Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Helping Those Who Can Help Themselves

It's one of my pet peeves, and I wish I could understand why.

First, I would like to say that I am not a stingy person in general. I like giving. It makes me happy and puts me at peace.

However, I am getting a little ticked off about this economic stimulus bill, and government programs in general. I struggle to pay my tuition and other expenses, while classmates who don't have jobs get their nails done with public funds. A friend who goes to my college makes as much as my husband and I--without anyone in her house actually working. All scholarships, grants, and other public funds. When I'm looking at my third all-night writing session in a row while they lie in their cozy beds resting up for the early morning lecture, it's hard to see them as disadvantaged compared to me, and it infuriates me to know that medical schools will. You see, having a "low income" (scholarships and government funds apparently don't count) will make them a priority candidate, eleigible for more scholarships and public funds, while those of us who are working our way through college will be seen as having an advantage.

One of my teachers said that most people on financial aid are not living an extravagant lifestyle. It's hard to believe this when you walk by the financial aid office on the first day of school and see the long line of professional highlights and Coach purses. Not that I have anything against either. It's just that I have given up those things and just about everything else to pay my tuition... and theirs.

Anyone can do what I do. Copy writing is not an art; it's a J-O-B. If someone wants to be 'advantaged' like me and work all night the night before their trig test, they can absolutely do it. I can refer them to people who will give them all the work they can handle. And then they can pay for their own tuition instead of buying the latest iPhone and see how the other half live.

That sounds meaner than I intend it, so I hope my dear readers will understand what I am trying to say here. I have nothing against people who need help getting it. I just resent paying for toys and allowing people to not work simply because they think they have better things to do.

3 comments:

jimmel said...

Thank you thank you thank you thank you for writing about this. I read your blogs and there are things that I do and dont agree with you on, but this subject I totally agree with. I am so sick of supporting people who choose not to work and collect their funds from hard working people. A lot of people get extra money from earned income creidt, you know when they get double or triple (or more) back on their taxes than they have actually paid in... That is our money they are getting and using to get highlights and purses. Its frustrating, I guess society will continue to punish those who work hard to survive and reward those who do nothing..

Jennifer said...

I totally agree. The truth is that a lot of those people who are getting financial aid to get through school or are having mommy and daddy foot the bill will not feel very much responsibility when they have a job either. They will always feel like the employer "owes" them.

Alexandria said...

I totally agree with you on this! My sister and I fight about this all the time as she is one of those people. She does have a job, but what I have a problem with is the fact that the state is paying for her to go to beauty school, she gets money for gas to get there, and they are paying for her childcare. This I would have no problem with because she is a single mother and works as a waitress, so not much money, but...she doesn't actually go to school (she should have been done over 2 years ago) and she drops her son off at daycare and comes home to take a nap! And she is always talking about how easy I have it because I "get to stay at home" with my kids. While I do stay at home with my children, it isn't an easy job, and my husband works very hard for it to even be possible. I guess she doesn't appreciate the fact that we are paying for her to take a nap!