Sickening

[Dolomite_supafly]

This is why we are doomed.

Today I stopped to get gas at a local station. A young lady, mid 20's, was in there buying a bunch of small snacks and beer. I didn't think anything about it until I saw the EBT, food stamp, card.

I thought to myself that she can't use it to buy beer. Well they make it so easy that they can swipe the card and it only pays for authorized food items. It gives a revised total for the alcohol and other items not covered. She then pulls out cash for the stuff not covered.

They are making it to easy for these abusers of the system to do it. If they are that needy they do not need to be buying alcohol. And on top of that she was so high she had problems keeping her eyes opening. She was staggering as well.

Why the hell is she using our public funds from taxes to buy food so she can free up cash for her illegal drug or alcohol use?

I really wish they would drug test EVERY applicant at least once a year. Or if they are caught buying alcohol more than once a month they loose benefits for the following month.

I am sick and tired of my taxes going up and up and up while my public services like LE, ambulance and fire keep going down. If I call 911 with an emergency it can take up to one hour to respond and they readily admit that because they do not have the funding for more than a few officers on duty during peak hours.

Sorry for the rant but I get tired of seeing this every single day.

Dolomite

[Links2k]

I say do away with everything that doesn't assist special needs individuals, veterans and senior citizens. The abuse can no longer be tolerated. If we have to bust our humps to keep food on the table....you know the rest.

If they decide to make drastic changes I hope that they start with my family members first. It devastates me to see my relatives living it up without a care in the world while I work weekends, holidays and skip vacations with the hope of educating my kids and turning them into successful and productive citizens.

Edited July 22, 2012 by LINKS2K

[Oh Shoot]

I say do away with everything that doesn't assist special needs individuals, veterans and senior citizens. ....

Fortunately, we're running tax payer paid ads to make sure that everybody possible is on food stamps.

I'm a retired senior citizen I guess, and I'm far from needing them. But ya know what? Looks like if I juggled some money around, put most everything into property, used every available deduction, I might could just barely qualify for some myself.

Or really, why play it by the rules? I could just easily lie a bit. Odds of being caught are pretty low, methinks. Reckon they even cross reference income tax returns with food stamp applicants? All 45 million of them? Hell, the IRS can't even catch the tens of thousands who defraud it each year. Wouldn't surprise me if they don't even cross reference Social Security, who knows.

Once a bureaucracy gets to a certain size and complexity, it's untenable. This of course happened long ago in the US and now it's just an absolute joke. We borrow 40% of every dollar spent and waste half of that dollar.

Isn't this just a small part of the total prob?:

http://www.tngunowne...ng-worse-daily/

- OS

Edited July 22, 2012 by OhShoot

[TMF]

Seems like a simple equation for me. Folks who receive government handouts have made it clear that they are willing to give up their rights for certain securities. We should just make it official. Folks who use gov money should be banned from any activities that detract from becoming employed, such as alcohol consumption, purchasing of comfort items like TV's and video games and should be drug tested. They should also be required to provide 40 hours of community service per week, and only be given time off if they are applying or interviewing for a job. If we had measures like that there'd be a lot less people on gov assistance.

[Oh Shoot]

Seems like a simple equation for me. Folks who receive government handouts have made it clear that they are willing to give up their rights for certain securities. We should just make it official. Folks who use gov money should be banned from ....

Practical proposals like yours makes me giggle.

You realize the admin has just re-approved "bed rest, personal care activities, massage, exercise, journaling, motivational reading, smoking cessation, weight loss promotion, participation in parent-teacher meetings, or helping friends or family with household tasks and errands" as counting as "work" to qualify for benefits from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families , right?

THAT'S the way it's going, the exact opposite way from practicality or even modicum of sanity.

Hence my giggles, Mr. Quixote.

- OS

[Links2k]

Seems like a simple equation for me. Folks who receive government handouts have made it clear that they are willing to give up their rights for certain securities. We should just make it official. Folks who use gov money should be banned from any activities that detract from becoming employed, such as alcohol consumption, purchasing of comfort items like TV's and video games and should be drug tested. They should also be required to provide 40 hours of community service per week, and only be given time off if they are applying or interviewing for a job. If we had measures like that there'd be a lot less people on gov assistance.

