Sad reality of a socialist economy.

[Smith]

Wife's out of town with the kids so I had to head to our nearest Kroger (Madison) to pick up a few things for dinner. As I head to the checkout lanes I'm suddenly aware that there is some reason for concern. Clerks running around talking frantically to each other and abandoning lanes. I immediately start scoping for possible threats and escape routes still unsure of what could have the whole front of the store in such a bustle.

The reason for the panic? Turns out the EBT system was down! Never mind cash, checks, debit, and credit cards still worked. The whole store had come to a near halt. The reality that that one system could cause such a panic with cashiers asking if the store was closing and wondering what to do next sadly reminded me of the state of our ever changing economy. Evidently without food stamp business there isn't much business. :shrug:

Stay vigilant and VOTE American!

[Il Duce]

Reminds me of a time when I was working at K-Mart while I was in high school and the power went out. They sent EVERY SINGLE customer to me because I was the only one who knew how to calculate tax without the need of a register, granted I still had a calculator but still. It was sad.

[G27]

Yep, as I was walking in to Korger to get some stuff for dinner tonight there were some folks walking out, obviously quite angry, cursing up a storm.

Made sense when I saw the 'EBT system down' sign on the front door...

[Raoul]

Recently I stopped at our local seafood store to pick up something for dinner. There was a charming family there, overweight, unruly kids, t shirt printed with profanities. Upstanding bunch.

Guy comes out of the back with a bushel of live blue crabs. Paid for with an ebt card. Our tax dollars at work.

[vontar]

I had a walmart employee tell me about a 30 minute power failure a Walmart had, mind you Only 30 minutes.

They threw out every Meat, dairy, egg product they had. But first they had to label it had bad, run it though a register, so they could get a total for the insurance.

They turned every penny of it in to insurance as a total lose.

The employee told me, that multiple employees oftered to buy allot of it but walmart was happy to trash it and collect insurance for a total lose

[Chief07]

Wife's out of town with the kids so I had to head to our nearest Kroger (Madison) to pick up a few things for dinner. As I head to the checkout lanes I'm suddenly aware that there is some reason for concern. Clerks running around talking frantically to each other and abandoning lanes. I immediately start scoping for possible threats and escape routes still unsure of what could have the whole front of the store in such a bustle.

The reason for the panic? Turns out the EBT system was down! Never mind cash, checks, debit, and credit cards still worked. The whole store had come to a near halt. The reality that that one system could cause such a panic with cashiers asking if the store was closing and wondering what to do next sadly reminded me of the state of our ever changing economy. Evidently without food stamp business there isn't much business.

Stay vigilant and VOTE American!

Good God, We are in trouble. Recovery my big ole butt!

[broylz]

only going to get worse i fear.

[Guest ronmale2]

stock up the ammo and get ready cause its coming

[Mechanic_X]

This seems like a scenario that could cause a SHTF scenario to start. Have to shoot your way out of Kroger with a loaf of bread.

[Guest uofmeet]

My wife works for kroger.....she tells me all the time about people using their EBT card to pay for food and then going out and gettin in their brand new escalade......

[vontar]

Just wait until this winter when there is the slightest hint of snow, the panic buying of milk and bread.

If anyone wants a clue how fast the stores will be out during a SHTF event, wait for a Weatherman call for snow in East TN then go out and try to buy Milk and bread.

[Guest KimberChick]

Just wait until this winter when there is the slightest hint of snow, the panic buying of milk and bread.

If anyone wants a clue how fast the stores will be out during a SHTF event, wait for a Weatherman call for snow in East TN then go out and try to buy Milk and bread.

They do that here. It's funny. What ya gonna do, live on french toast until the snow melts?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

The snow storm grocery rush seems similar to mass behavior of lemmings.

[Guest RedFive]

Would you like to know something sad?

My wife and I together made over $45,000 last year, have 2 kids, and still qualify for WIC and for her to go to school full time for free on the Pell Grant.

[Punisher84]

Would you like to know something sad?

My wife and I together made over $45,000 last year, have 2 kids, and still qualify for WIC and for her to go to school full time for free on the Pell Grant.

I don't think that's that sad. At least the Pell Grant thing. School is expensive as hell now.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I watched a lady pull up two carts to the checkout. The first cart was the EBT purchases. After paying for that they rang up the second cart of cigarettes, booze and a few other non EBT items. The lady, who was wearing a ton of nice jewelery, then pulled out a couple of hundreds from the wad she had and paid.

My wife and I stood there dumbfounded because she obviously wasn't hurting enough to need food stamps.

