All language subtitles for Welfare_1975

Okay. Okay, that's it.

Just have a seat. Okay.

Okay, just have a seat.

Okay, Mr. Hamilton, just have a seat.
Hold your head straight here.

Okay, have a seat.

Okay, sir, just have a seat.

Okay. Have a seat.

Have a seat.

Okay, just have a seat, please.

Okay, have a seat.

Mr. Wells, would you mind removing your
hat, please?

Okay, fine.

Okay, have a seat, please.

Boswell.

Indian people, they don't like me, you
know.

I'm Apache from Oklahoma, you know. They
don't want to give me nothing because

I'm an Indian. What's happened to the
Indian people?

You know, what's happened? They don't
good? No good?

I'm a human being like anybody, like
white or black or something like that.

You understand?

They don't want to help me, you know.
They don't want me helping because I'm

Indian people, you know.

I don't see too many Indian people in
this country, you know, in New York.

I escaped from this reservation.

You got it in Washington, you know.

I take him out from there because in
there like a camp, a concentration

camp. He take it out of my lap, you
know, and put me in the reservation like

jail, you know.

And now he don't dig it too much. He
don't dig it. The government, he don't

it, the Indian people. You understand?

Okay, ma 'am.

So far as we know, they have made no
provisions to issue ID cards to their

claimants. Right, that's what I tell
you. But on the other hand, welfare

give you one either because you're not
on our roads.

The best thing for you to do when you
get your check is put a check cash in

place, or maybe a landlord will cash it.

Keep going to SSI until they come up
with some ID so that you'll be able to

a check.

But, sir,

sir, we cannot give it to you.

Because your checks don't come from us.

Your check does not come from us, so we
cannot give you an ID card. You go in

with an ID card from one department and
you're getting your check from another

department. It's not going to help.

But I know, but I need the picture to
change my check. I'm sorry, we won't

it to you. You'll have to get it from
them.

In the meantime, try and check that
place.

You know,

I just going yesterday and there, you
know, walking because I ain't got no

money. I'm walking all the way up from
Broadway to 39, and I explain my

situation.

He said, he don't give you Medicaid card
in there.

He don't give you ID card there.

You know, I said, going to 14th Street
might be a solution in your case.

You know, I needed help. Nevertheless,
this is a problem that you have to take

up with them. Waverly is no longer
responsible. But what can I do now to

my check?

You got your check? You have your check
in your pocket?

You know, I just tried it, you know.

to get the picture because... I've
explained to you several times that we

give it to you. Right, I know. You know,
so when my check coming, and the check

coming... Take it to a check cashing
place.

Yes, but if he ain't going to ID, he
don't give it to me, your lady. Keep

to 39 Broadway and tell them you're
having difficulty cashing your check and

need some kind of ID.

I just had a telling, yesterday telling,
I'm supposed to get a pitch again

because he don't, you know, he don't, he
don't, he don't give it to me. He don't

going to give it to me. I'm sorry,
Waverly can't either. Waverly's not

responsible.

So I suppose you lose one already.

Oh, thank you.

Yeah.

So, you know, what I can do now?

Go back to 39 Broadway.

When you get your check, go to the
check. Explain to him the situation

Okay, thank you very much, young lady.

So you were out of the apartment in
November?

That's right. November 28th. November
28th. And then you went... Over here it

says you went to the halfway house.
December 27th.

That's a month later.

Yeah. Okay.

What she's saying is what did you do
from November 28th to...

December 27th. Where were you?

Well, I was in and out of jail.

It was like one day at a time.

It says you were only in jail for one
day. I know that, but previous to that,

too.

We went into restaurants and we were
just eating and now paying a bill

we didn't have any money.

So they picked us up on that and we'd
spend the night in jail or something and

then they'd release us out into the
street again.

And we were staying in...

What were you saying with a friend of
mine?

When you worked for the department, you
know, you were making good money.

That's right. It was like I stayed in
each position for about a year or a year

and a half. I kept taking civil service
exams.

That's how I got promoted. I started as
a Unicorp grade three, and then I went

to Rising Park. Then I became an
instructor. See, we haven't... It's been

year, two years, you know, in each job
yet. I think, you know...

Yeah. We haven't got your accounts,
right? We just got the letter from the

saying that your accounts are closed.

He lost the passbook.

No, no.

Wait a minute. And then you're telling
me that you only had these amounts in

each account, but you were making
relatively good money. I can't

how... $198 in rent is one item. I know,
I know.

And what about for food? We had to spend
on food.

We spent money on entertainment.

What kind of?

Movies. Movies.

Drinking.

How come you never worked? I'm an
epileptic and I can't work.

Okay. We had to pay electric.

Yeah, and so on. Have you got a
medical...

I don't have any medical because my
doctor... You have Medicaid.

Medicaid is the only thing I have. You
want any medication? No, I don't take

medication because the doctor told me I
don't need it. It's just that I've got

to take it easy and relax. I'm not
allowed to work. I wish I could. They

the Medicaid because we are in this
situation.

That's right.

Well, the reason I'm asking you all
these questions...

It's true you're an emergency, so we are
giving you the emergency interview, but

every aspect of your application has to
be gone into.

Okay?

Okay. I'm surprised you raised that,
being that you were a supervisor in

services. Well, you know, sure, but at
the moment I'm thinking in terms of

answering your questions.

Did you ever get Social Security under
your father's?

My father, I don't know, because my
father is in the Army, and I haven't

him since I'm six years old.

Where's your mother?

My mother's on Pelham Parkway. She gave
me a little money, and then she told me,

go hang myself or commit suicide. And
every time I contact her, she hangs up

phone. The counselor at the
rehabilitation center tried, and she

doesn't know me. He tried.

My sister tried. I got money from my
sister a little bit and then forget it.

didn't help me and neither did my
mother. My mother doesn't want any part

I tried calling her every single time
and she hangs up the phone.

Or go hang yourself or sleep in a jail.

That's why I can't get any response.

My sister's out in Stony Point. I asked
if I could stay up with her. I can't

because she works.

If you could stay with relatives, we
would be glad to do so. We sure would.

I tried my aunt who lives on 14th
Street, and my grandfather's got

and he needs to stay in the house, so I
can't ask her for help.

Did you both apply for the SSI? Yes, we
have. You both went down?

Now, you're just living together. You're
not married, right? No.

If I knew where my husband was, I
wouldn't even be around here. I don't

where he is. I haven't seen him.

Did you see?

I have a partial disability on my hand.
I'm a critical person.

I used to wear a brace.

I am epileptic, too.

I used to take dilating, but the doctor
took me off of it.

You're legally married?

Yes, I am.

I don't know where my husband is. Well,
did you ever go to court?

No.

Are you divorced?

No, I'm not.

That's family court, I think she said.
Now, you know, your husband might be

working. Making a very good salary.

Now, he's legally responsible.

Oh, I know that. Don't you think? If I
knew where he was, I'd be going to him.

don't know where he is.

The last time I seen him was in the
summertime.

The summer? That's right.

And it was late at night.

I usually would see him at night.

Very quick.

He was always with me. Right, Larry?

You know, when you were with your wife.

No,

he sometimes, but his wife was working
in the welfare, and we've been looking.

You're married also?

That's right.

I know it sounds crazy. Did you put down
that you're married?

Is your wife working?

Is she working? I don't know where she
is. I don't have a wife.

Didn't you say that he has a wife?

I thought he had a wife.

I don't know what I'm saying.

I don't know. Forgive me. I don't know.

I'm sorry, Larry, okay?

I don't know. I really don't know.

Are you married or aren't you? To her?

Not to her.

Are you married to someone else?

So what gave her the impression that you
were?

Maybe it's a wish that she had.

Maybe it could be a wish. I don't know.

I had been eating in a couple of days,
and I'm hungry, and I get a little

excited. So I'm sorry, Larry, okay?

I don't feel too hot either.

All right, this is for the housing.

Where do we bring that?

This is on the fifth floor.

Now you have to go.

After that, you have to go to
employment.

Okay? Yes.

Okay.

Have we been accepted?

She said she's going to house you. If
we're going to house you, that means

you're going to house me. Okay, thank
you, Miss. I just want to be reassured.

Thank you.

And then we've got to eat because we're
so hungry.

So could you please go up to the housing
first?

Where's that? What floor? On the fifth
floor.

And this is on the fourth floor. The
employment is on the fourth.

I'll go up there now, and then we come
back to you? Yes.

Go to the third floor, to the
replacement group.

Third floor.

Ana, tell her to go to the third floor
of the replacement group.

Who's next?

Why are you here, dear?

Did you get part of a check?

How much check did you get?

How much are you supposed to get, dear?

What do you get, one or two checks?

One?

Who's next?

Come on, people, move down.

Drop that in the box. Have a seat.

Wait for them to call your name.

Who's next?

Come on, people, move down, please.

I'm going to drop over there.

And they do it while I'm sleeping.
They're dope addicts.

They took everything. They took all my
Medicaid, my Social Security.

They took it all.

Okay,

and here it tells you about the
supplemental security income for the

blind, and disabled.

I don't know if you already, do you
already, wait a second, do you already

receive Social Security disability
payments?

Yes. Well, I don't know supplemental,
but, you know, the increase or something

like that.

You get money from Social Security?

That's what I'm told. My stuff comes to
Holy Name Society, 8 East Bleeker

Street. Oh, and... I get so much a day.

I get a room or whatever I can. But you
get that money from Social Security?

They told me $84 .50. Now, whatever it
is, I've been going to see off and on.

What I'm asking you is, are the people
at the Holy Name, that's where you live?

No, I don't live there. I just have to
live wherever I can.

Okay, so you have to go to 39 Broadway.

I want you to go back to wherever it is
you stay or wherever it is they get your

papers and show them this and tell them
that we said that you had to go to 39

Broadway. Right, that's your Social
Security office, okay, because you

for Social Security, not for him.

Yeah,

show them this.

Make sure they understand what we said.
Yes. And then they'll direct you to 39

Broadway, okay?

Right. And that's before I can get on
the welfare or whatever it is. They'll

take care of you there.

Yes. At this desk here? At 39 Broadway.

Oh. At 39 Broadway. That's where you got
to go to. Oh, 39 Broadway, downtown.

Yeah. Okay?

Yes.

Who's next?

Is there a next?

They set me back here in Social
Security.

You got $100 in Social Security
Administration on Friday. They sent me

here. Wait, Mr. Long, did you get a
check for $100 on Friday for Social

Security? No, $40. And you'll be getting
$100? Two weeks.

And then I had $60 Friday.

And what happens to the $60?

Before and... What happens to the $60
you got on Friday?

You're covered by the federal... Social
Security program now. You're not covered

by the local welfare center.

Social Security and welfare, we're
having an argument.

Mr. Long, if you've got $60 of food
money on Friday, you're expected to last

a little while.

Like the $2 ,800 you blew in two months.
I had to pay my doctor's bill. I had to

pay my doctor's bill.

I had to pay my doctor's bill. Mr. Lum,
if you got $60 in Social Security on

Friday, you're not going to get any
money today.

The money was for food.

Come on.

Who's next?

Come on, people, please move down.

Ms.

Blanco,

you must bring us... How many months
pregnant are you?

You must bring us a letter from a
hospital. The doctor can write anything

he wants to. In order to qualify for
public assistance, you must bring a

verification letter from a hospital. Are
you attending any clinic?

No. Why not?

I have no money.

That is not a requirement. That's not a
requisite for you to go to a public

clinic. You go there and tell them that
you don't have money, and then they will

give you this form for you.

All this says is verification of
pregnancy.

This is not what we want. We want it
from a doctor. There's a certain form.

you go to a city hospital, they'll give
it to you.

that a doctor can write anything that he
wishes.

Sometimes... Elaine,

Elaine,

are you taking this for verification of
treatment?

Yes, need your T -date on it.

Signed by a doctor?

So that's that.

Look, you'll take that instead of the
form from the hospital, right?

Yes, it's approved. Okay, it's accepted.

It indicates to me that she may be using
a loose term, but broadly, very

broadly, it may not be detrimental to
her. The hospital note, the letter from

the hospital indicates that they're
apparently extenuating socially.

It may be a question of lousy
conditions.

Now, the format is, first, a home visit
according to K, within 48 hours.

Second, the phone calls to both central
agency and FSA.

And then the, on the first sheet you'll
see a 9, I think it's a 492. These

forms, I have them there, I'll give them
to you. They have to be processed

within 48 hours of the...

Uh, phone calls.

You haven't answered my question.

What? BCW already knows about it. Why do
we have to notify BCW? Just to get a

clarification on it. Just to see
exact... Her description of it leaves a

open. She describes it broadly as a
child neglect or abuse.

The woman is accusing herself. I'm sure
that... I'm pretty sure you'll find that

she's using the time without quite
understanding what it means.

Senator, we're going to take the child
off the budget because it's not with you

at the moment.

And if you get the child back, you let
us know about it, okay?

Okay.

She'll be back as soon as I get another
apartment. See, that's the problem right

now.

How long have you lived in this
apartment?

About nine months.

But, like, there's rats and... The
Central Registry,

they're the ones who took the complaint.

No, I don't know who made the complaint.
I think it was the hospital, women's

infirmary. Said that you have some
diseased pets in the house.

Yes, so one dog is diseased. It's not my
dog, though, and it doesn't live there.

But you can't let the child near the
dog. It doesn't matter that it's not

dog. The dog is in the apartment, and
that has nothing to do with it. Even

though the conditions of your apartment
are bad, and probably you'll be able to

move, it's still a diseased dog, and
they're not going to let the child back

long as you've got a diseased pet in
there.

