Octo-Mom on Welfare

[dkf]

The first pictures of the California octuplets were released yesterday and along with them a revalation that the mother is on food stamps.

Suleman, in an exclusive interview with Ann Curry said she was not on welfare. But publicist Mike Furtney said Monday that Suleman, in fact, receives $490 a month in food stamps.

She also receives disability payments for three of her six previous children, but Suleman did not want to disclose the nature of her children's disabilities or the nature of those payments.

Furtney says that in Suleman's view, the payments are necessary for her family's legitimate needs.

"I believe that God will provide in his own way," Suleman said in her "Today" interview. Though she admitted that she will depend on the help of her mother and the generosity of volunteers.

Her mother is of a different mind.

"The truth is Nadya's not capable of raising 14 children," said the octuplet's grandmother, Angela Suleman in an interview posted on radaronline.com.

Angela Suleman says her daughter's compulsion for more children is a burden on her. She called her daughter's actions "unconscionable".

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/NATLOcto-Mom-Interviews--.html

[Bill McBlueState]

1. Not surprising

When you have 14 kids, what does your income have to be not to qualify for food stamps?

[Mari333]

2. ..

:popcorn:

[NightWatcher]

3. she's also sick in the head...trying to make herself become Angelina Jolie

[marshall]

55. She's the Muslim version of Angelina Jolie

We've already got the fundie Duggar family on television with their ever growing brood. It's only a matter of time before Suleman signs a deal with somebody and gives us the muzzie version.

[spookybutt]

61. Do you have compassion for mentally ill people...even those who speak rationally?

I am just astounded at how insensitive so many people on here are! I am not singling you out, but I wonder if they would pounce on someone who had schizophrenia or major depression.

Just because someone is lucid doesn't mean that everything is fine. But does that give us license to say horrible things about her?

[Le Taz Hot]

79. The problem is that she's a danger

to her children and her mother. Mentally ill people who pose a danger are usually sequestered so they don't pose a danger to themselves or others. There is NOTHING that can justify what she's done. Don't even try.

[Donnachaidh]

4. Everything coming out about this baby mill is getting creepier and creepier

She's receiving disability payments on three of the first six. So, having another eight and running the very REAL risk of having MORE disabled kids is just an addition to her income. :wow:

CPS needs to take ALL those kids and send her to that mental facility she used to work in. As a resident.

[devilgrrl]

6. Watch this woman be used to punish those that actually need assistance.

She's the right's new "welfare queen"

[Donnachaidh]

19. no kidding

I don't begrudge food stamps and help to families in need. But this woman ACTIVELY worked on creating an income stream for HERSELF to feed her self-loathing issues. You have 6 children and you get YOURSELF plastic surgery? WTF?

People should be calling her PR firm, and ANY media outlet giving this sicko. It's disgusting.

[slackmaster]

33. She has serious mental health issues, and should not be used as a standard for anything

Other than an illustration of the extremes of behavior that psychiatric problems can cause.

[Jackpine Radical]

41. And the irresponsible MD had no business facilitating her crazy behavior.

In its own way, it's a little like giving a paranoid a gun.

[EstimatedProphet]

22. Except for one little fact:

She's not black.

The Welfare Queen myth that Reagan put out was always at its heart a racial attack. It was intended that way.

[Cleita]

74. She does actually need assistance. Those food stamps do pay for food to

feed her children, not "Cadillacs", as the right wing would like you to believe. It's obvious she's mentally ill and in another era would have been institutionalized, but since Prop 13 was passed, funds to hospitalize people like her are no longer available. If she didn't have her mother's home to live in, she probably would be homeless and any children she might have would be homeless with her.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

84. She's tied up in a bunch of right-wing talking points.

She keeps pushing the wording to say the eight embryos were "her children".

Someone is behind this....

[liberal N proud]

5. She is a poster child for the conservative meme to end welfare

People like this are what give the CONservatives reason to condemn the whole program.

[treestar]

34. Yep. Right wingers are going to talk about this as though

it happens all the time.

Exception that should not be allowed to change the rule.

[seabeyond]

7. Nadya's not capable of raising 14 children... truth is, NO ONE is capable of

raising 14 under the age of 8

[Kahuna]

17. Absolutely! That's what her "supporters" don't get. Even two people

can't take care of all those babies and children without additional halp. That's why her mother is threatening to bale. I doubt that mom will really leave though. But she'll probably kill herself trying to keep up with 14 kids.

[hatrack]

71. Thank you! Two parents to start with, at least two grandparents, an aunt or uncle or three . . .

And maybe a few substantially older siblings are what would be needed, and even then there would still be problems.

