Why I'm a conservative #49

Because I'm smart enough and have a enough life experience to understand that when you subsidize something, you get more of it.

In this case, welfare and food stamps. If you work for a living this will get your blood pressure up..........

This may be the saddest passage you read about American culture this week. In a story from the New York Times headlined, "Once Stigmatized, Food Stamps Find Acceptance," we learn that the government has been using your tax dollars to market the giving away of your tax dollars in the form of food stamps to more and more people of higher and higher incomes.

As with any social program, there are many people on it who are indeed needy, but the article makes clear that the revival of food stamp popularity has more to do with state and local officials who are glad to curry favor with local constituents using federal dollars.

Since they're not paying for it, local officials and a network of aid organizations happily aid the federal government in recruiting more food-stamp recipients, regardless of how much they actually need the assistance. Meet Juan Diego Castro, who demonstrates how the system works:

Juan Diego Castro, 24, is a college graduate and Americorps volunteer whose immigrant parents warned him “not to be a burden on this country.” He has a monthly stipend of about $2,500 and initially thought food stamps should go to needier people, like the tenants he organizes. “My concern was if I’m taking food stamps and I have a job, is it morally correct?” he said.

But federal law eases eligibility for Americorps members, and a food bank worker urged him and fellow volunteers to apply, arguing that there was enough aid to go around and that use would demonstrate continuing need. “That meeting definitely turned us around,” Mr. Castro said.

You are already paying a 24-year-old, able-bodied, college graduate a $2,500* monthly stipend to organize tenants as part of Americorps (a service that should be donor-supported, but Constitutional objections aside...). You are paying more than $5,000 toward his education, as a reward for his "volunteer" work with Americorps. You are subsidizing his student loan forgiveness, as a condition of his volunteer work in this government program. You are now paying for his food, even though he himself thinks the money should probably go to those less fortunate than himself.

The question I love to ask liberals is this one "Should it suck to be poor"? Because if the answer is no then what exactly would be anyone's motivation to not be poor anymore?

Let's face it. My life this time of year consists of working 12 hours a day, going home and watching TV until I fall asleep. Why the hell am I stupid enough to work the 12 hours when I can just eat, drink, crap and screw for 12 hours and then go home and watch tv until I fall asleep?

Read the rest and shake your head.

Thanks reader Tim for the link.