"Put me in charge" welfare rant

[geminilee]

Originally Posted by ULTRAGOTHA

Federal guidelines state you must be 21. What state were you in at the time?

I would have had to be 21 in Florida to get my tubes tied. They had to get an exception made for me.

[Esprise Me]

Originally Posted by Jahungo

Or a vasectomy, which would be closer.

Vasectomies are also cheaper than tubal ligations. I say we give all men until about age 25 or so to establish themselves financially, and if by then they can't support a child, give 'em the snip. That way, even if poor women get knocked up, all they have to do is make a list of all the men they slept with on the day they conceived, and we can hunt them down, test their DNA, and make the father pay for his mistake. Ta-da! No more welfare moms!

(In case it's not obvious, that was sarcasm...)

[smittykins]

Originally Posted by Esprise Me

Vasectomies are also cheaper than tubal ligations. I say we give all men until about age 25 or so to establish themselves financially, and if by then they can't support a child, give 'em the snip. That way, even if poor women get knocked up, all they have to do is make a list of all the men they slept with on the day they conceived, and we can hunt them down, test their DNA, and make the father pay for his mistake. Ta-da! No more welfare moms!

(In case it's not obvious, that was sarcasm...)

Then, as the icing on the cake, we'll make 'em get married! Who cares if they're miserable? You made your bed, kiddos, now lie in it...

[chillas]

Originally Posted by smittykins

You made your bed, kiddos, now lie in it...

Well, how do you think the trouble started in the first place?!

[ULTRAGOTHA]

Originally Posted by Lainie

I wouldn't rule out the possibility that Betty was misinformed or outright lied to.

I'm not. I just don't know off the top of my head if a State can raise that minimum age on it's own. I didn't want to look up all 50 states, hence the question.

In California in the late 80s and early 90s you had to be 21 when you signed the papers (I was working in that field then and remember a story about a doctor who had the woman sign the papers the day before her 21st birthday. Despite following all the other timeliness rules, his claim was denied because she wasn't 21 when she signed). Rules on sterilization under Medicaid are strict. But the only age I've ever heard was 21.

[LizzyBean]

The "pay for other's mistakes" pissed me right the hell off. My "mistake" was having my husband leave me while I was a SAHM and din't have a job. The job I got payed minimum wage, which is not enough to pay for anything besides the basics, and I was paying child support at the time. I hate this crap.

[Dasla]

I am waiting for the line about mandatory euthanasia for people on retirment age, if you are too old to work, you are too old to live. We can no longer afford to support you, let alone your encreasing health costs. But you won't though cause in general the people who forward this crap fall into that age group (yes I am generalising)

Lizzybean I hate this crap too. Australia has a different system but my "mistake" was getting late on set epilepsy, which caused (minor) brain damage that means my memory is shot. I find it hard to learn new things or the methods needed to perform my usual career (clean room laboratory technician). The basic principals are the same in the different companies, the methods vary. It also makes it hard to complete the study I need to work in my desired career (library work).

It is hard enough to deal with all this without this sort of attitude. Luckly most people in my life are completely understanding.