To join the union or not?

[purplesky]

Those lazy people won't go work at walmart for $7.50/hr (or UPS for $9.50/hr for that matter) because staying on government tit pays more. I read an article a while back that said many people on full government benefits recieves the equivalent of over $30/hr. Who is actually paying for this nonsense? WE ARE! Its inane and democrats would love to add more to the rolls. More votes.

Dude I have delivered on a route with millionaires on one end and people living on welfare in section 8 housing on the other end. The people on welfare live like crap. If they get cable that TV fantasy gets turned off in a few months. If they manage to get a car it will be a repo within 6 months. POOR PEOPLE ON WELFARE LIVE DAY TO DAY WITH NO REAL SECURITY AND HAVE A **** LIFE. I SEE IT FIRSTHAND AND MOST OF THESE PEOPLE DONT ENJOY LIVING IN A ****HOLE HOUSE OR APT. IN A DANGEROUS AREA WITH BARS ON THE FRONT DOOR.

I hate paying for these poor people also because I work my ass off to get a pay check but many of these people are just stuck.

 

[UPS Preloader]

I see that people who dont pay dues are often better workers. They dont stand on the grounds of filing on this or that, or have that huge negative disposition that many of the hardcore union members have. Its a huge reason why union workers often get fired, at the PT level.

*Sigh* You look only at the reason why they dont get paid more, not the place they reside. Since you place a link to something with just text, and a bias into the study in college, ill give you a link that has a little more to it. Right-to-work law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. If you will notice on the map lower on this page, the RTW states are often those without huge democrat spending on social programs, huge pensions for government jobs ( not yet anyways ) and many others. Otherwise, mostly conservative states. These states dont have the huge spending in their state government. So the cost of living is low.

Only Michigan, which was run by mainly democrats, as just recently join the RTW state, only out of pure desperation. They were run dy democrats for the past 60 years, and they ran that state into the ground.

As for your last statement, wow. You would rather someone loose their job because they arnt in the union, and say nothing, now thats neglect. And have no spirit or compassion for someone, that they could have a family at home who they are supporting with health benefits and other programs. This is sad, even worse, its just gross. Your true colors are showing, yet you seem just fine with someone who might become homeless. Someone who might become a criminal, all because you didnt bat an eye in the compassion in humanity. You sir are a piece of garbage, not calling you names or flaming, this is just sickening to me.

If Piedmont is a piece of garbage, then your a piece of something I can't say without being banned.

 

[Shifting Contents]

I hate paying for these poor people also because I work my ass off to get a pay check but many of these people are just stuck.

Id like to know how exactly these people are stuck.

I am the child of two civil servants. Watched my electricity get shut off from time to time. Saw my parents struglling. My Dad worked two jobs and all the OT he could find. Never had cable until I had an apt that came with it.

HOW ARE THEY STUCK?!

I have been on WIC and have had an EBT card. I still carry it in my wallet as a reminder.

But I pulled up my big boy pants and worked at bettering myself and my family.

Failed at school. Got back up.

Military wasnt for me. Moved on.

Worked 2 sometimes 3 jobs while PT at UPS.

Nearly a decade later I am dropping 100 dollar bills at the store on school supplies to donate around town with out so much as a wince. Because I want to help kids better themselves.

HOW ARE THEY STUCK?!

Those government programs are meant to be a crutch like they were for me. NOT A CAREER CHOICE!

NO ONE IS STUCK ANYWHERE!

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

Id like to know how exactly these people are stuck.

Their expenses outpace their income. I'd like to know how exactly you don't understand this.
Why do so many republicans seem to hate poor people?

If you want to have a discussion about whether it's better to throw free food and housing at them, or to actually properly fund America's educational system we can talk. Saying their lazy is so cliche it's kind of boring.

 

[Shifting Contents]

Id like to know how exactly these people are stuck.

Their expenses outpace their income. I'd like to know how exactly you don't understand this.
Why do so many republicans seem to hate poor people?

If you want to have a discussion about whether it's better to throw free food and housing at them, or to actually properly fund America's educational system we can talk. Saying their lazy is so cliche it's kind of boring.

Rebublican? I missed the part where I stated what my political affiliations are.

I also miss where you answer my question. How are they stuck? Food is paid for, cash assitance is given, all sorts of grants for college (minority based an non minority based). How are they stuck?

