Your opinion on food stamps and those who use/abuse them?

[Beachguyj]

People who need them and use them it's fine. People who abuse them and lie about qualifying for them it's theft. Some working poor qualify for them.

You can't really sell them I don't think. They are cards mostly and not actual paper like they used to be. You can go to a shady market and sell them to the merchant for a certain amount back in cash I guess.

There should be some system in place to not allow high end items such as expensive meats and seafood to be bought with them. I hope there is a system in place so people can't say they have children that they don't to qualify for extra food stamps. You are not supposed to have more than $2,000 in the bank to qualify for them, people with an Escalade and an iPhone should have more than that, but they may not, but chances are that they do and are just somehow getting around the system.

and yes, I've seen a well dressed person in furs and jewelry using them in the past, now you don't really notice as much as when they actually had to hand over the paper food stamps.

 

[jdcnow]

I hear your frustrations, and agree with them.

Given that I'm a checker at a supermarket, I see it all the time. Now there are those who desparately need and do deserve them. Then there was the one woman (literally, yesterday) who had her two kids with her. She's going over her shopping list on her iPad, then puts it away, then pays with her debit card. Since the debit/credit reader is directly behind my big huge touch screen, I can't see the card they pay with unless they hold it up. As the receipt prints, I see the receipt section on the screen where it's processing and it says SNAP TENDER.

SNAP refers to the Lone Star Card - the state of Texas' version of food stamps, and it works the same as a debit card. This woman could afford an iPad while getting her groceries for free with food stamps. /government fail...

 

[refujiunderground]

you know, back some years ago, i woulda had a strong opinion against this but now, after seeing it from the people that really need the food stamps, the people that are in control of the government, politics, people who basically say that all poor people don't deserve welfare, the current status of this country and etc... i honestly don't care anymore if someone wants to abuse the system or not. this country is messed up where people fuck each other over and those that need the help don't get it.

in fact, i had a moment yesterday. i was in trenton, new jersey yesterday. was going to post some pics of my trip over there, maybe later, or whatever. i was across the street from the state house looking all clean with a new golden dome and the hood is basically right across from the state capital where you see vacant houses, people just sitting on their stoops, rowhouses all boarded up and etc. people basically below the poverty line living across the street from the senators, the governor that is basically doing whatever and eating really good (i mean just look @ him). but anyway, i was putting money in the meter and some homeless guy saw me with the wallet out which was full of money since i had just went to the bank and cashed in my small ass check and asked me for money. being the paranoid, cautious, and stingy when it comes to most situations involving giving money. i just stared this guy down for a second. like "should i give this guy money? is this guy just panhandling me? i'm not far off from being in his shoes even though i have a minimum wage job. the only difference is that my parents is taking care of me @ 25. embarrassing i know and that i would be in his situation if i had to rely upon this shitty job i have currently that i'm trying to search for better but somehow these people aren't giving me a chance. should i help him or is he trying to get over on me? he said "thank you and patted my shoulder" because he realized that i wasn't going to give him shit. but i decided that i would be dead wrong to do that to him so i gave him a dollar. he went about his way and walked off afterwards but now that i think of it, i'm dead wrong for doing that shit because that could be me tomorrow. dude was another black man too and even though people on this forum like to talk about how skin color doesn't matter in society or whatever. him and me are pretty much on the same boat when it comes to help. the system is NOT for helping us out, dude. funny because when i walked into the state museum to just browse around real quick when i left one of the state troopers, some young looking fool wearing shades, followed me out of there on some "come back here, blackie" as if i stole a painting or an artifact up in there. it was like he was so bored that he was looking for some action so i guess he think he could try to fuck with me. i bet you that he wouldn't hesitant to lock the man that was begging for a dollar up to eat something before he would give him money to eat something. that's america for you.

yeah, there will be people that cheat the system but to be honest with you, i don't know if the problem is as big as people are making it out to be. maybe there's one or two people cheating in the system but does that mean we should get rid of something that people need because let's keep it real, most people such as myself are selfish, self centered, arrogant, and actually have to think about extending a hand to someone who is in need. welfare is basically society's conscience because as much as people try to make themselves out to be good, most americans or people do not have a conscience enough to care about anyone besides themselves. but hey, what can you do to those people that abuse that shit? honestly, let em live. if they want to cheat the system, let em. i'm just happy that that's not me. i feel sorry for them. for every person that abuses the system, there is someone that is getting fucked over by it and i've seen that much more in the state of new jersey more so than people cheating it. it's quite scary.

and i'm going to bet my money that the article on craigslist is probably made up by someone with an agenda on their hands that has something against poor people. i've always noticed that it's the same type of people (usually white, upper class people that live in the suburbs that have everything handed to them in life that never had to struggle for anything) that always run into people that are using and abusing welfare systems. my question is do those people, the one that are telling these stories, go to the hood or something. i know these people do exists but i've never ran into any of them even when i used to be in the hood and around the projects. sounds like some bullshit to me.

