A small trip to the grocery...a large aggravation.

[xotoxi]

My opinion:

People that smoke should not receive any public funding.

If they have enough money to spend on cigarettes, they should have enough money to spend on food, rent, healthcare, etc.

 

[Againsheila]

We have all seen it...each time frowning in quiet frustration.
I saw it again today.
I decided to make a tomato-cucumber salad to go with chicken breast I am going to grill, but I didn't have any red onions, or for that matter cucumbers either.
I am standing in the "fast lane" looking at what this women and daughter in front of me were buying.
A quick inventory and I summed up the following:

4 -12 packs of soda pop.
2 - packages of bologna.
1 giant bag of cheese-ball puffs.
1 giant bag of cheese popcorn.
1 loaf of bread.
2 - 1 litre cold coke bottles (guess they can't wait till they get home..need it now)

Annnnd...3 packs of cigarettes.

She mentioned to the clerk to ring up the cigarettes separately. The clerk didn't blink an eye.
Then I understood why - she paid for the junk food and pop with a food stamp card, and the f*cking cigarettes with cash.

Yet another example of wasted taxpayer money.
Man that pisses me off.

Look at it this way, with that diet and those cigarettes, they won't live a very long life, you won't be paying for them for long.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

That is actually a better policy than the one currently in place.

All major Urban areas have days and usually Churches were Commodites can be procured for the poor. Those with EBT Cards and ID.

Would it not be better to give the "poor" dried beans, corn meal, flower, baking soda, cheese and depending on bona fide family size, a chit for so many dollars that can only be used for milk, formula, eggs, fresh produce and fresh meat?

Certainly more beneficial for a healthy life as well as a motivator to rise above one's current station in life.

I am all about giving you a hand up NOT a hand out.

When I was young and poor, back before poor became fashionable, I found it to be damn inconvenient as well as embarrassing.

Damn straight....as well as it would reduce the cost to taxpayers by a phenomenal amount...money better suited for other more worthwhile means.

F*cking ridiculous that a woman feeds her daughter this kind of crap...while buying almost $15 in cigarettes, and a good chance spent $20 on a case of beer the night before.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

We have all seen it...each time frowning in quiet frustration.
I saw it again today.
I decided to make a tomato-cucumber salad to go with chicken breast I am going to grill, but I didn't have any red onions, or for that matter cucumbers either.
I am standing in the "fast lane" looking at what this women and daughter in front of me were buying.
A quick inventory and I summed up the following:

4 -12 packs of soda pop.
2 - packages of bologna.
1 giant bag of cheese-ball puffs.
1 giant bag of cheese popcorn.
1 loaf of bread.
2 - 1 litre cold coke bottles (guess they can't wait till they get home..need it now)

Annnnd...3 packs of cigarettes.

She mentioned to the clerk to ring up the cigarettes separately. The clerk didn't blink an eye.
Then I understood why - she paid for the junk food and pop with a food stamp card, and the f*cking cigarettes with cash.

Yet another example of wasted taxpayer money.
Man that pisses me off.

Look at it this way, with that diet and those cigarettes, they won't live a very long life, you won't be paying for them for long.

Oh I couldn't give a rats ass about the bum woman...her 8-10 year old daughter on the other hand is the point of my concern.
Bet she has a great life so far.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

But with 0bamacare, you have to pay for their coronary care, or for their emphysema care.

 

[boedicca]

My opinion:

People that smoke should not receive any public funding.

If they have enough money to spend on cigarettes, they should have enough money to spend on food, rent, healthcare, etc.

By extension, do you also believe that anyone who smokes should be denied health care under the ObamaCare takeover?

 

[xotoxi]

We have all seen it...each time frowning in quiet frustration.
I saw it again today.
I decided to make a tomato-cucumber salad to go with chicken breast I am going to grill, but I didn't have any red onions, or for that matter cucumbers either.
I am standing in the "fast lane" looking at what this women and daughter in front of me were buying.
A quick inventory and I summed up the following:

4 -12 packs of soda pop.
2 - packages of bologna.
1 giant bag of cheese-ball puffs.
1 giant bag of cheese popcorn.
1 loaf of bread.
2 - 1 litre cold coke bottles (guess they can't wait till they get home..need it now)

Annnnd...3 packs of cigarettes.

She mentioned to the clerk to ring up the cigarettes separately. The clerk didn't blink an eye.
Then I understood why - she paid for the junk food and pop with a food stamp card, and the f*cking cigarettes with cash.

Yet another example of wasted taxpayer money.
Man that pisses me off.

Look at it this way, with that diet and those cigarettes, they won't live a very long life, you won't be paying for them for long.

Actually, you will be paying A LOT for them to treat their heart disease, strokes, lung disease, kidney failure, amputations, etc.

 

[xotoxi]

My opinion:

People that smoke should not receive any public funding.

If they have enough money to spend on cigarettes, they should have enough money to spend on food, rent, healthcare, etc.