Ive been there. I appreciated and utlized social programs. I used them as a spring board to a better life. I wasnt stuck and sure as hell didnt sit around and wait for life to get better on its own. I made it better.

How are they stuck?

Better the educational system? Lets start by teaching parents that they are part of it. My kids education is partly my responsibilty. If they fail, then Ive failed. Not that there arwnt other issues but that is the single BIGGEST problem with the American education system. Too many parents are not involved and think it is just a free baby sitter. This summer my kids have spent one hour a day on age appropriate work sheets because Ill be damned if they are going to fail!

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Dude I have delivered on a route with millionaires on one end and people living on welfare in section 8 housing on the other end. The people on welfare live like crap. If they get cable that TV fantasy gets turned off in a few months. If they manage to get a car it will be a repo within 6 months. POOR PEOPLE ON WELFARE LIVE DAY TO DAY WITH NO REAL SECURITY AND HAVE A **** LIFE. I SEE IT FIRSTHAND AND MOST OF THESE PEOPLE DONT ENJOY LIVING IN A ****HOLE HOUSE OR APT. IN A DANGEROUS AREA WITH BARS ON THE FRONT DOOR.

I hate paying for these poor people also because I work my ass off to get a pay check but many of these people are just stuck.

Id like to know how exactly these people are stuck.

I am the child of two civil servants. Watched my electricity get shut off from time to time. Saw my parents struglling. My Dad worked two jobs and all the OT he could find. Never had cable until I had an apt that came with it.

HOW ARE THEY STUCK?!

I have been on WIC and have had an EBT card. I still carry it in my wallet as a reminder.

But I pulled up my big boy pants and worked at bettering myself and my family.

Failed at school. Got back up.

Military wasnt for me. Moved on.

Worked 2 sometimes 3 jobs while PT at UPS.

Nearly a decade later I am dropping 100 dollar bills at the store on school supplies to donate around town with out so much as a wince. Because I want to help kids better themselves.

HOW ARE THEY STUCK?!

Those government programs are meant to be a crutch like they were for me. NOT A CAREER CHOICE!

NO ONE IS STUCK ANYWHERE!

Their expenses outpace their income. I'd like to know how exactly you don't understand this.
Why do so many republicans seem to hate poor people?

If you want to have a discussion about whether it's better to throw free food and housing at them, or to actually properly fund America's educational system we can talk. Saying their lazy is so cliche it's kind of boring.

Rebublican? I missed the part where I stated what my political affiliations are.

I also miss where you answer my question. How are they stuck? Food is paid for, cash assitance is given, all sorts of grants for college (minority based an non minority based). How are they stuck?

Ive been there. I appreciated and utlized social programs. I used them as a spring board to a better life. I wasnt stuck and sure as hell didnt sit around and wait for life to get better on its own. I made it better.

How are they stuck?

Better the educational system? Lets start by teaching parents that they are part of it. My kids education is partly my responsibilty. If they fail, then Ive failed. Not that there arwnt other issues but that is the single BIGGEST problem with the American education system. Too many parents are not involved and think it is just a free baby sitter. This summer my kids have spent one hour a day on age appropriate work sheets because Ill be damned if they are going to fail!

​Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Give him fish and he votes for you.

No one is stuck. Getting back up after a fall is possible and many people do it every day. The problem is that some people never try in the first place or give up too soon.

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

So you're not a republican? Sorry I just felt like I was watching fox news there for a minute.

Yes parents are a big part of the problem with the educational system. Maybe you could just give them a good talking to about how to put their "big boy pants on" as you put it, and that would fix the problem.

Saying parents are the problem fixes nothing. The system needs to help these kids whether they have good parents or not, it's not the child's fault. Are you saying the kids should be taken away from their parents? Maybe you could adopt a few and teach them how to put pants on.

Since you clearly didn't read my post I'll answer your question again. They are stuck because their expenses outpace their income.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Dude I have delivered on a route with millionaires on one end and people living on welfare in section 8 housing on the other end. The people on welfare live like crap. If they get cable that TV fantasy gets turned off in a few months. If they manage to get a car it will be a repo within 6 months. POOR PEOPLE ON WELFARE LIVE DAY TO DAY WITH NO REAL SECURITY AND HAVE A **** LIFE. I SEE IT FIRSTHAND AND MOST OF THESE PEOPLE DONT ENJOY LIVING IN A ****HOLE HOUSE OR APT. IN A DANGEROUS AREA WITH BARS ON THE FRONT DOOR.

