I love the IRS

[macville]

The EBT cards I've seen have "EBT" in about 34 point font on it.

[npgunner]

This (link below) ... from the UK, but still applicable here.

Also ... I chose the American Flag design for my Discover credit card. Worst decision of my life. Once a month is confused for EBT. Not sure why it makes me so mad, but it infuriates me when it happens ... almost so that I want to change it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2768442/It-s-not-easy-overweight-benefits-says-25-stone-mother-two-wants-MORE-money-government-help-diet.html Edited October 7, 2014 by npgunner

[Raoul]

I opted for this

 

This (link below) ... from the UK, but still applicable here.

Also ... I chose the American Flag design for my Discover credit card. Worst decision of my life. Once a month is confused for EBT. Not sure why it makes me so mad, but it infuriates me when it happens ... almost so that I want to change it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2768442/It-s-not-easy-overweight-benefits-says-25-stone-mother-two-wants-MORE-money-government-help-diet.html

 

 

I opted for this:

 

[bersaguy]

I feel there's no shame in taking assistance if you need it. We all have bad luck occasionally. But when collecting benefits becomes a job we've done something wrong.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems that there's no longer any pride in making your own way in the world.

There is no shame if you have a streak of bad luck and you really need the help to get back on your feet. That is for sure and especially if you have a family to care for. I get upset when I go visit a buddy of mine that lives in an Apartment complex that is also section 8 Housing and he and his wife pay $890.00 plus all utilities for 2 bedrooms and put food on the table and both drive average year auto's.

 

 

Then you look at his neighbor which is a single girl with 3 kids and she pays 102.00 dollars pays for 3 bedroom, no utilities get $1,390.00 put on her EBT card every month and goes shopping in a fully dressed out Hummer with wheels that cost a $1,000.00 bucks each and sound system that rocks the whole truck and belongs to her live in boyfriend that also has no identifiable source of income. Those are the ones that make me mad.

 

I think everyone that receives Government subsidies such as Welfare and food Stamps should be required to take a drug test at any time without notice. Agents just show up at your door with a person qualified to draw blood and they pop your blood right there right then and screen it for illegal drugs. If your dirty your done feeding off the sweat and veins of the taxpayers forever period.......................................JMHO

[Grand Torino]

http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/30/11-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-buy-with-food-stamps/

 

1. Quesarito: Taco Bell is one of many fast food restaurants that accept EBT cards. Guacamole is extra? Who cares? It’s on the taxpayer.
2.  Bail: Convicted felons – like drug dealer Kimball Clark â€“ have reportedly used their EBT as bail money. Clark reportedly instructed someone to go to an ATM to withdraw money from his EBT for bail. Because it’s difficult to trace ATM abuse, many speculate this problem is more widespread and not just found in isolated incidents.
3. Strip clubs: Last year, the New York Post reported that FOIA requests revealed welfare recipients were regularly making EBT withdrawals at the ATMs near and inside infamous porn shops, liquor stores, lounges and hookah parlors. Technically, it also doesn’t break the law because of the “cash assistance program.”
4. Lobster: There have been multiple cases of this. As long as it’s not tobacco or alcohol, you’re golden.
5. K-cups: A lot of people don’t buy coffee in this form because it’s too expensive, but it’s not off limits in the world of welfare.
6. Cupcakes/Gourmet cakes: It’s considered food, no matter the price. Hello, non-essential $45 cake.

 

 

Read more if you dare.

[bersaguy]

http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/30/11-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-buy-with-food-stamps/

 

1. Quesarito: Taco Bell is one of many fast food restaurants that accept EBT cards. Guacamole is extra? Who cares? It’s on the taxpayer.
2.  Bail: Convicted felons – like drug dealer Kimball Clark â€“ have reportedly used their EBT as bail money. Clark reportedly instructed someone to go to an ATM to withdraw money from his EBT for bail. Because it’s difficult to trace ATM abuse, many speculate this problem is more widespread and not just found in isolated incidents.
3. Strip clubs: Last year, the New York Post reported that FOIA requests revealed welfare recipients were regularly making EBT withdrawals at the ATMs near and inside infamous porn shops, liquor stores, lounges and hookah parlors. Technically, it also doesn’t break the law because of the “cash assistance program.”
4. Lobster: There have been multiple cases of this. As long as it’s not tobacco or alcohol, you’re golden.
5. K-cups: A lot of people don’t buy coffee in this form because it’s too expensive, but it’s not off limits in the world of welfare.
6. Cupcakes/Gourmet cakes: It’s considered food, no matter the price. Hello, non-essential $45 cake.

 

 

Read more if you dare.

