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That's pretty much a knee jerk reaction. The car in question is over a decade old, but is fully paid off and in good repair. It was also the couple's only car a

That's pretty much a knee jerk reaction. The car in question is over a decade old, but is fully paid off and in good repair. It was also the couple's only car at the time, as her Honda has broken down. Reliable transportation is a key component to escaping poverty. The author isn't perfect, she and her husband did make some poor choices, but keeping the Mercedes is not one of them.

techsupporter 12y ago
> The author isn't perfect, she and her husband did make some poor choices Unless I missed something, I don't see where the author and her husband made any poor choices. Keeping the paid-off vehicle is prudent[0]. They were making a combined income of $120k, according to her, when they chose to have a child. Only after the pregnancy was her husband laid off and they couldn't have easily foreseen that the babies would have health problems. They bought a house but the timing wasn't their fault and it's almost impossible for a layperson to predict. In short, they discovered the true meaning of "shit happens." 0 - That's one thing people might want to keep in mind when they see someone talking on an iPhone while paying with food stamps. It's far easier to keep what you have than to sell it--usually at "fire sale" prices for quick cash--and try to replace it with something cheaper. If I ever lost my job, two of the last things to go would be my paid-off vehicle and my dirt-cheap unlimited data mobile plan with smartphone.
- IanDrake 12y ago
  You guys know you can walk into a dealership with one car and walk out with another car and a check in your hand right? I'm not sure where this "paid off" straw-man argument comes from. I've driven perfectly reliable cars that cost less than $5K. A 10 year old Mercedes in great shape is probably worth about 15-20K. Why not trade that in and get another "paid off" car worth 5K and a check for 10K? I guess it depends on how you were brought up. I'd rather sell all my possessions at pennies on the dollar, live in a honda civic, and do odd jobs than take government assistance.
  - poikniok 12y ago
    Why the irrational fear of taking government assistance?
    - Shivetya 12y ago
      there are those who were raised to do all for themselves and others rather than take a handout. This includes working multiple jobs and the like instead of accepting assistance. you cannot under estimate the value you place in things in your everyday life when you know you worked to obtain them. I cannot imagine being unemployed and simply collecting money and assistance. I would take entry level jobs putting up groceries to bide my time, or be at the local donation center sorting stuff for free. idle time leads to an idle mind and that does more damage than about anything else I know of
      - Delmania 12y ago
        The problem with this mindset is that it conveniently ignores the fact that these people pay into this handout programs every pay check. It's akin to paying for health insurance every 2 weeks and then paying all costs out of pocket because you don't want to rely on others.
    - CPLX 12y ago
      Because we're Americans, and we've been subjected to a several decade long PR campaign so that instead of thinking the obvious, which is that the government assistance program is precisely for this kind of situation, and the author of the story, having paid into the system for years, should of course use the temporary help to get back on her feet, we are trained to believe that those benefits are for "bad" people or "other" people and we don't want to be one of them and they are so shameful and vile that even being associated with that group temporarily will rub off and taint you.
      - jacquesm 12y ago
        I'm not American, I just prefer that people that really need it get it rather than that I'd get it as long as I can find some other way to make ends meet. That would include selling off my assets and working crap jobs if that's what it took. It's nothing to do with shame or finding people that do need assistance vile, I just don't consider myself (for now, this may change) to be one of them. But then again, I've always been the 'help yourself' type of person, my main reason for that is that I like to have some control over my life and government hand-outs rarely come without strings and can be withdrawn at a moments notice. But for those that really need them it's very good they exist.

techsupporter 12y ago

> The author isn't perfect, she and her husband did make some poor choices Unless I missed something, I don't see where the author and her husband made any poor choices. Keeping the paid-off vehicle is prudent[0]. They were making a combined income of $120k, according to her, when they chose to have a child. Only after the pregnancy was her husband laid off and they couldn't have easily foreseen that the babies would have health problems. They bought a house but the timing wasn't their fault and it's almost impossible for a layperson to predict. In short, they discovered the true meaning of "shit happens." 0 - That's one thing people might want to keep in mind when they see someone talking on an iPhone while paying with food stamps. It's far easier to keep what you have than to sell it--usually at "fire sale" prices for quick cash--and try to replace it with something cheaper. If I ever lost my job, two of the last things to go would be my paid-off vehicle and my dirt-cheap unlimited data mobile plan with smartphone.

IanDrake 12y ago
You guys know you can walk into a dealership with one car and walk out with another car and a check in your hand right? I'm not sure where this "paid off" straw-man argument comes from. I've driven perfectly reliable cars that cost less than $5K. A 10 year old Mercedes in great shape is probably worth about 15-20K. Why not trade that in and get another "paid off" car worth 5K and a check for 10K? I guess it depends on how you were brought up. I'd rather sell all my possessions at pennies on the dollar, live in a honda civic, and do odd jobs than take government assistance.
- poikniok 12y ago
  Why the irrational fear of taking government assistance?
  - Shivetya 12y ago
    there are those who were raised to do all for themselves and others rather than take a handout. This includes working multiple jobs and the like instead of accepting assistance. you cannot under estimate the value you place in things in your everyday life when you know you worked to obtain them. I cannot imagine being unemployed and simply collecting money and assistance. I would take entry level jobs putting up groceries to bide my time, or be at the local donation center sorting stuff for free. idle time leads to an idle mind and that does more damage than about anything else I know of
    - Delmania 12y ago
      The problem with this mindset is that it conveniently ignores the fact that these people pay into this handout programs every pay check. It's akin to paying for health insurance every 2 weeks and then paying all costs out of pocket because you don't want to rely on others.
  - CPLX 12y ago
    Because we're Americans, and we've been subjected to a several decade long PR campaign so that instead of thinking the obvious, which is that the government assistance program is precisely for this kind of situation, and the author of the story, having paid into the system for years, should of course use the temporary help to get back on her feet, we are trained to believe that those benefits are for "bad" people or "other" people and we don't want to be one of them and they are so shameful and vile that even being associated with that group temporarily will rub off and taint you.
    - jacquesm 12y ago
      I'm not American, I just prefer that people that really need it get it rather than that I'd get it as long as I can find some other way to make ends meet. That would include selling off my assets and working crap jobs if that's what it took. It's nothing to do with shame or finding people that do need assistance vile, I just don't consider myself (for now, this may change) to be one of them. But then again, I've always been the 'help yourself' type of person, my main reason for that is that I like to have some control over my life and government hand-outs rarely come without strings and can be withdrawn at a moments notice. But for those that really need them it's very good they exist.