I was reading an article on Denver's 9news website about how people spend their food stamp money and it got me a bit irked so I thought I would write a blog.
This last Sunday, I was relaxing in a chair after my wife and I had just completed painting our kitchen and I said to my son, "this is the best feeling in the world to be resting after completing a project, you feel tired from the physical work but you feel a sense of accomplishment." That is the feeling you do not get when you are on food stamps. If you get handed free money it "trains" you to not do anything for yourself and there is no accomplishment.
Confessional time: During one of our poorest times since we moved to Grand Junction my wife and I were using food stamps. I personally hated it, because I hate to ask for help from anyone. At the time it was our only way to pay for food. It was a very limited amount of time (less than 6 months) until we could get better jobs to get off the program. So I understand there is a need. I also know there are good people who use the program how it was intended, to get you back on your feet when times are tough.
The people I will be talking about are the people who use it as income with no intention of getting off the program (or any other state offered program). These people are out there milking "the system" for all it is worth. They seem to get disability from some mystery illness or are "waiting for unemployment benefits to run out" before accepting another job. These are the people that buy things like lobster and crabs on food stamps. They believe that they are "owed" these things by the government.
They place food stamp money on debit cards so it isn't so humiliating to the person receiving food stamps. Why doesn't food stamp law put simple restrictions on the food that is purchased like no soda, food must be less than $3.00 a pound. The store owners could "mark" it in there computers so purchases could not be made of those products. When I was using food stamps we ate a lot of Mac & Cheese, while a fine meal, when you eat is several times a week, you get more inspired to get yourself off food stamps.
Another option would be to get rid of the debit cards. Bring back those booklets of brightly colored stamps. Maybe just simple humiliation would help people to not want to be on food stamps and try achieving better with their lives.
Yes, I understand that people have a need for food stamps but what we need to do is make sure that it does not make people dependant on them.
9 News story on food stamps
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
9 comments:
Comments on Plumb and Square are moderated. Comments made within 7 days of the posting will post right away. If you make a comment after 7 days of the posting, the comment will not post right away. I will be notified of your comment and I will approve the comment. I do not discriminate, I will post favorable and unfavorable comments. I will not post "sales" comments.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
LinkWithin
I just went to this 9 news story and read some of the blogs, these people on charity or food stamps actually believe they deserve it.I have people come to the store for community service so they can earn their "money they receive. They dont want to do much of anything. I am expected to sign their little sheets of paper saying oh yes so and so worked hard today.
ReplyDeleteIt is very frustrating.
I like the rattlesnake with "don't tread on me!" and the Bill of Rights on your page. Surely an old forgotten slogan that you stumbled across while in history class, that you decided to readopt. I doubt that the patriots who sewed this slogan on their flags and wrote the Bill of Rights shared your fascist views. It's great that the rest of us charity cases (as Sherry said) have Sherry and Todd to stand on their soap boxes and condemn those who use the food assistance program to help feed their families. Never mind that Todd has already taken advantage of it, so long as he claims that he was ashamed to be "getting help".Todd also wants to DICTATE what the people are allowed to eat on this program, no soda, no crab, nothing more than $3 a pound, lots of cheap mac and cheese, etc. Todd also advocated the use of HUMILIATION towards card users. As if the current economic climate hasn't brought enough HUMILIATION to those hard working people whom have lost jobs, the own business, or had their homes or belongings repossessed and are now forced to rely government assistance to feed their themselves and their children. But at least we can count on good old Sherry to decide which of "these people on CHARITY" will get "their LITTLE SHEETS OF PAPER saying oh yes so and so worked hard today" God bless Sherry and Todd the " Reich-Wing Nut"
ReplyDeleteThis is for Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteFascism is a form of government where the government controls things like ...food stamps. As for our founding fathers they never would have had a food stamp program to begin with, they understood that the role of government did not intrude into individual lives.
You have left your rights and liberty at the door (as did I) when you asked for assistance in the first place. When you choose to accept money from the government please realize it is not because the government wants to help you, it is because the government wants to control you (the definition of fascist government). What I (and I believe Sherry) were trying to convey is we would rather help people that are on food stamps to get OFF food stamps so they are no longer being controled by an all powerful government. We are advocating liberty, not fascisim.