Yep and even though they won't allow you to buy alcohol and tobacco with the card, you can go to an ATM and take out money and go buy both with the cash so honestly is their anything you cannot buy with an EBT card????? :shrug: :shrug: ................jmho

[Links2k]

  Then you look at his neighbor which is a single girl with 3 kids and she pays 102.00 dollars pays for 3 bedroom, no utilities get $1,390.00 put on her EBT card every month and goes shopping in a fully dressed out Hummer with wheels that cost a $1,000.00 bucks each and sound system that rocks the whole truck and belongs to her live in boyfriend that also has no identifiable source of income. Those are the ones that make me mad.
 

Don't take this personal, But help me understand how you know this to be true. I can understand you knowing your friends business, but did this young lady also proudly shout out her personal infomation for complete strangers?

I get that a lot us are angry for various reasons, but reading some of this stuff makes the bat senses tingle a little. Abusers do what they are allowed to do. I'm certain that most abusers don't vote, so it's up to us gainfully employed, self sufficient individuals to hold our lawmakers feet to the fire to get things changed.

[A.J. Holst]

Do you know how many unprepared food items I could stockpile with $600?

Not just rice and beans and pb&j. ..healthy nutritious flavorful meals with leftovers.

When the guv'mint controls your very sustenance of food and shelter, they have a lot of power.

The Looter's State of America is running out of people to loot. Who is John Galt? Edited October 8, 2014 by Gotthegoods

[TMF]

The last time I waddled into my doctor's office, he explained why it's easy to put on weight and hard to get off. In the golden days of America, people used to have to exert exercise to get their food--farming, manual labor, and other jobs with lots of moving around. Now we mostly sit on our butts, typing on computers and get our food from a drive-thru window. If we went back to making a living with more physical effort, we could be drinking our beer while showing off six pack abs.

Your doctor is wrong. Sitting on our butts and getting food from a drive thru are all choices. I'm not saying that I never indulge in the flame broiled goodness of a whopper, but if I had a weight problem I wouldn't touch the stuff.

I don't farm or have an outdoor, physically demanding job. My wife is a stay at home mom. We have every excuse to be overweight, but we aren't. We choose not to be.

The reason obesity in America is such a problem has nothing to do with the existence of unhealthy crap at every turn. It has everything to do with our culture of blaming others for our woes and REFUSING TO TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for anything. It has become so bad that folks like me who encourage people to take responsibility for their station in life are called "victim blamers/shamers". How crazy is that??? Of course the "victim" is to blame when they are the sole person able to make the choices, good or bad, which lead to their station in life.

Americans complain about things they have complete control of. It drives me nuts.




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[Links2k]

Your doctor is wrong. Sitting on our butts and getting food from a drive thru are all choices. I'm not saying that I never indulge in the flame broiled goodness of a whopper, but if I had a weight problem I wouldn't touch the stuff.
I don't farm or have an outdoor, physically demanding job. My wife is a stay at home mom. We have every excuse to be overweight, but we aren't. We choose not to be.
The reason obesity in America is such a problem has nothing to do with the existence of unhealthy crap at every turn. It has everything to do with our culture of blaming others for our woes and REFUSING TO TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for anything. It has become so bad that folks like me who encourage people to take responsibility for their station in life are called "victim blamers/shamers". How crazy is that??? Of course the "victim" is to blame when they are the sole person able to make the choices, good or bad, which lead to their station in life.
Americans complain about things they have complete control of. It drives me nuts.
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I agree. I've recently stopped making excuses and started exercising again. It's only been a few weeks, but I'm already feeling better and confident again. I may even prolong my life.

[Oh Shoot]

Your doctor is wrong. Sitting on our butts and getting food from a drive thru are all choices. I'm not saying that I never indulge in the flame broiled goodness of a whopper, but if I had a weight problem I wouldn't touch the stuff.

 

There isn't anything bad in a whopper except the zero nutrition carbs in the bread. Only about 650 calories.  And of course add the dead carbs from the fries, another 350-700 calories depending on size.

 

- OS

[btq96r]

File this rash of abusing welfare benefits in the folder marked "nothing new under the sun." 

 

Hell, even back when foot stamps were printed and looked like Monopoly money, I remember my mother would try to sneak in her cigarettes with the milk and bread at the corner store.  This isn't a recent problem that came about when we put the benefits onto a card to make the system more efficient.

 

The abuses of EBT/SNAP are as much a legislative failure as individual ones.  WTF do we expect to happen when we set up a system that is so fast and loose?  You would think with damn near every store using a digital scanning system to tabulate how much you owe, we could put what food items are EBT/SNAP acceptable and which aren't into the programing code.  You can use the EBT card to pay what you are authorized with it.  Everything else, on you.  Old country store doesn't do it that way?  Tough.  Call this an unfunded mandate to upgrade your tech or you loose out on getting that money from your customers.

