4 ms·

Lack of jobs and crushing taxes more like. Social safety nets aren't all they're cracked up to be, and leaves people trapped in that system forever.

adrianN 6y ago
Being trapped in a social safety net is more desirable than being trapped under a bridge.
StavrosK 6y ago
Really? Living in a country with a safety net, it looks pretty damn positive to me, you get unemployment checks while you're unemployed which makes it much easier to take your time to find a good next job.
- ericmay 6y ago
  The United States has unemployment benefits [1]. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_benefits_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_benefits_in_the_U...
  - StavrosK 6y ago
    Yes, but I have a feeling that's what the GP refers to when they say "trapped forever". I don't feel like our system traps you at all, so I was wondering why the GP feels that people get trapped.
    - ericmay 6y ago
      Sorry, I misunderstood the context. I thought you were from outside the United States as the origination of your comment.My fault!
      - StavrosK 6y ago
        No sorry, I confused you even more. I am from outside the US, I think my country's system doesn't trap you, so I was wondering why the US one does.
        ericmay 6y ago
        Haha no worries! I have not been on unemployment, so I'm afraid I can't comment on that. As someone else mentioned it does vary a bit state by state, so there could be something there.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - olalonde 6y ago
      They're probably referring to the "welfare trap"[0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_trap https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_trap
      - StavrosK 6y ago
        Ahh, I see, thank you, that makes sense.
  - tabob 6y ago
    Unemployment varies greatly state by state and rarely keeps up with the reality of the cost of living. On top of this, it only applies if you lose your job due to "lay-offs". I've been laid off four times in my life, all 3 times the companies claimed they were not lay-offs and fought my claim. 2 times I was denied. The third time I received unemployment benefits for 5 months. I received $4,000 in benefits then my former employer won an appeal, and my claim was deemed "fraud". I had to pay $8,500 back ($4,000 + $4,500 in "fraud fees"). If you are fired for "cause", "screw you, have a nice day". 8 months ago 10% of my company's engineering department (screw you, cloud passage) was fired "for cause" and replaced with cheap Belarusian contractors. This time I didn't even bother for unemployment, I didn't want to risk having to pay it back + 100% fines. I also do not get covid stimulus, and have had to sell my 401k to keep from being homeless. America has no social net whatsoever. I do not qualify for unemployment, food stamps, or anything else even though I have been working my ass off and paying taxes for 25 years.
    - ModernMech 6y ago
      Not to mention you have to make enough money to qualify for unemployment. My wife was once denied because in the window of time they use to calculate unemployment her pay was too low. They told her that in order to qualify for unemployment, she had to get a job and make more money, and then lose that job and reapply.
      - tabob 6y ago
        Also, when it comes to the stimulus programs, if you made too much $$ then you don't qualify. Even if I had qualified for unemployment, I wouldn't have qualified for the extra $300/week and the $1200 stimulus plans. The only thing really keeping us afloat is we fled the USA and move to my wife's town where she owns a home and there's a low cost of living. Luckily I was raised with the philosophy that if I cannot afford to buy a thing in cash, I cannot afford to buy that thing, so I have never had any debt.
    - GVRV 6y ago
      This is infuriating :( Hope you weather the storm and end up in a better spot soon. But, this is one of my concerns too. I equate money with time and if, as a law-abiding citizen, I work diligently for a couple of decades and pay my taxes, when circumstances change – I should be assured some sort of a safety net. Otherwise, what is the point of wasting time working to pay taxes? Is this the hard reality that we cannot rely on governments taking care of us and need to come up with more individualistic backup plans in such circumstances? Does paying all of your taxes and being a model law-abiding citizen make you a sucker?
- meerita 6y ago
  But that doesn't happen as you say. What people do is just take 2 year sabatical at the expenses of all the taxes while they go Thailand, etc. That is what happens with most of the unemployment checks.
  - adrianN 6y ago
    In Germany people don't take two year sabbaticals while on welfare. Where do you think that happens?
    - meerita 6y ago
      In Spain is very common to take 2 year sabatical while enjoying the welfare. Most of them go away and sign online through proxies or use family members to do that.
  - wokkel 6y ago
    I live in what, judging by your comment, is a socialist country, and have never seen that happen. Without some sources this is Just FUD.
hobby-coder-guy 6y ago
taxes do not cause homelessness. Ever.

adrianN 6y ago

Being trapped in a social safety net is more desirable than being trapped under a bridge.

