That said - went to visit my sister and brother in law for Easter and had a very interesting conversation with the wife of one of their employees.  It seems she works for Michigan Dept of Social Services in Benton Harbor.  92% of the residents of Benton Harbor receive welfare checks.  She said the gig is to move as many people under one roof to receive maximum benefits.  In the last year and a half she said the new mantra is the 18 yr. olds coming in to start receiving "their checks".  They have been told by relatives that as soon as you turn 18 you get your check.  When they are informed about the qualifications they become combative, indignant and very abusive.  She has been at this job over seventeen years and although Benton Harbor has always been a depressed area she has never seen it this bad.  The hardest part is the verbal (and on some occasions physical)abuse she has to take because the mentality of entitlement is so much more worse than before.  And the fact that these people walk in with a brand new cell phone, tattoos, gold jewelry, designer clothing and glasses - stuff we cannot afford.  The sad part of it - she has tried transferring to other depts but it is the same story no matter where she would transfer because all of the depts available in Benton Harbor are all social service related offices.