 

Dairy products, real juice, baby food, formula, meal ingredients, anything fresh, ect... should be allowed.  With the sheer amount of processed heat and serve stuff in the stores today, I don't think you could get rid of having it on the EBT card, but I would like to see the amount of it capped at no more than 50% of what you get to spend per month.  Arguing on what is healthy or not would be a chore in and of itself.

 

It's also worth noting that the states have a lot of discretionary power over these programs.  Some use that ability more than others.  Tennessee's program is light years apart from California's.  But even our Republican trifecta knows that any major changes would have those EBT card holders casting ballots en masse. 

Edited October 8, 2014 by btq96r

[Raoul]

This has been fun, but back to my original point, The IRS sucks. I mean really sucks. Nothing I like better than the tax code. And being someone who's gone out and made his own job I really get penalized.

It's no wonder I drink...

[justinjr21]

I used to work at a grocery store for a while and I hated working on the first week of the month because everyone would come in with their "Stamps". They had no qualms filling two or three buggies with groceries and then having them make me take them out to their BMW or Cadillac with fancy wheels and tires. This was at the time that me making 200 a week was not enough for me to qualify for food stamps.  I then got a better job and did not have to deal with it anymore and I was happy. Then a few months ago I was laid off at my job and without an income for a month. Did I qualify for Food stamps or any help. HELL NO. I was denied because I had a beat up car in my driveway. At that point in time I said screw the government and I will never ask for assistance again from them. I will rely on my family, friends and my self and if not then so be it.  <End of Rant>

[TMF]

This has been fun, but back to my original point, The IRS sucks. I mean really sucks. Nothing I like better than the tax code. And being someone who's gone out and made his own job I really get penalized.
It's no wonder I drink...

Makes Herman Cain not look crazy despite all the people who painted his 9-9-9 plan as the obsessive ramblings of a lunatic.


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[Wyldk2]

I personally have no problem with someone getting assistance from the government, that is if that person is trying to get back on their feet and back into the workforce to fend for themselves like the rest of us. Welfare and EBT( same) should be used temporary and not be a permanent solution.  And yes, I am for mandatory drug testing for welfare ( you test positive, and no govt assistance for you).

 

Sickens me that those of us who dont ever ask for help are the ones that look poor, yet those deadbeats who make a living off the government teat, seem to be the wealthy ones.

 

Just know the Black market is alive with the selling of food stamps for cash. I see it all the time. and yet the government dosent crack down on that illegal activity.

[TMF]

I agree. I've recently stopped making excuses and started exercising again. It's only been a few weeks, but I'm already feeling better and confident again. I may even prolong my life.

The life prolonging thing is my main motivator. I inherited high blood pressure, and diet has little effect on it. The only way to keep it down to a manageable level without medication is exercise. I like my coffee and beer, so no exercise also means no coffee or beer. That is a problem for me.


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[shaftbass]

This (link below) ... from the UK, but still applicable here.

Also ... I chose the American Flag design for my Discover credit card. Worst decision of my life. Once a month is confused for EBT. Not sure why it makes me so mad, but it infuriates me when it happens ... almost so that I want to change it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2768442/It-s-not-easy-overweight-benefits-says-25-stone-mother-two-wants-MORE-money-government-help-diet.html

 

[10-Ring]

I personally have no problem with someone getting assistance from the government, that is if that person is trying to get back on their feet and back into the workforce to fend for themselves like the rest of us. Welfare and EBT( same) should be used temporary and not be a permanent solution.  And yes, I am for mandatory drug testing for welfare ( you test positive, and no govt assistance for you).
 
Sickens me that those of us who dont ever ask for help are the ones that look poor, yet those deadbeats who make a living off the government teat, seem to be the wealthy ones.
 
Just know the Black market is alive with the selling of food stamps for cash. I see it all the time. and yet the government dosent crack down on that illegal activity.

Not only do they sell the benefits they also buy stuff with their benefits and resell it. I learned this while working in a grocery store. Very common to see them buy a cart full of cokes or a bunch of steaks and set up shop selling them in the parking lot.

[npgunner]

Not only do they sell the benefits they also buy stuff with their benefits and resell it. I learned this while working in a grocery store. Very common to see them buy a cart full of cokes or a bunch of steaks and set up shop selling them in the parking lot.