It's not there all the time. It's there
once in a while. It's my boyfriend's

dog, and he doesn't live there. But it
only has to be there for a little while

for the child to catch something.

That's why the doctors, I don't think,
are going to let you have it back until

you get rid of the dog for good.

So better tell your boyfriend to come
and pick it up.

Okay?

But anyway, somebody will be visiting
your house in the future.

So clean it up.

Do you know about when?

I put in a complaint about three weeks
ago with the building inspector. No one

ever came.

The housing got a real runaway.

Like, nobody knew nothing about it.

It's like they say that there's no
record of violations.

No, somebody will help you. You need a
lawyer to help you with that. You can't

do it yourself.

I'll give you the phone number of this
lawyer that works for the mobilization

for you.

Okay. Because, you know, you don't have
to.

Okay. Here's your number.

or else you can go in person.

I don't know why the building inspector
won't come. They'll take a couple of

months to come. They're understaffed,
etc., etc.

They won't come.

When I had to wait for a building
inspector for my help, it was a year and

half. Don't count on that. That's why
you have to go to somebody who's legal.

That way they can help you do it a lot
faster.

They don't want to move me because
there's no record of any violations.

That's why you have to put in the
violations, and then you will be able to

So you have to say, yes, they're all...
I have to go to a lawyer?

Okay. Okay, so you have her number. So
that's okay. You can go home now.

Okay, thank you very much.

You had a fire, and the emergency
occurred in August.

You settled the emergency because you
resolved it, because you lived with your

friend. Right. Now there are new
circumstances. Now if you want to...

If you want to correct the situation by
having a new apartment, you must make a

fair hearing.

This is your only course.

I don't think this is fair. You can't
solve it in the center. We won't give

this money.

I don't think this is fair at all.

It's got to be done somewhere.

Why are you so reluctant about asking
for a fair hearing?

I'm not reluctant about asking for a
fair hearing.

I am reluctant to a certain extent. The
reason why is because it's going to take

a longer period of time. How do you know
it's going to take a longer period of

time? It takes at least three weeks for
a fair hearing, doesn't it? Does it not?

Yeah, but... Meanwhile, my friend has
moved out, and where am I?

Your friend hasn't moved out yet, has
he? He's moving his thing.

When is he moving? He's in the process
of moving his thing. When is he moving?

All his things will be out within the
next two days.

And I have responsibilities also.

By the way, are you enrolled in a rep
program or any of the programs at the

I am.

You enrolled right now in some... The
rep program.

When do you start?

Well, the guy's been sending me out.
They sent me to the unemployment

Now the guy's been sending me out to
different jobs, and he told me to call

this week so he could send me somewhere
else. Are you in...

Are you ever enrolled in a narcotic
program?

Yes, I was. I was a drug addict at one
time. But when I came out, I started

working, and I got my own apartment, and
from there I started building on my own

two feet. And then from there I bought a
dog, a Great Dane, and I had the

responsibilities toward her.

Now, being at the fire, I only have the
dog left.

And it's me and the dog, and I had lost
my job.

Y 'all said y 'all would give me some
kind of help, and it hasn't been done

Then that is another reason why the
hotel wouldn't be suitable.

I would have to get my own apartment.

Because of the dog, you mean? Right,
because I have a dog, too.

Well, I think there's only one course
for you to do, and you can go to the

and make a fair hearing, and we'll be
over there with our records. What

meanwhile when the guy moves out?

He hasn't moved out yet, right? You're
still living there? Not completely, but

within the next two days, it takes three
weeks for him.

What do I do during that time?

Nothing we can do, unless you come, you
want to live in a hotel meanwhile.

You want me to take my dog?

I'll live there.

You'll give me furniture, clothes money.
We're not giving assistance for your

dog. I know, I know.

We're concerned about you, right?

Between the dog, me and my friend work
it out. We work it out between me and

dog. And you know where the dog can stay
with your friend?

It's my dog, but I don't know. I don't
know if he wants the dog to stay. I'm

sure.

That's why I would have to work out with
him. Like I said, I might be able to

work out a furniture situation with him.

And the dog, I don't know.

But the fact that I came down here was
because I was told that I would have a

place to go, which is an apartment. And
that is where I could take my dog and

live and work for a living.

Where's your friend moving to?

He's moving on the west side. And he
told me you can't stay over with your

friend? He told me it's too small. The
apartment is too small. Well, for a day

or two... He has his woman.

His woman lives with him, too.

Now, all along, I've still been
imposing... Let me ask you. If this

with him, too, in a way, he's still
living in your apartment.

Not my apartment.

Well, he's living with you. If this
woman lives with him...

Live with him means present.

Right, and he's moving some of his
things. He's in the midst of moving some

his things to the west side.

He hasn't moved everything yet. But you
just stated that the woman is living

with him. Right.

And you're living with this man, so the
woman is living with him. And you also,

you're living in the same apartment.
Right, there's three of us, plus a dog.

there's three of you, plus a dog. Right,
but it's his own.

It's not mine.

It's his own.

It gets more involved as we go along.

Now you have a dog, and you have a
woman, and you have a... I don't have no

woman. No, no. He has a woman.

Well, what goes on with him is not my
concern.

He just lets me rent part of the
apartment and sleep there.

I sleep there and do what I have to do.
Listen, do me a favor. Make the fair

hearing. 488 -655 -0.

Still, I'm being rejected again.

It's still a runaround.

Thank you for your help.

Okay.

Well, but their hearing kept me there. I
don't want to hear that. I don't want

to hear that shit at all. You didn't
feed me. He fed me. You're supposed to

those checks. I'm single issue. You
never sent them. You never sent them.

They were sent before single issue
always without a fucking problem. But

there's a problem.

Well, can I have today's food money
then? You can't have today's food money.

Why not? Your date is due tomorrow.

I told you that already.

The best thing I can do is give you your
rent money from before that you didn't

pick up. I can give you your rent money
from the 1st to the 31st.

I'll give you an appointment for
tomorrow to come in and get your food

And I'll still have to stand out there
at 6 o 'clock tomorrow morning? No, you

won't have to because I'll give you an
appointment today.

Do I still have you tomorrow?

There's a little problem here. Did you
apply after January 1 or before?

Before.

You had no active case here before
January 1?

No.

If that is true, then we can accept you
for 30 days until the Social Security

Department gets around to accepting you.

All right.

Do you have a letter from them?

Yes, I've showed it to the girl. I don't
have any of my papers with me now. But

I showed the interviewer downstairs my
psychiatric report.

I showed her the referral slip from SSI.

You have that with you now?

No, I don't have it with me now. But
I've been coming back here every day for

two weeks. Like she said, get a
notarized letter for this, a notarized

for that. That's the application group.

Yes, yes.

And so now you're in housing, so you
must have had a referral from them to

housing, right?

Yes, because they say they only give out
$160.

That's a lot of money for rent.

$160. $170.

Yeah, they say they only give out $160.

My rent is $170, right? That's
difficult. You live alone?

Yes.

I went to the landlord.

The landlord is out of town.

He's in Aruba.

But his attorney, in the case, gave me a
letter saying that they will

deduct $10 for some burglar alarm
system.

She rejected that.

So she told me if I get a letter from my
mother, a certified letter from my

mother, saying that my mother would give
me the $10 a month, I would be

accepted. All right? I got the certified
letter from my mother saying that she

would give me $10 a month.

To make up the $10 difference, and she
rejects that and sends me up here.

So they're telling you you're not
eligible.

She's telling me she's giving me the
food and money and all that other

you know, but she wants me to relocate
instantaneously.

She just wants me to move somewhere.

Your case is accepted, though.

Yes.

people that do it the same way.

If you're going to need an interpreter
I'll have to go find one.

check today which i think i will they
owe me two checks you cool people with

now don't come on

Mrs. Johnson.

It didn't come. The man gave me two days
to put me out the hotel. Now, Mrs.

Johnson, according to this, Social
Security gave you a check on the 6th of

January? For food money. How much did
they give you? A hundred dollars for

money until, and see, my check will be
there in 10 days. It's been 14 days. I

will meet the mailman every morning, no
check come. I can't pay no rent, and I'm

supposed to be on hotel.

assistance here before mrs johnson may i
see your medicaid card just a new one

they gave me and then put the wrong date
on that i got to get that excuse me

excuse me how long were you on

assistance in this office before you
were sent to the social security since

march of uh

Of 1973, yes. And your case was
transferred from this office to

Disabled because I'm disabled.

She claims she's been on assistance here
since March.

She was living, she was, she has a rent
receipt from the Hotel Marquez dated 1

-2 -74.

So apparently it's a conversion. Can you
make this out here?

SSI beneficiary. Which means that she
was a conversion.

Which means that she was a conversion,
yes. For them to give her $100, she

obviously is a conversion of nothing we
can do. Either that or they would have

assumed in errors that she was, and it
doesn't seem like it since she's been in

a state of assistance since March. But I
don't understand if they say needs home

relief. Well, apparently they just are
hoping that she can get some help here

wanted to get rid of her, either one. I
was wondering if they were inferring

that her eligibility had been...

denied for assistance.

Does she give us a phone number? No,
they never give us phone numbers to

Now she's at the Hotel Vasquez.

Oh, yeah, well, she'll have to go
through the change of address with them,

we cannot help her here. It looks as if
she's a conversion case. She is a

conversion case, obviously, yes.

I'll inform her.

The point is, Mrs. Johnson, that once a
case has been transferred or converted

to Social Security by this office, we
are not able to

make any address changes that occur in
January. You must

wait until they mail you a check, Mrs.
Johnson, because Social Security already

gave you $100 for your January. Food
money for 10 days.

until the other check arrives.

They are responsible for any check
issued you in January, Mrs. Johnson.

what they're saying, but they're saying
y 'all's welfare have to make out my

budget and I'll bring it over there to
them and then they will take over from

there. How much rent were you paying
here, Mrs. Johnson? I was paying $140 a

month. $140 a month?

Yeah.

Do you have cooking facilities at
your... And the

rental is $140?

That means it's a $70 semi -monthly.

In other words, your budget, the budget
you were receiving from us, was

$117 every two weeks. Correct.

Now, the Social Security budget will
be...

$214 a month.

Do you understand that? But they gave
you $100 advance toward

your full check.

Right. Now they will send you a check at
your address here.

They've been supposed to send it. It
wasn't even on the roll. But now they're

going to have to put me in the hotel
because I'm getting put out of this

And they are responsible for the address
change.

I'm going to give you a letter, and I
want you to go there right away so they

can make an address change for you, Mrs.
Johnson.

I'm terribly sorry.

They don't make no change. You can call
them. I don't have money to be ripping

and running in that rent. And just got
out of the hospital from operation, a

serious operation.

With the new Social Security budget,
there is no increase in rent. There are

provisions made for any increase in
rent. You are to live on a flat grant.

not to exceed no more than $206 .85 a
month.

Regardless of how much rent you pay, you
will get one grand.

Do you understand that, Ms. Johnson?

Whether you pay $50 a month or $150 a
month rent, the fact is that

Social Security does not increase or
decrease your budget like we used to.

they say you will...

how much my budget will be in the hotel,
and then we'll handle it from there.

But we cannot change any budgets after
January 1st, Mrs. Johnson.

So the person may have been mistaken.

Actually,

your case is probably at 39 Broadway.

They sent you to the other office
because they were too crowded?

I would just have to wait and wait, and
it might not be the end, but I'll be put

out by them.

I'll be put out by them.

to social service. I'll return my rent
money here. I'm calling 39 Broadway now

to see if they could find the record,
okay?

Valerie Johnson for me, please.

The social security number 437 -58
-3867.

She was referred to us again for a
change of address. I understand

January that we are not responsible for
any address changes or budget changes

rather. She actually is requesting a
budget change.

Yes, she wants to put in the change of
address, right.

It's 437 -58 -3867.

Yes, would you please?

She's going to check her rolls, Mrs.
Johnson, okay?

Fine.

I'll call you tomorrow morning, okay?
I'll talk to him. Okay.

Okay? I have it. I have it.

Yes.

I can't. I can't come in. Okay, Nicolás.
Good night.

Good night. Bye -bye. Bye.

Yes.

Is the address 31 East 1st Street?

It's possible. She said she was serviced
at 1657 Broadway.

Now, I don't know why they would service
her up there if she's got this 1st

Street address.

Do you have a birthday on her?

Yeah.

She has her Valerie Johnson there, 31
East 1st Avenue.

That's me.

That's me.

That's me.

She got it wrong, bitch.

Oh, my ID was lost. I had to come here
and get duplicate copies of everything.

That's me, Valerie Johnson.

Well, here you are.

Your office is at 125th Street. Did you
go way up there, too, at 230 West 125th

Street? Well, this is when you lived at
East 29th Street. You don't live there

anymore, do you?

Well,

this is the correct number that we have
here. Your account number, your social

security number seems to be full.

She's checking it out for me, okay?

My check would be returned to that
center.

Now, you didn't pay rent at this address
for January, did you?

I got no check for January.

That's right.

And brought the two rent checks in here
and turned them into y 'all for December

because I was moving in the hotel.

But they eventually gave you the
December checks. Is that correct? No,

didn't give them to me. Y 'all still got
them.

You got no checks for December here?

No, I brought them in to y 'all. One for
the person and one for the... I mean

your welfare checks. Your welfare
checks. I turned it back into y 'all.

no money for December here?

I had food money, but the rent money I
bought back in.

Because you were supposed to have moved.

Because they was putting me in a hotel
soon as the January 1st. Now, what

happened to the rent money they gave you
for the new hotel?

Excuse me. They only paid it for one
week. Here's the receipt. Okay, well,

you.

So you did not pay this hotel any rent,
is that correct?

Just one week?

