Am I the only one on here bothered by this?

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I feel exacty the same way. I'm on disability, but only because my parents signed me up for it. If it were my choice, I'd be working a job. I feel very guilty for using other peoples' tax money, even though my mom assures me that I really need it. The year after next, I get re-evaluated to see if I still qualify for it, and I'm going to cross my fingers and hope that they find me fit to work. If I could earn my own money, my self-esteem would be a lot higher.

Now see....I was almost there to back you up a little bit, then you totally jumped into politically biased discussion; that is something that belongs in the political forum.



Ellomo, at your request, I've posted a thread requesting information on the other forum; as soon as I have it, I'll post it here.

Apple_in_my_Eye....you're using information from a federal website in the "kid's area" to explain why SSI is necessary? Do you think feds would ever be honest about certain intentions if those intentions weren't always entirely legit? No, there were many other reasons why SSI was put into practice, but I notice they start the information at 1935; a lot of stuff happened before that to get things where they were....and I do mean a lot.

And here's what I found about the Chicago Boys: "The Chicago Boys (c. 1970s) were a group of about 25 young Chilean economists who trained at the University of Chicago under Milton Friedman and Arnold Harberger.[1] In 1973, the Chilean economy was deeply hurt by the economic sanctions imposed by the Nixon administration[2], and threatened by the Marxist policies advocated by Salvador Allende, president of Chile from 1970 until 1973. By mid 1975, the government set forth an economic policy of free-market reforms which attempted to stop inflation and collapse. To formulate the economic rescue, the Military junta led by General Pinochet, heavily relied on the advice of the so-called Chicago Boys.
The economic policies espoused by the Chicago Boys and implemented by the junta initially caused several economic indicators to decline for Chile's lower classes, but eventually led to Chile becoming Latin America's richest economy on a per capita basis."

Free Market policies didn't fail, because they don't. And I'm guessing the reason there seemed like an initial decline for the lower classes was due to a likely safety net that was already there that was either reduced or taken away; that's what happens when you get a class of people who are used to dependency...it takes them a while to learn how to fend for themselves.

I notice that the name Milton Friedman was mentioned here; he's an economic genius.

Some of them really do need it, duh. If you're mild and you talk up your difficulties and get the assistance because you don't like talking to people, yeah, that is a lousy thing to do, but not everyone is mild.

SSI payments are pretty minimal. I don't think very many people would choose to live on so little if they didn't have a real need. AS affects people in different ways. For many it isn't a disability but there are some for whom it might be, at least as far as getting a job in our culture. Some of the kids I know who have it are so profoundly affected it's hard to imagine them ever living independantly, but maybe they'll develop more skills as they get older.

I've got two sons who are Aspies. I think there is a good chance that the eldest will end up on SSI, but not primarily because of his AS. He has co-morbid problems that could profoundly affect his ability to function or to even live independantly. Middle son has AS and ADHD but I doubt he'll have any trouble in college or in having a functional adult life. Eldest son gets services at school through an AS program and could not attend school without them, but even on his IEP it says that his difficulties come more from other things beyond his AS. Middle son doesn't get any accomodations, but would be better off if he could get quiet lunch at school. He's doing well in school but not as well as he would be if it was chaotic.

Hmm, you complain someone is talking politics, then you go on to talk more politics?
Free market policies didn't fail, because they don't.
A class of people who are used to dependency are poor because they can't learn right away how to fend for themselves

I have no political bias one way or the other. I have never voted, am not registered to vote, and never will take part in anything politically related. I dislike all parties equally. However, that doesn't mean I can't have an opinion on the fact that our country has two wars going for basically no good reason.

Regardless, the second half of my post doesn't make the first half any less true. But I guess you'd rather nitpick part of my post you didn't like and sidestep the relevant bit.

Suppose disability was abolished, causing many of those currently on it to become homeless most likely, would you then complain about the rise in the homeless population?

I am not bothered by aspies who are on it. I don't know them or their life and if they have other disabilities or not. They could be struggling to find work or keeping a job. Not all of them even want to be on it and they wish they can make more money and be independent.

