The poor work longer, harder than most

Some Republicans like to disparage the poor to justify reducing or eliminating government benefits to them. The poor are lazy, Republicans say, so let's take the money away from them and make them go to work. But if poor people try to find work and can't, Republicans want to deny them unemployment compensation. The poor are likely to lack appropriate skills and education, but Republicans resist providing educational programs.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan's Republican budget for the past four years has proposed drastic cuts to programs that help the poor, such as Medicaid, food stamps and heating assistance, in favor of large tax cuts for the well off. But neither Ryan nor other Republicans, or most of the rest of us for that matter, have any idea about the way poor people must live in this country.

Have a look at '20 things the poor really do every day” at http://benirwin.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/20-things-the-poor-do-every-day/ and your eyes may be opened. The site is very well documented.

Here are examples of how the poor must live. The poor work longer and harder than most of us (No. 5) and go to bed three hours before their first job starts (No. 6). Contrary to what most people believe, they pay more than their fair share of taxes (No. 9). Poor people use drugs and alcohol pretty much the same as (or less than) everyone else (No. 16), and they get themselves off welfare as soon as possible (No. 18). Finally, the poor do not have the privileges we do. Unlike us, they can accomplish one single goal: to stay alive. Think about that.

Hal Dendurent

Mount Vernon