And you stayed a week and two days, is
that right?

Now, let me ask you a question, Mrs.
Johnson.

Why does Social Security have your old
address?

Did you ask him that? When I got put out
of here, I didn't have nowhere else to

go but to that old apartment. So I went
back in that old apartment.

This is all you received from this
office.

A week's rent to pay this hotel here.

Do you know if they made a change of
address when you did it?

When we gave you a week's rent here at
the Markwell Hotel... They put the

address the Markwell Hotel is in.

After I had to move out of there, I went
to Social Security, told them how I had

to move out of there, and the only place
I had to go was the old apartment.

He sent me with this letter for y 'all
to send me with a budget.

You spent a whole hundred dollars since
the 6th of the month, I'm sure.

brought me two little sweaters. Mrs.
Johnson, can you wait till tomorrow

morning? I think we should work on this
properly.

This man apparently... The Valerie
Johnson that they got at 39... At 39

Broadway. Broadway, that's me.

They made the mistake in the number
because I didn't see this lady

She took the information on the phone.

Don't you think that if you came in in
the morning, Mrs. Johnson, we could

clarify this better? Perhaps...

That is your case down at Broadway.
There was a different social security

number.

Well,

she didn't say. She just gave me your
name.

She said 31 First

Avenue.

Do you think it's a mistake?

31 East 1st Street. I asked her for your
birthday to verify further whether you

were the person and she did not have
your birthday listed there. She didn't

me my birthday when she was asking me on
the phone.

Then you did see someone at 39 Broadway.

I talked to her on the phone and been
talking to her almost every day. Why

you go there in person then? Why don't
you go down to Lower Broadway right now?

The rent you owe is for December, is
that correct?

December and January. I got no check for
January.

Not 24 inches of food money.

And I'm still waiting on my check. This
is very complicated, Mrs. Johnson,

because if you owe December rent... I
don't owe it. I brought it in and gave

here to y 'all. Y 'all got December
rent.

Then we are probably responsible for
that December check.

Social Security would... That's what
they say. You're all responsible for it.

Now, they're going to give me January,
but y 'all got my December, which puts

two months behind. Then we're going to
have to send you to reception so you get

an appointment for Group 4, which is the
group that gives out checks here, Mrs.

Johnson. Do you understand?

You want me to call reception to see if
we can get you an appointment now for

the group here?

This comes from

1657 Broadway.

Whatever this means, I don't know. Hold
on a minute. She's under the impression

that the security worker wants a budget
from us.

But according to this, there's nothing
they can do for her. They gave her $100

on one fix.

Now, she was referred, she claimed she
was given a check by us to the Hotel

Markwell on 1 -2 and returned the
December rent checks.

All right, she was perfectly given...
Now she's back at this address.

She was perfectly given the check on 1
-2 to replace the December checks that

were lost.

That's perfectly why they were able to
give it to her. They were telling me in

the mail, and they told me they were
putting...

No check had been sent out to me, no
kind of way. So they gave me emergency

money.

And at 39 Broadway office, they got
Valerie Johnson, but they got the wrong

address. I imagine that was some kind of
a placement check.

Nothing they can do for her, and she
needs home relief. She was grandfathered

case. She was. I'm sure she was.

For them to give her $100.

Did you check the road?

I can't get security.

I'll have to check the road to see if
she was grandfathered in. I'll check the

road.

May I have your Medicaid card, please?
Oh,

never mind. I have it here.

What it appears to be is...

The money you were given here early in
January was to replace money that was

given to you in December or that was
owed to you from December or whatever.

You are definitely on Social Security's
rolls.

You are on there to the amount of

$241

.46 a month.

They may give you... Hold on a minute.
Hold on.

You hear me through, and then I'll hear
you through.

That is the amount that we budgeted you
for when we turned your case over to

them.

What? That was for 31st East... What's
it called? Okay, hold on a minute.

But you made me a new budget when you
put me in the hotel.

Hold on.

For $241 .46 a month.

They may give you some extra to make up
for the fact that you have lost your

food stamps. I think they make some
financial allowance for that. So you

be getting a little extra.

Now, that is for your budget at 31 East
1st Street. You're not living there

anymore. But you moved after the 1st of
January, if my understanding is correct.

Therefore, I do not believe...

We'll have to wait until we hear from
them downstairs. I understand somebody

down there is looking up your record.

We'll see what they did. I'm just
telling you that my understanding is

you moved... Your case has been turned
over to the Social Security

Administration. Well, let's see what
they come up with from the record

downstairs. If something unusual has
occurred and that change was put

fine.

No more food, money, and things because
they told me definitely that my check

would be out in a few days.

Ms. Matthews, can you get Mrs. Johnson
to come here in the morning and explain

to her that perhaps we would have more
time to find her record, we would have

more time to... You can't find her
record?

Then look downstairs. The woman in the
group... She didn't go there.

She didn't go there.

She couldn't give you any... She
couldn't give you any information

the... record that's what she said
because she don't remember but she got

wrote in the record she said if you get
the record if they don't have your

record if they don't have your record
they don't know nothing about you you

could be Jane Doe you understand where
I'm coming from they don't know nothing

about it so you can't not tell me you
got something in your mind they got us a

mole that man down there could go get
the record see that that man down there

could go get my record

Let's go downstairs. I'll talk to Ms.
Perry.

Hey, hey, get your stuff here.

Hello. Are you ready yet? Yeah, I'm
waiting for my checks to be taken

downstairs. In the event they don't find
your record... Is this yours?

Please don't forget nothing. Ms.
Matthews, I'd rather... Ms. Johnson.

She can stay with me until tomorrow if
necessary. In the event they don't find

your record tonight, please come here
early in the morning.

And go to the reception desk.

Does it have to? Can she get a receipt?

I mean, an appointment?

She will in the morning, yes. She can
get an appointment downstairs for

tomorrow?

I don't know if it's good for now, but
she will get one in the morning. In the

morning, she'll get an appointment.

On an emergency basis, we can get her an
appointment.

You know that. You know they ain't going
to give you no appointment in the

morning.

On an emergency basis, we can get her an
appointment tomorrow.

nowhere up here arguing with him. He's
doing his job. The man can't do no more.

on Broadway, they have a Valerie Johnson
there with a different social security

number, and they got her a 31 Avenue.

You

know

what's curious?

Look at the slip they give her to go
here, 155 West 45th Street.

I couldn't even get information to give
me a number on it.

I cannot get them to give me an address
on it. They transferred me to work.

See, that's different. She's still a
little mixed up. But did she tell

him that she was eligible?

But did she tell him that she was
eligible for employment?

Well, don't she have a doctor, a
psychiatrist or something?

Don't you know they send everybody here
to J Street?

I know, but you don't see no
psychiatrist at 330 J Street. I've been

I ain't no psychiatrist, and I can tell.
Right. You ain't no psychiatrist, and

you can tell. So you know he can tell.
They don't give you the complete test.

They don't give everybody the complete
medical over at 330 J Street. 2 and 2

22. Right, but look.

That's what I was telling her. She ain't
going to need an argument with him.

No, you're not going to get put out in
the street. Come walk with me

and I'll talk to Miss Perry, and she'll
try and find your record. Listen, they

got things going. She's just vowing, and
you know what's going to happen. She's

just set, and I don't want her to, you
know, she almost like sees you. I know,

know.

Valerie, Valerie, Valerie, Valerie,
look, I'm going to get my check. I won't

it.

Because they said that you can't have
your own apartment and all that baloney

you run the 21.

Oh, that's bullshit.

I know. No, I went to court.

But I'm not going to see them unless the
lawyer comes.

Because then they just hassle you around
and, you know, run all that shit. They

told me I had to get a lawyer to get a
building inspected.

I came here with about five apartments
already and they refused them all.

Yeah? How much were the rents?

One was $135, one was $160.

Now I got one for $90. They can't refuse
me now.

No, like, how do you call? My son is
only five months old, and, you know, my

mother's real sick, you know, asthmatic
and stuff like that. My father's a hard

worker. We don't get along anyway, you
know, because he's mid, but I'm not

married and I have a kid.

Now I tell them I want my own apartment.
They tell me you can't have it. When I

was pregnant, I came here.

I was five months pregnant, and they
made me come here about six or seven

And they tell me, okay, we're going to
give you, open your own budget, open

own budget. And they tell me no, you
know, and I didn't even have coffee to

in. This place gives you a big run
around of bullshit.

What you should do is get your parents
to write you a letter. I got a

I got a notarized letter. I know, from
my mother's doctor that she's very sick

and that me and my son shouldn't be
living in the house. I got a notarized

letter from my father that he doesn't
want me in the house. That's how they

Usually they put the baby in your
mother's custody or something, but they

him in my custody.

I'm on the Israel -Metron program, and
they're pretty good. Private programs

aren't as good as the city program, you
know?

Much better.

I'm going to try to take my kids.

Now, welfare, I have to let it for my
shrink.

saying that I'm mentally stable now
because I got off a mental disability a

years ago.

They want to know whether I'm stable or
not and nothing.

So I talked to my shrink and he says,
well, what do you want me to tell them?

I said, tell them I'm not crazy no more.

So I got to get this shrink in.

Yeah, because they do try, you know.

That's less money for them to be giving
you.

And now they take the baby away.

Yeah, right. They took her off my budget
just because she was in the hospital

for a week.

So now I have to get her back. If I get
displaced, I have to get her back on

before the 7th so I have a little money
left.

There's no way it can be reopened.

State law provides that if it's closed
for more than... Give me technicality.

I'm telling you about a condition, man,
that means that I might not eat or have

no place to stay. And you're telling me
about technicality. What are you telling

me? You know... About state law. Now,
what did you give me a check for when I

came down here last time? I never gave
you a check. I'm talking about... Now,

you're that... You're that... technical
that you know you understand what i'm

saying when i say you i'm not speaking
about you you know your case was open

last time you came in the center and
that was three months ago it'll be open

when i got a notification stating that
the case was closed what are you telling

me you're telling me i'm completely
contrary wait a minute now you know what

you mean wait a minute don't tell me to
wait a minute the last time you were

here on the 8th of november your case
was open which is why you got a check

all right then i'm telling you i got no
official notice that even would even

indicate that i should come down here

Well, who do I ask for a fair hearing?

I need five operations.

They have my records here that I need
these operations.

From my doctor, from their doctor. I
have to brace now, orthopedic brace. I

hardly walk.

Yet I have to come down here and fight
for my check, and some mornings I can't

get up out of bed.

My doctor is mad that I should, you
know, sign my way into the hospital.

Where would I live when I come out?

I have a tumor on my back. I need a left
ear operation.

I have hernias.

They have it all down in my record.

I was at Social Security office
yesterday, on 46th Street, the annex.

And they told me to come down here, and
I would get a check here.

Now, these people say, I'm supposed to
get a check back up here. The Social

Security sends you to the welfare, and
they say the welfare will give you a

check. And the welfare says that the
Social Security is supposed to give you

check, and nobody gives you a check. I
have no rent money or food money, and I

have no car fare money. And I don't even
have you have to sneak under the trains

to get in the trains to go see the
officers.

By sneaking on a train. To get down to
the offices. And once you're in the

office, you wait around for hours. They
don't care.

People got lost. And the man at the
Social Security says that he took care

two and a half million people he had to
take care of. So if a couple of thousand

don't get their check, he's doing a very
good job.

They tell us to bring in a letter from
Social Security, and they told us to

bring it here. Yes.

But what did I tell you today?

They told us to come back tomorrow.

They told us to come back tomorrow. Fill
out the application and come back

tomorrow. Fill out the application and
come back tomorrow.

But you were given an appointment for
tomorrow.

Listen. But the lady doesn't have money
for today.

But she doesn't have no money for today.

And the social worker is, you know, a
real...

He says that he can't help her out, and
it's impossible.

Do you have someplace to stay tonight?

Yes, she has.

Yes,

she has an apartment.

Well, the only thing they can do is,
we'll give you an appointment for

If you can't, if they don't refuse to
help her tomorrow, then come up and I'll

go downstairs with you. But I want some
money for today. They won't be able to

give you money today. There's no way
they can give you.

She got a place to live and it's not an
emergency, they claim. She don't have

nothing to eat.

Nothing we can do about it.

They claim that there's no food money in
the house, you know.

Okay.

Look, this is all she has.

Take the appointment.

Take the appointment.

And come back tomorrow morning, as they
requested.

And if... She runs into a snafu
tomorrow.

She runs into some sort of problem
tomorrow. You and her come upstairs with

okay? Well, what is she going to do for
today? That's what I want to know. She's

a real person. They won't give her any
money today.

Okay? Not even a few dollars? Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Better come back tomorrow night.

I spoke to the applications, the head
supervisor, and they won't be able to

you.

What? I didn't say you should start. Did
I say you should start? What is she

going to do? She don't have no money.

Are you representing poverty agency or
what?

Oh, community center.

Oh, it's community center.

She didn't live in a vacuum all these
years. She knows the grocery men and she

knows different people. She can get
credits for a day.

She didn't live in a vacuum all these
years. She lived in New York. She

She knows people. She knows grocery men.
She knows neighbors.

She has some sort of wealth. She's never
taken welfare before. And now that she

comes for help, you know, nobody wants
to help her.

If you would tell me if she would be
here every time for welfare, then I

understand what you're saying.

They're not going to help her. They're
going to help her.

She brought back the requirements, as
she was told to do.

She doesn't get no help when she brought
the requirements. They say they won't

be able to see it until tomorrow. That's
it.

There's nothing more I can do on it.

I'd like to help you out, but that's all
I can do.

Tomorrow,

I'll personally go down with you.

She runs into any problem.

Okay.

