I take it you're not american.
No, actually I am, but havent lived there for a few years so sometimes it sounds like I am looking in from the outside.
Let me tell you about the poor here, the people on welfare who my high taxes fund. They've got more expensive and larger rims than any of my vehicles, they have multiple cell phones, likely more cable tv channels than I do etc.
That is a complete straw man argument. You saw some car out in the parking lot with rims once. So you imagine that is all of them or that somehow they traded food money for rims.
Some assistance like food stamps has a limit on the total property that can be owned by the entire household. For the federal foodstamps program that is $2000:
Food Stamp Facts
Generally, your household cannot have more than $2,000 in resources. But, if your household includes a person age 60 or older or who is disabled, the limit is $3,000. Resources of people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program are not counted for food stamp purposes. Resources include cash, bank accounts and other property.
Not all the things you own count. For example, your home and the land it is on do not count for food stamp eligibility. A car or truck counts differently depending on how it is used. Most states now use TANF rules in place of food stamp vehicle rules if the TANF rules are more beneficial to the food stamp household.
Most households also must meet an income limit. Certain things do not count as income and can be subtracted from your income. Your household may qualify for other income exclusions if it includes a person age 60 or older or disabled. The income limits vary by household size and may change each year.
So if they take a car with 2 or 3k in rims into the parking lot they may be jeopardizing receiving foodstamps for their entire family.
As for this happening often at a welfare office I think you are mistaken. If you are so sure, some weekday like monday, get a coffee, a notepad, go down to the welfare office and record the car types and descriptions of all the people that go in for an hour. Most will probably be 1993 Grand Ams or Camrys with stock hubcaps probably.
Do we have anything that will motivate people that even now in this 'terrible' time are eating their pick of nearly anything at a mega supermarket while 50lbs overweight will actually throw stones about in desperation?
So you think people are eating anything? Really? I dont eat anything and probably you dont either. Sometimes people are fat from cheap food. Fast food is cheaper per calorie than healthy food. When times are tough fast food restaurants run value meals and people eat that. With the calories, fat, and MSG their bodies like it temporarily.
My comparison of GDP was that of desperation/poverty. You start rioting when you're withering away as man at 120lbs. Not when you're eating American fast food daily and drinking crappy beer but are upset that your dream of leasing a BMW for 84 months won't ever become a reality.
People who have been poor most of their lives want items that make them feel less poor. That is why minorities often are inclined to wear nice clothes, have designer (sometimes fake) watches and want to put rims on their vehicles. And Ross Perot drives a 92 Buick and buys clothes off the rack when he could have anything he wants.
So do you think the average welfare guy is going to get a lease for a BMW for 84 months?
And you really think they are so stupid that their main goal in life is to lease a luxury car?
As for the unemployed- I have more than one friend/relative who didn't even bother looking for a job after getting laid off due to the now nearly TWO YEARS of unemployment. 10% unemployment in the US doesn't mean zero income. It's also yes high however not THAT much higher than normal. When we get to 25% (and we won't- this outlook finally moved in the right direction recently) sure your claim has some merit.
That might be your state. That is not normal. Normally unemployment is 6 months at 50% income or less.
Unemployment insurance pay - how much and how long?
A bunch of people got thrown off unemployment a month ago. It happens even in times with no jobs.
And maybe your friend knew the job market. He got laid off, a bunch of people probably got laid off. Maybe some are better or more experienced than him. He knows if there are any jobs he probably wont even get an interview. This was just out and unemployment is worse:
Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary
Unemployment rates were higher in February than a year earlier in 347
of the 372 metropolitan areas, lower in 21 areas, and unchanged in 4
areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twenty-nine
areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, while 2 areas
registered rates below 5.0 percent. The national unemployment rate in
February was 10.4 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 8.9 percent
a year earlier. Among the 371 metropolitan areas for which nonfarm pay-
roll data were available, 343 areas reported over-the-year decreases in
employment, 26 reported increases, and 2 had no change.
That report a day old and is worse in almost all places.
And talking about official unemployment numbers is a bit misleading. If people are not officially looking for work and registering for unemployment the govt has not been counting them since 1994.
Here is a graph with what some people suspect are the real numbers:
http://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_data/unemployment-charts
So how well do you think the USA is going to recover with no real manufacturing, and unemployment running anywhere from 10 to 22%?
If you owned a clothing store or a single location restaurant who well would you do in a city with 15% unemployment?
