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These issues aren't solved with "social welfare and safety nets", that's just throwing good money after bad. I'm totally fine with a kick-ass safety net for peo
by 0815test 7y ago
These issues aren't solved with "social welfare and safety nets", that's just throwing good money after bad. I'm totally fine with a kick-ass safety net for people who are actually in poverty, aka have trouble funding their basic needs despite very serious, sometimes strenuous efforts. But someone who is advertising their Venmo ID online is almost certainly not poor in this legitimate sense. Spending more money than you earn, and then on vapid things like social media, etc. has nothing to do with poverty.
- PhasmaFelis 7y agoExactly, that's the point. The government is much better positioned to distinguish between genuine need vs. boredom and a clever pitch that the Venmo-using public at large.
- chc 7y agoThe idea that people asking for donations online are deservedly poor because they spend too much money on social media is probably the oddest thing I've heard all year.
- gowld 7y agoSocial media costs $0. Venmo costs $0. Internet access costs under $50/month, and is one of the most valuable purchases anyone can make in modern society.
- 0815test 7y agoThe social media account costs $0. If you actually want to play at being a social media "influencer" online and reaching strangers to a non-trivial extent, you'll definitely be looking at some real costs.
- chillwaves 7y agoHow do you figure?
- gav 7y agoI'm not sure about other states but in California, there is the LifeLine program[1] to provide free cell phones to those in need. [1] https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/lifeline/ https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/lifeline/