Mandatory community service would satisfy me. That alone would make some people drop from the programs.

[TMF]

Practical proposals like yours makes me giggle.

You realize the admin has just re-approved "bed rest, personal care activities, massage, exercise, journaling, motivational reading, smoking cessation, weight loss promotion, participation in parent-teacher meetings, or helping friends or family with household tasks and errands" as counting as "work" to qualify for benefits from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families , right?

THAT'S the way it's going, the exact opposite way from practicality or even modicum of sanity.

Hence my giggles, Mr. Quixote.

- OS

Oh I know. In a perfect world....

[Guest TankerHC]

Last week Obama did an end run around a deal brokered between the Republican led Congress and Bill Clinton. States no longer have to have at least 50% of their case load active in searching for jobs to receieve welfare. So, what that means is that now you do not have to be actively looking for work to recieve Food Stamps, just sit on your 4th point of contact and collect.

Last week Obama also made the comment that "Its Bush's Fault" that so many people are on welfare. The Oblamer in Chief doesnt seem to think he has anything to do with the Food Stamp rolls rising 40% since 2009, even though he became POTUS on January 20th, 2009.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I'll call it my 3-3-3 plan seeing how every politician has some catching number equation to fix everything. That is anyone who receives ANY benefits must show up 3 days a week, spend 3 hours on those days digging 3 holes. What do you do the following week? Show up 3 days, spend 3 hours filling in those 3 holes. And that is what you do while you are on benefits.

Make this the requirement to receive assistance. I bet we would lose a lot of people on the roles because they will not show up.

And for those who can't physically work because they are REALLY handicapped I present the 5-5 plan. They can spend 5 hours a day for 5 days a week answering a phone to a government office. Imagine how much more efficient places like the DMV, courts and most other government offices would run if they didn't have to answer the "are you open" question every time the phone rings.

Dolomite

[Guest 6.8 AR]

How about just cutting the damned programs out?

Won't be any money left, anyway. No sacred cows

left to be paid.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hornett22]

I worked with a guy in Michigan in the late 90's. He asked for a ride home one afternoon so I obliged. on the way we had to stop at a rent to own place so he could make a payment on some jewelry. Afterwards I met his family. All his daughters called him by his first name. He said it was because he couldn't marry their mother because they would lose government assistance. He also told me he sold his food stamps down on the corner for 50 cents on the dollar to buy beer and cigarettes.

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

I cant even say what I really feel about all of this because I see it every day around here... I get banned..

If I wanted to have more money and more food and decent healthcare around here. .I would have to divorce my husband.. isnt that sad? If I was single and claiming I was living in a room I rent..I would be living it up.. get my food payed for.. and get decent healthcare..

Something is wrong ...

Edited July 22, 2012 by Sour Kraut

[ironsniper1]

I worked at Kroger for 2 years and have seen the food stamp abuse first hand, people come in and buy 500 dollars with of items pay half with the EBT card and pull out a big wad of cash to pay the rest. I'm also currently unemployed and have been since 2010 and I can get food stamps but I refuse too cause I don't want to be like certain members of my family and rely on the govt for anything I'm not even taking unemployment but that's something else though if I could get it I wouldn't take it anyway ok rant over

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[strickj]

Posted Today, 12:24 AM

This is why we are doomed.

Today I stopped to get gas at a local station. A young lady, mid 20's, was in there buying a bunch of small snacks and beer. I didn't think anything about it until I saw the EBT, food stamp, card.

I thought to myself that she can't use it to buy beer. Well they make it so easy that they can swipe the card and it only pays for authorized food items. It gives a revised total for the alcohol and other items not covered. She then pulls out cash for the stuff not covered.

You do realize that, that cash probably came from welfare or EBT's cash back, right?

Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy!

[Dennis1209]

When people discover they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury, guess what?

