Thread: Food Stamps, and Nothing Else -NYT

Originally Posted by phil

I guess we federal employees should all count ourselves lucky that we don't have to depend on food stamps. However, other people do. I think it's probably not by many people's choice, but out of necessity.

Here's what I don't understand here: Why do so many people believe that people are poor by choice?

In talking to the poor and homeless, I discover that most people don't actually choose to be poor or homeless. Really, they don't.

Because I know them and was in the room or area when they network with each other on how to "game" the system.

People that work just enough months to go back on unemployment. People that divorce to increase benefits to the wife and kids with the husband still life at home, not working or looking.

People that claim mental or alcohol related SS disability so they do not have to work.

People that take the food assistance and buy all steaks so they can sell them for cash and buy drugs, cigarettes, and booze. They then go to the food pantries to get more freebies to eat on.

You need to hang with a different class of people to see it or hear about it. They don't tell everyone what they are doing and they try to not make it obvious. That is why you see them in this area at 2:00 a.m. doing the buying with a cart FULL of nothing but steaks.

Granted now is different, there are a lot of honest people using the benefit, but in good times the dishonest dominated the system. My biggest point to the food assistance is they should not be allowed to buy steak. Any ground meat will sustain their protein needs. They should only be allowed to buy ground meats and store brand milk, cereals, vegetables, and fruit. Keep it simple and eliminate the fraud. Works for WIC.

How about requiring these people that are on any kind of assistance to actually DO something in return for the assistance?

Think Civilian Conservation Corps.

I don't have any problem with people receiving government assistance performing work. Other countries do that as well.

The issue in the past has been the labor itself. For many years prisons were not allowed to perform labor, since this was considered illegal. It probably also took jobs away from other people.

Sure, we could simply replace a lot of our federal work force with people on government assistance. This would also drive down the cost of running our government. Good idea.

Always the extreme or sarcasm for you Phil. How about menial task and replace the contract workers for the State and Federal government.

The is a lot of sweeping, cleaning, scrapping, peeling, painting, and trash picking up.

Put them at the end of a weed eater or hand saw mowing a grooming every highway and road in the USA. Save the State workers form having to mow right aways so they can repair roads and bridges instead of contracting it out because they do not have the man power.

If you allow me to become Cesar I will show you the way to make it work.

Originally Posted by Show-me

Because I know them and was in the room or area when they network with each other on how to "game" the system.

People that work just enough months to go back on unemployment. People that divorce to increase benefits to the wife and kids with the husband still life at home, not working or looking.

People that claim mental or alcohol related SS disability so they do not have to work.

People that take the food assistance and buy all steaks so they can sell them for cash and buy drugs, cigarettes, and booze. They then go to the food pantries to get more freebies to eat on.

You need to hang with a different class of people to see it or hear about it. They don't tell everyone what they are doing and they try to not make it obvious. That is why you see them in this area at 2:00 a.m. doing the buying with a cart FULL of nothing but steaks.

Granted now is different, there are a lot of honest people using the benefit, but in good times the dishonest dominated the system. My biggest point to the food assistance is they should not be allowed to buy steak. Any ground meat will sustain their protein needs. They should only be allowed to buy ground meats and store brand milk, cereals, vegetables, and fruit. Keep it simple and eliminate the fraud. Works for WIC.

BINGO. You said it much better than I could. I know there are good honest people that are in this position and hating it, I was not talking about them. I guess opinions depend on where in the country you live and with whom you have contact with. That is what makes this topic so explosive.
We, as a nation, have been sold down the river.

Wow! Let's not even talk about WELFARE, that's a BIG ONE!! Do you have any idea how much assistance a single Mother gets?

Originally Posted by nnuut

Wow! Let's not even talk about WELFARE, that's a BIG ONE!! Do you have any idea how much assistance a single Mother gets?

HEY, that is a full time career, doncha know. And just think, it can be passed onto their children.
Boy am I glad I did not choose that route.

If I entered this discussion I'd probably get banished.

Originally Posted by Birchtree

If I entered this discussion I'd probably get banished.

Surely!!! smiley3.gif

I get this feeling that some of these recipriants would not pass the security test to even work for the Government as cleanup contractors. So it wouldn't be that simple. There also will need to be some sort of child care.

They could drop their kids off at the local High School - they all provide day care these days with so many illegitimates being born. It's a great government sponsorship.