Getting On The Gravy Train Easier Than Ever - If You've Lost All Pride | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Alicia Colon examines self-reliance and self-respect in this post, which was originally published in The Irish Examiner.

    I have collected unemployment three times in my life. The first time was over 35 years ago and I had to file a claim at an unemployment office in Manhattan. I also had to go there every week to collect a check. The second time was in 1995 when I was laid off and replaced by the owner's wife. I then applied in person but after that I only had to report by phone and punch in my responses. The last time I filed was in 2008 when my newspaper folded and all I had to do was file online.

    It's no mystery to explain the huge numbers of Americans filing for unemployment when it is becoming as easy as surfing the net for social networks. Politicians are always trying to make it easy for people to file for food stamps, Medicaid, HEAP, and other benefits not because they give a whit for the needy but because they expect those entitled to keep them in office. If the process is difficult for some, those who know how to work the system will find it a breeze.
I live in Staten Island which was brutally savaged by the Nor'easter Sandy last October.

    Fortunately my home was spared as I live on a hill but others were not so lucky. My stepson's house had a tree fall into his basement and flooding was extensive. Although FEMA was on board here, the paperwork and process was so convoluted, he got a chainsaw, chopped up the tree and never collected a dime. Others who had no damage whatsoever somehow managed to get through the FEMA red tape and collected because FEMA like all government agencies is completely inefficient.

    A record number of Americans are now on food stamps. When my six children were young and my family was barely surviving on one income, I briefly took the leap and collected food stamps. At that time, the stamps were issued in paper and I hated pulling the book out to pay for food so I never recertified. I just made do with what we could afford and became a very resourceful and creative cook. Now that shame factor has been removed and liberal politicians have made sure that discreet EBT debit cards allow welfare and food stamp recipients to purchase luxury food items and goods sans embarrassment.

    Here's a recent news release reporting on our generous government:

    The food stamp program, part of the Department of Agriculture, is pleased to be distributing the greatest amount of food stamps ever. About 46.514 million Americans received aid, up from 46.286 million in November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today in an e-mail.

    Participation was 5.5 percent higher than a year earlier. No one should go hungry in America. FNS provides children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education. We help nearly one in four people. Check out our programs to see if we can help you or your family.

    Meanwhile the National Park Service - also part of the Department of Agriculture - asks visitors "Please do not feed the animals" because it may cause them to grow dependent and not take care and fend for themselves.

    Mitt Romney was absolutely right when he noted in a fundraiser that 47% of the people would never vote for him. These are the entitled who never heard what JFK asked Americans to do but care only about what the government can do for them. His Democrat Party now only cares about staying in power and promoting a dependent nation that resembles socialist Europe. The fact that Europe is dying because of this failed ideology is incidental to the narcissists now in power who believe they can make it work here.

    Since I have always been in a somewhat precarious financial situation, I can well understand the temptation to have burdens lifted but thankfully was raised by a strong and proud mother. She took in laundry and babysat for neighbors rather than go on welfare after my father abandoned us. She struggled back from three incapacitating strokes but refused to become a cripple. Of course, back in those days, the dependent-making machine was not in place yet. The Great Society had not yet reared its ugly head. Food stamps were non existent and welfare was called home relief and was only temporary. Food commodities were distributed and we were glad to get these when our neighbors who were on welfare refused to eat them. Great cans of peanut butter, bags of rice and flour, a pound of margarine, a box of cheese and best of all, a large can of chipped beef which fried up and served over the rice was delicious.

    I watched an interview with a woman who had been on the dole for several years who admitted that she could look for work but she was too used to being taken care of and we can all probably guess who she votes for. This was an educated healthy white woman whose shame factor was totally suppressed. That's why politicians are always looking for ways to take away the shame factor so that we can eschew pride and instead view ourselves as victims of society.

    Either liberals are hopelessly naïve or they are viciously Machiavellian in destroying our national pride. Comedian Adam Carolla went head to head with Gavin Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco who invited a Carolla attack when he said both African-American and Hispanics struggle with being prepared for financial hardship.

    "Think about it - half of African-Americans in the state of California, roughly half of Latino families have no access to a checking account or an ATM - things we take for granted," but Carolla challenged him with this:

    "I want to know why [Blacks and Latinos] are struggling," Carolla continued. "Do Asians have this problem? Why do so many [Blacks and Latinos]? Blacks have been here longer than we have. What about Asians - they were put in internment camps. Are they at the check cashing places?"

    I know exactly why minorities don't have access to the ordinary things Mr. Newsom thinks they should have. It's called staying below the radar so they are eligible for government freebies. Jobs are off the books and doctor notes for disability claims are faked. Democrats insist we need more taxes but we have trillions to spend on waste.

    This administration has hired 16,000 IRS agents to enforce Obamacare when it should have hired private investigators to uncover the massive fraud in our entitlement programs that leaves nothing for legitimate applicants. Unfortunately it shows no interest in stopping the gravy train as long as its riders vote Democrat.

    Publisher's note: Alicia Colon resides in New York City and can be reached at aliciav.colon@gmail.com and at www.aliciacolon.com. Alicia would dearly love to hear from you.