A must read (OT)

One answer OK, I'll start. A friend of the family is upside down in his house and is struggling to pay his bills.He needed a new roof on his home in a terrible way. My son and I along with the H/O a bunch of his friends tore the roof off fixed all the wood. The H/O supplied the permit and material costs which I supplied to him at my cost. The roof is almost finished with good will and love for a community the end result to all involved. Solid

B) :) :) B) Deep Down In Florida Where The Sun Shines Damn Near Every Day

After 350 lurkers we got some activity on this thread, twill59. I had 2 questions in my first response. I read the posted url's and my first question was, "what is the answer? or in other words, how do we fix it? My second questions was, "What have you done for your fellow man?" ( I know I forgot the question mark, I'm a roofer). Thanks for the kind words and I will continue to try to help, but I would love to hear some more heart warming stories from others, no matter how small. Some of us have less than others but we all give somehow. And back to " What is the answer?

Twill59, choppin wood? I thought you were a roofer? Or was that wood shakes you were chopping? Tinner666.I hope your wife is getting better. Patty Cakes, you sound like a survivor. :cheer:

Rocky it is an inspiration to be assoiated in just a small part with people with high moral fiber as you. Many many thank you. This is an article on what the " safety net " is doing to the moral fiber of this country and it's citizens. http://townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/2011/07/19/ten_ways_progressive_policies_harm_societys_moral_character/page/full/

B) :) :) B) Deep Down In Florida Where The Sun Shines Damn Near Every Day

True Woody, but I read about anything. And if the facts seem accurate or enlightening, I absorb it, or as in this case, pass it along.

Like another article I clicked on from the NYT page, Krugman's "Moochers against Welfare", I resent the whole premise. The implication is that unless you're a diehard liberal, you're a hypocrite to ever use a government program. Actually TWIL, I thought you leaned towards the viewpoints of Ron Paul, the very antithesis of the govern-by-sob-story-anicdote premise.

Twill, the % growth was quite gradual over forty years. The biggest increase of 5% over the last decade is understandable with the recession onset in '07 through '09. Many families were devasted with job loss and debt up to their ass. It will take years for many of them to recover. I do hope that this past/current recession was an eye opener to many. Let the Jones' be in debt, live within your means.

My county in PA has stayed steady on the low end over the 40 years, good news. PC

I had the good fortune of being raised by very practical and hard working parents. They lived within their means and that stayed with me from the time I left home at 19 to present. I have used the system twice for food stamps in 40 years and cancelled them both times when no longer needed. I truly appreciated the assistence. My income is under 30K, paying for a hoime, 98 truck paid for, 97 taurus paid for ( just turned my 85 cadillac for the taurus this weekend ) and have no credit card debt. I am a happy camper, I don't need fancy to be comfortable.

I know people on assistance and it is a God send. Others I know get in the system and make no effort to better themselves.

Rockydog, it is commendable the contributions you have made and continue to do. My contribution is looking and planning forward so I am not a burden to others. PC

"What have I done for my fellow man?"

Practically nothing. I only offer a job w/ above average wages, some benefits and a good, safe working environment. My hand gets slapped, I'm told "No thanks A-Hole" and I go back to chopping wood. B)

That's nice Rocky. Wish I could afford to do that. Wife spends 2 months in hospital and 2-4 in-home rehabbing with me being the nurse. I can't get ahead enough for that. Bummer. I'm glad you did what you did. :) :) :)

A lot of lurkers and not one comment until this. Maybe because alot of people here agree with the statements but don't want to be classified with them. So what do we do with the old? take them out and shoot them? Refuse them medical help and listen to them scream? Let the children go hungry at lunch time, maybe even miss breakfast and dinner? let the homeless become Zombies? What is the answer? I can tell you this. Last year I gave 220 turkeys(3300lbs) to St. Mary's Foodbank, sent a crew to Joplin Missouri to help any way they could,. The year before we coordinated 20 roofing companies, 2 resturants and a dumpster company and we all did 120,000 dollars worth of roofing on the Salvation Army School for free. On February the 21st this year, next week, we start to install $300,000 of roofing, fascia and ac work on a battered womans complex at no cost to the center. They called me asked if I could donate any roof repairs. I said yes and went to investigate. I found about $3500 in repairs that I told them I would donate, but...., "but" I said, "I think you have hail damage". Low and behold the insurance adjuster concurred and 8 women where jumping around doing a praise dance and hugging my son and I. There are many other examples I can lump here and I,am sure most of you could do the same. There will always be the needy and hopefully there will always be someone there to stick out their hand and help them up. Even if it is the government, until we can find a better solution, and I agree, we need one.

So twill59 I would like to change the theme of this thread from one of despair to one of hope. Speak up. Hear yee, hear yee. What have you done for your fellow man.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html?hp

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/02/12/us/entitlement-map.html?hp

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