Food stamps and Sushi

[ReeferMac]

I hope I don't offend anyone but I have to rant...

Was in line at the Kroger this afternoon and a pair of seriously overweight and heavily tatooed individuals were in front of me w/ their 2 darling kids. I couldn't help but notice all the sugary cereal they were buying w/ food stamps. Being a parent myself I wanted to suggest the "Cheerio's for your 2- and 3-year old might be better choices", I refrained.

They bagged up their groceries and then paid for the final 3 items with their Bank-card. A 12-dollar box of Sushi, half-drunk Soda Pop, and a pack of gum.

 

It took every ounce of civility I had not to say something.

 

Folks, I've been there, we've all been down on our luck, but I'll be damned if I'm going to buy your kid's groceries while you take 'your money' and drop it on Pop and Sushi, fer crying out loud..... Send your husband (errrr. baby-daddy?) through the line separate so I don't have to watch you spit in my tax-paying face like that. Gawd!

 

Thanks,  I feel better. Rant-off.

 

- Kevin

[KKing]

Not really similar, but last Saturday I needed a couple things for a get together that evening. So I go to a gas station a few minutes up the road for what I needed. I get beer, a Gatorade, a sundrop, and 4 bags of chips. When I put these items on the counter the Indian gentleman says "You pay food stamps?"
Kinda bewildered, I said no, I pay cash. I got to the truck and thought, you can't buy beer with food stamps can you?!


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[Raoul]

If they're buying sushi from Kroger they're probably getting what they deserve.

[A.J. Holst]

My son was installing a security system and after asking the homeowner to use the bathroom, discovered it did not flush. The  homeowner gave him 4 bottles of Dasani to flush with.

Wow, brand name bottled water to pour down the toilet. Richie Rich rich you say?

Not hardly.

I like call them artists, since they draw (a check)

At $4 a flush, I don't think we can win the War on Poverty.

[Rightwinger]

If I ever catch the ear of a politician that cares, I am actively asking that they ban the use of food stamps at convenience stores.  There is NOTHING needed at a convenience store that these should be used for.  I watched a lady buy slim jims, monster energy drinks and sundry other crap on the EBT and stared her down like a basilisk. 

Another time I got in trouble working for the old gun shop.  I swept up the parking lot and found a Walmart receipt.  Took a look at it and noted 2 containers of cupcakes, 6 each, purchased on the old EBT.  I took a pic of it and posted it on Face book (back when I used it) and then got told to take it down.  Didn't want no one angry if they associated me with the gun shop..  Pfft

And then there is the super calculators.  Got folks at work that will tally up their hours and either go home (taking a point towards dismissal) or refuse overtime just so they don't  exceed the take home that boots them off EBT.  The same folks complain that we don't pay enough.

Call it what it is, free loaders.  When it all comes tumbling down, they will be the ones on TV complaining they can't live cuz the gubermint aint there to feed and house them and they can't call cuz the phone don't work no more.  Screw em

Edited September 19, 2016 by Rightwinger

[runco]

You need to have a wife that works part time a major grocery chain.  You need to hear to stories that I hear.  Talk about milking the tax payers. 

[Patton]

When my wife worked in a bank branch she used to tell me about $60k SUVs on 24's that came in the first of every month to deplete their account of the recently deposited welfare checks.

[Grand Torino]

I've got no words....no civil ones anyway.

[Links2k]

I don't want to offend anyone either, but I think more people should mind their own business.  Almost every time one of these stories is told, it's based upon assumptions or hear say.

Now if you guys are actually having conversations with said offenders and verifying the cards that they are using, I can understand your concern, but if it's just something that you are assuming or heard, that's pretty petty for a bunch of freedom lovers. 

 

[Sam1]

I have to disagree, I don't need to have a conversation with someone that has expendable funds to buy things like pop and sushi, to be pissed off when they break out an EBT card on the side to buy other things.

If things are so bad that you need an EBT card, you will not be in a position to have 'extra' money.

Make me king for a day and this is the first issue I'll fix.

[peejman]

I was in line buying bait at a gas station a few days ago.  The guy in front of me was digging in his pockets searching for change to buy 2 cans of dip. I considered covering the $1 he was short, but for dip?  Nah.  And he certainly could've put 1 can back.  

After the 3rd round counting what he had and coming up short, the clerk comped him and said, "Bring me that dollar tomorrow Jerry."  A regular, apparently. 

[Links2k]

6 minutes ago, Sam1 said:

I have to disagree, I don't need to have a conversation with someone that has expendable funds to buy things like pop and sushi, to be pissed off when they break out an EBT card on the side to buy other things.

