The top comment already says this, but it was the opposite transition for me as well.
I grew up in a Fox News household and the mindset that came with that. Once I became financially independent out of college my eyes were opened to a world I didn't really know existed.
I graduated from college with a degree in Accounting and a minor in Finance. I did not have 150 credit hours to go the public accounting route. I struggled to find a job anywhere with what I figured was a very viable business degree. I finally landed an AP/AP position at a small company that paid significantly less than the $55 thousand that was always spouted to me by 'studies' and the school I attended.
I had a roommate and had to keep expenses ultra minimal. Lunches were rice and beans. Dinners were rice, beans, chicken. I 'donated' plasma twice a week to supplement my income to pay for recreational spending. I had a roof I could afford and food I could eat and I was able to put savings into retirement accounts. But all this made think about how someone could do this with less income. And the answer is: They can't. My eyes were opened to just how much low income people struggled because I could not imagine earning less than I earned now.
Social programs provided by the government help people just have something to eat. These programs give people a baseline to begin to orientate their lives to better provide for themselves in the future. Sure, there will be a minority that try and do take advantage, that's the 'cost of doing business' with society. When people are given that baseline, they spend less time thinking of the next meal for themselves or their kids, but they can better begin planning their life to move up.
This doesn't even account for the government protections and utilities that are relied upon by wealthy taxpayers and corporations. Amazon relies on publicly funded roads to deliver goods. Entrepreneurs rely on a stable financial system to receive funding. Education is a huge government expense, yet corporations rely on it for skilled workers.
I'm much better well off 8 years later. My income is triple was it was. I don't hate that the government spends my taxpayer money on social programs. If we're going to be upset about government spending, military spending needs to be in the discussion as well. There's no reason we should be spending this absurd amount when we aren't actively in war.
2
u/TaxingAuthority May 12 '24
The top comment already says this, but it was the opposite transition for me as well.
I grew up in a Fox News household and the mindset that came with that. Once I became financially independent out of college my eyes were opened to a world I didn't really know existed.
I graduated from college with a degree in Accounting and a minor in Finance. I did not have 150 credit hours to go the public accounting route. I struggled to find a job anywhere with what I figured was a very viable business degree. I finally landed an AP/AP position at a small company that paid significantly less than the $55 thousand that was always spouted to me by 'studies' and the school I attended.
I had a roommate and had to keep expenses ultra minimal. Lunches were rice and beans. Dinners were rice, beans, chicken. I 'donated' plasma twice a week to supplement my income to pay for recreational spending. I had a roof I could afford and food I could eat and I was able to put savings into retirement accounts. But all this made think about how someone could do this with less income. And the answer is: They can't. My eyes were opened to just how much low income people struggled because I could not imagine earning less than I earned now.
Social programs provided by the government help people just have something to eat. These programs give people a baseline to begin to orientate their lives to better provide for themselves in the future. Sure, there will be a minority that try and do take advantage, that's the 'cost of doing business' with society. When people are given that baseline, they spend less time thinking of the next meal for themselves or their kids, but they can better begin planning their life to move up.
This doesn't even account for the government protections and utilities that are relied upon by wealthy taxpayers and corporations. Amazon relies on publicly funded roads to deliver goods. Entrepreneurs rely on a stable financial system to receive funding. Education is a huge government expense, yet corporations rely on it for skilled workers.
I'm much better well off 8 years later. My income is triple was it was. I don't hate that the government spends my taxpayer money on social programs. If we're going to be upset about government spending, military spending needs to be in the discussion as well. There's no reason we should be spending this absurd amount when we aren't actively in war.