Food Stamp outrage

[Article 15]

Regarding food stamps in general...I think that there should be severe restrictions on what they can be used for.

I think that they should only be used for healthy, nutritious foods, not twinkies, Frosted Flakes, and CocaCola.

Is the 16 year old cashier going to enforce that?

Should be simple enough to set a bar code that identifies it for the cashier. I've always thought that having a no-frills- nutritious food aisle would be a benefit to all concerned.

I hear where you're coming from but all I see is confrontation and headaches for people who work at supermarkets.

I do support banning people from buying booze and cigarettes with food stamps.

 

[Cecilie1200]

not twinkies, Frosted Flakes, and CocaCola

Damn nutrition police.

The problem with limiting foods this way is that there are OTHER people who resent those on food stamps buying higher-quality foods, blathering about how they're "eating higher on the hog than I can afford", so trying to please people on this subject is a no-win situation for the government. I don't blame them for not even bothering to go there.

 

[KittenKoder]

Regarding food stamps in general...I think that there should be severe restrictions on what they can be used for.

I think that they should only be used for healthy, nutritious foods, not twinkies, Frosted Flakes, and CocaCola.

The flaw with this is that in most areas they would have to spend a LOT more money on it then.

 

[Article 15]

Regarding food stamps in general...I think that there should be severe restrictions on what they can be used for.

I think that they should only be used for healthy, nutritious foods, not twinkies, Frosted Flakes, and CocaCola.

Is the 16 year old cashier going to enforce that?

Actually, the store's computer enforces it. Food stamps and cash assistance are issued on a card like a debit card. The cashier scans your purchases, hits a button identifying the source of payment as an EBT card, you slide the card and specify either the food or cash account, and the computer charges the account for those purchases that are allowable. The cashier then asks you for the balance of the purchase, if some of it was not allowable for that account.

In case anyone is wondering, I used to work as a supermarket cashier.

Heh ... I did not know that.

(obviously)

 

[Cecilie1200]

Is the 16 year old cashier going to enforce that?

Everything is computerized. The system should know if a certain food is eligible for food stamps, or whether it needs to be paid for with cash.

That sounds like a nightmare in the making. I can just picture someone getting their groceries scanned before paying with the food stamps, being told that they have to put back half their groceries, and all hell breaking loose.

Not really. People on food stamps know perfectly well what's allowable and what isn't. Our state has a nutritional program called WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) which issues vouchers for very specific foods and brands, and accepts no substitutions. It's very rare that the recipients don't know PRECISELY which brands are allowed and which aren't, and they're well aware that the store has no control over it.

 

[KittenKoder]

I call "Bullshit' on the story ... too many flaws.

Someone who gets 3,000 a year in our state may get $100 in stamps, so either the state this story is from is really not calculating well or the authors are doing what media is famous for: sensationalizing.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Is the 16 year old cashier going to enforce that?

Should be simple enough to set a bar code that identifies it for the cashier. I've always thought that having a no-frills- nutritious food aisle would be a benefit to all concerned.

I hear where you're coming from but all I see is confrontation and headaches for people who work at supermarkets.

I do support banning people from buying booze and cigarettes with food stamps.

I see a lot of headaches for policy-makers trying to please all of the people who basically just resent food stamp recipients in general.

You already can't buy booze and cigarettes with food stamps. They can only be used for actual food. Also, they can't be used for things like deli products or anything sold heated by the store.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Is the 16 year old cashier going to enforce that?

Actually, the store's computer enforces it. Food stamps and cash assistance are issued on a card like a debit card. The cashier scans your purchases, hits a button identifying the source of payment as an EBT card, you slide the card and specify either the food or cash account, and the computer charges the account for those purchases that are allowable. The cashier then asks you for the balance of the purchase, if some of it was not allowable for that account.

In case anyone is wondering, I used to work as a supermarket cashier.

Heh ... I did not know that.

(obviously)

They created the EBT system, I believe, to prevent abuses rampant under the old system where actual stamps were issued, and also to make it faster and easier for the stores and cheaper and easier for the government. Electronic money is a WHOLE lot less hassle than printing out little books of vouchers.

 

[KittenKoder]

Regarding food stamps in general...I think that there should be severe restrictions on what they can be used for.

I think that they should only be used for healthy, nutritious foods, not twinkies, Frosted Flakes, and CocaCola.

Is the 16 year old cashier going to enforce that?

Actually, the store's computer enforces it. Food stamps and cash assistance are issued on a card like a debit card. The cashier scans your purchases, hits a button identifying the source of payment as an EBT card, you slide the card and specify either the food or cash account, and the computer charges the account for those purchases that are allowable. The cashier then asks you for the balance of the purchase, if some of it was not allowable for that account.