You complain about the humiliation and being dictated to, the only way to avoid that is to not be on the program. If you are on the program you have no RIGHT to complain what restrictions are in place, it is free money to you. In essance you have sacrificed your liberty (choice of food selection) for security. Nobody wants to see anybody starve in the street, and it hurts me even more to see people give up liberty. Make your own choices, but don't give up your liberty. T²
well anonymous YOU are obviously a nazi democrat who sees no other idea except your own, if you don't want to read these blogs then STOP COMING BACK HERE, Sherry and Todd are wonderful hard working people, not cry babies like you sir!!!
ReplyDeletel
ReplyDeleteThe majority of people in the world are not EVIL and even the ones that are CAN change!
The government is a bunch of people wanting to make a difference not some evil entity trying to take everything you want or have. At the moment I DONT have to leave my rights and liberty's at the door to receive help. Let me also add that I PRAY I NEVER HAVE TO. People like you, who make rash decisions on minimal knowledge, are the ones that make the world a WORSE place.
Currently I’m going to school and work the LEAST I have to! Why? Because if I do very well in school I'll get a better job! My family eats very well but through bargain shopping etc I'm still able to save money! Yes, FOOD STAMP MONEY! At one point I had over $800 in my card and a FULL fridge! So yes, with my budgeting I am able to eat as good if not better than you! Does that make me bad? NO! I'll also add that when I do graduate and have the job I want I'll Probably continue to eat better than you because I’ll continue to budget and save! I'll also continue to pay my taxes so that others can have the opportunity that I can have while living in the BEAUTIFUL country.
ALSO, don't speak for people you don’t know. You don’t know if the FOUNDING fathers would have approved of this program! On one hand a lot of the founding fathers owned slaves! Did that make slavery right? NO! Also you can’t honestly say that if you asked the founding fathers “would help the hungry” they would say” NO, NOT UNLESS THEY EAT THE BARE BARE NESESETIES and CAN NOT ENJOY THE COMFORTS I ENJOY! Giving others the comforts you enjoy is part of the joy of helping others!
“Why doesn't food stamp law put simple restrictions on the food that is purchased like no soda, food must be less than $3.00 a pound.” This kind of thinking a fascist leader would think of! You act like the government gives one person thousands of dollars to spend on whatever they want. You sir and mama' are wrong. Even the abusers have to give up something. Yes they get a lobster every once in a while but they also have to budget or they go hungry. They also have to remain under a certain salary which means they don’t get to have the nice cars , houses etc you enjoy.
“If you are on the program you have no RIGHT to complain what restrictions are in place, it is free money to you. In essance you have sacrificed your liberty (choice of food selection) for security.” I hope you re read this phrase and change your thinking. You should not wish or try to implement any plan that makes someone chose between their liberties or their security!
Well Larry Jr. you are only proving the point of what is said in this particular blog. We DON'T get to eat fancy foods, and yes we do budget hard, we barely make what we need to to survive as well. I think you are obviously an idiot,the program is designed to help people but some people just live on it forever. I work a menial job and yea I have college I get paid barely enough to buy food because it is expensive but I'm sure you wouldn't understand that, you don't have to pay for it .I haven't spent $800 dollars on groceries in ever I don't think. You my friend need to look up the definiton of fascist,we don't have fancy cars and houses we have regular stuff, because we work hard. WE NEVER get lobster,we NEVER get steak or any of the things you are eating because we have to pay taxes so people like YOU CAN eat lobster,you're an idiot to think we don't pay for your food,your OBAMA is the fascist and of course you don't think so because you get to have good food,we can't afford good food BECASUE we work hard to help poor little dumb dumbs like you.The program is designed to help people get back on their feet not to live on, that is the point made in the blog.I don't think you understand that,of not why would you? you buy 800 freekin dollars in groceries a month. Well I'll enjoy my bologna while oyu have your lobster you idiot!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd further more , good luck with that new job you must be at least 27 huh? you have no common sense the real world doesn't work that way fly boy!