[seabeyond]

73. reality. that is why this story is too hard. why you cannot make it work. anyone

having raised kids know... cant be done.

and it will be at childrens expense. and everything is wrong with that.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

8. Delivery and caring of infants will cost hospital estimated $1.5 million to $3 million.

Octuplet's mom on food stamps, publicist says
Three of Nadya Suleman's older kids also get federal support for disabilities

skip

NBC chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman has estimated the cost of delivering the infants and caring for them until they are healthy enough to leave the hospital at $1.5 million to $3 million.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29110391/

[rocktivity]

9. Technically she's right--food stamps and disability pay are not welfare

But they are public assistance--and she certainly has no business having more than six children is she's not working and ins already getting public assistance!

:headbang:
rocknation

[dkf]

14. And welfare ends, but foodstamps and disability payments don't.

But her poor mother pays for everything else.

If the Grandma kicks Nadya out, she will be on welfare.

[rocktivity]

54. Not is she's declared unfit and her children are taken from her.

I doubt, however, that she would consider THAT an example of "God providing in his own way."

:headbang:
rocktivity

[NYC_SKP]

10. Nadya Suleman probably needs some serious treatment. Her "doctors" may

need some serious investigating, these children need loving homes.

But in Southern California, the story is less strange for all the strange things that already go on there.

Unfortunately, many groups will rally around her based on "a mother's absolute right", "the needs of the children for their mommy", "family values" and all kinds of other claptrap.

Oh, and it "takes a village", so whip out your checkbooks, California.

Nadya Suleman might have even more babies, what's to stop her?

:shrug":

[Donnachaidh]

23. she's supposedly a psychology major

I've got a stinking suspicion she took this particular major to learn how to manipulate others. Think about it -- studying psychology in order to CONTROL all your own issues to your benefit? While her original disability claim might very well have been valid - she's obviously learned to work that system well enough to pay to have her face changed. She's figured out how to find an IVF doctor to implant eggs what, SIX times? She conned her boyfriend into being a sperm donor, but she's not willing to marry the guy?

This is one conniving little monster. Take those kids away NOW.

[NYC_SKP]

52. The two people I personally know with Masters degrees in that field...

are both alcoholics, married, and working in that field.
One has managed to keep her job, her husband goes from one to another.

I wrote an OP that's still alive here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4994764

:kick:

[Donnachaidh]

77. One of my favorite teachers was an EX-psychologist

And he was quite honest when he said he left the field because he'd had to work with too many crazy people. He didn't mean it to broadbrush the entire industry, but it was his experience that quite a few of his colleagues weren't mentally stable enough to be working in the field.

I do think this mother is destructive and should have those kids taken away. It's frightening to think about what sort of future those poor kids are going to have.

[stray cat]

11. She is a single umemployed parent - right. Who I pay to have and raise her kids

I support helping single parents but this goes too far

[NYC_SKP]

12. Yeah, but "it takes a village". It's your duty as a good citizen to support..

...a woman's absolute right to have children, and at public expense.

Nobody wrote in a limitation to that whole theory.

She could have even more beebees, what's to stop her?

To me, it's a severe form of child abuse, to have babies to play the system and avoid going out in the world to make a living.

:shrug:

[jmg257]

57. Stupid theory is what it is. It should NOT be society's "duty" to support some selfish ass who will

take no responsibility for her choices. There is no "absolute right" to live off the state.

She COULD have even more, but maybe having to actually pay for them in some way (i.e. take responsibility) will stop her next time. (that reality - or a slap in the side of the head).

[Jackpine Radical]

13. Jeez, you sound like a right-wing grinch.

That kinda disturbs me because I agree entirely with you.

Except that I reserve some of the blame for the medical establishment that provided fertility treatment.

[AngryAmish]

21. Ever hear of Roe v. Wade? Griswold v. Connecticut?

The law is clear - government cannot interfere with the choices made by anyone about reproductive health until the third trimester (and slightly the second).

There is a right to privacy found in the penumbras to various rights in the US Constitution. The government at any level may not interfere with choices of birth control or fertility treatments.

If anyone has these rights them we must learn to accept and honor this woman's decision.

[Jackpine Radical]

37. Expressing disapproval is not the same thing as advocating draconian laws.

People do lots of things that annoy and even disgust me without my advocating a legislative solution. I do reserve the right to express my annoyance or disgust, however.

[stray cat]

43. But we don't have to pay her

[Raskolnik]

66. "we must learn to accept and honor this woman's decision."

