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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/7/2008 12:53:58 PM
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manda59
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Dessert (though my late father always used to eat leftovers for breakfast, lol)
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/7/2008 12:56:01 PM
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pink..
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hmmm..... never heard of it.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/7/2008 1:43:33 PM
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Mrs.X
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From: Newberg, OR
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Russian Cake!
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/7/2008 3:34:36 PM
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HisCovenant
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We have a trifle sometimes that I think is torn up pound cake layered with fruit and vanilla pudding. My best friend makes it.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/7/2008 10:05:23 PM
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Mrs.X
Posts: 788
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Talking about taxes in the States...continuing conversation from SAHM thread beginning at THIS post.
quote:
ORIGINAL: manda59
quote:
ORIGINAL: SteelMagnolia
Nope, if you don't make more thana certain amount of money then you don't file your taxes, and if you don't file fortaxes, then there is nothing for Uncle Sam to give back to you since you didn't give anything to him by not working.
Ah right, so those that have money, get more, and those that don't, don't?
I think I had better shut up already. 
quote:
But poor people get welfare checks and food stamps and stuff, but that's to live off of everymonth, not like a one time "here's your money from the Fed for being an American."
Is there a website where I can go and see how much is given?
"Ah right, so those that have money, get more, and those that don't, don't?"
If you work, the government takes money from your paycheck. In April, when you file, the government gives you back SOME of the money they took from your checks. If you don't work, there is no money to be given back to you since none was taken from you. If you are a middle class or poor working person with children, you get some extra given back to you in your return, called a child tax credit. Rich people with kids don't get that. Another thing. There is something called tax brackets. It means that they take a percentage from your checks based on the tax bracket you are in. Rich are in the highest tax bracket, so they get the highest percentage taken out. Poor working people are in the lowest tax brackets, so they get the lowest percentage taken. It's supposed to be a pretty good system, but there is a class of people who really miss out. People like my mom who have no dependant children who make over minimum wage. Sh owed (instead of getting money back) this tax season. Basically, if you don't have children in this country, then you end up paying in April instead of getting back. I guess they figure since you don't have kids, then you can give the most.
"Is there a website where I can go and see how much is given?"
The Federal government doesn't give out welfare, but the state government does. I'll give you the Oregon info.
THIS is to see how much you would get in food stamps based on your income and how many kids. Oregon Minimum Wage is something like $7 an hour. Most people don't make that little though. McDonalds starts at $8.50 an hour, secretaries start at about $11 an hour.
THIS is the famous "welfare check" called TANF.
quote:
To qualify for TANF, families must have very few assets and little or no income. The current maximum monthly benefit for a family of three is $528.
THIS website is very helpful in finding services a person may qualify for. It tells you if you do qualify.
Oregon Dept. of Human Services website.
Let me know if you need any info on average Oregonians, cost of living, wages, etc.
< Message edited by SteelMagnolia -- 6/7/2008 10:30:19 PM >
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/7/2008 11:23:05 PM
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zoebob
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That sounds about similar to PA too. For a family of 4 it's about $600/month in cash.
Food stamps is a max of about $450/month for a family of four when you have very little income. However, there isn't a lot of incentive to work. For example, if you get a job and your income goes over about $8.50 an hour full time (for a family of 4) then for every dollar you earn over a certain amount you lose $1 in food stamps. For example, a single mother might get child support that puts her right at the cut off for maximum food stamps. If she gets a part time job to help out she has to earn at least $450/month just to break even. And they look at your pretax amount to determine your benefit not what you actually bring home. So in reality, she would need to earn more than that amount to break even.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/7/2008 11:46:48 PM
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Mrs.X
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Yeah, so many times it's just messed up. I remember when I was like 12 my mom was working full-time and getting a little food stamps, but she really needed more help. The lady at the welfare office said if she wanted more help, that she would have to quit her job to get more food stamps, to get housine assistance and to get a welfare check. I think there needs to be more incentive to work honestly.