 

[yeahright1991]

^ I can't follow up on that.....

But I can say that those who need the food stamps should be entitled to them.

I have seen this with my own two eyes...and it raises questions. However....it would probably cost less for us to let the occasional abuse happen rather than implement a country-wide initiative. As much bureaucratic ish as the program would have to go through to get it enforced.....oooh.

I don't agree with it. It is wrong. But the likelyhood of stopping it for less cost than what the program is paying out seems low.

 

[refujiunderground]

^ I can't follow up on that.....

But I can say that those who need the food stamps should be entitled to them.

I have seen this with my own two eyes...and it raises questions. However....it would probably cost less for us to let the occasional abuse happen rather than implement a country-wide initiative. As much bureaucratic ish as the program would have to go through to get it enforced.....oooh.

I don't agree with it. It is wrong. But the likelyhood of stopping it for less cost than what the program is paying out seems low.

exactly, there's virtually nothing that can be done.

and another thing too... i think that there's a big misconception that because someone walks around with an ipad or an escalade or something of great value means that they're not poor. believe it or not, there are people that have food stamps that actually have jobs such as working at mcdonalds and etc. you don't know them. there's a lot of questions to ask before you can jump to a conclusion. many people underestimate the cost of living in america today. i'm just saying can you imagine being a single mother with two babies by yourself trying to take care of them off of a minimum wage job getting paid every two weeks especially at a time like this where you can't even buy diapers let alone, food, and have to pay for rent if you chose not to live in a housing project. hell, they don't even give welfare like that anymore. i can't blame some people for basically being hood rich because their situations are hopeless. they know they're not getting out of there so they give up.

i just look @ this as if i was in that situation because at any day, that could be me even with a college degree.

 

[yeahright1991]

exactly, there's virtually nothing that can be done.

and another thing too... i think that there's a big misconception that because someone walks around with an ipad or an escalade or something of great value means that they're not poor. believe it or not, there are people on welfare that actually have jobs such as working at mcdonalds and etc. you don't know them. there's a lot of questions to ask before you can jump to a conclusion.

i just look @ this as if i was in that situation because at any day, that could be me.

Just because someone has an escalade doesn't mean they paid the note last month. It's possible that every time it comes close to being repossessed that they come up with the money. Furthermore....they may have a job that they cant declare (i.e. drug dealing)...and therefore their income LOOKS low.

But I'm not going to speculate on everyone's lives/livelihoods.

 

[refujiunderground]

Just because someone has an escalade doesn't mean they paid the note last month. It's possible that every time it comes close to being repossessed that they come up with the money. Furthermore....they may have a job that they cant declare (i.e. drug dealing)...and therefore their income LOOKS low.

But I'm not going to speculate on everyone's lives/livelihoods.

exactly and you know, i can't even look down on a poor person in the hood because i'm basically in the same boat. hell, before i had a bachelors and even an associates degree, i remember applying for jobs @ mcdonalds and getting turned down. this was back in 06-07. i'm about to say fuck it and get myself a security job which i also need to drop money that i don't have just to get a security license . the job situation is NOT looking too good, period. so i'm not going to knock anybody that is basically doing whatever to put a meal on their table and eat. there's people's with phD's that can't find work applying for unemployment and food stamps. these people make it hard to even get a job and the job isn't even much either. this whole country is fucked up. these jobs such as being a cop or even being a lawyer, they make it a damn task just to get in and i blame these idiots @ the top that are running the show for making things that way. so even if you're poor, you basically have to go through a ring of fire such as bust your ass in school, do a shitload of internships (if you get them), have like years of experience just to get one simple ass job that doesn't even require much and you're competing against 900 other people too. this system is full of people that feel they're entitled to what they have, greedy ass bloodsuckers and the whole nine so it's not just the people that cheat food stamps but these lames up @ wall street, senators, businessmen, police chiefs and etc. @ least selling drugs guarantees that you'll eat @ the end of the day so i can't even be mad because they make it hard to even do the right thing. this country is fucked up.

 

[bankside]

Some people find themselves suddenly with assets but no income. If you've lost a job, you can't eat the iPad you bought back when you could afford it 2 years ago on opening day.

But other than the usual warning about not judging a book by its cover, I totally know what you mean. Once upon a time I volunteered to stay late at work to drop off a donated dryer for a family on welfare. They were happy not to lift a finger. Wanted to know if it had all the latest features. Thought it was good that it was kind of newer, but it wasn't really much better than the one they already had. Wondered why I couldn't take the old one away.