What's going to be the same thing as
today than tomorrow?

I won't see it until tomorrow.

I didn't see the appointment.

Originally, I had not seen the
appointment when you first came up. I

seen the appointment until tomorrow. So
what's so big about an appointment when

you could do it today?

She's willing to stay here. Did you see
how many people were downstairs?

This is an emergency case, right?

Every case is an emergency case. Do you
eat? Every case. You eat, right?

You eat?

Yes. You eat? Yes. Okay. I eat also.

And I'm in good health.

She's not in good health. You had an
operation, right?

But what is she supposed to do?

Well, I don't know.

Nothing more we can do about it.

Nothing more we can do.

They were posting their call giving you
their names.

19 .6.

Made more phone calls. Trying to get a
job. No one wants a new job.

I get a job, though.

Can you cook?

Cook? Yeah, I cook.

Anyway. Were you ever on a ship?

Yeah, small ships. Small boats.

Yeah, I was on a ship. The last ship I
was on was a French aircraft carrier.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. What were you doing there?
Cooking?

I was wandering around.

A visiting guy.

You've been in Europe? You've been in
Europe and Asia?

Never been in Europe and Asia.

You've been out of the country?

Yeah. Where? Canada.

Well, it's the only place I've been.
Montreal, Toronto, London.

I'm marrying Governor Rockefeller's
sister.

You are? That's good.

Well, I'm working for myself this year.

I get my money.

So she's giving me $3 ,000.

$3 ,000? Yeah, $2 ,500 for a month.

Well, for you? $500 a month. You're
doing pretty good.

I haven't worked since October.

I'm going to sing and dance on October.

My brother -in -law, my future brother
-in -law, Nelson, John, Roger, I'm going

to see them.

What are you doing here?

Broke.

I'm down in six minutes.

You'll have money. You'll get your
money. I don't even have a credit card.

don't even have a credit card. No, I
gave up on credit cards four or five

ago.

No good.

Hey, Cash.

On a barrel head. I'm going to the
Bronx. Cash on a barrel head. Did you

any fighting?

Fighting? No.

I'm a peaceful man.

You ever had any fights? Not in a long
time. My wife hit me on the head, I

think. Yeah?

You still mad?

Yeah. Yeah, I don't want to get rid of
me.

I'm going to go down and find out if I
can get shelter.

Get the worker.

And possibly I can.

See if I can call.

What did you say? She said you have to
have a physical and a psychiatric exam?

No, no, no, no.

You have a physical, like the first,
then in fact you wait a day, then

you go back on the third.

Apparently they do blood tests and
things like that. You come back here two

later. You come back here on the fourth.

As soon as you can come back, assuming
the fourth is a day to open. Another

weekend. It's probably another weekend.

By then I'll be very hungry.

I'm going to take a look.

Oh, I'm sure you will have to. It's a
procedure, she told me.

I fill out all these papers. I could
show you VA this, that.

Wherever the blacks dominate, it's a
catastrophe

for any. poor slob seeking assistance.

And I got stuff here.

I can show you so much stuff here.

There's that.

All these are different things. All
these are places I've been.

I'll show you names.

Written numbers, D, A, all these
centers.

Every one of them.

I'm a veteran. They say I'm not a Korean
veteran.

Because I went in 9 -17 -53.

And officially, according to the VA, it
ain't over till 1 -55.

That I'm positive.

Because I would have had a wartime
disability, he told me, if it was

No, I was in the Navy before that.

I went in the Army later.

You can get VA assistance.

You can get VA assistance.

Did you go up that place 520 or
anything?

Something's almost funny here.

Something doesn't meet the eye.

Look at all these places I've been to.

No coffee, nothing.

I don't eat.

Walk the streets.

I got medical proof of my sickness.

They'll have it tomorrow.

I'll have it Monday or Tuesday, rather.
I ain't got to mail these letters out.

I ain't got stamps.

I've been here four times this week.
Four times.

And they keep sending me out, and every
place I go keeps sending me back here.

Now you figure that one out.

Here I was all day one day.

Look at these forms they fill out.

A whole rigmarole of forms.

Papers, papers, papers.

I got more.

There's one.

There's another one.

There's another one and another one.

Here's my hospital card from the VA. I'm
a veteran.

I got a driver's permit.

I've been at 20, 30 places.

Hello, David.

You're not going to believe what's
happening, dear.

Tuesday morning, I came over to the
Waverly Center.

Waverly said, bring back a passport.

Bring a notarization from your father
that he's not willing to support you

anymore. Fill out this application.

Bring back letters from your doctors
that when you were dismissed, when you

entered, all was crap.

And they gave me an appointment Thursday
morning.

Also, a notarized letter from my
roommate that she was no longer going to

with me after Friday.

Well, I have a letter from home, but the
pool kid does not have the time to

notarize. So I came back. I really
forgot the appointment on Thursday

I've been depressed and kind of upset.

I come back today. I went to talk to the
worker.

She would not read the letter from the
Department of... Oh, yesterday I went

down to the World Trade Center,
Department of Social, whatever it is

state. Well,

she would not read that letter, nor
would she read the letters from the two

doctors. She said, I'll give you an
appointment for Monday.

I said, I'm sorry, I have $1 to my name,
and I have not got a place to stay this

weekend. She said, sorry, all I can do
is give you an appointment for Monday.

I said, you've got to be kidding. I am
out of an institute, out of a manic

depression, and I am depressed, lady.

What do I do?

Come back for your appointment on
Monday. Do you believe that?

This coming Monday.

She doesn't really care.

None of them care.

I told her I have no friends. I told her
I have no place to go. I told her I

have a dollar that I walked up from
Bleecker Street.

I have a notarized letter from the
hospital. I have a notarized letter from

everybody.

I have every goddamn thing they asked
for.

And they said, all we can do, I spoke to
the office manager, is you can come

back Monday morning for an appointment.

I said, lady, what do I do for the
weekend?

I am sick. I was discharged Monday from
a psychiatric institute for manic

depression.

This is Friendly New York View and the
New York World Baseball.

Maybe she thinks I should sleep in Port
Authority for the weekend.

Yeah, that's what they have. Oh, she,
firstly, even down at the State

or whatever it is, she said, woman,
shelter.

She said, but you really couldn't go
there. There's a lot of sickies there, a

lot of dykes, a lot of really, you know,
bad news people.

I said, really, lady, I would freak out.
There's no way I could handle that.

And she said, well, I'm sorry, it takes
at least a maximum of 45 days to get

approved for welfare.

I said, and they wouldn't touch me in
the hospital.

What the hell do they expect me to do?

What?

Yeah.

That's not a bad idea.

Well, I'm writing a letter to the
Village Voice.

Maybe I'll go to Haraldo Rivera.

I think he might be very interested in
it.

You're going to see more hanging than
you ever saw in your life. I've seen a

of hanging.

Five years old.

Oh, yes, man.

Lost my brother at five years old.

They'll hang.

They'll hang like crazy.

It's crazy.

What can I tell you?

You can't tell me anything. There's no
way to control it, man.

There's no way to control anything.

What are we talking about?

There it is. All of us. Black, white,
blue, green, purple, all of us are

savages.

There it is.

That can be done, but nobody wants to
take time out to sit down and find it.

I do.

You do?

By calling me nigger?

Telling me you're going to shoot me with
a .357 Magnum?

How am I going to take that? The next
time three guys do this up against my

head, I'm going to shoot them. Well,
you've got a right against those three

guys. Better believe it, baby. Those
three.

Only those three. You don't come here
and threaten me.

I ain't never seen you before. I ain't
put my hands on you.

And you come in here and you're
threatening me.

You black are about 10 % of the
population.

Yeah. And you account for 63 % of the
crime.

Well, what can we tell you?

Statistically, you don't have to tell me
anything. What do you want me to say?

How come 10 % are worth 63 %?

So now what you're trying to say is all
of us are bad?

No. No one is all bad. So this is what
the whole thing is about. Everybody

to judge a man by one. No. You cannot do
that. I'm giving you a statistic.

You cannot do that.

What do you mean? Statistics don't mean
anything to me.

Really.

Because there ain't a man out there in
the street I'm afraid of.

Nobody's going to take anything from me.

Cain's too evil.

Yeah, because Abel wasn't looking.

That's right.

I don't trust anyone. I assume they were
white.

Oh, you can assume what you want to.

Whatever. You can assume what you want
to.

Not necessarily.

It's not a hang -up about the black.

I know that.

I know that.

Why are the blacks... Why are the
blacks... Get whitey, huh? Get whitey.

was it before, get nigger? Get whitey.

Get nigger. No, what goes around comes
around. They didn't have to get nigger.

They could hang a nigger. They didn't
have to get them. They could hang a

nigger. Just like that. Just like that.

That's your race. They didn't have to
get them.

Hang a nigger any time you want to. Any
time. But after lunch, hang a nigger.

Mississippi. Yeah. Get out of town by
sunset. Uh -huh. Uh -huh. Your ass is

black. Get out of town. It is.

Don't be here when the sun sets.

Right. That's Mississippi.

That's all over. Well, what about my
town?

What is your town?

New York. New York? New York is my town,
too. We never did that. We never did

what? We never talked.

Huh? We never taught get your ass out of
here and get your ass out of New York

because you're coloring.

Really? You sure of it?

Absolutely. You positive?

Can't be positive. I'm only a fool is
positive.

A fool is positive.

So don't come and tell me.

But I never hate. You can't tell me
something you're positive. I don't even

to hear it. I never hate it.

I've never heard of it.

But I was really amazed when I saw these
three goddamn blacks beating my head

and kicking my head in. You keep
bringing that up. Kicking my head in.

bringing that up. Well, it's a fact,
man. I got nothing to do with that.

certainly not. I got nothing to do with
that. But they got a particular sadistic

delight in beating Whitey's head in.

I covered all the hangings and all the,
you know, covered everything.

They didn't even know. They made up for
all of it. They made up for all of it.

Just once, that one little incident with
you made up for everything.

But then everything should be straight
now. That's what I'm waiting for.

Everything should be straight now. No.

The only thing straight is that I'm
going to get a gun, and when I see a

man coming up to me, I'm going to blow
his belly out.

I'm not going to blow his belly out. I'm
going to hit him in the balls.

So he'll not progenitor. You think they
make only one gun?

One gun to blow his balls completely
off. That's all they make. That's all

make is one gun.

But I'm a gunner sergeant. I was a
Marine sergeant. What's that mean? I

about 500 men in a war I never saw.

But now I'm going to see that black man
when he comes up to me in that Puerto

Rican. Oh, now it's the Puerto Rican.

Yeah.

If I took you here for now, it'd be an
Irishman and a Chinaman.

Yeah, okay.

Sure. But at the moment, it's Puerto
Rican.

What was it, two blacks and one Puerto
Rican? Or two Puerto Ricans and one

black? It happened to be three blacks.

It wasn't Puerto Rican.

Well, when this happened, yeah. Well,
when that happened, Puerto Rican wasn't

there when this happened. You're kicking
my brains out. Now, don't tell me, man.

I'm not. I can't tell you anything. I
didn't see it. They got a real delight

my brains. I didn't see it.

I can't tell you anything. I'm trying to
fight them. I'm just going with what

you just told me. Get that whitey. Get
whitey. You're a whitey. You're a dazzy.

You're a punk. Did you do anything to
them?

No. What?

I got a hold of my instructor. I didn't
say. I said, did you do anything before

they started hitting you?

Of course not.

You did walking down the street. One guy
got me on the back of the neck. I'm

down. Here it is.

I'm down. I'm out.

I got up to fight him. They ripped me
out.

I feel for you.

You feel?

I feel for you. You would have protected
me.

Probably.

Probably. With the badge and everything.
Probably.

Put my life on the line for less than
that.

For a country I don't have.

For a country you don't have. A country
I do not have.

I don't have a country, man.

You people have got it. Oh, we got it
now.

Oh, so now it's our country and you're
just living here.

I won't fight anymore for this one.
Yeah?

30 years ago I fought for this one.

Not anymore.

Not to bring up the swine that's coming
up on the street.

What swine are you talking about now?

What swine are you talking about now?

What do you want, baby?

I don't want anything.

What do you really want? Actually, I
don't even feel like talking to you

you're here.

Well,

you'd rather ignore the whole thing, eh?

Isn't that what you're doing?

No. No? I'm bitching like crazy.

I come in here and they can't even give
me a room to sleep tonight.

Why?

Why? Why?

Well, ask them. Don't ask me.

They should have told you.

Why?

You talk to the lady so you tell me what
she told you. I've got a fractured

skull. I've been two months in the
hospital and out. I got a letter from

hospital and I'm persona non grata.

What should I have?

From my country.

Two Puerto Rican paramours.

Three colored concubines. Six children.

Six children. Well, it's only a story.

What should I do? Have all the things?

I paid more taxes than my president.

We all paid more taxes than your
president. You ain't said nothing.

Is there anybody going to talk to me, or
what are you going to do with me?

They haven't talked to me yet.

It's getting late.

So what are you doing? Are you going to
the hospital now?

Yeah. You've got to call the hospital.

I want to go back.

They're not coming.

May I use your phone?

Never the twain shall meet.

That's the way you feel.

That's the way you feel. It's the way I
know, baby.

We're never going to make it.

We're never going to make it.

I'm not going to try until I'm dead.

No, this is not my country. You don't
even comb your hair that way.

You're going to be... I'm going to comb
what hair?

Black is beautiful. I got the right to
wet my hair any way I please.

Black is beautiful, man.

I know it is.

Black is blood. To you.

I'm getting a .357 Magnum and blowing
every black that I can right out of the

business. So now two wrongs will make a
right now.

Right.