When I lived in ATL and worked at Grady, I was approached about once a week to purchase EBT cards for $0.33-0.50 on the dollar. Would have been a great deal if they could have verified how much was on the card ... but they never could. Edited October 8, 2014 by npgunner

[bersaguy]

Don't take this personal, But help me understand how you know this to be true. I can understand you knowing your friends business, but did this young lady also proudly shout out her personal infomation for complete strangers?

I get that a lot us are angry for various reasons, but reading some of this stuff makes the bat senses tingle a little. Abusers do what they are allowed to do. I'm certain that most abusers don't vote, so it's up to us gainfully employed, self sufficient individuals to hold our lawmakers feet to the fire to get things changed.

Well my buddy and his wife are not exactly strangers to her. They have been neighbors for about 3 years and will have get together's  and cook outs on the patio's since they are on ground level. She doesn't mind bragging about what she gets in the way of help from the Government in paying her bills. She says her boyfriend is a bouncer at some fancy bar in down town Nashville and that is why he is gone till middle of the night. So no she does not shout out her personal business but she does not mind telling friends what she gets. I have heard her talk about it while being invited to the grill outs. Her boyfriend is paid in cash so his income is not included in their household finances. I have seen him  take a wad of money out of his pocket to give her to go get more beer at one of the cook outs and all I can say is bouncers job pays really good cause he roll of a Ben Franklin from a wad of them and handed it to her and my buddies wife rode along. The girl does not mind bragging to my buddies wife about how she lives.  Hope this answers your question about how we know about her personal business. And I don't take it personal at all Links. I just listen to people who love to brag about their free rides...........jmho

[Slappy]

Not much I can add that hasn't already been said. But I used to be management at a grocery store. Saw those EBT's come through all the time. The EBT buggies we either filled with the nastiest most unhealthy sugary food or top of the line protein such has lobsters and ribeyes. Hardly ever "normal" food. And yes, they would waddle out to their cars nicer than mine.

One time I got called up to the front because a patron was pissed. She used her EBT card for $100+ dollars of groceries. She also used several coupons which as a tax payer, I really appreciated. I'm like finally, at least one person cares slightly. So why was she pissed?? Well, when She used her coupons, the state of TN requires tax to be paid on the amount saved and whatever this amount is cannot be paid by EBT. So she thought I was screwing her out of....wait for it.....like $0.45cents.

I also saw owners of a restraunt come in buying those institutional sized containers of stuff....beans BBQ sauce, kings Hawaiian rolls etc...obviously for their restraunt and pay for all of it with EBT.

Also, many have said that you cannot buy alcohol or tobacco with these cards. Well that is only partially true. These cards are partitioned where they can withdraw a certain amount of cash to then use on whatever they please.

If EBT wasn't enough...there is also the TN WIC program that gives free food to expecting mothers and mothers with children and infant food. So all that expensive formula (which gets stollen quite frequently) baby food, diapers, all school lunch type stuff. All of that is under WIC. Then they can use their full EBT benefits on anything else.

[Major Kong]

I don't think my fat tax paying azz would know an EBT card from a debit cart.....

That's a big part of the problem, there's no longer a stigma attached to being a leech. Have to protect the moocher's "dignity".

[bersaguy]

I never considered it a stigma because there was always a few people that were down on their luck and really needed the help getting back on their feet ut they did work and get back on their own and no longer need the food and welfare. It's the ones that con everything they can possibly get with not intentions of trying to better them selves that are the leeches and deserve the Stigma. Only thing is first you have to care and have pride about your self and your family before the stigma will bother you and leeches don't have any pride.   Now with that being said they keep talking about our economy is getting better and so many jobs have been filled last month. If that is the case why is the unemployment numbers still going up ?  There was also an increase in the amount of EBT cards needed ...............Oh Wait!!!!   I forgot he had a new class of welfare recipients flowing across our southern border......That must be but all the new cards are for...............my mistake.......................jmho

[btq96r]

One time I got called up to the front because a patron was pissed. She used her EBT card for $100+ dollars of groceries. She also used several coupons which as a tax payer, I really appreciated. I'm like finally, at least one person cares slightly. So why was she pissed?? Well, when She used her coupons, the state of TN requires tax to be paid on the amount saved and whatever this amount is cannot be paid by EBT. So she thought I was screwing her out of....wait for it.....like $0.45cents.

 

Her anger was probably just general bitching like any of us are prone to do spur of the moment, so I trust you didn't take it personally. 

 

Paying taxes on the money you save through a coupon?  If that doesn't show how asinine and petty tax laws are, I don't know what will.  I'm fine with large tax sources like income or sales/VAT, but these mosquito-like taxes that people don't are some BS.

 

The sales tax on coupon savings should be payable with the EBT card.  Regular sales taxes are if I'm not mistaken, why not that?  I'm not seeing the difference that makes it ineligible.