TN - Let's Tie Welfare Payments to School Performance!

[artmama]

and it appears that the Good Senator has enough free time to be actively commenting on news articles.

http://www.knoxnews.com/users/The_Sen/comments/

[EmiGirl]

Just finished messaging my senator!

[MissBitters]

Stacey Fucking Campfield.

I hate that man so very, very much. It kills me he keeps getting re-elected after all the stupid things he's said and done!

[miffy]

So the teachers are going to have to put up with (more) desperate angry parents blaming their child's poor performance? & turning up after school to yell at them.

This idea is rubbish, it won't work. A much better idea is to offer teenagers money for good marks & finishing school.

[artmama]

I hate that man so very, very much. It kills me he keeps getting re-elected after all the stupid things he's said and done!

He really is just a nasty person, reading his comments did not improve his standing in my eyes at all, quite the contrary.

It gets harder and harder to justify remaining here. I've lived in West TN my entire life, and I have watched the steady decline that seems to be gaining speed as of late. I love my city, but the state as a whole can suck it.

[salex]

In a brilliant move that could not possibly have a downside, the Tennessee state legislature is trying to pass a bill that would cut welfare payments to families whose kids have poor school performance or attendance. Because obviously making the kids hungry will solve everything.

Rich people whose kids do badly suffer no consequences. Homeschooled kids are ignored as well.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/mar/3 ... elfare-in/

What a bunch of fucking morons.

So, if a kid is not doing well in school, taking him/her out and home schooling means benefits won't be impacted. It also means that state schools averages on tests, etc will likely go up AND education costs will go down. In some cases, the reason the family is on assistance is the parents had problems in school or dropped out. Setting up a system where these same families are quietly encouraged to take thier kids out of school to keep benefits seems like a way to set up an underclass for the long term.

[uber frau]

Tim Hudak (the leader of the (not currently in power) conservative party in Ontario) is proposing Ontario do something along the same lines as this. He wants government student loans for post-secondary education to be tied to students' grades. In both cases it makes no sense whatsoever and would probably end up causing more harm than good. Has stuff like this been proposed before?? Has it ever been tried?

They're trialling something similar with welfare payments and school attendance in northern Australia (and a few poorer areas of some of the major cities here.) I don't know if it's restricted to Aboriginal families but they're the ones disproportionately affected. On paper it appears to be much fairer that the TN program but the government is still ignoring some huge cultural barriers and just attempting to force something that looks like a solution when the problem is a systemic one.

[flojo]

One of the most disgusting bills I've read in a while.

[EmiGirl]

I was trying to get the people at work riled up about this, but half of the people I've talked to about it are actually for it! I can't believe people.

[Mama Mia]

Why is it that the Christian religion of love handles everything in a punitive manner? It does not seem to me that Jesus was a big proponent of that method of changing human behavior.

I don't understand .. is this bill linked to religion somehow ?

I think it's a horrible idea, I just didn't see a religious connection. Maybe I missed it ?

[bbtlover]

I hate that man so very, very much. It kills me he keeps getting re-elected after all the stupid things he's said and done!

I'm so sorry that my area has given you that horrid man. (hangs my head in shame)

edited to change smilie. I clicked on embarrassed and ended up with green oops.

[Cannelle]

I don't understand .. is this bill linked to religion somehow ?

I think it's a horrible idea, I just didn't see a religious connection. Maybe I missed it ?

I think the other poster is referring to the fact that the overwhelming majority of the TN legislature is extremely religious, to the point of flapping their gums about Jesus every time they're on camera or being quoted about some issue or another. So they're extremely Christian but feel the need to treat people like shit, because that's obviously what Jesus would have done.

[treemom]

If it happens in TN it probably has a religous connection here.

[RosyDaisy]

They keep going on about Christian values, but their actions are the exact opposite of what Jesus said. Jesus didn't put any conditions on helping others.

[Bloo]

Jesus actually created food out of nothing and distributed it without even asking the recipients their names.

This is pretty far away from that. In fact, I daresay it's....anti-Christ.

[wildcatgrrl]

So, if a kid is not doing well in school, taking him/her out and home schooling means benefits won't be impacted. It also means that state schools averages on tests, etc will likely go up AND education costs will go down. In some cases, the reason the family is on assistance is the parents had problems in school or dropped out. Setting up a system where these same families are quietly encouraged to take thier kids out of school to keep benefits seems like a way to set up an underclass for the long term.

