what it is...basically its a not for profit. Organization that delivers food to elderly people who are homebound and have a low income level. We check their safety, provide 2 hot nutritious meals daily and make sure they get diabetic meals if they need it etc etc...more then likely these people cant afford food, dont have family..or are too ill to leave and cook for themselves. They have to be over 60 unless they are severely disabled...in extreme poverty...and cant drive... This past year their were major cuts made to the funding for this organization...people who I delivered to on a regular basis that I knew needed this food...were cut...a few mths later...some more money came into the program..they added some people back into the program...because they get about 50 referrals a day...and I get this one house...the couple is in their ...id say. Early to mid thirties...at first ...I thought...whatever...I dont know their situation...but then I noticed...they had a car...they drove...they would come to the door to get the food...eating sandwiches...one day...the lady is outside the house on her cell phone..a cell phone...you are supposed to be in poverty...to get this free meal delivered to you and you have a cell phone!!! So they are driving around...they are buying food...that they are supposedly not having the money for...they live in a single family house...she has a cell...and one day..the guy comes to the door in his bathrobe...im driving around...wasting my gas...working everyday...and the state is paying for these two people to not work live and eat for free...meanwhile some elderly person or single mother or person who truly needs this isnt getting it...how is that fair??? I'm not saying that maybe they dont need help...hell maybe they do...but they can obviously drive...and afford a cell phone so maybe they could get a part time job...and get some food stamps..I dont know...but how about the free food goes to the people who truly can not leave the house and really truly need it... Am I wrong here???
No, you're right. It's the nature of the system, it's built a lot on trust and faith in your fellow humans to be truthful and honest. But it happens all the time with welfare, food stamps, etc. People who don't need it, apply for it and get it. The government bureaucracy is too large to weed out the fakers, so we trust people. The downside is that the only way to solve this is better accountability, which I don't think we're going to have with this administration...maybe Obama will get elected and restore my faith in humans :)
