OK… Time to get on the Soapbox.

I don’t usually write things like this, but I am getting tired of seeing and experiencing this. So here is description of the problem, and some possible solutions.

Today I was at our local grocery store. I get into the checkout line behind two Hispanic people. When it was their time to be helped, this lady, who did NOT speak ANY English, pulled out 5 (five) WIC checks (Women, Infants & Children). The problem I have with all this, is that this woman was unable to speak any English at all, and her partner was only barely able to speak it. The cashier had to call for a translator. It was very obvious that neither one of them were US Citizens. Now, it’s a good thing to offer help to the needy if they can’t feed their kids.

The issue I have, is that neither one of them were US Citizens. This economy is very though on lots of people. But since when can non citizens get onto assistance programs when citizens who need assistance also, can’t get assistance? I speak from experience. I am unemployed, and have been for quite a while. I am working very hard to find a job. But, I suspect because of my age (I know, I know, prove it) I am still unemployed. Meanwhile, due to a stupid loophole in the unemployment laws, I am not even getting unemployment

We are losing our home, because we don’t have the income to pay the mortgage. We are slowly falling behind on all our bills, because we can’t just pay the bills, we have to pay food also. I have applied for assistance, but, because my wife is working, and supposedly ‘earning to much’, we don’t qualify for assistance. And when we get kicked out of our house, we will end up ON THE STREET, because we don’t have enough income to take care of both rent and living expenses. Meanwhile, non citizens are getting assistance.

Giving assistance to needy families is admirable.  BUT, take care of those in your house first, before you go outside! ANY AND ALL ASSISTANCE SHOULD GO TO CITIZENS FIRST, then, anything that is left, could go to help non-citizens. This is not a discriminatory thing. It just makes sense. The United States, and the individual states, do not have enough money to take care of everyone in the world.

And while I am on this soapbox, the assistance should be temporary, and come with requirements. Being a citizen, and being able to speak, read and write understandable English has to be one. English is the language of this country. Any non English speaking person separates themselves from our culture. And if you do that, why live here?  Adopt to our culture, and you enable yourself to become a US citizen. Or be unable to claim ANY assistance, other then from good Samaritans. Another requirement would be to give assistance finding a job. (ALL companies MUST participate in the job placement program. Call it a requirement of doing business in the United States) The assistance would last however long it would take to locate a job, and includes a unemployment payment. Once a permanent job is found, you can’t use the service for 3 years. If the unemployed person does not want to participate, or stops participating, the assistance stops, including ALL other unemployment services. If the person is laid off within that 3 year period, the company doing the laying off, is fully responsible to either continue paying the wage until the 3 years are up, assist the soon to be former employee to find another permanent job,  and which assistance will continue until successful. Or doing both at the same time, depending on which one the company would want to do.  Food assistance would also be temporary. No more semi-permanent pregnant women. The assistance would last only as long as the condition exists, no longer. Not from infant to age 18. Perhaps from infant to toddler. After that, the parent HAS to work, and would be disqualified from food assistance for 2 or 3 years, BUT, would qualify for job locating assistance. Maybe a good time to learn family and financial planning. Because you wouldn’t be able to rely on the government to give you more food assistance until the 2 or 3 years waiting period is over.

On the issue of the obscene numbers of Home foreclosures and Short-Sales… ALL mortgage companies MUST honor a good will Short-Sale attempt. Even if the house doesn’t sell right of way. If the attempt is being made, they should NOT start foreclosure procedures, but, the mortgage companies should be allowed to notify the current home owners that they will be required to move out if the house sells, and the house has to be in good condition. And they would be allowed to occasionally send an inspector to the house, to insure the home remains in good condition. (Please note the word Occasionally, NOT Frequently)  In case of a foreclosure, it doesn’t really make sense to evict the current home owner except under extreme situations. If a home is lived in, people will do what it takes to keep the house up. If the house is sitting empty, weather, erosion, insects, rodents, thieves, and home squatters can, and after some time, will move in. Foreclosures should be switched to Short-Sales. But having said that, those buying a Short-Sale home, should be doing it only for their primary, or second home. No investors. Mainly because if an investor purchases the house, you still end up ‘evicting’ the previous homeowner, and after some potential construction or yard-work, the home will sit empty, again, until someone else buys it. And that would be defeating the purpose.

And why kick a person while they are down? Stop people undergoing foreclosures and Short-Sales from getting a huge credit hit. Some hit, OK. But as big as it is currently? That’s extreme! Especially is this day and age, when credit makes or breaks people. And most people having this issue, are already having issues, like losing their job, or having large medical expenses. Just because the system was set up the way it is,  doesn’t mean it is right for current and future situations. Life is not static. Things change, and so rules and regulations need to change with the times.

Time to get off my Soapbox. Thanks for reading.