And when we finally get rid of the 10 %
of black... Get rid of all of it. Get

rid of all of it. Never.

Never. Not the way you've regenerated.
No way.

Oh, man, you're like rabbits.

You're like rabbits.

You like rabbits.

But where we're going to beat you is
because you don't have any home.

When I get so goddamn glad, these
streets are going to run with blood.

Well, one thing I can tell you is... And
you're only 10%. It won't be all black

blood. Oh, there'll be. You'll get some
whiteys. They're getting some whiteys.

They're getting a few cops.

They're dedicated to get cops.

There's a, you know, the blacks are
dedicated to get cops.

Well, we all are. They've killed.
They've killed many, many cops.

I'm dedicated to get a cop.

Oh, you've got to get him. Oh, I've got
to get him. Badger, nobody.

You've got to get him.

Oh, yeah.

That sounds a little far -fetched.

Well, that's not even the Muslim.

They're even taking him out as a far
-fetched Muslim. But it's not even far

-fetched Muslim.

They're out to get the cops.

But we're not going to lie.

And because of the fact that you're in
the minority, you're going to die.

You're going to be worse off than you
ever were.

You have to remember... Not to Africa.

You have to remember a minority started
this country.

Not a minority. Oh, yes, it was.

Oh. When the British ruled this country,
how many people were in America? That

was a political and a religious
minority.

But they were white. They were white.

They were white. This is different.

This is different.

Like the man says, biologically and
nomologically and

terminology, everything, the plaque,
chromosomally.

What?

Different. Different than who?

The white.

The white. In what respect?

What respect am I different from you?

You figure it out.

Take your own people.

I'm no different from you.

Except maybe a little prouder.

Prouder? Maybe a little prouder.

Man,

you got nothing going.

Who got nothing going? I got everything
going.

Nothing.

You got nothing going.

Really? Looks like I got more going now,
and I'm only 22, and you had your whole

life.

I'm 51.

And I fought wars. I fought wars twice
as hard. I fought them too.

Ain't no big thing.

Ain't no big thing.

And I fought in a war that was worse
than yours.

I saw who I was killing.

I saw who I was killing. Every man I
shot down, I saw.

I never saw the man that I killed.

That's the difference between your war
and mine?

I had an army.

We all had orders.

You're prejudice.

At whom?

You had a particular reason to kill him.
I never killed a man.

Tell me who.

I never killed a man. I never killed a
man that I never had anything against a

man that I killed.

What were you doing in the water?

Survival.

Is that what we're doing? Simply
survival.

Isn't that what we're doing?

Oh, no. Not the way the bloke's coming
up now.

Black is beautiful.

Black is firm. Black power. Still
survival.

Power. Still survival.

Power. That's all survival. You got
nothing going, man.

I got everything, baby. Now, man, you
say black is power.

You're going to 86 out.

86 out. I might as well get all my
business together.

Say goodbye to everybody.

Say goodbye to everybody.

Well, see, I didn't know. How did I
know?

Well, you don't think you're going to
make two guys like us, hmm?

You don't think you're going to make two
goddamn months? I'm going to make

everything I want.

Well, take a look at TV right now. We're
in the greatest goddamn spot.

I'm going to make everything I want.
What do you got? What do we have?

What do you got? Not even expression.

Tell me. Not even leadership.

At what?

At any level.

At any level? You blacks can't even lead
each other.

You can't even lead each other.

I ain't got nothing better to do. I
don't have anything better to do.

Okay. It was nice talking to you. I
learned a lot from you. You haven't

a goddamn thing. I learned that I don't
have long to live.

That's good to know.

You're killing yourself.

I don't want to die just like that. If I
know what's coming, I can prepare for

it. It all depends on who shoots you.
Really?

I got no respect.

Well, that's you.

I got enough of both of them.

Nope. I got enough of both of them. I
hope it'll keep us alive.

It's going to keep me alive.

Your name is McDonough, right?

Yeah. Mrs. McDonough. And they say I'm
not going to get no more white tickets.

done got about four of them already.

You listen to me? Yeah. I ask you to be
patient.

And when the lady comes back from lunch,
I told you that I would come over and

let you know, right? I would check it
out for you, right?

Yeah, but ain't she back?

No, she's not back. She's not back.

Well, I ain't but three chairs in there.

Be patient, all right? Have a seat over
there, and I'll take care of it for you,

okay? Please, because I've got to go to
my program.

All right.

Just get out of the cell, huh?

Whoa. Oh, boy.

Mr. Just get out of the cell, yeah.

You know, the interesting thing is that
I see every cop is black.

What is this?

And part of our white man was on a
particular thing, and I probably think

we were prejudiced.

What the hell is everybody in the social
welfare...

I think I'll get a, what the hell is it,
an N -double -A -W -P

-C -P for white people.

That's good. They've got to protect
themselves.

See, the reason I didn't break your
hand, the reason I didn't break your

was because I knew goddamn well I could
do it.

But you had me like a tiger.

You actually wanted to do it.

But I knew I could have busted you back.
And if it weren't for these guys, you

couldn't put him in a 10 -pound bag when
I get through with him. Do

you believe it?

With the badge right on top of it.
You're that great, man.

But if you think you can take me, take
my hand right now.

Put one foot to me and show these black
men how brave you are.

Mister, will you please go on and go to
the hospital before you go?

The reason why they want to close your
case is because they have tried to

your husband's income for several months
and nobody's cooperating. It's right

here in the record. We brought it in and
they took a photostatic copy. Would you

look in the record and find it?

Every check that I have. to go through
all this bullshit.

One time he didn't bring it. It's in
there in the photocopy.

That's it right there.

They're going to keep telling me he
didn't bring the pay stub in.

He don't get pay off in check. He get
pay off in envelopes.

What did they tell you at the conference
that was held on this case when you

received a notice that your case was
going to be closed?

They did not send me a notice telling me
my case was going to be closed.

Well, you had a conference. Didn't you
go to the conference?

Yes, and they did not tell me. You
wouldn't have known about the conference

unless you had known your case was going
to be closed. I asked for this.

Yes, but I mean you asked for it because
they sent you this here.

They didn't send nothing out to me
because when I came into the office, I

them for a fair hearing. So they advised
me to go upstairs to this lady.

And she sent me a notice of appointment
when to come in.

And that's Ms. Horowitz you saw, right?
They did not discuss nothing but no case

closing or nothing.

You think if they told me my case was
going to be closed, I'd be sitting up

here? Well, the conference was handled
according to all of this.

I want to ask you about this. No,

Tom, you're misunderstanding me.

I know what you're... She got this.
Right, fine. She called the number.

And she's going to have a fair hearing.
She got this conference.

Yeah. The conference said her case would
be closed, so they're sending her this

notice saying, yes, your case is going
to be closed. Yeah, but she didn't, in

fact, have a fair hearing. It was a
conference, right? Well, my question is

this. She says that she gave them the
information they wanted.

But I mean... And if you look in the
record... Yeah, but I'm asking you, did

she... You will see that, in fact, she
did. Yeah, but I'm not... So I wonder

they're closing her case.

Oh, okay.

This is from...

From George Drew's office.

Horowitz worked on it. Should I go up
and give Horowitz a warm front on the

money? Go up and ask Horowitz why
they're closing the case.

Right.

That puts a hold there. Thanks, Noel.

Thanks, Noel.

Excuse me, this is Horowitz's office.

And you agree that the case should be
closed. Is that what this means?

Blind, working for five years.

Yes, that's what it means, whatever
action is necessary.

Because I have no proof that this man
has left the home. In fact, I don't

believe he has.

Well, no, but she was asked to bring in
the pay stubs, right? That's what the

clothing is for.

She says she brought them, and there is
a copy of them.

Did she show you that?

She asked me to change the budget and
put it back in

her name that he's not living with her.
Is this what she brought you? Is that

sufficient? Does that answer the closing
notice?

There's more involved than just what the
man is doing. Yes, I know. There is

more involved. I agree with you. But we
have to go by what is on this paper

here. And it says we are closing it
because for the last five years you have

never brought your pay stubs. He's
bringing them now.

Yeah. So you have to leave it open.

He's bringing them now and he's saying
he's living with his wife. Well, we'll

get into that later. That's the thing
that you have to go into now. Yes, of

course. That was the case decision.

So finally they find out how much money
he's making and now she says he's no

longer in the home. But my point is you
cannot go ahead and close it because she

brought it.

If she has complied, you know, I'm not
the fair hearing section.

Yes, but you had the conference on it.
Yes, at the time I had the conference, I

didn't have proof of current income.

He showed me something from a year or
two before or something. I didn't see

one from the current paper. Well, is
that sufficient, what I showed you here?

Yes, I would say it is.

Okay, fine. So it can't be closed. Are
you going to void this 913 then?

Because our case is going to be closed
unless someone calls up and says stop

Or however you do that.

I have to change the amount of pills.

That's all I do.

So our case will remain open? Yeah.

Okay. Thank you.

Tom.

Yeah.

I point out to Ms. Horowitz the error of
her ways.

She's upset because she does not believe
the woman's story that conveniently her

husband has disappeared as soon as this
is taken care of, rather than he's out

of the home.

She wants the case transferred to her
name because the checks are going out in

his name.

I think we just don't do that on her...

Say, we'll have to find out where he is.
Meaning, write to his employer, see

what address is there.

Check housing, because they live in
public housing. See if he's listed on

Send a letter, a registered certified
letter. Now, you should also know that

says her children are starving.

Her what?

She wants some money.

Do you want to give her any? Well, they
can't... Okay. Yeah, they can't close it

on that. They have to... No, the
closing, yes, they will not close it.

have to... But she wants the money
today. Of course, they can't give her

unless the case is reclassified into her
name.

Well, they have to reclassify it. Well,
they can't do that until we check it

out.

No. Well, I don't know how they...

Now, let me tell you, they have to
reclassify it to her name before they

give it right under the text. Right.

However, she has a perfect right to ask
for a fair hearing despite the hearing

she had upstairs. No, she doesn't need a
fair hearing.

We've already decided her case is not to
be closed because she did at the last

minute bring the pace up. What I say is
I would suggest... But now she's saying

don't count the pace ups because the guy
does not live there any longer.

If she's without funds, they have to...

They have to service her financially.

They'll have to make the switch on the
basis of our own investigation.

Well, you're going to say that because
that's the group. They'll have to decide

that. That's their decision, but that's
what they'll have to do. So I'll just

work on our investigation. Right.
They'll have to make whatever change is

necessary to service her, and on the
basis of our investigation, we'll

either... Ms.

Horwitz has made a mistake.

You did bring the pay stubs, or your
husband did, whoever did.

We had to verify where your husband is
now. Did you tell Lillian Walhouses that

he had moved out?

Yes.

So he's off their records?

Yes, because I have the new lease they
sent in the mail yesterday for me to

out for that.

Are you married to him?

Yes, I'm legally married to him. I have
my papers here.

Do any other children live in the home
besides these listed here? Patricia,

Leroy, Priscilla, Denise, and there's
another Patricia?

No, they have Gwendolyn, supposedly.

It's Gwendolyn, Patricia, Denise, and
Leroy.

Michael and Irvin have left. Well, we
don't have to refer this to family

So why can't they give me just an
emergency check for some food? Well,

that simple because they have to take
your husband off the case.

And they can't do that. They can't make
any changes in the welfare budget

without saying a notice to you and
giving you 15 days to say, go ahead and

it, or I don't care, or say nothing, or
protest it, or whatever you want to do,

even if this move is in your favor. In
this case, it would be in your favor to

take your husband off the budget. Today,
they can't do that for 15 days. So I

think you're in a bind.

But I'll take the record up to the
group.

It's not my responsibility. Money
matters.

And I'll explain to them that we're
referring it to court.

And since

welfare is really based upon what
clients say,

they really have to believe what you
tell them until

it's proved otherwise.

How long have you been on welfare?

Let's see.

About eight or nine years.

Maybe ten.

Well, I can take this up to the group.

Do you want to sign this, Charlie?

Yes. You can read what I wrote.

And that's all we have. You haven't let
me in? No, no, I have.

Okay, right. I'm still working on that.
They have to process it until our

investigation is through.

Whatever manipulations they have to
make.

To start with, the reason that we send
people to J Street, the reason that we

send everybody to J Street is because we
want to see if you're able to work or

not. Because that's the most important
factor in determining what type of

assistance is appropriate.

We have different types of assistance
based on whether or not you are able to

work.

And the J Street report says that you
are employable.

How much school have you had?

Well, I went to the ninth grade.

In New York?

Yes, in New York.

And what do you have in the way of an
employment background?

Well, I don't have too much of an
employment experience due to the fact

you know, I've just been released out of
prison after 11 years.

You know,

I was in Clinton, Comstock, and what
have you. Nevertheless, I was released

of prison. Oh, so you've been in jail
several times.

No, this is my first time in prison, but
I did 11 years.

I don't have too much of a backing, you
know, background.

The charge?

Homicide.

Are you now, you served the complete
sentence, are you on parole?

I'm still on parole for four years.

Did you manage to pick up any special
training or anything like that?

Well, yes, tailoring.

My first few years in prison, I picked
up killings, but I'm not that well

skilled in killing due to the fact that
I dropped it.

You know, I had to brush up on it.

So what happens is we send you over
today to the rep office. That'll be this

morning, right from here.

And first you're seen by somebody from
the New York State Employment Service.

because they would have full -time jobs,
and certainly if you could get a full

-time job, that would be anything that a
rep would offer.

If they don't have a full -time job, or
it looks as though they're not going to

have one very soon, then they forward
you to the rep.

And you'll have another person, like
another caseworker, who will again ask

about your employment background and see
if they've got anything that looks

good.

