You Don't Work? You Don't Eat.

That's a saying by one of my idols, Judge Judy Scheindlin, and I've been wanting to say it to my clients all day long.
I have 50 clients on my case load, most of whom receive a rent subsidy from the City of Chicago or HUD. The clients are required to pay 30% of their take-home pay toward their rent. Most of my clients are on disability and receive $604 per month and, therefore, pay $181 per month in rent (which includes all utilities). Pretty nifty.

Well, they all got a notice today that in order to keep receiving the subsidy, they had to go to Section 8 office and re-certify that they're actually eligible to receive the subsidy. It's something they have to do once a year.

Well, of all the whining and complaining! Imagine, having to walk four whole blocks and fill out paperwork! Oh! The injustice of it all.

I kept telling them, "You'll feel better once you realize that it takes some work to receive a subsidy." I finally told one angry client, "You know, I work forty hours a week to pay my rent. It takes some work to get your rent paid."

I keep having to remind myself that my little lambs are really mentally disabled and have had some pretty horrific backgrounds. And that the amount of tax dollars spent on such subsidies is a tiny drop in the bucket compared to what Bush is spending in Iraq doing his presidential batting practice.