By extension, do you also believe that anyone who smokes should be denied health care under the ObamaCare takeover?

YES. I do.

Clarification: unless they want to pay their premiums and their care themselves. But no gov't funding.

 

[fyrenza]

What precisely is wrong, iamwhatiseem? Tell us. Is it wrong that people who need food stamps also enjoy sugary foods? Is there some sort of elitism at work here?

You have to earn X before you can have a twinkie?

Fuck off.

Ever heard of the risks of a high sugar/high fat diet?

Since we ALSO have to pay for their medical care, I believe that we have every right,

and indeed, an OBLIGATION

to help/teach them to eat nutritious foods.

Your idea of standing up for and Helping folks is so out-in-the-ozone, it takes my breath away, quite frankly.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Actually, you will be paying A LOT for them to treat their heart disease, strokes, lung disease, kidney failure, amputations, etc.

That's a good point.

 

[boedicca]

My opinion:

People that smoke should not receive any public funding.

If they have enough money to spend on cigarettes, they should have enough money to spend on food, rent, healthcare, etc.

By extension, do you also believe that anyone who smokes should be denied health care under the ObamaCare takeover?

YES. I do.

Clarification: unless they want to pay their premiums and their care themselves. But no gov't funding.

I'm perfectly fine with that - and would like to see that principle consistently applied throughout our society and government.


As all of us are or do things that bother someone else, none of us should be subsidized by the government.

 

[xotoxi]

By extension, do you also believe that anyone who smokes should be denied health care under the ObamaCare takeover?

YES. I do.

Clarification: unless they want to pay their premiums and their care themselves. But no gov't funding.

I'm perfectly fine with that - and would like to see that principle consistently applied throughout our society and government.

My opinions on gov't funding are that it should help the individual for those that can't get by...but only if they are trying as well.

Healthcare for those who are trying to improve their health.

Other fundings to supplement people who are working hard but just aren't making much.

It should not be paying more for moms who have more and more kids.

But that opens up many other cans of worms...

 

[boedicca]

That's a slippery slope and easily abused.

Whenever a system is based on elevating Need over Productivity, the end results is Cheese Puffs and Cigarettes.

 

[xotoxi]

As all of us are or do things that bother someone else, none of us should be subsidized by the government.

This is where we differ.

For a person that works three jobs that don't pay much (because they are of limited intelligence for no reason other than that's the way they are born)...but they need assistance with obtaining healthy food or healthcare...I think those people should be helped.

I don't want to help the person that doesn't want to work simply because they don't like the job or they want to sleep in or they want to party...those people can suffer for all I care.

 

[xotoxi]

That's a slippery slope and easily abused.

Whenever a system is based on elevating Need over Productivity, the end results is Cheese Puffs and Cigarettes.

This question this raises for me is What is productivity?

If we didn't have garbage collectors, what would happen with all the garbage? How much should these people get paid?

There are many menial jobs that are important and PRODUCTIVE, that just don't pay enough to live on.

 

[boedicca]

That's what charities are for. They can discriminate against those they deem worthy and those who are self-destructive. The problem with government programs is that the PC police and special interest groups always pervert them so that a great deal of money is wasted on those for whom the program was originally not intended to help.

 

[Madeline]

This is my point. The poor are so easy to hate, to look down on, to demonize. Feeling at all inadequate? Trash a poor family. Compassion and respect are for pussies.

And I'll withdraw healthcare for people who smoke when you guys withdraw it for people who drink, or have reckless sex, or simply live too fucking long.

 

[syrenn]

What precisely is wrong, iamwhatiseem? Tell us. Is it wrong that people who need food stamps also enjoy sugary foods? Is there some sort of elitism at work here?

You have to earn X before you can have a twinkie?

Fuck off.

I think the bigger point M is that if you have money, CASH, enough to buy cigarettes then you have enough to buy FOOD.

 

[Madeline]

Mebbe you have that $15 because your food costs have been slashed. Mebbe smoking is all that keeps you from losing it, as you fret over all the crap pressing down on you. I'm all for healthy living, for nutrious foods and such...but shaming poor people is not my cuppa.

Y'all can have this party without me. I have been poor, and it SUCKED.

 

[boedicca]

That's a slippery slope and easily abused.

Whenever a system is based on elevating Need over Productivity, the end results is Cheese Puffs and Cigarettes.

This question this raises for me is What is productivity?

If we didn't have garbage collectors, what would happen with all the garbage? How much should these people get paid?

There are many menial jobs that are important and PRODUCTIVE, that just don't pay enough to live on.

What is productivity? People performing work for which others are willing to pay them.

What is enough to live on is rather subjective. Considering how comments have been made in other threads recently about the poor in America having big screen TVs, Cars, Refrigerators etc., even the poor in America live better lifestyles than the vase amount of people who have ever lived.

Perhaps if we lived in a country in which government did not spend 45% of our GDP and inflate away the value of the currency, we could see how a real labor market would work in determining the value of the productivity of "menial" jobs.