So why is living within your means a bad thing?

[jlzinck]

So I live within my means. If I cannot afford something I don't buy it. I spend money within my budget after I have paid myself by investing in my 401K, Mutual funds, charitible donations and savings. Why is it wrong of me to want my state, local and frderal government to do the same.

If I have less money coming in then there is less I can spend.

I am nowhere near rich and I also started out making minumum wage. My wife and I make less that $90,000 a year in one of the most expensive states in the country. We have been able to pay for my daughter in high school and college. We have 3 years of living expenses in liquid assets outside of out 401K's.

We have busted our arses to get where we are today, yet if I expect this from my government I am a hateful racist person to the uber liberals in the governement and on here. If I see someone buying something in a store with an EBT card (Food Stamps) and then they pull out a wad of $600 to buy cigarettes and get into an Escalade, if this upsets me I am the bad person?

If I look at both sides of a situation and point out flaws on both sides of an issue, I again am the bad guy because I don't follow the marching orders of the political party others do.

I think a woman should choose what to do with her body. I'm a bad guy. I think you shouldn't force religious organizaions to offer something that is against thier teachings to their employees. I'm a bad guy.

I think it's OK if 2 men want to get married. I'm a bad guy. I think that you will have extemeists wanting to marry their children. I'm a bad guy.

It's pretty sad that the extemes on both political spectrums shown here in the folders is what is wrong in our country and the world. Everyone is too damn selfish

[Imac7065]

It's perfectly fine to hate corruption.. but blaming the system for the 5% or so who abuse it.. is stupid. Is your logic really that because that one person who used food stamps then got in an escalade... it means a Single mother of 4 who's husband is in Afghanistan should not have access to this program?

Is your logic that if you see a pell grant recipient going to the dog track instead of college... then the 10 college students who HAVE to get these to go to school.. shouldn't?

The world is not as black and white as you seem to think.. as you yourself pointed out.. there's a 25% group of extremists out there.. and you are repeating some of those views.

Another thing you should look in the mirror on.. its the party you seem to lean towards.. the republicans.. who are currently kicking out all the moderates that should be running for congress and senate.. instead they are nominating the most extreme ideologues of all time ... how BC and fair pay for women came up in 2012.. I still don't understand.. it's your side that's making these issues again.

[drtom2005]

So what happens if you get sick and can't pay bills for awhile? I guess you don't get any help, right?

[Imac7065]

So what happens if you get sick and can't pay bills for awhile? I guess you get any help, right?

Ron Paul said people who can't afford health care should be left to die.. in a republican debate.

[shrewsbury]

i think 5% is way too low to say people who defraud welfare, medicaid, social security, and medicare, way too low.

we need to create jobs and have more people paying taxes rather than raising them, the military and police should be paid more and have no need for welfare in any form, they are our soldiers and i have no issue with my taxes going to help them.

[Imac7065]

i think 5% is way too low to say people who defraud welfare, medicaid, social security, and medicare, way too low.

we need to create jobs and have more people paying taxes rather than raising them, the military and police should be paid more and have no need for welfare in any form, they are our soldiers and i have no issue with my taxes going to help them.

police spending is one of the first things republicans cut usually? lol

as for your 5% comment... I think it's actually LESS than 5%... people just want to believe the people who use these services are nothing but greedy, selfish monsters.

[shrewsbury]

i don't think greedy slefish monsters at all. i work for a non profit and help low incomes families, and i can say i if i had to et, i would say way more than 5% are just flat out stealing, another 20% could be working, and another 10-15% would be working and supporting themselves if they had better help to start with. and that's just welfare, when you get into medicaid it is estimated at least $57 billion a year is lost to fraud, social security around $12 billion, then you still have medicare.

i would never vote to cut pay for emergency responders or soldiers, but i would for government employees and their benefits

[jlzinck]

It's perfectly fine to hate corruption.. but blaming the system for the 5% or so who abuse it.. is stupid. Is your logic really that because that one person who used food stamps then got in an escalade... it means a Single mother of 4 who's husband is in Afghanistan should not have access to this program?

Is your logic that if you see a pell grant recipient going to the dog track instead of college... then the 10 college students who HAVE to get these to go to school.. shouldn't?

The world is not as black and white as you seem to think.. as you yourself pointed out.. there's a 25% group of extremists out there.. and you are repeating some of those views.

Another thing you should look in the mirror on.. its the party you seem to lean towards.. the republicans.. who are currently kicking out all the moderates that should be running for congress and senate.. instead they are nominating the most extreme ideologues of all time ... how BC and fair pay for women came up in 2012.. I still don't understand.. it's your side that's making these issues again.

1. It as far more than 5% and no if you read any of my posts we should help people who need a hand. Not make welfare and dependency on the government a career.
2. Nobody HAS to go to school. And you went from 5% fraud in the welfare system to 10% in the Pell system. How about paying the grants directly to the schools? That would help.
3. I am not repeating any extremist views. I am telling about my situation
4. You have no idea what party I lean to. You just don't like me asking your for "facts" you have spouted in the past. I vote for the best person for the job. My personal favorite politician, Scott Brown is such a homophobic, racist tea bagger I guess.

So what happens if you get sick and can't pay bills for awhile? I guess you don't get any help, right?

Well I live in Massachusetts and it's mandatory for you to have insurance. And yes my mother did get sick and I went 25K in debt. I worked a second job to pay for her medications. I got in touch with the company who made some of the drugs she took and they would send her 3 month samples once a year. Now we have the great "Affordable" Health care this won't be an issue anymore right?

[mrveggieman]

I agree with some of the points of the OP that one should live within their means. For example charging a big mac and fries on your credit card that charges 30% intrest is not the wisest thing to do but I have worked for a credit card company before and I saw it all the time. However their should be some type of safety net for people who do need it such as welfare, social securuity, unemployment, etc. That being said if you are on welfare you are being paid by the gov't just like if you were in the military or worked for the state and should be required to either take some type of life skills classes that could eventually wean you off welfare, do some type of volunteer work and yes I would not have a problem with drug testing welfare recieptients or even people who get unemployment for that matter. If you don't agree with those stipulations you don't have to take the money. I promise you the gov't will not force you or anyone else to take their money.

[jlzinck]

I agree with some of the points of the OP that one should live within their means. For example charging a big mac and fries on your credit card that charges 30% intrest is not the wisest thing to do but I have worked for a credit card company before and I saw it all the time. However their should be some type of safety net for people who do need it such as welfare, social securuity, unemployment, etc. That being said if you are on welfare you are being paid by the gov't just like if you were in the military or worked for the state and should be required to either take some type of life skills classes that could eventually wean you off welfare, do some type of volunteer work and yes I would not have a problem with drug testing welfare recieptients or even people who get unemployment for that matter. If you don't agree with those stipulations you don't have to take the money. I promise you the gov't will not force you or anyone else to take their money.

Well said. As a country we should help those who need it.