I tripped on their cable tv just as the social worker got there to encourage the useless teenager to put down the video game and reregister in school. He thought she should have just taken care of those details for him.

And yeah their place was small and nothing special But this was at a time when although I was working, I couldn't afford cabl, I was paying to dry my clothes in the apartment dryer in the hallway, and I had passed by a homeless guy the same morning only to realise it didn't matter if I was going to give him some change or not because for the first time I didn't have any.

I did not volunteer for any more surplus distribution give-aways.

 

[bankside]

Is it possible that someone in a fur coat is actually volunteering to shop for an old friend who is bedridden or something?

 

[PreTTy PeTe]

maybe the ipad was stolen.

damn if she is low enough to abuse food stamps whats stopping her with smacking someone upside the head and taking their ipad

just saying

 

[PreTTy PeTe]

anyway if you guys could come up with stats that show the abuse of food stamps and until you do then stop complaining.

stop picking on the poor because of a few bad people.

not cool

 

[yeahright1991]

^@bankside - YES....but not as likely.

 

[yeahright1991]

I was waiting for this.

I started this thread, speaking from personal experience and the things I have observed, witnessed, and heard from friends, friends of friends, and family.

I will keep complaining. Thank you.

Everyone likes to throw the "provide stats posts" around when people have opinions they don't care for. I'm not on JUB to do research, course work, or anything else. I will share my experiences, ask for others' opinions, and respond. If you want confirmation of some sort...do a quick google search...or better yet...ask people you know.

And please. I am hardly picking on the poor. I am sharing my opinions and aggravations with people who abuse a system intended to help those in need.

Agreed. I think you made it pretty clear that those who need them should have them...and even suggested making improvements to the system so that those who don't really need them are not literally taking it away from those that do need it.

 

[PreTTy PeTe]

^ Huntneo(PT) I'm not going to debate you because of some resentments you feel against the most marginalized people in society

try to live your life and stop trying to hurt people who have no defense

I'm out of this debate of idiots.

 

[HunterM]

Maybe the iPhone and escalade weren't theirs. Those were stolen properties!

 

[Beachguyj]

Is it possible that someone in a fur coat is actually volunteering to shop for an old friend who is bedridden or something?

Yeah, it's possible. She could have been shopping for an elderly relative who gave her the card and pin, but unlikely.

You can also kind of tell if the person is buying the most expensive items or if they are buying store brand ones, or expensive meats and fresh items.

 

[bankside]

^ Huntneo(PT) I'm not going to debate you because of some resentments you feel against the most marginalized people in society

try to live your life and stop trying to hurt people who have no defense

I'm out of this debate of idiots.

Want to go out on a high note I take it? Retired Champion of the Debate of Idiots™ I'm not sure I'd be too proud of that. LOL.

Seriously though, how is targeting corruption and abuse the same thing as targeting those in need. Subtle differences matter.

 

[Nomenclature]

I just think it's a damn shame that I go to work and bust my black ass five days a week cleaning up after grown people, only to have my already meager wage taxed to high heavens...and the people whose groceries I'm paying for are eating better than ME, driving better (and newer) vehicles than me, all while holding full time/higher paying jobs than I am, etc. etc.

I'm not faulting you for this at all, but you really don't understand how food stamps work. You're given a monthly budget based on your income. . .if you are working a decent job, they either cut them way down, or take them away from you.

My brother's girlfriend was on the Food Card for a few months until she found work again. . .as a single, unemployed person, she was getting something like $150 per month, and when she called in and told them she found a part time job, they immediately cut hers down to fifteen dollars a month, so she decided to cancel them all together. Another thing, is that the Department Of Job And Family Services actually demands a phone or in-person interview with you at least once a year, asking if your living or financial situation has changed at all, and if you've found or are applying for work.


Also, you're not allowed to go to a restaurant or buy hot, pre-prepared meals with your food card, either. You have to buy regular food from a grocery store that you take home and prepare yourself. I've never heard of anyone on food stamps eating steak and lobster, because you can't really afford that shit when they're only giving you about a hundred dollars to last you an entire month. \()/

 

[Beachguyj]

I remember reading that in some places you can buy certain fast food or premade hot with a food stamps card. I think it's in San Fran because the homeless people were complaining about not being able to use if to buy precooked ready to eat food. I say let them buy cold cuts and some bread and make a sammich.

 

[Beachguyj]

I found a list online a family of six can get $953 a month. (In Massachusetts)

One person can get up to $200 a month.

http://www.massresources.org/snap-benefits.html#amount