If things are so bad that you need an EBT card, you will not be in a position to have 'extra' money.

Make me king for a day and this is the first issue I'll fix.

My apologies. I don't pay close enough attention to how people choose to pay for their purchases. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what an EBT card looks like.  I don't concern myself with what others purchase, so I never leave the store offended. 

[SquidBilly]

I couldn't stand myself living my life like that. I'd even refuse the government assistance if I fell on hard times. I'd rather ask family or go recycle soda cans or something. 

Some people just have no shame and expect entitlement.

[Links2k]

I'm sorry, but I can't make assumptions and judge people like this.  I had a crappy childhood, and once lied about my age to get a warehouse job.  After leaving active duty life was pretty crappy, so I worked crappy jobs.  I've never been on public assistance, and my family has been well off for over twenty years, so I could easily make assumptions about those on public assistance.

I've learned that unless you really know a person, you never know what circumstances lead to a person being in certain situations. Are there abuses? I'm certain there are, but I'm not judging everyone on assistance based upon a snapshot of what I see at a convenience store.

 It's like walking up on an employee at work who has been busting it for hours, then decides to stop for two minutes to catch a break at the exact moment that you walk around the corner.  Many times all you have to base your opinion on is the snapshot of that moment.  That's not a good thing.

 

 

Edited September 20, 2016 by LINKS2K

[Rightwinger]

Sorry Link,

I would never bat an eye at a woman buying orange juice, cheese, milk, bread, etc (used to be called WICK, don't know if it still exists) to keep a child fed but when you witness day in day out flat out ABUSE of the system, then it not only needs to be called out but changed.  There was no reason that woman at the convenience store needed me and you to buy her Monster drinks and beef jerky, none!  No one here would deny a needy person a meal, but to have these folks wrap their lifes around the free stuff that allows them to have their phones, rims, and cigarettes when it was designed to keep them fed is BS!

Don't try to defend it, not defensible.

 

[Links2k]

8 minutes ago, Rightwinger said:

Sorry Link,

I would never bat an eye at a woman buying orange juice, cheese, milk, bread, etc (used to be called WICK, don't know if it still exists) to keep a child fed but when you witness day in day out flat out ABUSE of the system, then it not only needs to be called out but changed.  There was no reason that woman at the convenience store needed me and you to buy her Monster drinks and beef jerky, none!  No one here would deny a needy person a meal, but to have these folks wrap their lifes around the free stuff that allows them to have their phones, rims, and cigarettes when it was designed to keep them fed is BS!

Don't try to defend it, not defensible.

 

I'm not attempting to defend it.  I just don't think that this is a one size fits all situation. That's usually how these threads turn out. 

Edited September 20, 2016 by LINKS2K

[tercel89]

I was a newbie at the job I have now in 97 and my wife was pregnant and the doctor wouldn't let her work since she normally lifted heavy things. SO I was the only income. We BARELY even got WIC . We were like around $65 from not getting WIC . And we only got it for around 3 months but others got it for several months and I think because they lied.  Thank God we got it cause the baby formula was expensive. But other people in the parking lot were driving nice cars and trucks and stuff. We were in a 1989 Toyota Tercel ( LOL my user name and I loved that car). I was so pissed . We were wearing Walmart and Dollar store clothes. EVERYONE ELSE were wearing designer clothes and shiney jewelry. I will always remember that and how greedy those other people were , even though I was a working man and no one there freaking worked ! Don't even get me started ! We are doing good now but that same crap keeps going on and on. We got off of that and got on our feet but these other people steal from that program.

Edited September 20, 2016 by tercel89

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

It's actually called WIC (Woman, Infants and Children). It's for single women or women in low income relationships to help feed the kids. If a mother breastfeeds her coupons double because there's a stinger need for good nutrition because of the breastfeeding child. Otherwise it's coupons to cover formula. As a teenager I would go with my mom who worked for MSU to deliver them to mom's who had just given birth. It's why I didn't ever have a child as a teenager. I helped deliver WIC coupons to girls my age.

As for the EBT part, what comes first? The chicken or the egg? Until you elect officials into office who truly want reform, we as the middle class will continue to support broken programs. But unless you live a perfect life on the up and up, you really shouldn't give two seconds of thought to someone else's business.

Might as well get a Facebook for posts like this one. My single mom worked her butt off and we had government assistance which back then was food stamps before everything became electronic. But I guess she was terrible because once or twice a week we'd get pop and Burger King or Little Ceasars. @LINKS2K is 100% right in his posts. To judge someone from a tiny window, makes you no better.

