# Why would a single mother need more thant $20.00 in her wallet? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 9, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590 "2003-06-09T04:17:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/121 "2003-06-10T12:45:16Z")
Curse that Lucky Ducky! > [@](#): > > Perhaps next time you are “dead broke and facing eviction” you could spend your money on the rent and not going out to dinner and the movies. Ah, for a world where rent is equal to dinner and a movie. But … can the landowners be trusted to work towards this goal? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/122 "2003-06-10T12:52:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 2trew \* > **Once I was evicted and had enough money to keep my apartment, if I hadn’t been evicted, which I wouldn’t have been if they hadn’t had to deny me money because I was soon going to have enough to stay there if I hadn’t been evicted because they couldn’t help me because I was going to have some money after I got evicted, they would be able to help me out.** R. D. Laing would be so proud. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/123 "2003-06-10T13:05:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by you with the face \* > \*\*Can we get a new phrase, _please_? I’m about sick to death of this particular cliche. I think we need to thrown it in the trashheap along with SDMB’s other trite favorites, such as “Think about the children!” and “I wasn’t even alive when slavery existed so I have nothing to feel guilty about!” > > Originality, people! Is that too much to ask? \*\* Shodan also way overestimates his contribution. Looking at what I got in UI (I never actually got welfare), dividing by the number of US taxpayers, Shodan’s contribution to me was far less than a dime. More like 1/100th of a cent. Let’s see him make a snide platitude about that! ---
**Author:** ![sghoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@sghoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sghoul)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/124 "2003-06-10T13:36:16Z")
My God, I woke up today, and the definition of asshole changed on me! So a person is calm and generally polite and logical is an asshole? He doesn’t want his money taken from him and used frovolously? What a JERK! What makes people feel that if they don’t have something, that someone should provide it. Like it or not, we are entitled to NOTHING. The universe does not intrisically provide anything. Things just exists, and they are what we make of them. If you are no capable of extracting enough from the environment, why should someone/something else make sure you receive it? Where else in nature or existance does this happen? Since Sven started this: I am sorry you had a rough life, but thems the breaks. I grew up on powdered milk, thrift shop clothes, walked everywhere, and didn’t see a movie on my birthday. The money my folks could have blown on that stuff was tucked away, scrimped and saved. And now they are rather well off because of this. Sure, when I was a kid, I thought it sucked that I didn’t have better stuff, or an easier life. But I now realize that I wasn’t entitled to any of that. I know now that I am welcome to use my money how I want, but you can be dang sure that if I am on someone elses money, I will spend it how they want, and get out from under them asap. No luxuries, only needs and save the rest so someday I will be on my own again. Now let me see how many “you are an asshole” statements I get from all the bleeding hearts around here. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/125 "2003-06-10T13:43:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sghoul \* > \*\*Now let me see how many “you are an asshole” statements I get from all the bleeding hearts around here. \*\* You are an asshole. There’s one. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/126 "2003-06-10T14:22:22Z")
No need to call you an asshole, **sghoul** , as you already know you’re one, and you revel in it. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/127 "2003-06-10T14:25:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sghoul \* > \*\* The money my folks could have blown on that stuff was tucked away, scrimped and saved. And now they are rather well off because of this. Sure, when I was a kid, I thought it sucked that I didn’t have better stuff, or an easier life. \*\* So what you’re saying is that your parents, who didn’t have much money, managed to save some for their retirement. Even though they didn’t have much money. Even though circumstances left them with “_Not Much Money_”. They were able to budget. And save. And stock up. Well, imigine that. Someone with not much money managing to save up without anyone looking over their shoulder telling them what to buy, or how to spend, or how much money they’re allowed to take out of the ATM daily. AMAZING!! I’m not going to call you an asshole. I’m going to call you a yutz if you can’t see that your little sob-story just made the case for all us “bleeding hearts”. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/128 "2003-06-10T14:25:39Z")
**sghoul** for what its worth, I don’t think your an asshole, but then again, you seem to think along the same lines I do. Maybe that makes me an asshole, too. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/129 "2003-06-10T14:27:02Z")
**misstee** - you’ve already proven yourself completely ignorant on this particular issue. Perhaps you should go read a book or something and get back to us when you have a clue. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/130 "2003-06-10T15:04:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\ ***misstee** - you’ve already proven yourself completely ignorant on this particular issue. > \*\* Better people have said worse about me. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/131 "2003-06-10T15:14:23Z")
and by better, do you mean “richer”? What I’m just floored by is the attitude of people like Shodan and misstee that people who aren’t handed the opportunities in life that a lot of us are, should be treated as subhuman until they can evolve to our level. You’re talking about a chaste system, folks. Shodan says to wash and iron your own suit if you’re poor, and yet if a guy in a faded, wrinkly suit showed up to an interview you’d laugh and say they were unfit to work for you. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/132 "2003-06-10T15:28:17Z")
