Welfare queen: how easy is it really to use the social safety net?
Photo by Liz Jones
Born the year after Ronald Reagan took office, the image of a
"welfare queen" was burned into my mind at a young age.
Squinting at the TV while my parents watched the news, there seemed to be this moral message derived from poverty.
Either people worked hard and were self-sufficient, or they didn't and mysteriously got money from the system.
My parents didn't tell me this. It wasn't taught at my elementary school.
No one really had to tell me.
Even growing up in a relatively
affluent community, it was clear that "welfare" was a dirty word, and
"food stamps" meant government cheese and giant cans of beans.
I've never had any real experience with America's social safety net until this year.
My
best friend, Liz and her husband, Nathan, have gone through a rough
year. Two kinds of birth control be damned, Liz found out she was
pregnant in January. Nathan is in school at Columbia, about to start
his second year on his master's degree. Liz supported the two of them
managing a local coffee shop, but lost her job earlier this year.
Nathan and Liz (and baby Ida, incognito)
They
had a little savings. But no insurance, and no real income. They needed
to move to a bigger apartment to accommodate the baby, and where was
that money going to come from? Rent was already tough to come by.
And so they made their first dip into a pool so many Americans have to deal with on a daily basis: the social service system.
Through this experience, I have learned something profound: the social service system is a crazy, crazy place.
This
week, I'll tell you interesting, sometimes funny, and sometimes sad
stories from Liz's few months living within the system. She's been kind
enough to share the stories with me, but also to allow me to share the
stories with you.
But before we begin, share your thoughts with me.
What do you know about the social safety net?
How do WIC, medicaid and welfare work and why are they there?
Does welfare work? Is it a good idea?
What experiences have you had with the system?Engage
in an experiment with me. If you're reading this, tell me what you
know. Don't be shy. Anything you think is valid. Then come back and
read this week, and then we'll compare notes.
A note for my readers:
In general, I consider myself a journalist. A lot of other people have
long, intricate (boring) discussions about the difference between
journalists, bloggers, and reporters, etc. I don't care about those
discussions. My eyes glaze over when someone starts one. I'm more
interested in talking to people and making what I make.
But,
you should know, this week's posts will likely cross some lines. And I
know that. In general, journalists try to remain objective and stay
away from stories that they're personally involved in. I considered
that, but these stories were too good, too important not to tell. And
so, I have not tried to remain objective, other than to hope that I am
a pretty rational thinker.
You should also know that I am fiercely loyal to those I love. Any of my friends, you hurt them,
and I will hate you forever. It's just what I'm like. So that's why I
haven't tried to remain very objective. I thought it would be a little
waste of time.
3 Comments
Ryan said:
When I left my teaching job in California, my wife, child, and I left behind our no-cost insurance for myself and my family. It wasn't much to me because growing up in Michigan, I took healthcare benefits for granted. The union was strong where I grew up, and in my experience, that was what your employer did - they covered you and your family with health care. I assumed I'd find a job in Michigan, be covered again in two months, and life would go on as usual.
This did not happen.
We ended up moving to North Carolina, where teachers are forbidden by law to unionize. As a consequence, the school district does as little as it can to attract and retain teachers, based largely on what school districts elsewhere in the state are doing. I was covered by a mediocre plan and my family, should I choose to add them, would cost me ~$500 a month. The district would pay nothing toward covering my family.
So we turned to social services. My daughter has been off and on medicaid depending on the ceiling for income that week. My wife does not qualify for coverage because I make too much. Even now, when I've lost my job and am scraping by on unemployment. I'm not sure what the fix is, but you're right, Megan: it's a crazy, crazy system.
lizjoyntsandberg said:
I did always have a strong sense while I was in high school that i would become famous.......
But seriously, this is the most insane ordeal I've ever been through - am going through. I had no idea that things were so completely crazy at social services but for everyone out there dealing with the insanity of trying to get a little help for a little while - I'm with you and for you and wishing things were different for all of us. I salute your tenacity and commitment to trying to make living possible and bearable for your families. I support you, and will gladly swap horror stories in solidarity over coffee (I'll totally buy if we can go to Whole Foods so I can use my Link card.....).
Bill Tucker said:
I'm so excited about this.
Leave a Comment?
What your comment will look like:
said: