Food stamps

[TexasFreedom]

I don't do much grocery store shopping. Not my expertise. But today I went in just for one item.

Now, abuse usually doesn't get under my skin. But I was a hair ticked off today.

The woman in front of me had a dozen or so items. No big deal. It's maybe $25, and I see the screen and something about $4 discount... I'm guessing coupons? The woman says something about SNAP, and the cashier GIVES her $35! How does that work, buy $25, don't spend a dime, and get $35 cash? I felt like the woman was reaching into my wallet against my will and stealing that $60 from me.

This takes me back to our recent conversation about how food stamps should be a bag of rice & beans & gov't cheese and milk powder. No fancy food, no steaks and no cash. I can only imagine if/when Trump takes on this corrupt giveaway!

Sorry, I just had to vent.

 

[DrHenley]

SNAP is like a debit card you use now instead of foodstamps. But you can only get cash under certain circumstances, I guess depending on the state. You can withdraw TANF benefits using the SNAP card. (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

I've never been on any assistance, but I believe it's an account with so much money in it. If she got cash back, it pretty much defeats the purpose of limiting purchases to food items and not booze and smokes.

That would tick me off, too.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I noticed that in my State if a person "pays" with food stamps they don't get charged sales tax. That's like a 5 or 6% discount over what I have to pay. This entire system should be scrapped. Get a job or go hungry. I don't care which.
Sorry. That must be my "White privilege" speaking again.

 

[Brent S]

I’m ok with feeding people. There really are a lot of people that don’t have the mental capacity to care for themselves. I do agree that probably half of the people on the take could be cut out, and I really agree with giving basic food supplies only. Oats, rice, bread etc. if you wish to eat well then find some sort of work.

 

[user 7704]

Kentucky passed a law where you have to do some type of work for your benefits. (If physically and mentally able) of course some Liberal judge threw it out.

 

[TexasFreedom]

Brent,

I think then we agree. They get food. They can choose if they eat it or not. But if they starve, it's on them. If they complain, I don't care. As the song goes, "here's a quarter, call someone who cares."

I think the next time I'm in line and see this, I'm going to make a little scene. Not 'call the cops' scene, but kringe, say out loud "I can feel that money coming straight out of my pocket going into cash for you". It used to be people on food stamps felt guilty about taking. Not true any more, they are happy to live on the dole. If people like me start stepping up and public-shaming them (not in a really bad way, but enough to let them see how what they are doing is stealing from other people), they may not be as brash about it. Yes, I know, wishful thinking. But if I do nothing, I have no justification to complain.

 

[Dani]

Openly shaming to a certain degree will probably only effect the ones that already have some guilt to having to accept a handout. The ones who really need to hear and should be ashamed about it are the ones who grew up accepting it and see it as something they are entitled to.
I've been behind welfare recipients before that just makes me upset for what they are buying. Shrimp, steaks, prepared meals from the deli (where a chicken spaghetti meal for one cost almost $8), or seasoned shrimp that is $14.99 a lb, cookies and cupcakes from the bakery. Then they loaded it up into a brand new Escalade. I just don't get it. Maybe the vehicle was on loan from a friend but I seriously doubt it. If I was one who was low on money, personally would be making homemade meals and stretching out that dollar, but that is just me. Ever see one of those welfare recipients use coupons to make the money last a little longer?

 

[Maverick]

Go back to USDA commodities, we should not be supporting bad habits such as candy, cupcakes, pop etc... In fact teach them how to prepare from scratch, make it a damn requirement. People shouldn't have kids if they can't learn the most basic in life and that's preparing one's own food. This whole welfare food stamp ******** does nothing but keep people ignorant and lazy.

 

[brandx]

I noticed that in my State if a person "pays" with food stamps they don't get charged sales tax. That's like a 5 or 6% discount over what I have to pay. This entire system should be scrapped. Get a job or go hungry. I don't care which.
Sorry. That must be my "White privilege" speaking again.

I must admit I am pretty sick of the system too. I know Jesus said pay unto Caesar but it is hard to me to take. I wish they would shut the whole thing down.

 

[brandx]

Go back to USDA commodities, we should not be supporting bad habits such as candy, cupcakes, pop etc... In fact teach them how to prepare from scratch, make it a damn requirement. People shouldn't have kids if they can't learn the most basic in life and that's preparing one's own food. This whole welfare food stamp ******** does nothing but keep people ignorant and lazy.

I keep hearing this bologna over the radio of how kids only get one meal a day at school because they starve the rest of the time, that is just a bunch of bologna, just look at how over weight these kids are, and they are hungry? If the kids are really hungry it is the parents fault. buying stupid stuff and not taking care of their children. Nothing hardly makes me as mad as a bunch of bologna, since when is it my problem to feed your kids because you are too stupid and selfish to do it yourself?

 

[user 7704]

Go back to USDA commodities, we should not be supporting bad habits such as candy, cupcakes, pop etc... In fact teach them how to prepare from scratch, make it a damn requirement. People shouldn't have kids if they can't learn the most basic in life and that's preparing one's own food. This whole welfare food stamp ******** does nothing but keep people ignorant and lazy.

I saw where they are offering ng those in some cases, but the recipients are balking at the no name brand foods

 

[Petoski]

I keep hearing this bologna over the radio of how kids only get one meal a day at school because they starve the rest of the time, that is just a bunch of bologna, just look at how over weight these kids are, and they are hungry? If the kids are really hungry it is the parents fault. buying stupid stuff and not taking care of their children. Nothing hardly makes me as mad as a bunch of bologna, since when is it my problem to feed your kids because you are too stupid and selfish to do it yourself?

And they can't afford food but all have mobile smart phones with 4g internet and the latest fashion accessories.