ReplyDeleteLarry Jr.
ReplyDeleteLet's take a look at what you are saying and see if I can shed some light on what I am trying to say:
You said: "The majority of people in the world are not EVIL and even the ones that are CAN change!"
--> I don't believe that the majority of people are evil. But there are evil people.
You said "The government is a bunch of people wanting to make a difference not some evil entity trying to take everything you want or have."
-->I believe you are incorrect. The government does want to take (control) most that you have so they can control you. Thinking anything else is naive.
You said "At the moment I DONT have to leave my rights and liberty's at the door to receive help. Let me also add that I PRAY I NEVER HAVE TO."
--> I am not asking you to leave your rights. You have inalienable rights granted by God and protected by the Constitution. But one of those rights is not my money. You accept my money via the government. I have a choice to be charitable I do not want the government to be charitable in my name.
You said "People like you, who make rash decisions on minimal knowledge, are the ones that make the world a WORSE place."
--> I'm sorry you think my decision is rash or not made with a great deal of thought.
You said "Currently I’m going to school and work the LEAST I have to! Why? Because if I do very well in school I'll get a better job!"
--> Congratulations on your schooling. Becoming more educated is a admirable goal. If you have to work less to achieve that goal it is understandable that you might need food stamps. That is why they were designed.
You said "My family eats very well but through bargain shopping etc I'm still able to save money! Yes, FOOD STAMP MONEY! At one point I had over $800 in my card and a FULL fridge! So yes, with my budgeting I am able to eat as good if not better than you! Does that make me bad? NO! I'll also add that when I do graduate and have the job I want I'll Probably continue to eat better than you because I’ll continue to budget and save!"
--> I guess that you were trying to say is thank you. You are welcome.
You said: "I'll also continue to pay my taxes so that others can have the opportunity that I can have while living in the BEAUTIFUL country."
--> Since you are on food stamps I would bet you pay no taxes as of yet, it will be nice that you will be able to contribute to the growth of this country on school graduation.
You said: "ALSO, don't speak for people you don’t know. You don’t know if the FOUNDING fathers would have approved of this program! On one hand a lot of the founding fathers owned slaves! Did that make slavery right? NO! Also you can’t honestly say that if you asked the founding fathers “would help the hungry” they would say” NO, NOT UNLESS THEY EAT THE BARE BARE NESESETIES and CAN NOT ENJOY THE COMFORTS I ENJOY! Giving others the comforts you enjoy is part of the joy of helping others!
--> I do believe the founding fathers would help the hungry. They would do it out of their own pocket or as a group which they belonged such as a church. They would not approve of the government being in the business of charity.
You said (and my quote): “Why doesn't food stamp law put simple restrictions on the food that is purchased like no soda, food must be less than $3.00 a pound.” This kind of thinking a fascist leader would think of!
--> Not true. Fascism is government control over things like food and employment. I believe in the exact opposite. If there were no food stamp program at all there would be no government control, hence no fascism.
You said: "You act like the government gives one person thousands of dollars to spend on whatever they want. You sir and mama' are wrong."
ReplyDelete--> You are partially incorrect here. The government does not give one person thousands of dollars they give thousands of people thousands of dollars. They redistribute the wealth of the people who work to the people who do not work.
You said--> "Even the abusers have to give up something. Yes they get a lobster every once in a while but they also have to budget or they go hungry. They also have to remain under a certain salary which means they don’t get to have the nice cars , houses etc you enjoy."
--> Correct. You have to EARN those things. Let me put it this way: If you gave a family 20 dollars so they could eat a meal. Then you see that family hop in to a $40,000 SUV and drive over to the Red Lobster. Wouldn't that chap your ass a little. It is called gratitude. It seems lost on most people.
You said (with my quote): “If you are on the program you have no RIGHT to complain what restrictions are in place, it is free money to you. In essance you have sacrificed your liberty (choice of food selection) for security.” I hope you re read this phrase and change your thinking. You should not wish or try to implement any plan that makes someone chose between their liberties or their security!
--> Actually I have to admit a little plagiarism here, the original quote was "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." That was written by Benjamin Franklin in 1759.