Jumping off a (welfare) cliff

H/T Doug Ross @ Journal

Mr. Ross writes;

I wrote last year about the way in which welfare programs lead to very high implicit marginal tax rates on low-income people. More specifically, they lose handouts when they earn income. As such, it is not very advantageous for them to climb the economic ladder because hard work is comparatively unrewarding... Thanks to the American Enterprise Institute, we now have a much more detailed picture showing the impact of redistribution programs on the incentive to earn more money.

Have seen this central thesis proven in my life.
I've witnessed people willingly drop out of job training because the job would pay them too much money and threaten their government subsidies.

It's the strategy, Stupid!

Words I learned today;
Middle Class Anarchy

Bicycle ride to school = Child abuse?

h/t Say Uncle

Are you neglecting your children by allowing them to ride a bike to school?
Appears so in TN.
Read the comments in the link for more details from the principle parent involved.
She's been promised/threatened with a visit from Child Protective Services.

Drop $650 for this nifty child abuse vehicle

Just took Son #2 back to college.
In the back of the pick-em-up was his Giant brand mountain bike.
Saw dozens of other vehicles of child neglect on campus.

Child neglect reaching epidemic proportions on a college campus

As a grammar school student, I had to walk to school ... Almost a mile away! Sometimes in the snow! On a route that took me under the Chicago Skyway! Where I sometimes saw dead rats!
Always knew my parents were negligent.