I hate paying for these poor people also because I work my ass off to get a pay check but many of these people are just stuck.

Id like to know how exactly these people are stuck.

I am the child of two civil servants. Watched my electricity get shut off from time to time. Saw my parents struglling. My Dad worked two jobs and all the OT he could find. Never had cable until I had an apt that came with it.

HOW ARE THEY STUCK?!

I have been on WIC and have had an EBT card. I still carry it in my wallet as a reminder.

But I pulled up my big boy pants and worked at bettering myself and my family.

Failed at school. Got back up.

Military wasnt for me. Moved on.

Worked 2 sometimes 3 jobs while PT at UPS.

Nearly a decade later I am dropping 100 dollar bills at the store on school supplies to donate around town with out so much as a wince. Because I want to help kids better themselves.

HOW ARE THEY STUCK?!

Those government programs are meant to be a crutch like they were for me. NOT A CAREER CHOICE!

NO ONE IS STUCK ANYWHERE!

Their expenses outpace their income. I'd like to know how exactly you don't understand this.
Why do so many republicans seem to hate poor people?

If you want to have a discussion about whether it's better to throw free food and housing at them, or to actually properly fund America's educational system we can talk. Saying their lazy is so cliche it's kind of boring.

Rebublican? I missed the part where I stated what my political affiliations are.

I also miss where you answer my question. How are they stuck? Food is paid for, cash assitance is given, all sorts of grants for college (minority based an non minority based). How are they stuck?

Ive been there. I appreciated and utlized social programs. I used them as a spring board to a better life. I wasnt stuck and sure as hell didnt sit around and wait for life to get better on its own. I made it better.

How are they stuck?

Better the educational system? Lets start by teaching parents that they are part of it. My kids education is partly my responsibilty. If they fail, then Ive failed. Not that there arwnt other issues but that is the single BIGGEST problem with the American education system. Too many parents are not involved and think it is just a free baby sitter. This summer my kids have spent one hour a day on age appropriate work sheets because Ill be damned if they are going to fail!

So you're not a republican? Sorry I just felt like I was watching fox news there for a minute.

Yes parents are a big part of the problem with the educational system. Maybe you could just give them a good talking to about how to put their "big boy pants on" as you put it, and that would fix the problem.

Saying parents are the problem fixes nothing. The system needs to help these kids whether they have good parents or not, it's not the child's fault. Are you saying the kids should be taken away from their parents? Maybe you could adopt a few and teach them how to put pants on.

Since you clearly didn't read my post I'll answer your question again. They are stuck because their expenses outpace their income.

Yet, they all seem to have smart phones, plenty of food stored around the midsections as well as in their pantry, a nice car or two, cable tv, wi-fi, and the list goes on. Yeah, no wonder their expenses outpace their income. Or are you and I paying for their comforts?

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

Yet, they all seem to have smart phones, plenty of food stored around the midsections as well as in their pantry, a nice car or two, cable tv, wi-fi, and the list goes on. Yeah, no wonder their expenses outpace their income. Or are you and I paying for their comforts?

I think we're all guilty of oversimplifying the problem. This conversation is devolving into the same BS political rhetoric that keeps real solutions from being proposed.

There is probably a lot we can agree on.
I don't like going to the grocery store and watching people check out using EBT/SNAP cards, and then watching them pay for a second transaction of Bud light with cash, while I can only afford to drink PBR once in a blue moon(no pun intended). I don't like that they are buying a big pack of overpriced individually packaged doritos with their government money, while my entire childhood my parents bought a huge bag of off brand chips and split them up into sandwich bags because it was cheaper.

I think we're on the same page that EBT/SNAP cards are a far cry from actual food "stamps" for bread, butter, and milk.

However, for a second, let's imagine you're a child in line with those parents. Let's imagine these parents are the only influence you have to define your work ethic and picture of what a parent should be. Then imagine what that child's future children will look like.

ShiftingContents you spoke about watching your parents struggle. That implies to me that they were hard working people who fought to provide for you, and THAT is a big part of what shaped your work ethic. Where would you be without them?

Generation after generation in a row of people supplementing their low income with federal assistance. Something has to be done to stop the cycle, I completely agree with that. However, if you think federal assistance programs are going to be drastically cut through political process I'm not sure you fully understand the way politics work in America.