There was a time in this former great nation when you had to own property to qualify to vote. Seems our founding fathers were thinking, "hey, been there, done that". There's a very large percentage of the population that are renters (not bashing renters), they do not have a horse in the race. Why should they qualify to vote for personal property, property tax increases for any reason?

Example: I lived in a crappy little house on a very small lot in East Saint Louis, Illinois for thirty-eight years. It became crime infested and a good portion of it was Section 8 housing. When I walked away, no I ran like hell, from Illinois, my property tax bill was $4,000.00 per year on a $55,000.00 house. At the local Wal-Mart, Quick Trip, etc., seems like I was the only one in line not paying with foo sta or WIC.

I'm way past the point of fed up. Problem is, I have to live with it and nothing I can individually do about it. I believe the powers that be coined a term specifically geared to forced welfare.

Grin and Bear it...

Edited July 22, 2012 by Dennis1209

[DaveTN]

Free food, booze, and health care.

Couple that with allowing citizenship to illegals and how big of a voting group do you think that is?

[Dennis1209]

Free food, booze, and health care.

Couple that with allowing citizenship to illegals and how big of a voting group do you think that is?

The proverbial nail on the head...

[LI0NSFAN]

Seems like a simple equation for me. Folks who receive government handouts have made it clear that they are willing to give up their rights for certain securities. We should just make it official. Folks who use gov money should be banned from any activities that detract from becoming employed, such as alcohol consumption, purchasing of comfort items like TV's and video games and should be drug tested. They should also be required to provide 40 hours of community service per week, and only be given time off if they are applying or interviewing for a job. If we had measures like that there'd be a lot less people on gov assistance.

I have always felt if we are going to give them money they should at least work a little for it even if it is 1 eight hour work day a week. If they dont show up for 1 day a week they don't get the benifet for that week. I took UI for 5 weeks until I decieded that I was going to be a stay at home parent, when I went in to ask them about the legalities of me claiming UI with no intention of getting work they simple said most UI people have no intention on working. He then told me most of the same people have been coming in for the last 3+ years. I was told by him I could still claim it as long as I wanted but if I wanted it to stop I just had to stopcalling in on my day.

[Guest TankerHC]

The proverbial nail on the head...

+1000

[QuietDan]

This is why we are doomed.

Today I stopped to get gas at a local station. A young lady, mid 20's, was in there buying a bunch of small snacks and beer. I didn't think anything about it until I saw the EBT, food stamp, card.

I thought to myself that she can't use it to buy beer. Well they make it so easy that they can swipe the card and it only pays for authorized food items. It gives a revised total for the alcohol and other items not covered. She then pulls out cash for the stuff not covered.

They are making it to easy for these abusers of the system to do it. If they are that needy they do not need to be buying alcohol. And on top of that she was so high she had problems keeping her eyes opening. She was staggering as well.

Why the hell is she using our public funds from taxes to buy food so she can free up cash for her illegal drug or alcohol use?

I really wish they would drug test EVERY applicant at least once a year. Or if they are caught buying alcohol more than once a month they loose benefits for the following month.

I am sick and tired of my taxes going up and up and up while my public services like LE, ambulance and fire keep going down. If I call 911 with an emergency it can take up to one hour to respond and they readily admit that because they do not have the funding for more than a few officers on duty during peak hours.

Sorry for the rant but I get tired of seeing this every single day.

Dolomite

Dolomite and the rest of you all:

Thank you very much for your concerns, but you are missing the point entirely.

Bureaucracies and bureaucrats don't exist to provide a service, such as food stamps and such; they only exist to provide jobs for themselves. Expanding the number of folks who qualify for foodstamps or the EBT isn't so more people are covered, it's so that more bureaucrats are needed to "administer" the program. They could care less who gets the benefits, or if they get benefits at all. It's all about the gigs for the bureaucrats.

I'm beyond being cynical about this, I'm just being real.

[Sam1]

Mandatory community service would satisfy me. That alone would make some people drop from the programs.

+1 People drop out of high school their last year to keep from graduating so they can get on the draw. Don't need a high school diploma to push a lawn mower or pick up trash.