In case anyone is wondering, I used to work as a supermarket cashier.

Not all stores do it through the register ... many have the "credit card' like machines instead, where they punch in the amount manually. There was a store recently (about 2 years ago) busted for buying the food stamps, so it is still possible to misuse the system. ANY system can be misused and has flaws, though placing it on the EBT cards helped cut back on the incorrect usage it will never get rid of it.

 

[Article 15]

Actually, the store's computer enforces it. Food stamps and cash assistance are issued on a card like a debit card. The cashier scans your purchases, hits a button identifying the source of payment as an EBT card, you slide the card and specify either the food or cash account, and the computer charges the account for those purchases that are allowable. The cashier then asks you for the balance of the purchase, if some of it was not allowable for that account.

In case anyone is wondering, I used to work as a supermarket cashier.

Heh ... I did not know that.

(obviously)

They created the EBT system, I believe, to prevent abuses rampant under the old system where actual stamps were issued, and also to make it faster and easier for the stores and cheaper and easier for the government. Electronic money is a WHOLE lot less hassle than printing out little books of vouchers.

Well you've convinced me.

The policies/methods you've described are ones that I would support.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Heh ... I did not know that.

(obviously)

They created the EBT system, I believe, to prevent abuses rampant under the old system where actual stamps were issued, and also to make it faster and easier for the stores and cheaper and easier for the government. Electronic money is a WHOLE lot less hassle than printing out little books of vouchers.

Well you've convinced me.

The policies/methods you've described are ones that I would support.

I'm old enough to remember people taking one-dollar food stamps around to stores, buying something that cost a few cents, and pocketing the change until they had enough to buy cigarettes (granted, cigarettes cost a lot less back then). The EBT cards, which prevent ANY of the food stamp money being used for anything else by using electronic money, was a very sensible solution to this loophole.

As for trying to micromanage what people eat, I've seen customers come through the checkout line bitching and moaning about someone buying seafood or the fixings for pot roast on food stamps (both excellent nutritional choices) because they're "living it up at taxpayer expense with those fancy foods". Unless you want to limit food stamp recipients to hamburger, there's just no way to satisfy everyone on this subject.

 

[KittenKoder]

Too bad EBT has only slowed down the illegal use of food stamps. No system is perfect, but for the most part food stamps are a good idea. The flaws come from the screening process. I say, no one with a drug or alcohol conviction should be allowed them and any state where someone making that much money can get them is wasting money for some reason.

 

[Mr. President]

Devils advocate for a minute. If the man owns all of these things how much of his taxes each year went into paying for these food stamps? Shouldn't he be entitled to temporary compensation from a system he invested into? We often give the food stamps to people who just don't want to work. Should a man who was laid off not be afforded at least the same rights as a catagorical bum?

 

[Peejay]

Frosted flakes ? WTF ? Who said that folks shouldn't buy Frosted Flakes with food stamps ? It's breakfast cereal for heavens sake.....corn friggin' flakes........I guess the sugar frosting chaps your ass. Let's just coat all food stamp eligible food in shit. Would that make you happy ?

 

[Fregretu]

So a out of work Donald Trump can quailify for food stamps? LOL

There's no comparisan. The average out of work parent should be entitled to food stamps. They didn't say anything about him getting any money so he may have to live off of his retirement money or whatever that $80,000 was. If it was actually $80,000.

Btw, the more they said the guy owned, the more I saw a bit of exaggeration in the claims.

Assets should be taken into consideration. Somehow they are waived through this categorical eligibility clause. I have to look into this more. But from what I see so far this is bullshit.

Well, that would disqualify thousands among thousands of the receipients in Texas. It makes my blood curdle to see so them drive away from the grocery store in a car that I could only dream of owning, not to mention the thousands of dollars of accessories they added to the vehicle after purchasing.

And yes, I follow them out the store just to see what they are driving. I send my son to follow if I know I will be a while at the chashiers counter.

Until we have a decent enforcable welfare reform, I say if the don wants food stamps and is willing to cheat the system like most of them, GO FOR IT!!!

 

[Cecilie1200]

Devils advocate for a minute. If the man owns all of these things how much of his taxes each year went into paying for these food stamps? Shouldn't he be entitled to temporary compensation from a system he invested into? We often give the food stamps to people who just don't want to work. Should a man who was laid off not be afforded at least the same rights as a catagorical bum?