My situation is that right now, I'm really not capable of making more than $9-10 an hour. If I went out and worked, we wouldn't get food stamps, and we'd break even because of the cost of child care would be about as much as my paychecks. If I got assistance from the state for the cost of child care, the taxpayers would be paying more to us for that than the food stamps we're getting. So, it's better for the taxpayers that I stay at home. LOL!
My exBF's sister and husband were really in a bad spot because while her hubby made good money, almost a whole paycheck went to student loans. So, they were rich on paper according to the welfare dpartment. So, they couldn't get any help. Services sometimes take your rent/mortgage into account but not other expenses like student loans and car payment/insurane.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/9/2008 7:47:26 AM
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lexie
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That is really interesting to read about the services provided in the US.
Continuing from the SAHM thread (for those here who didn't read it), living in Ontario I currently receive 4 cheques from the government for having a child which total just under $500 a month. My sister who lives in another province only gets two cheques, it depends on your provincial government.
We get a child care cheque and a benefit cheque from the federal government as well as the provincial government. The federal child care cheque goes to everyone in the country for every child under the age of 6 that they have, and it's $100. The other cheques depend on how much money you make.
I don't know what social assistance is like here, I've never looked into it. But we're more of a welfare state than the US so I'm sure there are some differences. Because of the amount of income we claim on our taxes, we qualify as low income and they keep sending us forms for different programs, like rent programs, so there are a lot of different things available, but you really don't get enough money to live on.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/9/2008 7:54:56 AM
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PrincessDonna
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From: Cow country, Upstate NY
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The difference between what you are talking about, Lexie, and what Christina is talking about is in Canada, it seems this is considered normal to take that much money from the government. When Americans take these helps for low-income families (WIC, food stamps, HUD, etc) and so one parent can stay home, they are labeled as lazy welfare bums, even if they aren't and have paid INTO the system already for years without getting anything in return. 
It's really the same kind of money, IMO...just a different perspective on it.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/9/2008 8:04:10 AM
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PrincessDonna
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quote:
I actually wonder if they are judged more, considering we already receive so much assistance from the government, and people are still using these outlets (does that make sense? It's still early in the morning for me)
That makes sense.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/9/2008 8:12:51 AM
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lexie
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From: Toronto
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quote:
it seems this is considered normal to take that much money from the government. When Americans take these helps for low-income families (WIC, food stamps, HUD, etc) and so one parent can stay home, they are labeled as lazy welfare bums, even if they aren't and have paid INTO the system already for years without getting anything in return.
It's really the same kind of money, IMO...just a different perspective on it.
I've always wondered how programs like WIC are viewed in the US. I've heard some Americans (IRL) comment on the Canadian system and how they don't think the government should be handing out all that money, and yet, I'm pretty sure, that those same people use programs like WIC.
So I don't get how it is any different. I guess it's just done in a different way (whereas you have to spend the money on food items, we could go and spend the money on booze and cigarettes if we were so inclined.)
I know that everyone has different opinions on those sort of things though.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/9/2008 8:15:16 AM
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PrincessDonna
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Or maybe a better example would be our child tax credits and earned income credits on our taxes. I wonder how people that don't like the Canadian system feel about those. To me, they are really the same thing...except that we only get ours once a year. Though you can choose to receive a portion in every paycheck, most choose not to.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/10/2008 12:44:04 PM
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Mrs.X
Posts: 788
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From: Newberg, OR
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quote:
ORIGINAL: lexie
quote:
it seems this is considered normal to take that much money from the government. When Americans take these helps for low-income families (WIC, food stamps, HUD, etc) and so one parent can stay home, they are labeled as lazy welfare bums, even if they aren't and have paid INTO the system already for years without getting anything in return.
It's really the same kind of money, IMO...just a different perspective on it.
I've always wondered how programs like WIC are viewed in the US. I've heard some Americans (IRL) comment on the Canadian system and how they don't think the government should be handing out all that money, and yet, I'm pretty sure, that those same people use programs like WIC.