Dolomite

[KaNuckles]

[vontar]

I watched a lady pull up two carts to the checkout. The first cart was the EBT purchases. After paying for that they rang up the second cart of cigarettes, booze and a few other non EBT items. The lady, who was wearing a ton of nice jewelery, then pulled out a couple of hundreds from the wad she had and paid.

My wife and I stood there dumbfounded because she obviously wasn't hurting enough to need food stamps.

Dolomite

Since I (we)helped pay for the first buggy with my taxes and she was well feed and saving money not having to buy food no wonder she was able to support her other habits.

[lunarpowered]

My wife works for kroger.....she tells me all the time about people using their EBT card to pay for food and then going out and gettin in their brand new escalade......

Yeah, I'm sick and tired of seeing that.

[Guest nsane]

That just goes to show you how retarded our entire entitlement system is. I know that sometimes people get down and out and need some help, but that is where charity comes in.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I started another thread about this but there is a lady who uses her food stamp card to buy tuna for her house cats. She doesn't try to hide it and actually kind of brags about it. She said that she will quit buying tuna when they allow her to buy cat food for her cats. I found this out while speaking to a cashier at our local hometown kind of store. The cashier said she was told not to question any purchases.

I have also been there and witnessed it when the cashiers allow a purchase to be made on someone elses card also which leads me to believe there may be some type of selling going on like the old food stamp system.

The biggest thing they could do to relieve some of the burden on the system is drug test all who receive public assistance. Do random annual testing and if they piss hot then take them off the rolls for one month on the first offense, six months for the second and permanently on their third. If they can afford illegal drugs then they can afford to pay for their own food. I honestly believe marijuana should be legalized but I, as a taxpayer, whould not be subsidizing their food so they can buy drugs.

Dolomite

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

Would you like to know something sad?

My wife and I together made over $45,000 last year, have 2 kids, and still qualify for WIC and for her to go to school full time for free on the Pell Grant.

There is certainly nothing sad about that, WIC happens to be, at least IMO one of the few good programs our Govt. runs. I always qualified for it too when my kids were much smaller and was making a bit more that what you stated. The fact that the items are so strictly regulated is what makes it work, One certainly can not buy no Fruit Loops with WIC. I think the Food Stamp program should be set up more closely along those lines.

It would be much harder to do but a certain % could be set aside for Luxury foods and the rest for basic staples. I know of several folks who get food stamps and are single, the fraud is just as rampant as it was before the EBT cards. These days they either shop for someone else who gives them cash or they buy High Dollar steaks and such and then re-sell them at a discount to others.

But there is certainly nothing wrong with using good programs the way that they were intended to be used. The Pell Grants are another example of a good program.

I started another thread about this but there is a lady who uses her food stamp card to buy tuna for her house cats. She doesn't try to hide it and actually kind of brags about it. She said that she will quit buying tuna when they allow her to buy cat food for her cats. I found this out while speaking to a cashier at our local hometown kind of store. The cashier said she was told not to question any purchases.

I have also been there and witnessed it when the cashiers allow a purchase to be made on someone elses card also which leads me to believe there may be some type of selling going on like the old food stamp system.

The biggest thing they could do to relieve some of the burden on the system is drug test all who receive public assistance. Do random annual testing and if they piss hot then take them off the rolls for one month on the first offense, six months for the second and permanently on their third. If they can afford illegal drugs then they can afford to pay for their own food. I honestly believe marijuana should be legalized but I, as a taxpayer, whould not be subsidizing their food so they can buy drugs.

Dolomite

I couldn't agree more Dolomite, if they did that I would guess within a year or so the program would have 50% or more LESS people on it.

[Guest mosinon]

I started another thread about this but there is a lady who uses her food stamp card to buy tuna for her house cats. She doesn't try to hide it and actually kind of brags about it. She said that she will quit buying tuna when they allow her to buy cat food for her cats. I found this out while speaking to a cashier at our local hometown kind of store. The cashier said she was told not to question any purchases.

I have also been there and witnessed it when the cashiers allow a purchase to be made on someone elses card also which leads me to believe there may be some type of selling going on like the old food stamp system.

The biggest thing they could do to relieve some of the burden on the system is drug test all who receive public assistance. Do random annual testing and if they piss hot then take them off the rolls for one month on the first offense, six months for the second and permanently on their third. If they can afford illegal drugs then they can afford to pay for their own food. I honestly believe marijuana should be legalized but I, as a taxpayer, whould not be subsidizing their food so they can buy drugs.

Dolomite

It is maddening but it is not a big part of the budget. I think it is 1% or so.

There are places where the government wastes far more money. Besides, 1% won't get us out of the mess we've voted ourselves into.

When people vote with regards to the budget the politicians will get serious about the budget.