Free Cigarettes for the “Poor” or Who Refuse to Work

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by Swamp_Music, Jun 27, 2012.

  1. Swamp_Music

    Swamp_Music Well-Known Member

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    PETERBOROUGH — Jackie R. Whiton of Antrim had been a six-year employee at the Big Apple convenience store in Peterborough until a single transaction sent her job up in smoke.

    The store clerk was fired after she refused to take a customer’s Electronic Balance Transfer card to pay for cigarettes.

    Whiton said a young man came in to the store to buy two packs or cigarettes on May 29. When she asked him for his ID, he handed her his EBT card.

    EBT cards are used for both food and cash assistance programs. There are two types of cards: one can only be used for food. The other can be spent on anything and used just like a debit card.

    Whiton said she did not think EBT cards could be used to purchase cigarettes and refused to sell to him. The two “had a little go-around” as the line got longer behind him, said Whiton.

    “I made the statement, ‘do you think myself, that lady and that gentlemen should pay for your cigarettes?’ and he responded ‘yes,’ ” Whiton said.

    http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/...cle_87627ed5-5d4e-5ff0-a781-f14deb034771.html

    The article goes on, but my question is do those who do not earn enough money have a RIGHT to free cigarettes at the expense of the taxpayer? Keep in mind cigarettes are highly taxed to punish people for exercising their free will, making the exercise of Individual Liberty a fineable offense. Since cigarettes can be purchased with those EBT cards the taxpayer is also paying the high taxes.
     
  2. Goldwater

    Goldwater Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Food stamps can only be used for non taxable food items in California.

    Which means no hot food, ciggarettes, booze, or anything NOT food.

    I can't believe any state would allow smokes on food stamps, and it's a crying shame the clerk got fired. She must have had a terrible boss.
     
  3. Swamp_Music

    Swamp_Music Well-Known Member

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    EBT cards are not "food stamps" exactly; they are "welfare" benefits doled out (sic) with a "debit card" and are so used in all 50 states according to the USDA's website as they explain it below:



    Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)

    Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that allows a recipient to authorize transfer of their government benefits from a Federal account to a retailer account to pay for products received. EBT is used in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. EBT has been implemented in all States since June of 2004.

    http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/

    We the People's tax money at work! :puke: Of course Democrats :puke: at the idea of cutting just one cent from welfare, yet look what they allow! :angered:
     
  4. Goldwater

    Goldwater Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    In California....EBT cards replaced food stamps. They are the exact same benefit only on a debit style card.

    I do take exception to your inference that everybody who collects food assistance benefits is just someone who refuses to work.

    I had a friend, who lost his job, and couldn't find another, and needed food stamps only for a short time. He didn't get general assistance
     
  5. The Real American Thinker

    The Real American Thinker New Member

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    Virginia has the same system.
     
  6. Beevee

    Beevee Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Has this only occurred in the last four years then? When were ETB cards introduced? And as a matter of interest, which was the first state to use them? And is there a law that prohibits certain items from being purchased with these cards?
     
  7. Goldwater

    Goldwater Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I can answer that for California's EBT cards.

    If you get food stamps, that is one account that can be accessed with an EBT card, and you cannot buy taxable non food items, and the card will not approve prohibted items at the register.

    If you get general assitance...that is another account that can be accessed on the same EBT card, and it's like cash, you can buy whatever you want, or do ATM withdrawls.
     
  8. Swamp_Music

    Swamp_Music Well-Known Member

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    There are essentially TWO cards. One for "food stamps" which have some rules, and the other is for "welfare benefits;" just like a welfare check. There are no rules for the spending of such benefits.
     
  9. Beevee

    Beevee Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    So, as reprehensible as it may be, it's not illegal. Perhaps however the employee mistakenly believed she was her own boss and not employed to earn her salary by doing the job she was employed to do. A lesson to be learned for her next job, if she gets one.
     
  10. Goldwater

    Goldwater Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I'd be willing to bet there are rules regarding the food stamps benefits.

    I can't imagine any state allowing non food items with food stamps. I'd also et there are federal guidelines
     
  11. Swamp_Music

    Swamp_Music Well-Known Member

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    I think the question should be more "how much should we slash welfare spending so the buying of cigarettes and alcohol is not possible, or what rules should be put in place when spending the FORCED largess of others?"
     
  12. Goldwater

    Goldwater Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Now that I think about it...the employee could have been mistaken if the customer had welfare benefits on his/her EBT card.

    If that's the case...I would think it excessive to fire somebody for refusing service based on a misunderstanding. But then this does carry with it a possible civil rights kerfuffle if the customer wants to cry racism, if they could
     
  13. Beevee

    Beevee Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Perhaps anyone who has the audacity to use these legitimate cards for purposes that others believe illegitimate should be taken off welfare altogether and left to rot.
     
  14. The Real American Thinker

    The Real American Thinker New Member

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    No.

    Zzzzzz
     
  15. SkullKrusher

    SkullKrusher Banned

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    Here is where leftwing and rightwing can agree that wasted spending can be cut. We can vote bi-partisan, to have welfare payments in the form of food stamps that cannot be used for alcohol, or cigarettes, and voucher for a minimal place to live, with electricity, and water.

    Healthcare can be provided in a minimal way, a few checkups are free, and some prescription drugs provided as necessary. Medical schools can provide some help for checkups, as part of training of students. Dental schools might be able to provide some basic dental care. Pyschology schools might be able to help also. IE: we get more out of Educational costs as part of the solution.

    Where habitual drug users who are completely incapable of doing anything, in effect simply zombies in society, we provide them with a plantation clinic which will let them have as much drug as they want, as long as they remain on the premises. It could be a kind of an OD flophouse. They eventually will OD and the expense will be much less than incarcerating them in regular prison.
     
  16. Makedde

    Makedde New Member Past Donor

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    If you are rely on welfare for your entire income, you should not be allowed to buy smokes or alcohol with that money. If you can afford to buy smokes, you can afford to buy some decent clothes, and look for a job.
     
  17. elevatedthinking

    elevatedthinking New Member

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    I've ran into this way too many times working at my grocery store. It's not only this that gets me, but it's the people who will come through with wic and other food assistance, which I have no problem with, and use these programs to pay for their food while the entire time they sit chatting on their hundreds of dollars a month iPhones.
     
  18. Swamp_Music

    Swamp_Music Well-Known Member

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    No, you don't understand. The "leftwing and rightwing can('t) agree." It's all about wealth distribution. If we do as we should, what you suggest the "poor" would actually be "poor" and they would not get 250 free cell phone minutes a month "for Local & National Long Distance Calls, Texting and More!" :puke:

    https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Safelink/
     
  19. Goldwater

    Goldwater Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I couldn't agree more....amd I used to work for a grocery store too.

    Toothless ghetto EBT users would come to the hot food deli I worked at, and try to get me to serve them hot food, but label it as "deli" which wasn't taxble, and I was all "no way, it's my job if I get caught"...and one time these low lifes were so pissed at me for saying no, they came back and tried to jump me in the parking lot when I got off work...which means they waited for me for 3 hours.
     
  20. squidward

    squidward Well-Known Member

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    I hope the kid dies a slow agonizing death from lung disease, at a young age.
     
  21. Ostap Bender

    Ostap Bender Well-Known Member

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    Free cigarettes for the those who posses not enough money is crime against humanity!Smoking kills.
     

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