Okay .... I find it difficult to put into words the cases I work on ... it's depressing, it's disheartening and it's just down-right wrong.... I did this home study last night for a mother and her five children. This lovely lady, and I mean that sincerely, she was a lovely person, is stepping up to take custody of two cousins ages 3 and 3 months whose mother has allowed her boyfriend to beat her children. So CPS has taken her cousin's children from her and they are currently in foster care.
I went through the normal paperwork with this nice lady and she indicated she had no income and no employment. So after much questioning, I finally learned that she, in fact, owns an ice cream truck. She told me that she makes about $1000/month from the ice cream truck. I asked her if she could confirm this income and she looked like a deer staring into a headlight. She had no idea what I was talking about. What did I mean "confirm her income". I asked if she possibly had her tax return from 2011. She said "oh no, the lady said I don't have to pay taxes." Well, needless to say I could never find out who "the lady" was and after trying to explain to her that yes, there are no sales taxes on food in Texas but there is an income tax on a sole-proprietor business and her ice cream truck business was a business. She didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Of course, all of her 'business' is on a cash basis. Therefore, when she files her return in January, she pays "negative taxes". She gets lots of money back as "Head of Household" with no income.
Okay, we get past that and I begin to question her about significant relationships. Her first three children are by one man (never married to him) and he is dodging child support so they never hear from him. Children #4 and #5 have a different daddy (never married to him either) and he does "voluntarily pay" $250/month she said.
So, now we've gone from no income per month to $1250/income per month. Well, because she reports no income she lives in the 4 bedroom, 2 bath home for $44/month. Yes, you read that right, $44/month section 8 housing. And she receives $970/month SNAP (food stamps). She and her children are on Medicaid. And her children get free breakfast and free lunch at school.
The 10 year old, 8 year old, mother and living room all have 4' Big Screen TV's in them. They pay $130/month for cable. The 10 year old needs his TV for his XBox 360.
As I mentioned above, this really is a nice lady. Her children were adorable. They were well behaved, clean and well-fed. The mother is at home all day with her one year old as her father drives the truck for her and she pays him per hour. As a matter of fact, she doesn't even have a driver's license.
So, there we go America --- you and I are doing a good job of supporting this nice mother and her five children ---- can't even add it all up......
SNAP (Food Stamps) $950/month
Section 8 Housing (our share)$800/month
Medicaid - 6 persons ????
Free Bfast/Lunches for 4 ????
Head of Household Tax Credit $thousands
And I'm sure they are signed up with Elf Louise for Christmas. It's a good life if you can get it. Merry Christmas!
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