Exactly this. These children will be pulled out and "homeschooled" to keep the benefits going, leaving them undereducated and with no choice but to accept welfare benefits of their own when they are grown or become parents. It's hard enough for many of these kids to break the cycle as it is. And it's absolutely blatant classism, because as previously mentioned, rich, well-off, or even middle class families have no benefits to lose. It's the lower middle class and below who will suffer. I can't imagine enough people would think this is a good idea to actually get the bill passed. At least, I don't want to imagine enough people would.

[Maggie Mae]

14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Before he could heal the sick, he required complete medical history and a polygraph to determine if they caused their illness themselves, through promiscuity or drug use. Millions of pieces of paper were filed that day.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.â€

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.â€

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,†they answered. So the disciples sat down and had a meal.

Meanwhile, Jesus asked each hungry person to fill out a 17 page application. Those that could not read were turned away from the food handouts. After the application was completed, the disciples required the remaining people to submit themselves for drug and alcohol tests. Those that failed the drug test were turned away, for they were very wicked. The drunkards were sent to AA. The remaining people were told to bring in their children's report cards, and those who did not have children were turned away, as they were capable of feeding themselves. The wicked children who thus did not have the letter grade of A were told that no one in their family shall have some fish. And thus Jesus sent 5,000 people to the villages to buy food.

18 “Bring them here to me,†he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

[NjoyingNsanity]

Ah Yes the Gospel of Republicans from the GOP Bible, Tea Party Translation

[jenny_islander]

USDA regulations have already "reformed" school meals to the point that it's impossible for kids to get full on them. High school students who get school breakfast and lunch, but can't count on food from anywhere else, are living on fewer calories than the volunteers in the Minnesota Semi-Starvation Experiment got. Even Kindergarteners are underfed. A program that was designed to prevent the inability to concentrate on schoolwork that arises from hunger now causes hunger because EEEEEEE they might get FAT.

And now they get to find out that if they don't manage to produce high grades on the tiny meals provided, then their whole family doesn't get to eat.

This is what the so-called American dream amounts to: If you don't already have a nice pack of money, big enough so that getting sick or having a child get sick or losing your home in a natural disaster or losing your job to somebody's profit margin won't take your pack of money away . . . then you're a target, a thing, an object, you're what's wrong with America today, and if the Powers That Be just hurt you for long enough, you'll either stop being poor or you'll disappear into the prison system or onto the street, and the Powers That Be don't much care which. Just stop looking poor, dammit. Stop being fat. Stop using a SNAP card. Stop existing, say the Powers That Be, you make us nervous by being all not-as-comfortable-as-we-are, you're harshing our dream here, we seem to feel a breeze around our imperial asses . . .

What a pack of utter contemptible shits. All residents of Tennessee who read here, PLEASE write to your legislators!

[Lillybee]

Exactly this. These children will be pulled out and "homeschooled" to keep the benefits going, leaving them undereducated and with no choice but to accept welfare benefits of their own when they are grown or become parents. It's hard enough for many of these kids to break the cycle as it is. And it's absolutely blatant classism, because as previously mentioned, rich, well-off, or even middle class families have no benefits to lose. It's the lower middle class and below who will suffer. I can't imagine enough people would think this is a good idea to actually get the bill passed. At least, I don't want to imagine enough people would.

As a retired social services worker, I have seen this happen already. Parents who do not send their children to school do have the grant cut, if the kids have too many unexcused absences. But I am talking about missing 40 days in a semester. Sad to say but there are parents who are too lazy to get up and send the kids to school. This is the issue that California was trying to address. But some of these parents enroll their kids in a homeschooling program. California is pretty strict about homeschooling standards but a few of the homeschooling programs are pretty unethical and will sign anything so that they can get paid by the state.

[roddma]

He really is just a nasty person, reading his comments did not improve his standing in my eyes at all, quite the contrary.

It gets harder and harder to justify remaining here. I've lived in West TN my entire life, and I have watched the steady decline that seems to be gaining speed as of late. I love my city, but the state as a whole can suck it.