So I don't get how it is any different. I guess it's just done in a different way (whereas you have to spend the money on food items, we could go and spend the money on booze and cigarettes if we were so inclined.)
I know that everyone has different opinions on those sort of things though.
Yeah, it seems like with the Canadian government it's just something that everyone gets for being a Canadian. In the U.S. you only get those things if you are poor, so there really isn't welfare for the middle class.
People who use WIC and food stamps around here, aren't really looked down upon, per se, but some feel like Donna explain "lazy welfare bums". And, believe me, there are plenty of them. Especially in Oregon, there is A LOT of help for the homeless and poor (including homeless and poor able-bodied men), so what's the point of working? As long as you aren't drunk, you can stay at one of the MANY shelters in Portland and get three meals a day.
But, families like mine don't really get looked down on except on a deeper level, like "if we would have been responsible after high school, we wouldn't be poor." Which is absolutely true! Robert shouldn't have broken the law, and I shouldn't have been lazy about not going to college. Some people have just had a bad break, but not Robert and me, and probably not the majority of people using the services, with the exception of people who just started families young.
I'm wondering what similar services are in the UK, if it compares to the Canadian system or the system in the U.S.
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RE: Question From a Brit to a Y........................ - 6/11/2008 7:52:19 AM
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lexie
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From: Toronto
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quote:
Yeah, it seems like with the Canadian government it's just something that everyone gets for being a Canadian. In the U.S. you only get those things if you are poor, so there really isn't welfare for the middle class.
Actually, it depends on your income. The lower your income bracket, the more you get. Eventually there is a cut off. My sister is in the middle class income bracket and while she receives the cheque, I think it gets her one can of formula.
But I do hear what you are saying.
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 6/12/2008 4:05:42 PM
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doinkdom
Posts: 6131
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Hey, I have a quick TV question.
A show called Charlie Jade premiered here on Sci-Fi this past Friday, but I get the feeling it's a British show that we're just getting.
Have you guys ever heard of it?
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it's best to shoot it just in case."
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 6/13/2008 6:08:10 AM
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agapetos
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From: This side of the lil duck pond!
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quote:
ORIGINAL: doinkdom
Hey, I have a quick TV question.
A show called Charlie Jade premiered here on Sci-Fi this past Friday, but I get the feeling it's a British show that we're just getting.
Have you guys ever heard of it?
Nope, but that may be because it's South African, not British.
I watched a drama on the early years of Margaret Thatcher last night. There were some stupidly funny one-liners regarding Carol and Peter when they were children ('As if you'd ever go to a jungle', 'Can I go to Africa one day? I promise I won't get into any trouble.', 'Peter's got lost in the sand dunes again.').
Always amazes me how incredible some women must have been to fight through to get to the top in a man's world.
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 6/13/2008 10:21:02 AM
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doinkdom
Posts: 6131
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From: The higher lowcountry
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quote:
ORIGINAL: agapetos
quote:
ORIGINAL: doinkdom
Hey, I have a quick TV question.
A show called Charlie Jade premiered here on Sci-Fi this past Friday, but I get the feeling it's a British show that we're just getting.
Have you guys ever heard of it?
Nope, but that may be because it's South African, not British.
I watched a drama on the early years of Margaret Thatcher last night. There were some stupidly funny one-liners regarding Carol and Peter when they were children ('As if you'd ever go to a jungle', 'Can I go to Africa one day? I promise I won't get into any trouble.', 'Peter's got lost in the sand dunes again.').
Always amazes me how incredible some women must have been to fight through to get to the top in a man's world.
huh...South African...well, I knew something was up since the driver's seats in the cars were on the right side and all.
thanks
_____________________________
"Well in my experience if something seems too good to be true
it's best to shoot it just in case."
~Fi
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RE: Question from a Brit to any Y... umm American - 6/13/2008 11:37:10 AM
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lexie
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From: Toronto
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quote:
huh...South African...well, I knew something was up since the driver's seats in the cars were on the right side and all.
LOL...I didn't realize how many countries drive that way! My husband found it very strange when he first came to Canada!
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