I think some people here are breaking out the torches and pitchforks a little prematurely. I didn’t see anything in **sghoul** ’s post that would make her/him an asshole. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make them automatically an asshole people. Grow the fuck up. I don’t agree with anything **Shodan** has said, I don’t begrudge anyone help if they need it, but you all are getting a tad bit too self-rightous IMHO. Why don’t you try actually listening to someone’s arguments before calling them names and dismissing them. Honestly, some of you are acting like children, plugging your ears and singing “la la la! I can’t hear you! You’re an _asshole_!” ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/133 "2003-06-10T15:30:30Z")
I bet **sghoul** had to walk two miles uphill every day on the way to school, too. In the snow. Both ways. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/134 "2003-06-10T15:31:22Z")
Shodan specifically said that poor people shouldn’t be allowed to go to movies or restaurants of any kind, because he begrudges that $10 that he somehow thinks came out his wallet alone. THat’s all I had to hear to know he was on the road to Assholia ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/135 "2003-06-10T15:34:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lezlers \* > \*\*I didn’t see anything in **sghoul** ’s post that would make her/him an asshole. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make them automatically an asshole people. Grow the fuck up. \*\* For the record, I called him an asshole because he asked people to. It was sort of like a joke, except without the humor. Guess I shoulda put a 😉 in there. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/136 "2003-06-10T15:51:29Z")
**Shodan** was on my list of irredeemable assholes long before he posted in this thread. His contributions merely provided yet another redundant data point reinforcing that obvious conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/137 "2003-06-10T15:58:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sghoul \* > **My God, I woke up today, and the definition of asshole changed on me! So a person is calm and generally polite and logical is an asshole? He doesn’t want his money taken from him and used frovolously? What a JERK!** Not remotely an accurate description. These people are sometimes calm, they consider themselves polite(although one needn’t use the word “fuck” to be rude), and their “logic” stems from some bizarro-world set of axioms. The reality is they live under a social contract. Some of “their” money is garnished by the government and is used for various services that the REPRESENTATIVE MAJORITY of the government enacted. Quite frankly, once it is taxed, it isn’t YOUR money anymore. It becomes the property of the people at large. The people at large, through the avenue of their representative government, have decided it is important to establish social programs. Don’t like it? Vote. But don’t make ignorant statements about how you demand control over your dollars that go into the public sector. You don’t have it, you can’t have it, you wouldn’t know what to do with it if you did. From what I can see all you’d end up doing is violating the civil rights of your fellow citizens who are down on their luck at the moment. If I see a bill or issue up for vote which would create this type of violation I will exercise MY vote to counter yours. I will vote against ANY issue which seeks to legislate morality or enforce any one person/groups idea of the “right” way to live or the “right” set of values. To do otherwise would be, to me, a failure to help preserve the freedoms our forefathers so wisely built into our social contract. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/138 "2003-06-10T15:59:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by misstee \* > \*\*Better people have said worse about me. \*\* \<_snort_\>Your witty repartee slays me. Now really. A book. Look into it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/139 "2003-06-10T16:15:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mtgman \* > \*\*Enjoy, > Steven \*\* I did. Immensely. Very well put. ---
**Author:** ![thatDDperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@thatDDperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatDDperson)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590/140 "2003-06-10T17:56:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mtgman \* > \*\*Yea, kind of a Jonathan Swift-esque parody of the kind of assholery that makes people start saying that self-determination and personal sovreignty are somehow linked to financial status. The kind of asshole who says that people are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness but tack on the qualifier “as long as they can afford it”. I can’t stand these self-righteous assholes. I’m firmly in line beside **alice\_in\_wonderland**. I don’t begrudge a penny of my money being spent on welfare. I’ve been there and I understand that part of the social contract in this country is that if one of us should stumble and need a hand up that it is the duty of each of the rest of the population to help them. In exchange we know that if our positions were reversed, they would be extending their hand to help us. > > To take it to a physical metaphor, imagine people walking along a road. One person may be skipping and goofing around and accidentally twist their ankle and be unable to walk on their own for a bit. Assholes who want to stand there while someone lies on the ground with a twisted ankle and put conditions on the aid they’re begrudgingly offering really piss me off. It pisses me off more when it wasn’t even an event that could be attributed to carelessness or irresponsibility that caused the fall. There are plenty of hidden pitfalls on the road of life. If a person becomes ill, or disabled through an accident that is no fault of their own and they start living on welfare these jerks want to rub lemon juice in their injuries and make them jump through hoops to continue to recieve aid. > > Most of it boils down to greed. They’ve got their piece of the pie, but they want to maximize it. To do that they need to cut back on the portions they share with others. Fuck that whole “being part of a civilized society means you share your resources with those who need help” hippie-crap. My belly is full and that’s all I give a damn about. > > Assholes. > > Enjoy, > Steven \*\* For what it’s worth, I love you. Functional brain AND heart. If I wasn’t a poor, old benefits-sucking person with terminal cancer, i’d have your babies or whatever… Thank you for helping restore my faith in humanity (specifically the male portion thereof.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-a-single-mother-need-more-thant-20-00-in-her-wallet/180590.md?page=8)