21,000 Detroiters losing welfare benefits

**Searay215** · September-30-11, 05:21 AM

This is terrible news at a time when jobs are hard to get for anyone, much less someone who may be down and out. Thanks Snyder!!!

While I agree there should be limits, now is not the time to impliment this. I hope law enforcement it taking note, because I feel crime will increase.....People need to feed their families and will do just about anything to do that.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110...lfare-benefits

What are your reactions?

**Signman** · September-30-11, 08:16 AM

My heart freaking bleeds.

**Johnnny5** · September-30-11, 09:05 AM

Right policy, but really bad timing. The cold weather is just a few weeks away and many of those affected are going to end up on the streets.

Snyder and his "Business friendly" cronies are using this recession to force changes that at other times would not be accepted by the populace. The working class fought for decades to get some of these social benefits, but in less than a year Snyder has reduced or eliminated many of them. Taxing pensions, reducing unemployment benefits, strangling organized labor and at the same time reducing the taxes on corporations and not asking for any sacrifices from the wealthiest among us.

I will add that without Granholm's 2 terms of incompetence Michigan never would have been in the position to elect someone like Snyder. .

**Lowell** · September-30-11, 08:28 AM

Someone has to pay for the business tax cuts. Merry Early Christmas.

Much of this cost that will result from the cut-offs will be borne by the communities where these people reside. So the tax cuts are really tax shifts.

**sycloneman** · September-30-11, 08:36 AM

UGH..I had a response all typed out and somehow it got lost. Simply put the program is supposed to be a short term ASSISTANCE program, not a long term INCOME program. I hope that it helps the people who truely depend on it for short term needs but it's a hard pill to swallow when I hear about people who get a monthly check from the government, supplied by hard earned tax dollars that come from MY check, who have been collecting for 10 years or MORE!!! I know times are tough but it has to be done. If we don't have the money to do it then we simply can't do it anymore.

Just like the taxing of pensions, we were in the minority of states who did not do this; we were also the in the minority of states that did not have a limit on cash assistance. I think it's fair and about time.

To those whose benefits will be cut and who are looking for another way to make ends meet, I pray for you. I hope you can figure something out. To those who "don't know what to do once they get their letters" and who have been collecting checks for 6, 8, 10 years or more and who have not tried to make it on their own; get a paper and start looking for a job. There are jobs out there. I work at a law firm and do alright, but am about to take a second job just to make ends meet.

**majohnson** · September-30-11, 08:41 AM

I think more notice should have been given.
Although I admit partaking of the program is notice to get a job when possible.

**aj3647** · September-30-11, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Searay215

.People need to feed their families and will do just about anything to do that.

NOBODY needs to rob or steal to feed their family...NOBODY. Food stamps is an entirely separate program from welfare and there is no benefit cap on food stamps.

**Dave70** · September-30-11, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by aj3647

Food stamps is an entirely separate program from welfare and there is no benefit cap on food stamps.

Um, I think I heard on WDET this morning that the bridge cards will be cut off for people who have 5k in assets and a car worth 15k?

**DetroitPlanner** · September-30-11, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by Dave70

Um, I think I heard on WDET this morning that the bridge cards will be cut off for people who have 5k in assets and a car worth 15k?

How does that even make sense? A $15k car is an asset that is worth three times more than $5k.

**kryptonite** · September-30-11, 08:48 AM

Welfare is a conflicting concept. When I was about four years old my family went on welfare briefly.

Later when I was a teenager I worked as a dishwasher at a suburban restaurant in Akron, OH. Three of the waitresses discussed in detail one night that if they wanted to go on welfare they would move to Detroit where the benefits were so generous.

And as a 30-something I remember being one of the few working adults on my block on the east side of Detroit. My neighbors were young-ish and healthy, there were no disabled or addicted people on public assistance on the block. No more than seven or eight of us on the block had jobs. The other houses were largely inhabited by individuals on welfare or generations of a single family all on welfare.

It was always meant to be a temporary program. As Bill Clinton said during his campaign "Welfare was never meant to be a legacy passed down from generation to generation". [[at least I believe Bill made that comment). In reality welfare has become just that in large cities and rural areas - a legacy. It cannot be supported when declining numbers of taxpayers are working and responsible for the support of those that are not.

Michigan and the country are out of comfortable choices to be made in dealing with ten years of economic hard times.

**313WX** · September-30-11, 08:58 AM

Yeah, so what plan does Snyder has to provide these people with jobs, or [[to play the angel's advocate) provide these people with transpotration to the few McJobs out there. A Wendy's and Belle Tire hiring on 23 mile and Van Dyke does nothing to help the Detroiters who are hardest hit by these austerity measures.

