MovieChat Forums > Erin Brockovich (2000) Discussion > Erin Brockovich could've avoided searchi...

Erin Brockovich could've avoided searching for jobs.....


...if she had applied for Welfare. She seems to qualify: 3 children, $16 total in her bank account, unemployed.


But I think it was because she use to be a beauty pageant winner, and has pride in her looks and was stuck up. So she felt she was better than those others who were asking for help when it would really help her children.



"Life is great...without it...you'll be dead!" - Gummo

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Welfare doesn't pay much anyway. She probably supported them better just scraping by on what she did.

Slater: Jessie, these pills are dangerous
Jessie: Yeah, well so is geometry.

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Most people have too much pride than to go on welfare, which is supposed to be a last resort. It's very natural that a parent must work to feed their children.

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the problems with welfare are that...

1: it doesn't pay much at all (someone mentioned that)

2: in order to be on welfare you can not have a job. -- you also can't get a job after you go on welfare.

3: because if #2: many on welfare decide it is okay to have a "job" that no one knows about --drug growing and dealing, pimping, stealing (okay not a job but you get the point.)to augment their income. or they stay at home in bed making kid after kid after kid... I teach in the Bronx most of the students in the school are illegitemate and on welfare and most of the students on welfare have parents that do nothing to better themselves.



You're laborers, you're supposed to be laboring! That's what you get for not having an education!!

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Welfare is not AFDC anymore (Aid to Families with dependent children).
Now it is TANF (Temporary aid to needy families).
The key word is temporary. 5 years maximum. People can no longer live on welfare. They have 5 years to get their act together. Erin wanted a permanent job. That is why she decided to work and get paid to support her children.

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That is brilliant, they need to do that everywhere. Along with drug testing

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Perhaps that is one of the uplifting points in the movie.

Why would welfare even be remotely close to an option for an able-bodied person?

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Why would welfare even be remotely close to an option for an able-bodied person?


Have you seen the most of the people in the Bronx, Volk15star?? They are the most able bodied beings on earth and most of them are on welfare...


You're laborers, you're supposed to be laboring! That's what you get for not having an education!!

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Lazy bottom feeders!

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My mom used to be friends with this woman who had two kids and was on welfare. She stayed on welfare up until her youngest finally turned 18. Now she goes from living with guy after guy who will support her financially so she doesn't have to work. Either that or she lives with her mom who is like, 70. She tries to excuse it by saying she's too bipolar or not good with people to work, but really she's just a lazy sack of garbage. I'm glad there's a 5 year limit. Too many people abuse the system.

Slater: Jessie, these pills are dangerous
Jessie: Yeah, well so is geometry.

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[deleted]

[deleted]

First of all, she may have already been on welfare, and it wasn't mentioned. That's one of the reasons she was so broke and couldn't make ends meet. Even though welfare is great for people who are in a bind and need the help, it's not a permanent solution and it definitely doesn't give you enough money to even pay your rent. It's not so much of an issue of pride, yet survival. If someone, and I'm sure Erin Brockovich felt this way, felt they were intelligent and able to sustain a job and pay their bills on their own, why would they NOT want to look for a job?

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