StavrosK 6y ago

Really? Living in a country with a safety net, it looks pretty damn positive to me, you get unemployment checks while you're unemployed which makes it much easier to take your time to find a good next job.

ericmay 6y ago
The United States has unemployment benefits [1]. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_benefits_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment_benefits_in_the_U...
- StavrosK 6y ago
  Yes, but I have a feeling that's what the GP refers to when they say "trapped forever". I don't feel like our system traps you at all, so I was wondering why the GP feels that people get trapped.
  - ericmay 6y ago
    Sorry, I misunderstood the context. I thought you were from outside the United States as the origination of your comment.My fault!
    - StavrosK 6y ago
      No sorry, I confused you even more. I am from outside the US, I think my country's system doesn't trap you, so I was wondering why the US one does.
      - ericmay 6y ago
        Haha no worries! I have not been on unemployment, so I'm afraid I can't comment on that. As someone else mentioned it does vary a bit state by state, so there could be something there.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - olalonde 6y ago
    They're probably referring to the "welfare trap"[0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_trap https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_trap
    - StavrosK 6y ago
      Ahh, I see, thank you, that makes sense.
- tabob 6y ago
  Unemployment varies greatly state by state and rarely keeps up with the reality of the cost of living. On top of this, it only applies if you lose your job due to "lay-offs". I've been laid off four times in my life, all 3 times the companies claimed they were not lay-offs and fought my claim. 2 times I was denied. The third time I received unemployment benefits for 5 months. I received $4,000 in benefits then my former employer won an appeal, and my claim was deemed "fraud". I had to pay $8,500 back ($4,000 + $4,500 in "fraud fees"). If you are fired for "cause", "screw you, have a nice day". 8 months ago 10% of my company's engineering department (screw you, cloud passage) was fired "for cause" and replaced with cheap Belarusian contractors. This time I didn't even bother for unemployment, I didn't want to risk having to pay it back + 100% fines. I also do not get covid stimulus, and have had to sell my 401k to keep from being homeless. America has no social net whatsoever. I do not qualify for unemployment, food stamps, or anything else even though I have been working my ass off and paying taxes for 25 years.
  - ModernMech 6y ago
    Not to mention you have to make enough money to qualify for unemployment. My wife was once denied because in the window of time they use to calculate unemployment her pay was too low. They told her that in order to qualify for unemployment, she had to get a job and make more money, and then lose that job and reapply.
    - tabob 6y ago
      Also, when it comes to the stimulus programs, if you made too much $$ then you don't qualify. Even if I had qualified for unemployment, I wouldn't have qualified for the extra $300/week and the $1200 stimulus plans. The only thing really keeping us afloat is we fled the USA and move to my wife's town where she owns a home and there's a low cost of living. Luckily I was raised with the philosophy that if I cannot afford to buy a thing in cash, I cannot afford to buy that thing, so I have never had any debt.
  - GVRV 6y ago
    This is infuriating :( Hope you weather the storm and end up in a better spot soon. But, this is one of my concerns too. I equate money with time and if, as a law-abiding citizen, I work diligently for a couple of decades and pay my taxes, when circumstances change – I should be assured some sort of a safety net. Otherwise, what is the point of wasting time working to pay taxes? Is this the hard reality that we cannot rely on governments taking care of us and need to come up with more individualistic backup plans in such circumstances? Does paying all of your taxes and being a model law-abiding citizen make you a sucker?
meerita 6y ago
But that doesn't happen as you say. What people do is just take 2 year sabatical at the expenses of all the taxes while they go Thailand, etc. That is what happens with most of the unemployment checks.
- adrianN 6y ago
  In Germany people don't take two year sabbaticals while on welfare. Where do you think that happens?
  - meerita 6y ago
    In Spain is very common to take 2 year sabatical while enjoying the welfare. Most of them go away and sign online through proxies or use family members to do that.
- wokkel 6y ago
  I live in what, judging by your comment, is a socialist country, and have never seen that happen. Without some sources this is Just FUD.

hobby-coder-guy 6y ago

taxes do not cause homelessness. Ever.