nichole nikka
Shark Bacon
I guess I can be a little growly about it, but not openly. Just in my head, you know? And not even food stamps in general, more like the quality/quantity of food that people buy with them, among other things.
Okay, like chips and soda and ******** steak. Chips and soda are junk food and should not be bought on food stamps. It should be in the same classification as curtains and s**t that people have to pay for out of pocket. Food stamps should cover everything that WIC covers, like the bread, milk, cheese, eggs, etc. And I haven't had steak in 5+ years because of the price, so when I see someone on food stamps buy steak, I get irate.
And the odd loopholes that people get with their food stamps make me frustrated. My boyfriend is a manager at Aldi, which is a great low-cost store. But the same people come in every single day and spend $100+. I don't understand how their cards allow them so much, when others have so little. Like certain people work that system to the max. When my boyfriend rings someone up, the receipt has a "remaining balance" on there, and some people are getting so, so much.
And then there's people that buy/sell/trade their food stamp cards. For money, drugs, cigarettes, whatever. I mean, that's a problem. And it happens all the time. People will pull out three, four cards to pay for stuff, and openly talk about buying/selling them.
But maybe I live in a s**t area.
I'm not judgmental of those that need help. I'm glad we have these things in place. I'm not an advocate for child starvation, after all. I just think there's got to be a better way to do it and weed out the misuse.
No offense, but your boyfriend really shouldn't be snooping on their receipts in order to see how much money they have. That's just rude and unethical, and soooo unprofessional.
If you or your boyfriend see people pulling out multiple cards, REPORT THEM asap! People like that are what make other people have so little benefits of foodstamps, and IS considered abusing the system. It would make it to where they don't get foodstamps and possibly anyone who sold their foodstamps to them. I'm perfectly fine with actual abuse of systems.
I understand getting irritated, but you really have no right. My dad would often buy steaks (really discounted because the place he got them from was going to throw them out the same day he bought them), does he deserve to feel anger from someone like you? Nope, you can take your negative opinion elsewhere.
My main problem is repeat offenders/people who sell their foodstamps. Granted, they are NOT the majority though. (Drug testing has proven to be a fruitless waste of taxpayer money).
Another problem that I'm sure you're aware of if you are formally educated on social matters is actually implementation of new rules regarding foodstamps. As stated earlier, it could prove to be of no benefit. You never know who is just buying the junk occasionally or who is trying to buy things for a celebration. Are you really trying to tell me a little girl's birthday should be ruined because her parents aren't allowed to buy cake because a minority of people ruined it for the majority? How about a student who gets points taken off if they don't participate/bring something to a class "party"? (I've had this happen and witnessed it happen to many other students. I always got my points taken off.) How about someone with hypoglycemia issues who buys a box of cookies in the event their bloodsugar is too low? Should they go without? Would you be okay with someone regulating what you can or can not buy? Money circulates. Once YOUR money goes into circulation, it is no longer yours. To a person with foodstamps, that is THEIR money, not yours. Why should you be able to decide what they can or can not buy? I'm assuming you are also for making abortion legal, since you seem to like telling people what they can and can not do.
If you try to excuse punishing others for your immature stance on this issue, then shame on you. Realize that a very small percent of people actually abuse food stamps and the system. They do not represent the majority in any way, shape, or form. And any "regulation" would most likely impact the majority in a negative way.
Okay, well I guess I can address these things piece by piece.
My boyfriend isn't "snooping" on receipts. Like they literally print out and he sees them as they print. Like a person could theoretically avert their eyes, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to stare off into space as the receipt is printing. It prints, he tears it off, and he hands it to them. Occasionally he sees the balance. And sometimes it's outrageous.
As for reporting, I'm not even sure how that works, but I'll look into it.
Children's birthday cakes should be bought out of pocket. You're telling me you don't have the $1.25-$2 to purchase a box of Betty Crocker cake mix? Okay, then buy the ingredients single. Flour, sugar, eggs, oil- all covered by WIC. And I shouldn't have to see other people buy steak because a lot of us not on welfare can't afford to buy steak. It's an outrageous expense for someone on a limited income. It doesn't make sense.
And someone with hypoglycemia shouldn't be eating cookies, anyway. It's a poor health choice and will only lead to a later blood sugar drop. They would be better off eating peanut butter on Graham crackers for a slow burning protein. If the blood sugar is low enough, orange juice would be a good start, followed by a carb/protein snack. All of these options are covered on WIC. Or, make your own sugar cookies with the items you purchase (flour, sugar, butter, etc.), if you really insist on making such unhealthy choices.
And actually, your health choices are of great concern to the budget. The United States Medicaid/Medicare/SCHIP/veteran's care will amount to $600 billion dollars in a single year. 25% of the US budget is Medicaid/Medicare alone. So providing you and others with a healthier diet will save a lot of money in the long term.