DetroitPole · September-30-11, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Yeah, so what plan does Snyder has to provide these people with jobs, or [[to play the angel's advocate) provide these people with transpotration to the few McJobs out there. A Wendy's and Belle Tire hiring on 23 mile and Van Dyke does nothing to help the Detroiters who are hardest hit by these austerity measures.

There's the rub. Some of these people don't want jobs, period. Some of them do. Mass transit has been cut to the bone. It doesn't even function anymore. There are no jobs in the inner city. Suburban communities such as Livonia have opted out of the non-functioning transit system altogether. What do they expect to happen? How are these people supposed to get ANY job? I don't think they really care.

So those of us who are honest, tax-paying citizens still fighting the good fight in Detroit instead of fleeing to the suburbs are now bracing for a massive crime wave.

I'm sure those billions in business tax cuts will translate to plenty of new jobs for these folks booted off of welfare at Hayes and 7-Mile, right? Pure brilliance.

This has nothing to do with a bleeding heart. This has to do with the social consequences. I think these people should get jobs. Many of them are simply lazy and stupid. But everyone at least needs a fighting chance. And responsible government needs a plan if they're going to enact sweeping cuts to social programs.

Thanks a lot. Thanks to all of you who voted for Snyder. We're really looking forward to the consequences of this.

**313WX** · September-30-11, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

There's the rub. Some of these people don't want jobs, period. Some of them do. Mass transit has been cut to the bone. It doesn't even function anymore. There are no jobs in the inner city. Suburban communities such as Livonia have opted out of the non-functioning transit system altogether. What do they expect to happen? How are these people supposed to get ANY job? I don't think they really care.

So those of us who are honest, tax-paying citizens still fighting the good fight in Detroit instead of fleeing to the suburbs are now bracing for a massive crime wave.

I'm sure those billions in business tax cuts will translate to plenty of new jobs for these folks booted off of welfare at Hayes and 7-Mile, right? Pure brilliance.

This has nothing to do with a bleeding heart. This has to do with the social consequences. I think these people should get jobs. Many of them are simply lazy and stupid. But everyone at least needs a fighting chance. And responsible government needs a plan if they're going to enact sweeping cuts to social programs.

Thanks a lot. Thanks to all of you who voted for Snyder. We're really looking forward to the consequences of this.

Well playing the devil's advocate now, I don't think the folks on Welfare actually WANT to be on Welfare [[and they want to work), but they also realize the resources for them to do better are so hard to access [[through no fault of their own of course). So why should they strive for better then they're nowhere to get or nothing for them to do to get better? Would you waste your time taking a now 2 hour bus ride to and from home for a minimum wage job or school when you can do just as good sitting on your butt receiving the same amount of money from the government?

ferntruth · September-30-11, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Yeah, so what plan does Snyder has to provide these people with jobs, or [[to play the angel's advocate) provide these people with transpotration to the few McJobs out there. A Wendy's and Belle Tire hiring on 23 mile and Van Dyke does nothing to help the Detroiters who are hardest hit by these austerity measures.

You are correct, it does nothing to help Detroiters. However, these cuts will also affect some of those living at 23 and Van Dyke, and they will need those jobs as well. Detroiters will need to look for work closer to home and rely on DDOT for transportation to and from work.

Not to be harsh, but it's called hard times for a reason.

**aj3647** · October-02-11, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Yeah, so what plan does Snyder has to provide these people with jobs, or [[to play the angel's advocate) provide these people with transpotration to the few McJobs out there. A Wendy's and Belle Tire hiring on 23 mile and Van Dyke does nothing to help the Detroiters who are hardest hit by these austerity measures.

I don't understand this mentality of "I am entitled to a job within a 10 mile radius of my house. I shouldn't have to move, the jobs should come to ME!"

If you live in Detroit and can't find a job in Detroit, then look elsewhere. And I'm not talking about the burbs, I'm talking about outside the state. Texas, Wyoming, wherever. Throughout the history of this country, people have migrated to where the jobs are, nobody just sat around complaining that the jobs weren't flocking to within walking distance of their house. It's a lot harder to find work when you limit your search to one tiny geographical area.

**bailey** · October-02-11, 11:24 AM

Just curious where all the outrage was when Jenny Granholm signed this law into effect in 2007. Oh yeah.... when Democrats do it, it's "reform". When a Republican is in office when the "reform" clock hits midnight....it's evil wall street fat cats kicking children to the wolves.