The reason I brought up properly funding the American education system, is I believe it is probably our single best chance to intervene and stop the cycle of dependence.

 

[Bagels]

I always enjoy reading postings from UPS drivers who believe their compensation, which is equivalent to the median M.I.T. M.B.A. graduate, is a result of their divine gift in package delivery as opposed to a CBA that handicaps UPS into paying well above-market wages.

There are millions of hard working, productive Americans in low-wage jobs who rely on government assistance because their $20,000/year no insurance FT job isn't sufficient to provide for a family. There's millions of others who've been victims of the economy. A family friend worked nearly 30 years in television production -- a decaying field that's gutted millions of jobs and slashed wages for most others -- before losing his job. He was embarrassed to accept government aid, and too stubborn to do so until nearly a year or so, but was forced into doing so while he attempted to downsize his life.

I ponder how many of our driver friends -- should they lose their jobs at UPS, because let's be realistic: they have no divine power and few would make wages anywhere close to what they're currently earning -- would immediately sell their home & give up their luxuries and go live under a bridge (as opposed to accepting aid). I'd be willing to bet that most would die before they ever accepted rationalization.

No doubt there's a VERY SMALL social welfare class that exists in this country. But that's an emblem of the racism & segregation that exits / continues to exist. You can propose all you'd like to cut these people off... but guess what happens when they start moving into YOUR neighborhoods?

 

[104Feeder]

Yet, they all seem to have smart phones, plenty of food stored around the midsections as well as in their pantry, a nice car or two, cable tv, wi-fi, and the list goes on. Yeah, no wonder their expenses outpace their income. Or are you and I paying for their comforts?

A smartphone replaced the home computer for many people. They arent standing in line for the latest iPhone, they are going to SmartTalk, Cricket & Boost. Most jobs want online applications now as well as schools. You need an email address to do so many things now. They are fat because the dollar menu is the cheapest way to feed yourself.Not much teaching of fishing going on and some need more of a crutch than you did. Unless we are just going to start shooting the poor in the streets we should do whatever it takes to bring as many of these people up into the middle class as we can.

If anything the problem is not what we spend, its that we reduce benefits too soon which discourages work.There is also this drive to "user fees" and sales taxes, regressive taxes that unfairly burden the poor.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

A smartphone replaced the home computer for many people. They arent standing in line for the latest iPhone, they are going to SmartTalk, Cricket & Boost. Most jobs want online applications now as well as schools. You need an email address to do so many things now. They are fat because the dollar menu is the cheapest way to feed yourself.Not much teaching of fishing going on and some need more of a crutch than you did. Unless we are just going to start shooting the poor in the streets we should do whatever it takes to bring as many of these people up into the middle class as we can.

If anything the problem is not what we spend, its that we reduce benefits too soon which discourages work.There is also this drive to "user fees" and sales taxes, regressive taxes that unfairly burden the poor.

Ronald Reagan did a great job of creating the "welfare queen" myth in his speeches:

"She has eighty names, thirty addresses, twelve Social Security cards and is collecting veteran's benefits on four non-existing deceased husbands. And she is collecting Social Security on her cards. She's got Medicaid, getting food stamps, and she is collecting welfare under each of her names. Her tax-free cash income is over $150,000." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_queen)

The person he cited was an mishmash of multiple people with grossly exaggerated cases of fraud and abuse, but similar sham stories have always worked because nothing pisses off the working man more than someone who gets the same thing he gets without any effort. A lot of the career UPSers have little idea what it's actually like on the job market today, especially in places with high unemployment. I've heard 20+ year feeder drivers cheering on cuts to unemployment benefits when they haven't had to worry about being laid off for over a decade. They didn't pull themselves up by their own bootstraps; they benefited from a labor union representing them. The overwhelming vast majority of the workforce isn't getting 4-5+ paid vacations a year (or even a single paid vacation a year) with a defined pension plan and health insurance without a premium.
[SUP]
[/SUP]

 

[iruhnman630]

I support right to work, and I say choose to join the union unless your plans for your life only include a short stint at UPS anyway.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

A comment made stating that people are fat because they can only afford to eat off a dollar menu is definitely a sign that this thread has met it's demise. That ranks down their with comparing workers to panhandlers.

 

[PiedmontSteward]

A comment made stating that people are fat because they can only afford to eat off a dollar menu is definitely a sign that this thread has met it's demise. That ranks down their with comparing workers to panhandlers.