 

[Maverick]

I saw where they are offering ng those in some cases, but the recipients are balking at the no name brand foods

Lets add spoiled to ignorant and lazy, ya I heard that before with people bitching about no-brand, maybe they need to starve.

 

[user 7704]

Schools also offer breakfast

 

[user 7704]

Lets add spoiled to ignorant and lazy, ya I heard that before with people bitching about no-brand, maybe they need to starve.

Same people who refuse to buy generic foods.

 

[brandx]

And they can't afford food but all have mobile smart phones with 4g internet and the latest fashion accessories.

Ticks me off to no end. Hope I don't get caught in a situation at the store when I am in a bad mood. I may not be able to keep my mouth shut. REstraint!!

 

[brandx]

Schools also offer breakfast

Thanks to stupid parents, I can't even!!!!!!! Not much gets me as revved up.

 

[brandx]

Openly shaming to a certain degree will probably only effect the ones that already have some guilt to having to accept a handout. The ones who really need to hear and should be ashamed about it are the ones who grew up accepting it and see it as something they are entitled to.
I've been behind welfare recipients before that just makes me upset for what they are buying. Shrimp, steaks, prepared meals from the deli (where a chicken spaghetti meal for one cost almost $8), or seasoned shrimp that is $14.99 a lb, cookies and cupcakes from the bakery. Then they loaded it up into a brand new Escalade. I just don't get it. Maybe the vehicle was on loan from a friend but I seriously doubt it. If I was one who was low on money, personally would be making homemade meals and stretching out that dollar, but that is just me. Ever see one of those welfare recipients use coupons to make the money last a little longer?

Wouldn't you like to say, "gee I have never been able to afford those items, you must have a really great job!" LOUDLY.

 

[TexasFreedom]

Great point Robin, the school meals.

People need to step up and take responsibility. They need to feed themselves and their families. They need to provide reasonable housing for their kids (don't care if adults live in tents or their car, that's their choice). They need to provide for their own well-being (everything from medical care to phones to...). Nobody else is there to take care of them.

Sure, I'll help the truly disabled/mental. But they are going to get bare minimum, I am not paying for the Hilton for them. Everyone else can step up or starve. And if they abuse their kids, take the kids. But when in the world was it decided that parents can't feed their kids!

A big problem is that every piece of gov't things that they are responsible for handouts. STOP IT! Get 1 division to do anything that they are going to do. Don't separate housing & food & medicine & phones. One group, one set of decisions. Less mistakes, less theft. And ZERO for non-citizens. ZERO.

 

[user 7704]

Any time I have seen someone post or a letter to the editor about these abuses you get the following response.

Yes that was me today at the grocery buying the steaks and birthday cake. I was buying them for my 10 year old daughter who is dying of cancer....... blah blah blah

 

[Maverick]

I still subscribe to the saying, ‘you rise and fall on your own accord’

 

[DrHenley]

What we call "poverty"

What the rest of the world calls "poverty"

 

[Kevin L]

I--like Brent--believe in generosity and feeding the poor (I am a conservative with some liberal tendencies), but even I have a problem with the food stamp system.

When I was a medic, certian drug dealers would sell crack for food stamps (offering something like $0.10 on the dollar), and then turn around and sell the food stamps for $0.30 on the dollar...and make a profit both ways.

I believe that the debit card system has done a lot to curb such abuses, but I'm sure that sleazebags have found a way around this.

 

[tmttactical]

POS will always find ways around the system but it is a lot harder and more time consuming to have to trade or barter physical goods verses debit cards and / or cash. Make all welfare a workfare, Unless mentally or physically deficient, they have to spend one hour per $8.00 value in welfare monies received (food, housing, phone, etc.) That way they have an incentive to find a good or at least a better paying job. JM2C

 

[Brent S]

What we call "poverty"

What the rest of the world calls "poverty"

As they say, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’.....

 

[user 7704]

I--like Brent--believe in generosity and feeding the poor (I am a conservative with some liberal tendencies), but even I have a problem with the food stamp system.

When I was a medic, certian drug dealers would sell crack for food stamps (offering something like $0.10 on the dollar), and then turn around and sell the food stamps for $0.30 on the dollar...and make a profit both ways.

I believe that the debit card system has done a lot to curb such abuses, but I'm sure that sleazebags have found a way around this.

My biological father was an alcoholic. If he hadn't owned the farm he lived on, he would have been homeless.

Later in life, he started getting food stamps and most of it went to the local bootlegger for half pints of whisky.

Most of the bootleggers business was paid by food stamps . That was before the EBT cards.

 

[user 7704]

POS will always find ways around the system but it is a lot harder and more time consuming to have to trade or barter physical goods verses debit cards and / or cash. Make all welfare a workfare, Unless mentally or physically deficient, they have to spend one hour per $8.00 value in welfare monies received (food, housing, phone, etc.) That way they have an incentive to find a good or at least a better paying job. JM2C

See my post above about Kentucky

 

[Mountain trapper]

Our Founders did not invision our nation becoming a socialist welfare State. But over time that's exactly what we have become; a socialist welfare State.
Right now there are more job openings than people to fill them. And yet we still have millions of slackers sucking off the government tit. Even on this site I'm surprised at the number of people who support socialism. I have no problem with feeding those who truly need help. But not with tax payer money. There are countless charitable organizations that pass out food to the truly needy.
Why do so many people here support government theft from one person and giving it to someone else? Couldn't your family use that money more than some nameless loser in another part of the country? I know mine can. Socialists find it so easy to spend other people's money.

 

[user 7704]

I believe much of our problems are making decisions on a federal level rather than state level.

That way you have 50 choices of where you want to live and match their programs wi th what fits you.

California is always going to be a Socialist hell hole so let them go down the drain with their own rules and financing.