It's very important to get the phone
number of that person because just in

let's say you're unable to keep an
appointment or something, they right

start telling me, close the case. This
is one of the problems that you might

have. So in general, I'm also going to
give you my phone number because I'm

going to have your case here.

So that, I mean, if some complication
comes up, right away call.

so that there won't be any
misunderstanding because it's much

things down before they happen.

I see people who've been supervisors
since 1969 who are getting all the very

best jobs.

And I don't like it.

Who has the best jobs? Well, you take
the Zanoni, she's frozen in. No one can

touch her. You take this woman here,
she's pleading hardship.

You take Mr. Morris, he's pleading union
delegate. He can't be moved. She's a

union delegate.

Right, that's what I'm saying. And they
call it super seniority.

So by the time they finish, I have no
seniority at all. Because everybody else

is ready to take Suskeel, who should
have been out of here.

And she's pleading hardship.

Well, it's more hardship for me.

I have to come from New Jersey. What are
you talking about? I get up at 5, 5 .30

every morning.

And spend a lot of money. I spend more
money to get to this job than anybody

else on staff.

You wouldn't believe it, the money I
spend to get to this job.

That's right.

Whether I come by train, whether I come
by my personal car, or what. It's very

expensive to come from New Jersey. You
know, at one time, the department

didn't...

You live out of state. You know that.

Don't get me about out of state. When I
first came to the department, I lived in

New York.

Not only did I live in New York, I was a
homeowner in New York, having a house

60 by 100 at 114, 45, 179th Street, St.
Albans.

A very wealthy section.

Right? I know that. I know that.

property in New York. I'm entitled to
work in New York and live there for

many years. I know that. The reason I
went to New York was because my

died. I left my mother all alone in the
house.

So I went to live with her. When she
died, the house came to me by

What am I going to do? Sell the house in
the street?

Right? Well, if you have any agreements,
why don't you discuss it with Stanley?

If you discuss it with Stanley, he has
his favor.

Just like before.

I should have been the supervisor of
general service because I had the

seniority, I had the training, I've had
the courses, I've been to Fordham, I've

had casework one, casework two,
personality and behavior one,

behavior two, administration and
juvenile delinquency. Now that fits me

something. I haven't been just sitting
on my rear, not keeping abreast of the

times. I've always kept up, and I think
I deserve better than a... than the kind

of fast shuffle that I've been getting
here in this welfare department.

Because this man is a czar, and he's
going to put in who he wants to put in.

don't you discuss it with him?

Why don't you discuss it?

Why don't you take it out on me?

And that's why I've resorted to CO,
because I figured they must have some

of job down there, even if it's no more
than interviewing people for maybe jobs

in the department or whatnot, because I
can do interviewing and whatnot.

Are you getting about this memo?

If Mr. Solomon wants to speak to me, you
know, you can tell him that this came

through and that Ms. Hightower would
like to see him and reference his memo

before I have to resort to grievance
machinery.

I didn't hear anything very much on a
friend, Curtis Ross, because he

was going to legal aid or MFY, one or
the other.

So if you should get a call, the big
question is, who is he?

How many names? Three different names.
We don't know, and each one used the

other as the landlord in the particular
case. So if he's being evicted, who is

evicting who?

I spoke to the arresting officer.

He's evicting himself.

He had him arrested the other day.

He had a record a mile long. Yeah, he
had a big record. Big record.

You know, he doesn't fear getting
busted.

He doesn't fear getting busted. No!

All these guys, it's a normal routine of
things. They're not excited about it.

He wasn't excited about it.

It doesn't bother them.

They're accustomed to it. Anyway, I'm
only letting you know this.

You should get a call.

But the big problem is who is who.

We don't know who the man is.

We don't know that he... Well, I called
out Jack Williams, and he answered to

Jack Williams.

All right.

Now it's Curtis Rosser.

There's another guy, Jack Kiger.

Well,

this is why I put in each record.
Besides, we don't have the record. I

out Jack.

He answered, you know, and he came over.
Anyway, the district attorney has all

the records anyway, so we take no action
until this is disposed of by the court.

How stupid can he be to come in today?

Over here, he knows that... They have
good foot to the end.

You locked him up and he still came in
again.

What's he got to lose?

She told me to come back. Maybe you did,
to get them for tomorrow, maybe.

It was too late for me. I came to open
them upstairs. It was closed.

No,

you were supposed to get it in the mail.

You were supposed to bring it in this
morning.

You said you'd give me the pointer for
tomorrow. I mean, that was... That's

you said the last day, Friday.

When I fell, I gave her a $5 bill, and
she said she couldn't go, and they were

going to buy a car and a girl. She
doesn't have anything to complain about.

$42 for food. Okay.

Now, is that all the money I'm going to
get?

That's correct. They will not pay the
rent. All right, that's it. Now, when it

goes to getting my... Unemployment. The
unemployment.

They take that into account. Oh, they're
going to deduct that for you? In other

words, if you get $25 a week
unemployment, which is the minimum,

That's $50 every two weeks, which is an
excess of our budget, which means they

would close your case immediately.

So the maximum allotment I can get
approximately right now from you coupled

unemployment is about $50 a week.

As you see it. No, no, no, no, no. All
right. I'm trying to find out the figure

that I get. They won't pay this rent.

See, in the event that you were to find
an apartment for $150.

Okay. Now, all I care about is you.

If I had $150 instead of $175, you're
telling me they would pay it? Okay,

assume it was $150. All right. Now,
because they won't consider, they won't

a maximum limit on that and say, ah,
this is, you know, we will treat this as

$150 and the rest she has to make up.
They cannot do that. That's correct.

Well, then, what am I, I'm supposed to
relocate? That's correct.

This isn't mine?

That's insane.

All right. Do that as it may.

I want to find out how I get that
maximum allotment for $150.

You would have to live in an apartment
for $150.

They will not allow you to live in an
apartment for more. I will only pay

partial. That's not legal.

This is the city law. It's actually
state law that they allow only a certain

amount per person.

How do you contest it?

You'll file for a fair hearing.

Not with me. The beef is with the law.
Now, the law that I'm citing you, that

I'm telling you, is that rent

allotment for one person

may not exceed $150.

This is state law, and this is what your
beef is. You wish to either question

my... No, I wish to get that $150,
period.

then you would have to go and, you know,
that's what it is.

Your rent is $175 ,000. Your contention
is you're entitled to that and you're

willing to make up the difference.

And what I'm contending is that it's
not, you know, they're not going to go

that. You can ask them. That's what
they're there for.

Okay?

You're just searching for wrong.

I don't know.

Well, it just seems if you work and if
your rent is over a certain amount, you

have a problem. This is the Tam Hartland
Law, established in 1937.

And a thing but old charity.

What? Thank you.

Thanks a lot.

Okay?

Thank you. Okay, you're welcome.

Well,

I don't know.

No,

I have no place to live.

That's why I'm here by the welfare now,
to see that I get me a place to live, so

I can live like a decent human being,
you know.

Because not that I feel like I have a
right to, but I think when you be

in this country, I think you have a
right to if you're an American or not.

And I believe in that, you know.

I think this country is still a good
country who really would like to help,

know. But right now they don't know
about me.

So I have to go there and find out.

Because when you got hurt on the brain,

they not declare you for crazy, but you
never can tell the doctors what they

might find, you know.

I mean, I don't run around with a
machine gun and a knife and an axe.

You know, I'm not that crazy yet.

But I'm a nice guy, you know. I just
want to be in a fairly good condition

any person has the right to, you know.

So, Oda, if they don't like me anymore,
I guess they have to send me back to

Germany. But I don't think they will do
that because I'm too long in this

country.

So, they don't want me to send me to
Germany and they don't want me to give

here.

Sheesh. I think I better look for a nice
tree to hang.

It must be a nice, good hanging place,
you know? But it gets a little short

in here when you get in the air.

Oh, oh, that will be some fun.

But that will only last for a few
moments if you choose that way.

Well, it only lasts for a few moments,
but it takes a long time to be down

in the dirt.

Oh, sure, a long time. You never come up
there.

You never come back again.

You'll just be down there forever.

And that's the way that goes.

And I guess everybody has that luck too.

I think so.

I'm positively sure of it.

Because everybody has to die, you know.

There's nothing you or me can do about
it.

It just comes around.

You see, God is not a man like the
social service, you know. He doesn't

around and say, well, this man is poor,
let's give him a couple of hundred

bucks. No, he only helps you.

When he feels like. And sometimes.

Sometimes he does.

He wants you to die too. Oh yeah. And
there's nothing you can do about it.

Because he is God.

He made the human being. Right.

And he can do what he feels like.

You know.

And there's nothing anybody can do about
it.

Even Jesus Christ.

You know. You ask him.

He would say. Well.

You're not in order with God.

You have to die.

Because.

You cannot fool around with God that
much.

You have to be all the time good.

Well, once in a while you can be bad,
and he forgive you.

Oh, yeah, he forgive you.

You know, but you better not do
something real bad.

Then he says, all right, Jerry, down in
hell you go, and you'll never come back.

But you've been a pretty good man,
haven't you?

Well, but... Right now, when you ask me,
how do you feel in your head?

I said, well, I don't feel like going to
another house, but I

wish I could see a doctor.

Maybe I could go to a hospital.

Maybe welfare can help you see a doctor.
Yeah, maybe they send me to a hospital,

you know, and I get straightened out by
a doctor, you know. Maybe it is

something wrong with an accident I had,
you know.

I don't know.

I just walk around.

One time I went downtown, I blacked out.

You walked all the way downtown? They
stole from me $50, two packs of

cigarettes, my driver's license,
everything is gone.

The only proof I have is my passport
from Germany.

That is all that they could really get.
And I got an American license in there

too.

How old is your passport?

Oh, it is still good until 76.

Yeah.

Checking this poor mental state is
correct.

Because she's pregnant doesn't mean she
automatically gets well, but she has to

answer a few questions.

And that's what was happening when she
got up and left.

She's been pregnant since October of...
That means that somewhere along the

line, either Waverly or Lower Manhattan
are not understanding the problem.

The immediate problem here is food for
her baby, right?

She has to be eligible.

And we want a few questions answered. In
the middle of the interview, she got up

and left.

And what do you want me to do?

I want you to give her food for her
baby, right? She has to be eligible

she gets food for the baby.

But she is eligible. She sold you a
prenatal form.

Someone is pregnant.

They just come into welfare and get
money.

Is that in the rule book now?

I must be missing it.

Because I've never seen it.

You saw me in writing that she's not
eligible. Why isn't she eligible? You

me in writing that she's not eligible.

What? What are you talking about? What
do you mean she's not eligible?

You say that she's knowledgeable.

You show me the idea that she's
knowledgeable.

I said she was being asked a few
questions in the middle of the

her husband?

That's secondary, about her husband.

Do you have a complaint?

I have a complaint, yes.

Well, what do you want to do about it?
Well, what I want to do, if you can't

answer for me, I want somebody that can
answer it for me. Why would you come

back to the interview again?

Why wasn't the interview finished?

She got up and left in the middle of the
interview.

Because you were asking her about her
husband. She wants food for her baby,

right?

The baby's not even born. And how's the
baby going to eat?

She needs food. She needs a layup and so
forth.

According to the rules and regulations
that I know of, the first thing that's

finally is getting food for her baby,
right?

Second thing is finding out about the
husband, as far as I'm concerned.

Now, if you can't answer it, can you
direct me to somebody that can help me?

Does the client want to be intubated
again?

Right now, yes.

Well, she has to wait until this worker
is able to call her again. And on

Friday, she was told to come in on
Friday.

I came down here first. I got an
interview for her. And when she came in

Friday, she was turned away. She was
turned away.

I came down here and I talked to the
people at the desk. And they said that

would interview her on Friday. She came
in on Friday and said, we can't

interview because we're working on
checks.

I don't put clients through a hoop.

I assume that you are. If you're
interviewing her and torturing her by

her about her husband and so forth.

I think that's a torture.

I think it is.

Well,

I don't think it's torture to ask
somebody. Of course it's torture anyway.

But anyways, will you see her today? I
have to see her and when she's finished,

whatever she's doing, and when she has
nobody else to call, she'll call her

again. She's got to go through all these
slips.

Because she left in the middle of her
interview.

She's finished all of this stuff. She'll
then call the client back.

Okay?

Keep as calm as you can.

I'll try to find out. I'm going to try
to get a social worker to call downtown

to find out what's happening because
yours is a special case.

You're the first case that I know of in
which you're in the federal system and

you're pregnant and you're going to have
a baby, you know, and that's somewhere

along the line.

you have to receive money for that
unborn child.

And in the past, ADC mothers were given
allowances

four months after they were pregnant.

Now you're being denied those, and I
want to find out the reason why.

So just be a little calm. If they come
up to you and say that they can't do

anything for you today, come up and see
me. Meanwhile, I'll try calling...

The prenatal clinic. I'll check with you
later because they went to lunch and,

like, she's taken a long time. She's got
about six or eight people before she,

you know, called me again.

And it better be around 4 o 'clock.
Well, I'm going to call Ms. Ding again

find out what we can get you, you know,
a little ahead of time. Try to be

patient, okay?

And I'll do my best.

Okay. You got it.

Hello.

Could Mr.

Chipolski be seen there by our client to
change the lease? The client is Miss

Sandra Oppenheim.

All right, this is the problem. Mrs.
Rivera is the tenant that you have, but

Mrs. Rivera moved out October.

And our client is saying that her
husband, from whom she separated...

Got the apartment from his sister. The
landlord has not been informed of this.

I'm calling to inform him and ask him if
he'll put the lease in the name of

Oppenheimer.

