My 2 Second Shelf Life

Ok...with what I'm about to say, you're going to think I'm an insenstive bitch of the first order.

I read this article about welfare recipients struggling on $1,008 a month.

Oh, where to start, where to start.

Firstly, let me start with the fact that my mother was a single mom, with no child support or alimony, and we didn't go on welfare. My mother tried Ontario Housing for about 3 months, but moved us out promptly because she didn't like what she saw.
She worked sometimes two jobs.
There was no "daycare", no GST rebate cheques, no child benefit to apply for. There was a pittance of $20 a month called a "baby bonus".

In some ways, if you're someone who has health issues, welfare is definitely the way to go, medical, dental and drug is paid. So, this outweighs the fact that you only get a grand a month.
Ok, at $7.75 per hour, you would end up with about the same...so why bother working?
There are plenty of people doing just that. With no medical, dental,or drugs.
The working poor.

What kills me, is that you can sit and complain that you don't get enough to live on, but you can afford to dye your hair ridiculous colours and get piercings and tattoos.
I guess it depends on what your priorities are.

Ohhhhh Radmila....you're so insensitive!
Listen, there is help available now, that was never there before.
Subsidized daycare, GST rebates, Child Benefits (not the schmeezly $20 a month of baby bonus either). I pay 11 bucks an hour for some positions, and I have trouble finding someone willing to do it. There are lots of jobs out there, but they're just not worth leaving your apartment for when you can stay home and get paid just as much, with benefits.

Minimum wage has to be based on something more than just "proud to be working".
It has to be made more attractive than welfare.
Forgive me for not shedding a tear for able bodied people who complain about their circumstances, but have demands and expectations before they'll get off their asses and get a job.

But, I can't even blame anyone.
Why should someone work when it's more lucrative not to?