No. Welfare is not intended to be an investment system, where you pay in and then get something back when you want it because you're somehow "entitled" to pay back. It's intended to offer assistance to people who cannot provide for themselves financially. And since welfare was reformed, recipients are limited in the amount of time they can receive assistance and required to show some effort at providing for themselves, or proof that they can't such as a disability. If he has the money to provide for himself, then he should do so, not expect others to do it for him.

 

[Cecilie1200]

There's no comparisan. The average out of work parent should be entitled to food stamps. They didn't say anything about him getting any money so he may have to live off of his retirement money or whatever that $80,000 was. If it was actually $80,000.

Btw, the more they said the guy owned, the more I saw a bit of exaggeration in the claims.

Assets should be taken into consideration. Somehow they are waived through this categorical eligibility clause. I have to look into this more. But from what I see so far this is bullshit.

Well, that would disqualify thousands among thousands of the receipients in Texas. It makes my blood curdle to see so them drive away from the grocery store in a car that I could only dream of owning, not to mention the thousands of dollars of accessories they added to the vehicle after purchasing.

And yes, I follow them out the store just to see what they are driving. I send my son to follow if I know I will be a while at the chashiers counter.

Until we have a decent enforcable welfare reform, I say if the don wants food stamps and is willing to cheat the system like most of them, GO FOR IT!!!

I'm curious as to why you're so obessed that you go to all that trouble to enable your envy and frustration. It's not enough to just generally know that the system gets abused? You have to actually specifically spy on individual food stamp recipients so that you can be impotently infuriated?

You really need to get a grip.

 

[Fregretu]

Assets should be taken into consideration. Somehow they are waived through this categorical eligibility clause. I have to look into this more. But from what I see so far this is bullshit.

Well, that would disqualify thousands among thousands of the receipients in Texas. It makes my blood curdle to see so them drive away from the grocery store in a car that I could only dream of owning, not to mention the thousands of dollars of accessories they added to the vehicle after purchasing.

And yes, I follow them out the store just to see what they are driving. I send my son to follow if I know I will be a while at the chashiers counter.

Until we have a decent enforcable welfare reform, I say if the don wants food stamps and is willing to cheat the system like most of them, GO FOR IT!!!

I'm curious as to why you're so obessed that you go to all that trouble to enable your envy and frustration. It's not enough to just generally know that the system gets abused? You have to actually specifically spy on individual food stamp recipients so that you can be impotently infuriated?

You really need to get a grip.

Damn Right!

 

[raceright]

A few years ago (maybe ten) while standing on line with my wife
the women in front of us, her pager went off,she then called someone with her cell phone and paid for her groceries with food stamps.. Outside she entered her BMW and drove off...Enough
poor my ass..Bad system, sends the wrong message to people.
Should be no food stamps don't remember them back in the early 60's the poor back then were given food by the church I know as I had a car in 1965 and delivered the food for the school.

 

[Peejay]

There's no comparisan. The average out of work parent should be entitled to food stamps. They didn't say anything about him getting any money so he may have to live off of his retirement money or whatever that $80,000 was. If it was actually $80,000.

Btw, the more they said the guy owned, the more I saw a bit of exaggeration in the claims.

Assets should be taken into consideration. Somehow they are waived through this categorical eligibility clause. I have to look into this more. But from what I see so far this is bullshit.

Well, that would disqualify thousands among thousands of the receipients in Texas. It makes my blood curdle to see so them drive away from the grocery store in a car that I could only dream of owning, not to mention the thousands of dollars of accessories they added to the vehicle after purchasing.

And yes, I follow them out the store just to see what they are driving. I send my son to follow if I know I will be a while at the chashiers counter.

Until we have a decent enforcable welfare reform, I say if the don wants food stamps and is willing to cheat the system like most of them, GO FOR IT!!!

Ignorant, hateful horseshit.

MOST people are not cheating the system. You got any proof that MOST people are cheating ? Of course you don't. Because it's ignorant, hateful horseshit. MOST people aren't cheating at all. MOST people are simply in need. Since the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, the trunover rate in welfare is nearly 70%. That is to say that 70% are on welfare for a period of time and then move on. The other 30% are the elderly, the unemployable the chronically ignorant and yes, a few cheats. They are no less Americans and while we are spending billions to kill, half a world away, I find it hard to oppose helping my fellow man to live, here at home. I'm surprised you didn't throw your son out with the bath water as a child.

You wanna know my personal experience with cheats ? I'll tell you anyway. One of my best friends from high school, the first to ramble on, like yourself, about how sorry people were that use welfare or food stamps. The he got his shot to cheat. Just like you, he thought......GO FOR IT....EVERYONE ELSE DOES. Fucking brilliant.

What's wrong with the system ? YOU. GO FOR IT ? What an idiot. Hell, that's probably criminal to advise people to commit fraud.