Not really. Systemic poverty generates many, many problems and obesity from poor nutrition is one of them. The South, which is solidly RTW, is still one of the poorest regions in the US today. 8/10 states with the highest rates for obesity are RTW states and amongst the poorest in the country. Here's a story from 2011 from USA Today: - USATODAY.com

"The South still has the highest percentage of people who are too heavy. Nine of the 10 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South, the report says. Mississippi continues to be the state with the highest level of obesity at 34.4%; Colorado has the lowest rate at 19.8%. The South may be hit hardest by obesity because of high rates of poverty and a traditional diet that is unhealthy, Levi says."

"Nearly 34% of adults who earn less than $15,000 a year are obese, compared with 24.6% of those who earn more than $50,000 a year."

 

[Bagels]

A comment made stating that people are fat because they can only afford to eat off a dollar menu is definitely a sign that this thread has met it's demise. That ranks down their with comparing workers to panhandlers.

You have some very short-sighted views. Fresh produce is VERY expensive -- you can stretch your food budget by buying processed "junk" foods. At a major grocery store, $4 will buy a family size bag of chips, a package of ten hot dogs and a package of eight hot dog buns (all store brands) -- enough food for about two dinners for a family of four, but very poor nutritional value. Please tell me how I could consistently make a nutritious dinner for a family of four for $2. Money may be negatable for somebody with a large(r) discretionary income, but to millions of American earning duel-incomes just above minimum wage, it's a lot of cash.

I'm always bemused by people who describe ten-year FT Walmart employees earning less than $10/hour (no additional benefits) as being "overpaid" while also considering a few bucks to be a negatable amount of cash...

 

[104Feeder]

Ronald Reagan did a great job of creating the "welfare queen" myth in his speeches:

"She has eighty names, thirty addresses, twelve Social Security cards and is collecting veteran's benefits on four non-existing deceased husbands. And she is collecting Social Security on her cards. She's got Medicaid, getting food stamps, and she is collecting welfare under each of her names. Her tax-free cash income is over $150,000." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_queen)

The person he cited was an mishmash of multiple people with grossly exaggerated cases of fraud and abuse, but similar sham stories have always worked because nothing pisses off the working man more than someone who gets the same thing he gets without any effort. A lot of the career UPSers have little idea what it's actually like on the job market today, especially in places with high unemployment. I've heard 20+ year feeder drivers cheering on cuts to unemployment benefits when they haven't had to worry about being laid off for over a decade. They didn't pull themselves up by their own bootstraps; they benefited from a labor union representing them. The overwhelming vast majority of the workforce isn't getting 4-5+ paid vacations a year (or even a single paid vacation a year) with a defined pension plan and health insurance without a premium.
[SUP]
[/SUP]

Speaking of unemployment, I've known many people who have had experiences with that unfortunately.
Here, you have to file online (thereby necessitating the smartphone)and there is a two week delay til you see any money. The maximum is $240/week, about 15%of a drivers pay.
Meanwhile, the bills and late fees pile up.

If they kick back your application for any reason, expect another week delay.

Meanwhile, the bills and late fees pile up.

Any part time work you obtain will reduce your benefit, even though it doesnt come near to replacing your former income.
Meanwhile, the bills and late fees pile up.

About a month or two in your former employer will dispute your claim and your benefits are automatically cut off until your response is considered.

Meanwhile, the bills and late fees pile up.

If you need to file bankruptcy you have to wait awhile as they look at your last 6 months of income when deciding whether you can file Chapter 7 or 13 (thanks to Bush).

Meanwhile, the bills and late fees pile up.

If you decide to go back to school, your unemployment stops making you borrow more than you otherwise would.

Meanwhile, the bills and late fees pile up.

Unemployment Insurance (which is not welfare) has become more like throwing someone a styrofoam cup instead of a life preserver.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Being fat and/or poor are 100% available. One simply has to have desire and put forth the effort to beat them. Finding more work and eating healthier while exercising would suffice. And linking fatness with RTW states doesn't hold up. Being in a RTW states has nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, to do with being fat. If someone is fat its because they chose to eat too much and aren't active enough. Plain and simple.

Wow! Cheryl....... shouldn't there be a common sense test to join BC???

 

[Bagels]

Being fat and/or poor are 100% available. One simply has to have desire and put forth the effort to beat them. Finding more work and eating healthier while exercising would suffice. And linking fatness with RTW states doesn't hold up. Being in a RTW states has nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, to do with being fat. If someone is fat its because they chose to eat too much and aren't active enough. Plain and simple.

