In my report on our visit to Ashland, Oregon I didn’t mention we were approached by a woman and her children begging for money. When it happened I was somewhat surprised as she didn’t really fit the standard homeless, desperate on the street type of person, but I didn’t think much of it. Well, she probably was one of the affluent beggars which Matt Rosenberg discusses here and here.

Yes, you can make $30-40,000 a year (no doubt tax-free) on top of food stamps and other government hand-outs, together constituting a nice package that enables you to live a decent middle class life style. That is, if you find enough compassionate people on the street to help you fund it.