Agree treemom. I hav elived in Middle Tennesse all my life and this disappoints me. It is yet another attack on the poor and defenseless. Tennessee seems to be leaning right more these days and I can't understand. Their time could be better getting meth heads and pedophiles off the street. I know there are some lazy parents but is it fair punishing the kids?

[Mama Mia]

USDA regulations have already "reformed" school meals to the point that it's impossible for kids to get full on them. High school students who get school breakfast and lunch, but can't count on food from anywhere else, are living on fewer calories than the volunteers in the Minnesota Semi-Starvation Experiment got. Even Kindergarteners are underfed. A program that was designed to prevent the inability to concentrate on schoolwork that arises from hunger now causes hunger because EEEEEEE they might get FAT.

And now they get to find out that if they don't manage to produce high grades on the tiny meals provided, then their whole family doesn't get to eat.

This is what the so-called American dream amounts to: If you don't already have a nice pack of money, big enough so that getting sick or having a child get sick or losing your home in a natural disaster or losing your job to somebody's profit margin won't take your pack of money away . . . then you're a target, a thing, an object, you're what's wrong with America today, and if the Powers That Be just hurt you for long enough, you'll either stop being poor or you'll disappear into the prison system or onto the street, and the Powers That Be don't much care which. Just stop looking poor, dammit. Stop being fat. Stop using a SNAP card. Stop existing, say the Powers That Be, you make us nervous by being all not-as-comfortable-as-we-are, you're harshing our dream here, we seem to feel a breeze around our imperial asses . . .

What a pack of utter contemptible shits. All residents of Tennessee who read here, PLEASE write to your legislators!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[roadnottaken]

I don't believe this makes sense but I do understand the frustration that leads people to want some accountability from people they are 'helping'. I think many just have charity fatigue. Unfortunately so many of the social programs we have just aren't working, otherwise we wouldn't have generational welfare and other problems. I don't have a problem helping people who need help, I hate the thought of anyone being hungry especially a child. But I also resent working two jobs myself and feeling as if my contributions are being used for people who don't want a better life for themselves or their children. Its the same standard that we apply to the families here that we can't stand...those who keep having children and won't get a 'real' job to support them. We expect these fundies to be responsible to their families, support their children themselves and not depend on assistance from supporters. Tying help to families with children to the academic performance of those children is just plain wrong. But I don't believe that requiring children to attend school regularly is asking too much.

[jenny_islander]

I don't believe this makes sense but I do understand the frustration that leads people to want some accountability from people they are 'helping'. I think many just have charity fatigue. Unfortunately so many of the social programs we have just aren't working, otherwise we wouldn't have generational welfare and other problems. I don't have a problem helping people who need help, I hate the thought of anyone being hungry especially a child. But I also resent working two jobs myself and feeling as if my contributions are being used for people who don't want a better life for themselves or their children. Its the same standard that we apply to the families here that we can't stand...those who keep having children and won't get a 'real' job to support them. We expect these fundies to be responsible to their families, support their children themselves and not depend on assistance from supporters. Tying help to families with children to the academic performance of those children is just plain wrong. But I don't believe that requiring children to attend school regularly is asking too much.

The problem is, "Here's this money that will keep the lights on, now be 'accountable' by making sure your kids get to school all the time." These blanket policies never address the actual problem. It's all, "You're still acting poor, quit acting poor."

What if what the family really needs is one job per person that will actually keep them above water, instead of two or three per person that produce such a crazy schedule that sometimes the oldest kid has to be the child care provider?

What if what the family really needs is a voucher for day care right now? Instead of a place on a waiting list more than a year long, as is the case in my town?

What if what the family really needs is an apartment someplace that doesn't have drunks and jerks screaming at each other all night long, so the kids can sleep?

[Bloo]

As far as the absences, I haven't read this tripe thoroughly enough, but what if you have a child with a medical condition that necessitates a shortened school day/week or simply means that he or she will have more frequent absences? Will 504 plans make a difference? What about children in the foster care system who have therapy appointments or court-mandated visits with bio parents that sometimes take place during the school day?

Also, even if the young child is truant, it's the parents' responsibility to get him or her to school. However, by cutting benefits, it's pretty much 100% that the children in the household are going to be the ones suffering the most.