I know this, but I'm asking you. If I
send her there, can these arrangements

made? When is your appointment for
manpower to get a physical examination?

the 20th of next month.

From here to then.

When did you lose your job?

About three days, two days ago, she told
me she didn't want to use me anymore.

She told me she's tired of the abortion.
In other words, your situation has

changed since the last time you came
here. Oh, God, it hasn't changed.

What do you think? We're magic that we
guess what your problems are? No, it's

not the idea you're guessing. It's the
idea that you verbally promised my wife.

You told my wife, don't worry, go home
with your husband.

We're going to send you a check by the
mail so you could be able to eat and

until you go to manpower.

Now I turn around.

I don't know whether we accept it or
not.

We'll have to give an appointment for
the interview group today. Give this

fellow an appointment for the interview
group today.

No, no.

All right. All right, give him one now
because he's supposed to see the

interview group.

Thanks for giving me an appointment.

Let me go over and talk to Elaine about
it. Okay.

I don't know, but you better call up the
landlord.

and find out whether this was actually
so. He said he lost it two or three days

ago. Well, he's not supposed to get paid
until the 10th.

That's what she said. Well, you better
call up the landlord and find out what

is, because if he doesn't have anything,
we'll have to give him something.

And then Ms. Robinson had called on
Friday about that case, and I was going

to the home.

No, she didn't mention it. It was very
strange that the social worker didn't

mention it when he was laid off.

Well, you better check it out anyway,
because it's good. Meanwhile, I only

three workers.

I work at the desk.

And also, she's leaving in half a day.
She's got to go disaster training or

something. Who has to go disaster
training?

Roz. What kind of disaster training?

You know the thing where you go every
six months or something in case there's

fire, flood, or something?

Well, we'll keep her here today. She can
find out some other time.

Who does she have to go disaster
training? Roz, excuse me.

What's the thing with disaster training?
Can you take another day, or is it

definitely today?

It's definitely today.

Oh, we can't. We can't release it today.

I'm telling you, it's a whole thing. Is
this the disaster training?

Yeah, here. I got notes. I got cases of
that. I manage the telephones. We have

artificial telephone calls coming in
from central office.

I swear, we answer it. We have to go
back in preparation for the atomic bomb.

I go twice a year. Yeah, last time I
went was... Today's the day.

Today's the day. I went December 1472,
and today is February 4th.

And last time I went was February 72.

Twice a year. Look, is he... Is that...
Is that Arkady Rivera here, or just the

wife? He's here.

Wait, does he keep a manpower
appointment? He gets no money until...

not going on... He's not going there
until the 20th.

But you better check him out anyway,
just to make sure. Well, I'm going to

for the desk. You've got to slip for the
desk. All right, why don't I do this?

We need some more workers.

Frank Farkas hasn't called in. Frank
Farkas hasn't called in? All right,

try to get Peter Barry.

I have bills I have to pay. Try to get
Peter Barry and let's see. How about

Larry Janis?

How about Larry Janis? All right, I'll
see if I can get him.

Sooner than Ali.

Miss Ali, you're going to have to go
back to Waverly Welfare Center. We're

sorry about some mistake.

Take this message back.

He's legally responsible to take care of
the children. We know that. And her, as

long as she's married. Yes.

But she went to court yesterday. That's
why she got another court request.

She's got another time.

He didn't show up. It has to be in the
court's hands as long as he's getting

income. And then he's not using it while
he's in the hospital.

It's for the children. It's for the use
of the children. So what is the

alternative? What's she going to do?
Take the text from him if he don't want

give it to her?

I've been to court. What's the
alternative? She's been to court.

Yesterday. Yesterday and last week. He
didn't show up. They sent out a warrant

for him. But he's in the hospital.

Well, what do you want her to do if he
don't show up and he got the checks and

won't give them to her? The only thing I
can suggest is that talk to the

application supervisor. She said if you
feel you've been treated unfairly. Of

course we feel. Why do you think we're
back here now?

You have to apply for a fair hearing.

Oh, on the meantime, what are they going
to do with a fair hearing? What, are

they going to starve to death?

He's in the hospital. She's sick.

She's got diabetes. She's got arthritis.
She's got heart trouble.

What is she supposed to do while she's
waiting for a fair hearing?

Since November, I've been running around
with this woman.

You know, you're making it sound like
it's my fault. Well, it's not my fault

either. It's not his fault. He's in the
hospital.

It's not her fault. Whose fault is it?

I'm telling you what they're telling me.

Who is responsible for her?

If her husband is sick, he's in the
hospital, and she's sick. He's getting

disability cancer. Can she take the
check from him? He is legally

for her support.

That's why she's taking the court,
because he's not taking any of his legal

responsibilities. The court is in the
hands of the court. The court sent her

here. I have a letter from the court
telling her to come here. Now, this was

before the case was rejected. The case
was rejected on the 24th.

And this was given to her.

It's for him that I came here.

When you rejected her, she had this
letter.

and told me to go here to Social
Security, and that's where I went. She

Social Security. Social Security's in
the back here.

They're going to take care of her. Well,
Social Security is evaluating her

application. That's a different thing.
Okay, but who's responsible for her?

Mr. Gaskin.

He's in the hospital, as you very well
know.

Well, I understand he's in the hospital.
Now, what is she supposed to do?

Checks are coming. Go down there and
take checks that don't belong to her?

They belong to him.

Well, he has a responsibility.

He don't want to give them to her.

We're going into a vicious cycle again.

And I'm getting tired of it.

Well, as I said before, you'd have to
apply for a fair hearing. Oh, and how

is the fair hearing going to take, and
what's she going to do in the meanwhile

while she waits for the fair hearing?

She's been coming here since November.

Well, it's her responsibility to try to
get this... What do you think she's

trying to do?

Why do you think she's going to court?

You keep shouting at me, and you
don't... You're sending me right into a

cycle. I'm trying to tell you, her hands
are tied. I am not sending you... She

is sick. He is sick. Who is going to
take care of him? I am not sending you

anywhere. You're telling me not to wait
for a fair hearing. What's she going to

do in the meanwhile?

You have to ask the application
supervisor to re -entertain the

do you think I'm here for now? Why do I
talk? I'm talking to you now for this.

You're shouting at me.

Oh, I'm going to do me more shouting if
you don't stop this. At least it's

November. You're talking about shouting.

I've been trying to take care of this
woman. What do you want from me?

Sending us around all over to these
different places and they're sending us

around in circles.

Where are you supposed to go? That's
what I want to know. She said go to

She went to court.

Go to Social Security and send them back
here.

They're up there sitting on their
behinds upstairs. That's why they can't

nothing for nobody.

They'll be sitting here all damn day.

And they're sending you all around the
courts, and the courts send you here.

She refused you.

It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't.
Oh, she's getting it. She did go to

court. She went to court.

So that's why I'm suggesting you re
-entertain the application.

Okay, however, we want to know. We don't
even know where she's even living.

present time.

Well, that's super valuable.

And I think she's living uptown. She may
very well be living uptown, but you

don't know until you interview her and
ask her to come here. Well, she's paying

rent. Is she paying rent now?

You can check through the course what
address she applied from.

Yeah. What is it, $87 she's getting a
week?

No. In his name, it's a union benefit.

Right. In his name. But if he is
hospitalized, why isn't she getting that

It's not. See, we cannot tell him.

The court's telling him to give.

Yeah, but we want to call up the social.

Do you have a seat outside, please?

We're discussing it. Just wait outside a
little bit.

Excuse me? That wasn't the same
daughter.

Send her back home to what?

All right, do we have to call the
hospital to find out if she actually is

hospitalized all the time? No, the only
place I'd call was the union.

All right.

Yeah,

however, if he's hospitalized all the
time, what's...

Where are those chicks going?

He's coming home on weekends.

Do we verify? We are not coming home on
weekends. This is what she said now. I

didn't verify a thing. I just got to
this morning. She stormed on me

On the fourth floor?

The daughter?

Yeah, the daughter. I'm telling my
sister I've got to get this done and

see. The money is in his name. It wasn't
her name.

It wasn't his name.

He is responsible for his wife and his
children. He is, but that's why she went

to the court, because he's not giving
her any.

Well, all right. She has to be slipped
from the court. On the 21st. Give her

time to get her slipped in. Now they're
telling me they want me to go to work

while I got a letter from the doctor
saying I'm not supposed to be working.

went and tore your letter up? And she
went and tore the letter yesterday.

Get another letter.

Let her tear this one up.

Yeah, I'm going to get another one. The
doctor told me to pick one up today.

My father is sick.

He's in the hospital since November.

I've been running back and forth with
this woman for months. They send us back

in the circle. We go to court, from the
court to the hospital, from the hospital

to Social Security, to welfare, back to
Social Security, to the hospital, to the

court. She got one. She don't have one
dime.

And we're all suffering trying to take
care of her. And when you try to help

yourself, they don't help you at all.
And what they do is give me a runaround,

too.

That's how it is. That's what's wrong
with the whole damn system.

When you try to help yourself, nobody
helps you. Not only that, but then if I

come around and then she comes to turn
the letter and I beat the brains out of

her, then I go to jail. Then you got to
go to jail. Then where's your wife?

Right back in the circle again. And then
they got to help her whether they like

it or not.

But I guess that's what you got to do.
That's what I'm going to have to do.

I got to come here with my mother. I got
children.

I got to take care of all my family got
children.

My mother is a woman that has 15
children.

She took care of every one of them. My
father worked like a slave.

He's sick.

He's got to go through this?

I got to go through this? No.

Somebody's going to do something for
her. And I'm not going to leave here and

I'm not going to go. Not one more day.

Because I am tired and she's tired.

We got the kids out of school. They
don't even have no shoes.

What do they want from us?

I know you're tired because I am.

You better believe it because that's all
you're going to get is to run around.

Did you go upstairs?

No, I don't go upstairs.

Sometimes they don't even allow you to
be on certain points.

They get angry with you because you
interrupted their coffee break. I made

mistake of interrupting their coffee
break one day when I went there.

About five hours I sat there.

You know what they tell me? Come back
tomorrow morning.

Stop kicking.

Stop kicking.

You stop kicking.

You stop kicking.

You stop kicking.

She lives in North Carolina. She's here
on a temporary basis because her husband

works here in New York.

She lives in North Carolina.

Her husband lives in New York. Excuse
me, please.

I guess Mrs. Gaskin approved that she's
living at 89 kilometers.

She has a housing contract.

What address did you give the court as
your home address?

Lily Bell's address.

How long were you in North Carolina?

I'm not here to stay. I'm here on a
temporary basis.

Then why are you even in New York?

Because I'm sick.

I've been in North Carolina when I was
living here. Let me explain it to you.

And how long did you go to North
Carolina, Mrs. Gaskins?

Three years ago.

Yes.

So for the last three years, you've been
living in North Carolina? Yes, but I've

been coming back and forth. She had to
stop. She was verified.

The last time?

In November.

In the first part of November.

You came back the first part of
November. Why did you come back to New

had to come to the doctor. The only
doctor that can take care of him? And

do you suffer from?

Put your feet on that.

Diabetes. You mean no other doctor in
North Carolina can take care of you?

You mean you came all the way back to
New York to go to

Nina Health Clinic because there's no
other doctor?

I'm trying to tell her now.

I went to North Carolina to live. We
were living in the housing projects.

In New York? Yes. My husband was
working.

Every time he got a raise, they wanted a
raise. So he decided he wanted me to

move. He wanted her to move.

So in order to move down there, he had
to go to the VA.

The VA lent him money to buy his house.

He might have been on welfare in the
Veterans Administration.

It's a form of welfare.

All right.

He got money from the VA. The VA lent
him money to buy his house. It's not

for yet.

Oh, the boy has a house.

If you get accepted on welfare in New
York, which I don't know, you're going

have to sign over that whole entire
house to the Department of Welfare in

York.

Aren't you?

You will have to sign over that house.
You'll have to bring the deed to

Every time I went to the hospital, they
tell

me I'm not to borrow with him. How can I
get to him if they don't let me to?

Anybody who has a resource, such as a
house or a co -op or anything like that,

they must sign it over the department
before they can get assistance.

That is considered a resource. You have
money invested in that house.

I don't know too much about resources.
We've got a resource consultant.

You're going to tell her that she can
sign over a house that belongs to her

husband.

She is very much aware of that. She
can't make him give her anything.

You have to get it from him yourself. He
won't give her anything.

She was in court yesterday with him. He
did not show up.

What do you expect from her? To take the
deeds from him?

If he maintains that he's not going to
give her anything, you don't want to

her to take his checks out of the
mailbox, right?

What do you want her to do? The
interview cannot continue.

What do you want her to do? I am telling
you, I am not yelling, and there's no

reason for you to continue yelling.

If you continue yelling, the interview
will not continue.

You're going to tell her that she must
go?

You are telling her. You are telling
her. She don't want to talk about it.

see, I'm going to voice it down.

No, I'm not going to go back tomorrow.

You are telling her to go and break in
the mailbox and take the man's checks?

How can you tell my mother to take his
checks? You see how she's walking away

from me?

How are you going to tell her to take
his checks out of his mailbox when his

name is on them?

He said he's not going to take them, but
she's taking them to court.

Will you give me my papers back?

My letters. Give it back to me, please.

It's easy for her. She's not going to
use this as no cop -out. After she's

to tell her to break in a mailbox and
take some checks that don't even belong

her.

And if the checks that... If the
house... If the man has got the deeds to

house that he maintains that he's not
going to give it to, what is she

to take it from him?

Huh?

I'll go back and see what's going on
again.

She just wants some excuse to walk out
of here. I thought she was going to tell

you to break in some mailbox and take
something that's not even yours.

