Comments on: CA Freebies Enrich Low-Wage Workers

By: Luke Lea

Luke Lea — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 05:06:56 +0000

Very interesting. I was surprised that the number of minimum wage recipients was only 75,000. Is that because most of those positions are now filled by non-reporting illegal immigrants? PS How come the utility bill in column two is bigger than in three and four?

By: Tayla Sands

Tayla Sands — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:50:46 +0000

This is apalling! That anyone would encourage people to not support themselves and partake of the system as being more fortuitous than earning your own way is terrible. I hope someone shuts this website down. Happening upon it has dropped my opinion of the people in this great nation down a peg. Sad, very sad. I do not agree with but have to accept the masses of ilegal immigrants who abuse the system but to preach that it is the way to create more disposable income, shame, shame, shame on you.

By: CJD

CJD — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:01:19 +0000

Yes, including the additional programs does provide more than just minimum wage – exactly because $8/hr alone is insufficient.

I agree with the comments above about section 8 housing – usually awful and years of wait lists.

Assuming that a single wage earner family would spend $10.8K a year on child care is not at all realistic.

By: Suzy

Suzy — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:06:18 +0000

I was a teacher in LAUSD for 5 years.

The kids get free breakfast and free 2nd breakfast. I myself witnessed it. They can have breakfast before school starts and they serve it again at recess. The lunchroom doesn’t do meal counts unless the school has to use meal tickets. Next the kids would get free lunch. Then after school they get free snack in LA’s Best- the free after school program. The school I was at -the entire school qualified for ‘free breakfast program’.

After looking at my students records it was shocking how many of their parents were illegal. The legal child by birthright is entitled to housing, food stamps, medicaid, etc. That’s how they do it.

After 5 years of witnessing these continued abuses I moved away from Cali after living there my whole life.

By: Fake Rex ther Wonder Dog!

Fake Rex ther Wonder Dog! — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:39:30 +0000

Well, subsidized school lunch isn’t cash that anyone can spend. Obviously the parents save the cost of the PB&J sandwich and apple, but counting it as income is a stretch.

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It is a compensated benefit. They also get free breakfests in many districts.

But overall I agree with your post, the notion that these welfare services are easy to get or maintain or are decent is just a myth.

And Section 8 housing, while subsidized, is usally awful. And as you pointed out-takes years to receive.

8K in foodstamps is $154/week, or about $38 per person per week, not steak dinners, but I could eat decent on that amount, although I usually spend double that.

I do not agree with the article-and I usually do agree with what is written on this site.

By: Bruce Ross

Bruce Ross — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:44:47 +0000

Well, subsidized school lunch isn’t cash that anyone can spend. Obviously the parents save the cost of the PB&J sandwich and apple, but counting it as income is a stretch.

Section 8 vouchers, meanwhile, have infamous waitlists, literally years.

And arbitrarily discounting transportation costs and miscellaneous expenses — and then counting the remainder as expendable income — is just strange. And you say you used CBP’s figures, but if so you must have miscalculated them.

8K a year in food stamps, though — even for a family of four, I am surprised it’s that high.