The hell we must.

[Donnachaidh]

24. the medical establishment SHOULD carry some of the blame

It also seems like THEY were manipulated by her. Of course, if they had done some research and showed some self-restraint themselves, none of this would be happening.

[Jackpine Radical]

39. Yes, that's really where I see most of the fault lying.

A crazy woman wants to do a crazy and socially harmful thing. A professional enables her to do it. Who's at fault?

And again, I don't see a way to write some new law about this; nevertheless, I reserve the right to deplore the behavior of the professional.

[dkf]

42. The IVF doctor should have to support these kids for the rest of his/her life.

instead of the state.

[Jackpine Radical]

46. Nice idea. Hell, I'm for it.

[jmg257]

58. Agreed. She is a selfish ass who should be belted hard with a dose of reality.

[hamsterjill]

15. "I believe that God will provide..."

"I believe that God will provide in his own way," Suleman said in her "Today" interview.

Grrrrrrr!!!!

This woman is obviously a sick manipulator and it burns me up that she's gotten as much attention as she has to date.

I feel incredibly sorry for those children and the grandmother.

[slackmaster]

25. I've heard the same thing from several fundamtalist Christians

One neighbor of mine refused to participate in a neighborhood group sharing knowledge for earthquake preparations, because God would take care of her in the event of a disaster.

[Donnachaidh]

27. I had a neighbor like that, too.

And when the Northridge quake hit she had nothing prepared. We had to step in because she was making up her kid's formula bottles with POOL water. Heavily Chlorinated pool water. :wow:

She had no problem taking from her atheist neighbors at that point.

[slackmaster]

29. God sent her atheist neighbors in to rescue her

See how that works?

[pipi_k]

48. In that instance, I would be just evil enough to say

that the devil had sent me there to help


:evilgrin:

[ashling]

47. Sounds like God provided a neighborhood group to

share knowledge for earthquake preparations....

I guess she's planning on being Hoovered up when the earthquake...er, rapturequake comes

[chatnoir]

68. Just like God provided those inflated lips and carved up nose

Right, Nadya?

[LostinVA]

16. But the grandparents pay for everything -- is THIS money also going to plastic surgery?

OMFG

167K in payments for her, with zero to mom and dad, and now this???

[slackmaster]

30. Her mom is three years delinquent paying property tax

She paid over $600 K for the three bedroom house where the whole hive lives.

[specialed]

18. She said in her interview that she wasn't taking any welfare....

PLEASE take these kids from this psycho.

[bicentennial_baby]

53. If she's not getting TANF payments, then technically she's not on welfare

TANF is welfare. Food stamps and SSDI are not. :)

[K Gardner]

75. She's not on "welfare". Food stamps are not considered welfare but monetary payments are.

[moxie_1]

83. She didn't limit it to welfare. She said, "I'm not receiving help from the government."

Her publicist simply focused that one line about welfare as a type of straw man.


---
During the interview with Curry, Suleman said, "I'm not receiving help from the government. I'm not trying to expect anything from anybody. I just wanted to do it on my own.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29110391
---

You can see her saying this in the interview with Curry, here:
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/02/worlds-first-look-at-octuplets.php

[slackmaster]

20. Well, that sucks ass

:nuke:

"I believe that God will provide in his own way," Suleman said in her "Today" interview.

Nice rationalization.

"The truth is Nadya's not capable of raising 14 children," said the octuplet's grandmother, Angela Suleman...

The Voice of Reason speaks.

[Gin]

26. so..who paid for the fertility treatments? who paid for her big lips?

inquiring minds want to know.

[slackmaster]

28. That's a really good question - I've been told there is no way that public funds paid for either

So if she had money for fertility treatments, why is she sucking the government's tit for food stamps?

[tilsammans]

44. She is really grotesque, with those fish lips

Normally I'd say, to each his/her own, but it annoys me to no end when someone has plenty of $$$ for luxury items, yet expects the rest of us to pick up the tab for necessities.

:rant:

[spookybutt]

62. She received around 150K (18,000K/yr.?) for a half dozen years...

I figure she used that money.

[galaxy21]

31. "Money is just pieces of paper"

She would say that, wouldn't she?

Getting adopted would be the best thing that happened to these children. If they go home with her, she'll just get bored with them, and get pregnant again.

[slackmaster]

32. It seems like just pieces of paper until you have to work to get it

:argh:

[dkf]

35. Who will hire her now?

She sounds totally irresponsible.

[slackmaster]

36. This is California - She'll make shitloads of money selling her "story"

That's the ugly punch line to this sick joke.