Wow! Cheryl....... shouldn't there be a common sense test to join BC???

Wow, In insulting me, I'm glad that you've convinced me -- beyond reasonable doubt -- that you're an idiot.

Kinda reminds me of conversing with my bigoted mother, who grew up in a very affluent family and has never endured life without a large amount of discretionary income: I'm in the market to purchase an off-lease, three-year-old vehicle -- which makes the most financial sense given that the typical car loses nearly half its value in that time period. My mother declared "only black people and Mexicans buy used cars." Sadly, she truly believes that. Just like she whined to the middle-aged minimum-wage cashier at Safeway that my dad's choosing to bring her to the Hilton Hawaiian Village for their 50th wedding anniversary, and it's not fair because she deserves Maui, and Waikiki Beach is a poor man's beach.

What you eat plays a big role in your health & well-being. I bought an apple from Walmart on my way to work this morning; it was $1.26. Like I mentioned earlier, I can feed a family of four a high caloric, low nutritional value food for $2. An medium-sized apple retails for 75% of that (and most apple varieties are in season).

Most drivers spend 10% or less of their income on food. Most FT Walmart workers spend 30%-50% - and that's not buying healthy options, either.

BTW, most research today is concluding that weight & well-being goes beyond the ages-old calories in / calories out theory, and that food composition (e.g. nutrients) have a lot to do with body sculpting...

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Being fat and/or poor are 100% available. One simply has to have desire and put forth the effort to beat them. Finding more work and eating healthier while exercising would suffice. And linking fatness with RTW states doesn't hold up. Being in a RTW states has nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, to do with being fat. If someone is fat its because they chose to eat too much and aren't active enough. Plain and simple.

Wow! Cheryl....... shouldn't there be a common sense test to join BC???

Wow, In insulting me, I'm glad that you've convinced me -- beyond reasonable doubt -- that you're an idiot.

Kinda reminds me of conversing with my bigoted mother, who grew up in a very affluent family and has never endured life without a large amount of discretionary income: I'm in the market to purchase an off-lease, three-year-old vehicle -- which makes the most financial sense given that the typical car loses nearly half its value in that time period. My mother declared "only black people and Mexicans buy used cars." Sadly, she truly believes that. Just like she whined to the middle-aged minimum-wage cashier at Safeway that my dad's choosing to bring her to the Hilton Hawaiian Village for their 50th wedding anniversary, and it's not fair because she deserves Maui, and Waikiki Beach is a poor man's beach.

What you eat plays a big role in your health & well-being. I bought an apple from Walmart on my way to work this morning; it was $1.26. Like I mentioned earlier, I can feed a family of four a high caloric, low nutritional value food for $2. An medium-sized apple retails for 75% of that (and most apple varieties are in season).

Most drivers spend 10% or less of their income on food. Most FT Walmart workers spend 30%-50% - and that's not buying healthy options, either.

BTW, most research today is concluding that weight & well-being goes beyond the ages-old calories in / calories out theory, and that food composition (e.g. nutrients) have a lot to do with body sculpting...

Spare me your childish name calling and liberal circular logic. And don't dare assume I am a bigot or that I have no experience with being poor. I am in a biracial marriage and have endured being poor and have lived below the poverty line several times. So, I'm more than qualified than most to discuss this. I am also slightly overweight like most Americans. We are the second fastest nation in the world so there is no practical use in comparing fatness between RTW states and union thug states.

The only factors that count here are desire and behavior. God gave us all the gift of free will and the ability to make smart decisions. Unfortunately, there are those that don't and those that blame "society" or some other BS sociological nonsense for their plites. No one is forcing anyone to forego looking for second or third jobs to get themselves back on their feet. Or moving to an area with a better job market. No one is forcing people to squirt out a bunch of kids they can't afford to feed. No one is forcing a single parent to feed her kids from the drivethrough window instead of choosing a healthier menu. Or opting to eat beans and rice until their finances are in order.

There is no mythical monster named "Society" that holds a gun to peoples heads and forces them to continue to behave in ways that hold them in poverty or obesity. Right now I'm eating a footlong meatball sub on my lunch break. "Society" is nowhere to be found. Its MY fault that I keep eating this unhealthy but tasty garbage and no one else's.