I do agree there are people out there who do mooch off the system and refuse to get a job and start working because they don't want to lose money from their SSI check. But from my experience, that's not how it happened. Yes I lost money but I still made more. If I didn't work, I would be getting less money every month. I only be getting 500 something a month from them but with work I was getting more than 500 a month thanks to working even though I got less from SSI.
Also I do agree there are aspies out there who do refuse to try hard and work on things such as their inflexibility so they use their AS to let it stop them from trying. I had to work hard to break through it and overcome it by learning to deal with being flexible without freaking out and having anxiety over it. I wanted to be independent and not less AS disable me. But maybe all those aspies do want to work on it but never have the chance to because they keep getting fired because their boss won't stand a chance to have their business suffer so the only solution is to let them go. So maybe the aspie just gives up thinking they can't do it.

But I have learned there are consequences to when you try and be independent by working full time and saving money to get off it. You lose medicaid or free health care and you're screwed. You might not even be able to afford health insurance nor afford to be on your spouse's health insurance because it's so expensive when you have your whole family on it or spouse. So that could be the reason why aspies wouldn't want to work full time or they lose their health insurance where it's cheap or free. So you will mind as well use your disability for that advantage.

Aspergers has effected my employment oppertuneties. Had an interview at a pulp mill years ago was asked
a series of questions regarding how soial I was, made the mistake of being honest
I don't have friends and do not want to struggle to have friends was the jist of it
even though I had mill experience of course i was not hired
People pushing brooms at pulps mills make about seventy grand a year
Have worked all my life twenty five years and really have never had problems getting along with
workmates (maybe most were like myself)
so if I can get any companation (trying now) I'll enjoy spending it
Let's face it even though we are capable no body wants to hire the "odd guy" if they don't have too
Oh untill being dxed I though It was because I was to stupid
to stack 2x4s.

It annoys me that people judge whether people are truly in need of disabilty support when you haven't actually lived in these people's shoes. I also can't in my right mind understand why someone would willingly *choose* to live off $500 a month if they *could* find a job that worked for them. $500 a month isn't even enough to live off of in most cities. All the people I know who live on SSI also get some financial support from relatives.

Sure, people "need" it, but if you're concerned about the health of the overall economy then a welfare state is the last thing you need.

Well, I try not to be bothered by other people's choices, even if I don't agree with them. Save my being bothered for things which I can do something about, and choose to. There are some things I strongly dislike. But I don't choose to let them bother me. I put my mental energy elsewhere.

As for people with Asperger's getting disability and SSI, I think it may be valid in some cases. (Unless one judges the whole system invalid.) What frustrates me is the combination of that, or the insistance that you aren't an aspie if you aren't diagnosed, or at least diagnosible, with the idea, so often stated around here, that autism (Asperger's being a form of it) is a difference, not a disability. I remind myself that it's not necessarily the same people saying those different messages. But, at the same time, if you think your disagnosis is valid, but don't think your autism or Asperger's is a disability, well, that's contradictory, given the diagnostic criteria.

But this thread is talking about the welfare of people with disabilities, NOT the general population. Would it help the economy if those people who legitimately CAN'T work just shoot themselves in the head so the rest of us can save a few pennies on our taxes?

The US spends nearly half of the federal budget on the military. Do we need that many bombs and armaments? Wouldn't it be more humane to use tax money to help the people who need help?

Just because someone won't kick down your door, point a gun at you, and cart you off to jail if you don't feel like handing your money over to a huge bureaucratic institution doesn't mean that those who legitimately CAN'T work will not receive help. As a believer in freedom, I would fight with all of my power to protect YOUR right to spend YOUR OWN money on charity. Historically, people with a true need have always been taken care of in America by family members, neighbors, or private charities, long before SSI existed.

So considering the minimal marginal benefits to those in need (above what they would receive if it did not exist) and the enormous costs, I cannot advocate such a system. I do empathize with the position of truly disabled Aspies and would gladly donate some of my own money to an efficiently operated organization for helping them.

I don't agree with this either/or mindset. Obviously it is a difference *and* a disability. It seems to me the better solution would be to have agencies whose job is to specifically locate jobs suitable to those with autism/aspergers as well as advocate for these individuals. That would sure beat having them on SSI the rest of their lives because nobody will employ them. It would also be nice if more accommodations could be made. Unfortunately that kind of thing doesn't just spontaneously happen in the corporate/capitalist world we live in. Nobody can force companies to employ certain people if it might force them to do somehting different . Hence the need for SSI.

No, we don't and I certainly do not support forcibly taking people's money to pay for bombs (or ANYTHING for that matter). That doesn't relate at all to the issue at hand, though.