[dkf]

38. I wouldn't like to be the company that sponsors her.

Why would anyone want to be associated with a disaster like this? I imagine that would turn off more people than it would turn on.

[slackmaster]

40. John Edwards' affair made millions for the National Enquirer

Never underestimate peoples' appetite for sleaze.

[dkf]

45. Millions for the NE, nada for JE.

[scrinmaster]

49. If god is going to provide for them, maybe we can stop, right?

Jeezus, if you can't afford to feed the six children you already have, maybe you shouldn't have any more.

[Stinky The Clown]

50. She doesn't see it as welfare (she says)

She is nuts (I says)

[NeedleCast]

51. I believe that God will provide in his own way

Ahhhh, the Repubican mantra!

Often spoken by those who vote Republican while collecting food stamps.

[spookybutt]

56. I was very impressed by her on "Today" yesterday...

She's very articulate, full of spunk...I think if anyone can do it, it's her!

It's her octo brood's 2-week birthday!:party:

[acmavm]

59. I just want the best for all those kids. The poor first half-dozen have to

be traumatized. And the next 8, well I just don't know what to think. I just hope whatever happens is for THEIR benefit, NO ONE ELSE'S!

[spookybutt]

60. One thing I have to admit is that they look very big and healthy for an octobrood

Although I was gonna ask someone on here if they know why two of the babies are wearing sunglass-type eye coverings...

[Ms. Toad]

81. LIght therapy for jaundice

The lights can damage the wee one's eyes.

(Jaundice is fairly common, even with single births.)

[Obamanaut]

63. Oh, good grief! nt

[spookybutt]

65. LOL...

:hide:

[kiva]

85. Wow, 14 kids,

14 posts, and one pizza. Thanks, mods!

[AlCzervik]

64. I hate spunk.

[fizzgig]

67. yes, because all you need to raise 14 kids is spunk

the spunk is even handier when one of the kids is autistic and eight of them were born prematurely

:eyes:

[AlCzervik]

69. and 3 of her first 6 children are disabled, hope she has extra spunk!

Spunk!™ Raises kids!

[Cleita]

76. Just because she can speak in complete sentences and formulate thought

doesn't mean that she doesn't have severe mental issues. Some day rent the movie, "Girl Interrupted", which is pretty true about girls who are articulate, smart and well-spoken but who have clinical diagnoses that indicate how deeply, mentally disturbed that they are. Look at the actions. In the movie, one of the girls, who seemed normal could only eat chicken that her father cooked. Otherwise she would starve to death. The character played by Angelina Jolie, was diagnosed a sociopath. Yes, she was popular and outgoing and the other girls liked her and followed her, yet she was cruel and without remorse. Look at the actions, not the words.

[Donnachaidh]

78. And there is no reason to believe she wasn't playing for the cameras?

Spunk? Really?

I'd call it *chutzpah* of the worst kind. I'll bet she has quite a range of emotional responses that she can call on for the publicity machine. :sarcasm:

[AlCzervik]

80. i guess you did disrupt poorly, cya Spunky.

[Stevenmarc]

82. What some see as spunk I see as someone not riding the reality train

[Hippo_Tron]

70. I don't care about the miniscule fraction of my tax dollars that go to this, my concern is the kids

2 parents can't raise 14 kids alone.

[kskiska]

72. Medi-Cal is paying the hospital bill | She uses a nanny service

(snip)

… Kaiser Permanente, where her children were born, has requested funding from Medi-Cal, the state's healthcare program for the poor, to help pay for the octuplets' medical care, sources said.

more…
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/02/octuplets-1.html

----------------

Nanny agency owner defends octuplet mother

COVINA - The owner of a nanny agency has come to the defense of the Whittier mother of octuplets, claiming that Nadya Suleman is "a great client, a great mom."

Jacqueline Chatfield of Merry Poppins To Order, a nanny referral service in Covina, has provided child care to Suleman's six older children for two years, she said.

She talked to Suleman almost daily to coordinate child care and said her nannies liked working for the Sulemans.

(snip)

Unlike other high-profile cases when women had multiple-birth pregnancies, companies are not coming forward to offer free goods to Suleman.

When the eight babies come home from Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in the next seven to 12 weeks, Merry Poppins To Order will provide Suleman with free child care for a year, Chatfield said.

The agency is already trying to line up a head nanny to be in charge of caring for the 14 children.

"It takes a certain type of nanny to work with 14 kids," Chatfield said.

Nannies typically cost between $8 and $15 per hour, depending on what duties are required, Chatfield said.

more…
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ci_11668170