[Rightwinger]

Not trying to be better, trying to make folks see that this is total abuse of the system.  Everything I have mentioned is eye witness viewed, not second hand and please tell me where Monster and beef jerky were helping that lady live a better life?

I also worked as a stock boy and watched MOM line the kids up with 1.00 food stamps and send them in for bubble gum.  As there was no change but real silver for 1.00 food stamps, they would all flock back out and hand her the change and she'd come in and buy the smokes.  Sure setting up a moral guide pole for those kids. 

Look if your mom was in a bad situation where she needed the assistance, so be it, that's what it's there for.  But if your mom were using the food stamps for the luxury foods I've seen folks buy and get in their SUVs I can't afford to this day....I call her a free loader too.  YMMV

[TNWNGR]

I've seen good and bad with Food Stamps and EBT cards, it might irk me to see some of the things being purchased or how people with EBT cards use their personal money but I'm not going to let it eat me up. One of the things some of you fail to realize is a lot of politics went into the Food Stamp and EBT programs where people purchasing applicable items do so in grocery stores. At one time IIRC cheese and some other food staples were directly given out by the government. We can debate and fuss about this at length but the reality is some people really need these programs and some others for whatever their reasoning make poor choices in using them.

[Rightwinger]

I'm just tired of all of it.  There are fewer of us paying the way, and more and more takers everyday so until the bubble busts, there will be more and more of this.  Personal responsibility and pride in making your own way are old fuddy duddy ideals, like me.  Peace out.

[Rightwinger]

Who is John Gault and where the hells that valley!

[Links2k]

31 minutes ago, MrsMonkeyMan2500 said:

It's actually called WIC (Woman, Infants and Children). It's for single women or women in low income relationships to help feed the kids. If a mother breastfeeds her coupons double because there's a stinger need for good nutrition because of the breastfeeding child. Otherwise it's coupons to cover formula. As a teenager I would go with my mom who worked for MSU to deliver them to mom's who had just given birth. It's why I didn't ever have a child as a teenager. I helped deliver WIC coupons to girls my age.

As for the EBT part, what comes first? The chicken or the egg? Until you elect officials into office who truly want reform, we as the middle class will continue to support broken programs. But unless you live a perfect life on the up and up, you really shouldn't give two seconds of thought to someone else's business.

Might as well get a Facebook for posts like this one. My single mom worked her butt off and we had government assistance which back then was food stamps before everything became electronic. But I guess she was terrible because once or twice a week we'd get pop and Burger King or Little Ceasars. @LINKS2K is 100% right in his posts. To judge someone from a tiny window, makes you no better.

The truth of the matter is that the middle class pretty much supports the entire country. We cry and bellyache about the money going to the less fortunate, but rarely bat an eye at the tax breaks and subsidies given to corporations. 

Also I hear a sour grapes concerning the possessions of others.  There are just too many variables to be making some of the assumptions that are being made. 

[Rightwinger]

I hope you don't think it's sour grapes for what I said.  It's when these same people demand more and more and already live lives that most of us working struggle to obtain just before we die that I bitch about.  If that's what your trying to infer, your wrong.  And there are NO assumptions when someone is buying junk food with funds that were supposed to be keeping them alive!  Its supposed to let these people eat till they are on their feet.

Maybe instead of making inferences about those of us tired of it, you might assume we know a little about the situation.  Did I happen to mention that during the years I was "struggling" I was a private investigator?  I know what I speak of from observation, research and testifying to it in a court of law. 

Corporate tax breaks?  Where did that even enter this discussion?  "Squirrel"

[Sam1]

I like my assumptions though.  Growing up in a family of five, I remember my mom crying one day when she was doing their taxes ( was probably 11 or 12 at the time) because she seen that they made a total of $10,000 that year.  Not only had our electric cut off, but even had our water cut off a few times in that era.  So I know exactly what it is like to be poor.

Know what happened?  When the whole understanding about being poor set into my brain, I went door to door asking and started mowing yards.  From the age of 13 on, my parents never bought me a single item for school, my clothes or anything.  Everything came from the money I made.  Still wasn't much, but the whole point is that we are pacifying laziness and mediocrity because of the 'poor baby' syndrome.  Poor thing is so bad off, we just have to give them something... Who are you to judge what they went through... yada yada yada.

Philippines has a fantastic welfare policy that we should adopt - if you want to eat, you go find work.  problem solved.  You want to have 11 babies?  You better find a lot of work.