Let Go Of That Tiddy

My paternal grandparents had 30 sibling between them.
Both families were close to each other and among themselves.
So... I have a lot of cousins.

One of my older cousins took in her niece when the girl's father died.
My cousin gave her niece everything my cousin never had while growing up.
Her niece grew up having all of her material and financial needs (and most of her wants) met by her benevolent aunt.
The girl had her first child as a senior in high school.
As the girl was unable to provide for her child financially - she joined the Navy right out of high school (leaving her son to be raised by her aunt).
When the girl returned home from the Navy, she had another son with her.

The aunt gave up her own bedroom for the sake of her niece and grand-nephew.
The aunt was now paying most of the bills for her own daughter, her niece and two grand-nephews.

After five years of having to sleep on her family room couch - my cousin asked me why her niece could never seem to move out and support her children and herself.

The problem was that my cousin had made her niece's poverty too comfortable.
While my cousin would pay her tax bill every April - her niece would receive an Earned Income Tax Credit.
So her niece was actually paying negative taxes.

In 2004, the financial burden of such tax credits was estimated to be $36 billion.
With the recent stimulus packages - some people are actually being paid to be poor.
People who actually have a tax burden are being asked to subsidize the comfort level of another person's poverty.

Do I hate the poor? Nope.
But I hate poverty.
Like in the case of my cousin's niece - it's time for many to let go of that tiddy.