How are you going to make him sign over
home?

Let her go over there and tell him to
sign the house over.

Your problem is being taken care of by
the other lady that went upstairs.

Yeah, but I want to know what's the
problem with me.

You're going to have to wait until that
lady comes down.

and he should leave the center.

He will be getting a check in the mail.

So as far as I'm concerned, this case is
over with. Well, anyway, the worker's

been talking to him. He's upstairs.

No, the worker is not seeing him
anymore.

No, she didn't walk away for no reason
because I was quiet.

I was quiet. I know where my worker
went. My worker is not going to see him

anymore. Why don't you talk to, who's
your supervisor down here?

Who's your supervisor down there?

Go over there and sit down.

Look, I am the fifth advisor, and I know
where my worker went. The worker told

the client to leave the area.

He's walking away.

The worker asked the client to leave the
area. The determination on the case was

made. They will get a check in the mail.
Now, he is carrying on disrupting, and

I would like him removed. Let's take
care of this problem we're dealing with

now. What's your problem you want to
take care of first? The one you're

right now. I'm having two problems right
now. It's quite obvious.

Which one are you going to deal with
now? All right, you want to deal with

first? Me?

You're asking me?

Let's take care of the problem that
you're dealing now.

Whichever one you take in there. These
people will be interviewed any time they

want to lower their voice.

Now, when I lower my voice, she still
insists on walking away. She's confusing

us as a cop out. She's going to tell my
mother to go and break in the mailbox

and take some checks that don't even
belong to her, that belong to my father.

She's going to say she wants the house.
Okay, my mother don't own the house. How

can she give her the house?

Are you finished now? Just listen. Go
and wait for your wife and the people to

come down, all right?

I'll keep quiet.

Do you have a supervisor?

Yeah, I'm the supervisor. All right.
Well, why don't you deal with it?

I'm the patrolman here.

There's no rest to be made.

I'm here.

Otherwise, social work is social work.

All right. Can you sit here until 5 o
'clock? And 5 o 'clock, you put them

Yeah. No, my workers will not work if
this man sits there without an

The interview is not coming back. The
interview is over. This bell walked

Listen, let's deal with what you have
here. This man is... Go over there, man.

Go over there and stay over there.

Let's deal with what you have now. Okay,
this interview will continue any time

they lower their voice and conduct the
interview in a low voice. I'm lowering

voice. Is she still persistent? I don't
really have to be there to just to make

sure somebody's voice is being raised.

Okay. Who's taking care of this thing?

Ms. Bates is talking to them, but they
continue to cause the scene, and they

have a very loud voice.

You got a friend, but I told you that
you told me. All right. Can we try it

again? Can we try it again without any
problem? I would like for you to at

sit in on it, because she's asking
questions.

She wants my mother to sign over
something that don't belong to her. Oh,

me. What it is? They own a house in
North Carolina, and I told them the

policy concerning.

Okay. If you want something. All right.
But just a moment. Just a moment. We

understand that.

It's not that my mother's not
cooperating. My mother never signed

mother don't. Why don't she get it from
my father? She don't have the right to

give him anything.

She's in hospital.

She knows where he's at.

She knows this.

So what's the problem on the whole
chase?

The problem is I went to the hospital.
My husband was in the hospital.

I asked the people at the hospital that
told me about my health, and they told

me to go to welfare.

So I didn't go to welfare. I went to
court first.

They gave me a referral to come here.
When I came in Monday, they told me to

back to Social Security.

Social Security told me, give me a
referral to come back here. It said get

the children, not for me. They would
give me. She can get through Social

Security.

What's this, an NGC case for the two
children? Yes, I have two children. Two

children? Yes. What's the story? All I
know is her legal residence is in North

Carolina, one's welfare in New York, and
she's here on a visit. It seems to me

that's the story.

No, ma 'am.

No, my father works here, and he was
sending her money to North Carolina.

he took her to North Carolina, and there
are no doctors in North Carolina, and

the only doctors that can take care of
her diabetic condition is New York

doctors. And she came up here. I know a
doctor there. I know a doctor there.

There was two of his beds. She
traumatized his family.

But I had a doctor here.

Is your legal residence in North
Carolina?

But my husband is here.

It's yours. It's yours. I don't know.
They own a house in North Carolina. So I

would assume that's a source of legal
residence. Were they on welfare?

She claims no. She claims no. Did we
check it out? No, we haven't done so

She claims that her husband was sending
her checks. Now her husband is

hospitalized and can no longer send her
checks.

He's in the hospital.

Did he write us a letter?

I don't know. See, when I went to the
hospital... I will have somebody visit

in the hospital. To see his social
worker. If they will lower their

right,

all right.

Let's all be quiet. Let's sit down.
Let's see if we can get this show on the

road. You request that we lower our
voice. I request that you stop being so

dramatic. And putting words into my
mother's mouth, saying things she did

say. She never told you there's no other
doctor in North Carolina. We're never

going to get any place this way. Let's
continue.

All right, now let's solve the other
problem. Ms. Bell is not continuing that

interview over there. The determination
on the case was made. I want the

patrolman removing those clients from
that area over there. She'll remove them

till 5 o 'clock.

This waiting area is over there.

All right, we'll put them out. I'll put
them in the waiting area.

Let's sit down. Let's sit down and
interview this client. Well, Bates is

it. Go back there.

Since I came here, she's been giving me
a hard time because she most don't like

me, I guess.

This is the first time I come here and
even yelling. We've been here three

October. I've been going back and forth
and they've been giving me the same rap.

Bring another letter.

So I bring another letter. That's not
the one. Bring this one. So I bring that

one.

October. We've only seen you this month,
right? So obviously other people are

giving you run -arounds.

Yeah. It's very strange. Who?

Everybody's giving you run -arounds. You
were in another center. You were in

Waverly. I was over here.

All right. And they closed my gate. I'll
tell you something. See, all centers

work the same, and all centers want
proof. They just don't hand out money.

And we're not the only center who does
it. I got all the proof you want here.

Every center works by certain rules and
regulations and procedures. And when you

come in to us, we all work the same way.
The other center, they gave you the run

-arounds in September or October, and
now you think we're... giving a

but we're only working in the same way
that they are working.

Okay. We're just using the wrong
language. This is it. Okay.

Because you're not bringing the
information we need. Everyone's giving

runaround. May I ask you something? You
said that my sponsor is legally loyal to

me. Well, he's my guardian, right?

My sponsor is more responsible to you
than welfare. And we'd like to have a

contact with him before we give you
money. My sponsor, I could not get

permission to marry with my sponsor.
Yeah, you tell us that. If he's

for me, why couldn't he tell me? I don't
know anything about marriages or

anything like that. I know about
welfare.

How long do you think it'll take us to
get help? At least, man.

I mean,

you're just killing a dead horse. No,
I'm just asking because I'm uptight,

I'm really uptight for money. I show you
what I got in my pocket and what I have

made all day today since I've been here,
you see?

That's what I got in my name, you
understand?

That's all. And pull out my wallet and
I'll show you the same thing. I don't

have a dime to my name practically.

Yeah, you want to help me get a job?
That's what you say. That's your only

vocabulary. Get a job to everybody that
comes in here. What about the letter the

doctor sent you to say that I wasn't
able to go to work because I have to be

rehabilitated? It's inclusive, a
doctor's statement.

That's why we're giving you a medical
examination.

Everything is inclusive.

All I wanted to do is get help until I
get on my feet and I wouldn't believe

I wouldn't be here after you.

Man, I wish I were by myself.

Maybe if you were yourself, she'd gladly
help you. Of course, if I were myself,

she might just do that, help me then.

I'm a man, am I?

Now, what do you suggest? I'll go home,
of course.

We're accepting her case.

Let's leave it at that.

Let's not bring it any further. Let's
not quarrel about it. The fact is, her

case is being accepted. We're not
refusing her.

But there are certain other items, like
the letter from her uncle, that we need.

That's all there is to it. Okay, then,
for the bills that I got of the doctor

bills, what, do I just hold on to them?

I got plenty of bills, sir.

Right now, right now, there's nothing
much we can do about your bills until we

find out whether you're eligible or not.
She's eligible.

The meantime is that since October...

I've been, you know what I've been
doing? I have to sell my medication, my

methadone, you understand?

And I'm not about to go to jail for
nobody anymore, you understand?

And that's what you're going to have to
make, you know, they're going to make me

do here. Well, that's up to you. I mean,
the path you take is up to you. We've

accepted her.

Now, if the situation changes and we
accept you, that's a different story.

right now... Well, all I, I really, all
I want right now is concern that I could

get something to help her, you
understand? If we're not accepting your

can't give you a Medicaid card.

But if you're accepting her, you can
give her a Medicaid card, not me. She's

getting a Medicaid card. She'll get one.

Okay. Okay.

That'll settle this. Then I'll go home.

Okay, now.

Thank you. All right.

No, we can't give you an appointment.
It's too late.

You have to come back tomorrow, right? I
said, well, I don't have any money. I

got 10 cents. My rent is due tomorrow. I
have nothing to live on.

I'm leaving for three days.

You just told me you ripped off
Corvette.

I got caught ripping off Corvette for
$110 worth of stuff. And it let you go,

right? That's right. After I spent two
hours explaining how I ripped off the

other four stores over the last six
months.

And you just ripped off, you said you
ripped off Woolworth last night.

Today, seven bars of chocolate.

And you believe that it's right? I ate
three and I gave four away.

And you believe it's right to steal,
right? No.

Then what? Absolutely wrong.

Absolutely wrong to steal. You just told
me before.

Did I say it was right?

You told me before. I said it was
necessary.

There's a difference between right and
necessary.

Why is it necessary? Because I don't
have the money to buy what I have to

Because the Social Service Department
doesn't seem fit for it. The Social

Security Administration doesn't seem fit
to give me enough money to live on.

You're a Social Security case now.

Yeah. So why do you come to welfare?
They sent me.

with a referral slip that I got stolen
last night along with a billion dollars

worth of original research that I've
been working on for three years.

Psychic research.

Mind control research.

In a red folder.

Stuff that was handwritten. Why don't
you go downstairs, make an appointment,

it right. Make an appointment with the
maintenance people.

For tomorrow.

What do I do for tonight?

What do I do for rent money? What do I
do for food money? I haven't eaten in

three days now.

Except what I steal.

Except what I steal. I can't steal a
chicken. I can't steal a steak. It

fit in my pocket.

I can only steal Hershey bars and Sheba
packages of cheese and, you know, cans,

little cans of fruit.

Mr. Hershey, there's nothing we can do
for you.

I know.

There's nothing we can do for you.
Sorry.

I know you can't.

Social Security can't because I'm over
the maximum.

You can't because it's too late.

You received the check from us.

No, I didn't. It was sent back.

$147 .35.

I never got it.

It was sent to the hotel I was at, but I
had to check out because I didn't get

it on the 16th. It came on the 18th, and
I wasn't there anymore because I didn't

have the money for the rent.

So the manager sent it back on the 19th.

And then Mr. Fagan, for some reason,
sent me to Social Security. I don't know

why.

Without any money.

Without ever seeing that check.

I never received any check.

Where's Mr. Fagan?

Why not?

I'll wait. I've been waiting for the
last 124 days since I got out of the

hospital. Waiting for something.

Godot? Well, you know what happens in
the story of Godot. He never came.

And that's what I'm waiting for.

Something that'll never come.

Equity. Justice.

Justice.

Under this great democratic society of
ours where everybody is equal under the

law, you know.

Lincoln said that, didn't he? All men
are created equal.

Lincoln never took an army physical, you
know.

You should have.

What's equality? Equality is when
somebody has and somebody hasn't, and

that hasn't tries to rip off the one
that has.

And the one that has tries to keep what
he's got.

And there's nothing in the middle
anymore.

You either have it or you don't have it.

It's not a matter of middle, you know,
there's no middle class anymore. There's

just the rich and the poor.

And I'm one of the poor.

In fact, destitute, not poor.

And I don't like this feeling.

Not with 22 years of education behind
me.

Not with 17 years of service to the
state.

Not with a $22 ,000 plus income when I
was working.

Plus my private practice was bored in
another three -year forecast.

But after being in the hospital for
seven months and eight days up until

September and not being considered fit
to go back to work and having to resign

rather than being fired, they've only
got another 11 days to go until they

me from that 17 -year job.

Why not?

You're the law man.

You're the man.

Everybody's the man.

You don't have anything.

Everybody's the boy.

Because if it doesn't change in the next
15 years, by 1988,

there will be no United States of
America.

There will be nobody here worth saving.

Everybody who is worth saving will be
someplace else.

And I'll be the first to leave.

Because for 40 years and seven months
I've tried.

God knows I've tried to help.

Now I can't even help myself, let alone
anybody else.

How can you help anybody on 11 cents?

Five days.

You still don't want me to live.

You still don't want me to do anything
that I want to do.

You still want me to do your thing and
suffer.

I can suffer for everybody else who's
gone before.

Okay, if that's what you want, that's
what it's going to be.

We've had this agreement for a while
now.

I'm not backing down.

You want to, that's your business.

I'll stay with it until it's over,
whenever that is.

And if you don't want me to eat, if you
don't want me to sleep, if you don't

want me to work,

I won't.

And if you want me to keep wandering the
way we've been wandering for 5 ,735

years, I'll keep wandering.

You know that doesn't bother me.

Even if there's no one.

No one in this whole world will listen
to me, I wonder, until you're ready to

decide where I belong.

A place, a home, people, friends.

Whenever that'll be, I got all the time
in the world.

Thank God for all the patience and the
strength and the understanding.

Thank you

Thank you.

What's happening?

and many big parts.