Welcome to Minnesota -- the place where people brag about being nice.
When I speak of welfare, I'm not just referring to the obvious Public Assistance abusers who camp out here from places like Chicago. Rather, I'm referring even more to others in seemingly vulnerable situations who are even more successful in subtlely abusing the system, mainly certain elderly and handicapped individuals.
Old people have lots of power here, mainly because they fix themselves up to truly exemplify ugly old crones. This is one difference between Minnesota and the rest of the world: old people ARE the same people who were once young, and this can show if they want it to. Most people in the world don't see the elderly as so set apart from themselves as do younger Minnesotans. But way too many old people here are willing to pay the role of Walgreens bag ladies and gnarly scrooges, being truly abusive to store clerks and the like.
And lots of handicapped people here flagrantly tie the buses up during rush hour. There's a law that handicapped people don't have to follow the same rules as elderly and youth during rush hours: they only have to pay $0.50 to ride AT ANY HOUR, whereas other reduced-fare passengers have to pay the full adult rush hour fare of $1.50 to $2.00. I think that if a handicapped person gets reduced fare during rush hour, a permit either from a doctor or a place of employment should be required. As it stands, a handicapped person can pay $0.50 and tie up the bus to go to the shopping mall, but a needy elderly person who has a late-afternoon doctor appointment has to pay the full $1.50.
But on the other hand, the "Minnesota Nice" attitude seems to encourage such things. The general populace here tells itself that by granting a few spotty privileges to needy individuals, it inherently makes one's inner character that of a truly nice person. Well, see my comments on egotism regarding that stand.
One final comment on this topic. In this fabled land, you can earn upwards of $200 per month for donating blood plasma. Essentially tax-free! Nice, eh?!