**iheartthed** · October-02-11, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

Just curious where all the outrage was when Jenny Granholm signed this law into effect in 2007. Oh yeah.... when Democrats do it, it's "reform". When a Republican is in office when the "reform" clock hits midnight....it's evil wall street fat cats kicking children to the wolves.

Well, to be fair, she also didn't just push through a corporate tax restructuring that gave all of the big businesses a big tax break.

**bailey** · October-02-11, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Well, to be fair, she also didn't just push through a corporate tax restructuring that gave all of the big businesses a big tax break.

apples and oranges. Tax cut or no... that cut off date was coming.

**Scottathew** · October-02-11, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Yeah, so what plan does Snyder has to provide these people with jobs, or [[to play the angel's advocate) provide these people with transpotration to the few McJobs out there. A Wendy's and Belle Tire hiring on 23 mile and Van Dyke does nothing to help the Detroiters who are hardest hit by these austerity measures.

It's not the government's job to provide you with a job.

It's going to require effort, dedication, and hard work to find and keep a job. Welfare with a four year cap provides a safety net should you fall, and allows you more than ample time to find a job.

**313WX** · October-02-11, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by 48091

It's not the government's job to provide you with a job.

I never said it was.

But it is the government's job to get money circulating throughout the state [[if you want businesses to open up), and you can't do that if most of your citizens are strapped for cash.

**Scottathew** · October-02-11, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I never said it was.

But it is the government's job to get money circulating throughout the state [[if you want businesses to open up), and you can't do that if most of your citizens are strapped for cash.

Yes, but 41,000 people are not most people. Only one half of one percent of Michigan's residents are effected by the 4-year limit on welfare. That's 0.004%.

This change will effect people, but not not a very large percentage. Once again, this isn't the elimination of welfare, it's a four year cap that I think makes total sense. We're stilling helping people, but with common sense limits.

**SWMAP** · September-30-11, 09:09 AM

They will have to move. This is not as hard as it sounds. It already happens a lot within the confines of the City where there is tremendous movement. When I have bad neighbors on the SW side I pretty much know they are renters and I can console myself that they will move withing the year. That's pretty much my experience.
One of the problems that the DPS experiences is that so many of the children are so mobile. Many, many children in the DPS population move from school to school several times during the year, as the family situation changes, as better or cheaper housing becomes available.

Is this hard? Yes! But people can do it. People moved to Detroit for the jobs generations ago. If there are no jobs now, people will have to move.

**corktownyuppie** · September-30-11, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

They will have to move. This is not as hard as it sounds. It already happens a lot within the confines of the City where there is tremendous movement. When I have bad neighbors on the SW side I pretty much know they are renters and I can console myself that they will move withing the year. That's pretty much my experience.
One of the problems that the DPS experiences is that so many of the children are so mobile. Many, many children in the DPS population move from school to school several times during the year, as the family situation changes, as better or cheaper housing becomes available.

Is this hard? Yes! But people can do it. People moved to Detroit for the jobs generations ago. If there are no jobs now, people will have to move.

I think you're right.

The weird thing is that we DO have jobs. They're just not jobs that the people on welfare are going to be qualified to do. I mentioned in another post about a laid off factory worker client asking me when unemployment in Michigan is going to go down. I told him that it'll happen when more engineers move to Michigan, or when more unemployed unskilled labor migrates out of state.

His response was, "well, neither of those scenarios is going to help me."

I really want him to go back to school. He's only 50, so a skilled trade or college degree takes him 2 years and then gives him 13 years of working. He said it might be easier to just move out of state and find something else. If he were 60, I'd probably say I agree, but moving out of state to do the same job is just going to risk putting him in the same situation 3-5 years from now.

The bottom line is that no matter what he does, it's going to involve some major change. And I have a lot of compassion for him...it's going to be hard for someone to change when they've never had to do so in 30 years. But we don't have a lot of choices, and the reality is tough right now.

7 fat cows, 7 skinny cows. I'd say that it's skinny cow season these days.

**Scottathew** · September-30-11, 09:12 AM

It's supposed to be a safety net, not a long-term way of life.

I wish the best for the folks, but it's time for them to start contributing to society instead of living off the work of others.

When you give someone everything for free they have no motivation to work.

**Autoracks** · September-30-11, 09:52 AM

yea. Its not going to be like... "Snap the gigs up time to start working." The jobs dont exist and this is going to result in crime. Lots of folks are going to be doing desperate shit, it will be winter time and to top it all off bridge cards are getting chopped for some people.