Food Stamps - Take The Challenge

Yes, because whoever heard of economic bad luck that could reduce a relatively wealthy family into poverty.

No, every poor family is just irresponsible and didn't plan ahead.

 

Some families went through savings, other families never had them. Again...the problem with one-size-fits-all engineering and involuntary contribution.

 

And as I said, if 71billion dollars isn't much, then why did we cut back NASA? The Marines costs less than half of that. The VA costs less than that. Veteran's pension cost less than that. Nasa costs less than half of that. So why are these programs okay to chop? After all, they don't cost 'that much'.

 

So, the individual has no responsibility to feed themsleves? Even SS is supposed to be a supplement. Problem is that people forget how to take care of themselves when someone else does it for them.

BTW, what proof do you have that that is all the get to eat. I've seen how these people use welfare just as another stream of income.

 

Of course they do. Doesn't mean society doesn't also have a responsibility to help with that.

 

I agree. I think the point of dissention is that I don't think government=society.

 

Government is (or is supposed to be, anyway) a reflection of society. We make up society, we also make up the government. We elect it, relatively freely, to do our will.

So they are more or less the same.

 

Although I admire what the Mayor promissed, and I appreciate your post, I think you are missing the point about welfare as I understand it: people should WORK for their living no matter what. where I WOULD agree with liberals would be that with todays technological advancements, people should not work hard to take care of their families, but democrat party is totally corrupt to touch this full truth, and therefor continnues to blame the successful as the reason for the problem of poverty they themselves created.

 

Virtually everyone collecting food stamps is working or retired and too old to work. Yes, we do have a problem with very high unemployment right now that has placed more on the food stamp roles but they were workers that are merely out of work temporarily.

There is this stereotype belief held by some conservatives that this assistance is going to those that don't work or that don't want to work and it is false belief based upon the statistics for those actually collecting SNAP benefits. Well, that is unless we count those that worked hard at low incomes for over 45 years and now are living on poverty level Social Security incomes. Does anyone actually propose forcing "granny" back into the work force when she's 75 years old?

 

One time in the past I had some heavy one-time expenses, and made a lower than average paycheck, so I was short about $100 for groceries for that two weeks - I applied for food stamps seeking only $100 dollars for groceries to last me that two weeks before my next paycheck came in.

I was told I would not qualify for immediate food stamps simply because I actually had a job.

 

The system has to be 'gamed' in these instances, meaning you apply when you don't need it and use it when you do.

Lower wage earners usually qualify, but it takes a long time to process.

 

I'm a liberal, and I was homeless. So was Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona's new Representative.

 

When I began my Avon business the first year I had to spend any revenue back on marketing to potential clients around the neighborhood with flyers and driving around town during the peak of high gas prices, the difference is I had already applied for food stamps and welfare, so did not have to starve during those times before my business had enough clients to become net profitable and grow.

 

Nor is it healthy! Where is the protein? Where is the fruit? What about coffee? Do we include the cost of coffee in our meals?

My daughter and I lived on food stamps and I was a single working mother at that time. It was hard! I bought meat, potatoes and vegetables, pasta, cereal (usually oatmeal cause it kept us full longer) and other essentials like sugar, flour, spices, etc. I canned tomatoes in the summer for sauce and froze vegetables when I could. It wasn't easy. I don' t have a problem helping someone who needs help (I remember my dad was embarrassed to go to the bank and pay for his food stamps: Yes when FS first came out $50.00 would cost you $10.00 and the price went up according to how many food stamps you purchased!). But we used them even back then and my mom canned, froze veggies and fruit. We grew our own meat but when you make $72 a week after taxes to feed a family of seven...it was tough. I remember having boiled potatoes and poor man's gravy which is lard melted in a pan with flour added and then brown and then water added. Tastes like crap now but I ate it back then. . We had meat ONLY on Sundays and we had soup on Friday!).

On the other hand I have some family members who's husband has been in and out of jail and refuses to work, she keeps popping out kids (in fact she is due to have another one and her youngest is three MONTHS old now! She gets almost $900 in food stamps. She says her kids are "fat" because healthy food costs so much but what really costs are the twinkies and soda and chips and other stuff NONE of them need except maybe once in awhile! And I think she sells some of her FS to get money for her cigarettes and gas so her husband can go visit his mistress (but that's for another board!). I'm struggling right now. I'm disabled and I get$33 in food stamps a MONTH combined with $699 in social security (that I feel I am entitled to because I paid into SS for a good 40 years!) I can't can and freeze anymore because I dodn't have a freezer and my hands won't do the work and I can't afford to pay anyone to come to my house and do it for me!

So while I see one side of the story and the anger, I also see the other side of the story and its misery. BUT I'm alive and I haven't starved to death...yet.

 

SNAP is supplemental. Have you seen the income requirements for a family of five?

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_recipients/eligibility.htm

 

FACT: Welfare now pays more than work. That is the reality that is missed by this "food stamp" fiasco. Why don't we concentrate on making our economy work so people can make a livable wage, than making entitlements cozier.

http://www.cato.org/research/pr-nd-st.html

 

I wouldn't call that a fact. I don't know of anyone on welfare that makes even half of what I do a month.

 

You don't know many drug dealers then.

 

Lol, they're an exception

 

How about this lady that won the lotto and was collecting?
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/17/justice/michigan-lottery-charges/index.html

 

Winning the lottery is 100% chance. There are not millions of lottery winners on welfare.

 

Recent research shows most drug dealers do not make minimum wage.

 

Clearly they need a union.

 

But there are millions in welfare fraud. I'm getting tired of going to the grocery store, and having the crummiest care there in the lot, and being the only one actually paying for food. (Sorry, let me stop my self righteous rant.)

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/massachusetts/millions-in-welfare-fraud-exposed-in-auditors-report