Food Stamps: A Rant.

[polywog999]

let me guess, you're the kind of person who supports increases in spending for education and welfare as a solution to problems...

this is the kind of ignorance that perpetuates broken systems...

Wow, they should change your name to the 8 second kid!

[Reic]

You think Austin is bad? Try going north to Dallas.

Dallas couldn't possibly be offset by locations such as UT campus or 6th street

[Mursilis]

Many social programs started during the Great Depression, and food stamps were started in 1961.

The US seemed to grow and thrive pretty well since the establishment of those programs.

Except for that going broke part.

[Nickclone]

let me guess, you're the kind of person who supports increases in spending for education and welfare as a solution to problems...

this is the kind of ignorance that perpetuates broken systems...

I guess you're the kind of person who supports demonizing these programs, milking them dry of financial support and then deeming them not worthy?

This is the kind of ignorance that creates broken systems...

[Burgundy Burner]

As to handicap parking, you'd never know I was handicapped (MS as well) and while I haven't gotten a placard yet the recent days of high 90's and high humidity (yeah I know but that's why I choose to live here in the desert where we don't get that often) are leading me towards the unpleasant trip to MVD. I almost fell down traipsing across the parking lot of the supermarket yesterday. I have no doubt that when I get it I will get it more than my fair share of dirty looks. I've been with enough handicapped people in the past, who didn't look it, to have seen that.

All that aside, there's a special place in hell for those who really do take advantage of programs we all pay for to help the needy.

We're in a similar situation, but it's not surprising to see either one of us not using the handicap status when possible. But there are times when we will need it - there is no other choice. I don't worry about the dirty looks or if someone is angry with me. Anyway, like you, I try to use the status sparingly.

As for those who use the status for being overweight or the proverbial busted toenail, that is simply wrong. There are very needy handicapped souls who could use that parking spot. I blame the doctors who issue the status too - they should know better.

Hope things are going well for you. We need a cure or a vaccine soon - I keep praying for it.

[Hooper]

You think Austin is bad? Try going north to Dallas.

That's where I've spent most of my time in Texas.

The people are great, could not be nicer...

... but my God, there are families of fatties everywhere you look.

[Maximus71]

So I'm grocery shopping last week with the family, minding my own business. I look up just in time to snatch my 4 year old from the jaws of death as a 300 lbs woman in a rascal scooter (store provided, of course) barrelled down the bread aisle at 20 mph. I didn't say anything to her out of respect for my kids being in ear shot, whatever.

So I'm going to check out, and sure enough the woman gets to the line right in front of us. After all, she's got a V8, we're on foot.

To my surprise, she gets up out of the scooter and starts unloading her cart onto the checkout counter. She is moving and walking just fine. Then, I start paying attention to what she's buying. I am not exaggerating in the least: Snickers minis, Ice Cream, fudgesicles, bacon, sausage, skittles, lemonade, steaks, more ice cream, more snickers, milky ways, 3 musketeers bite size, and bread. I guess she plans on making bacon & snickers sandwiches or something.

So then she starts yapping on her cell phone. I don't think anything of this in particular until she starts swiping her food stamp card. The total was something like $150 or so, she ended up swiping the card 2 different times, and it left a cash balance of something like $18 which she paid in cash.

Oh, but we're not done yet. I check out and we're walking to the car and I see her getting into her car. You guessed it, handicapped spot. For near as I can tell, no other reason than she is overweight. She moves fine, loaded her groceries with no problem. Of course, she left the cart sitting next to her car. (**** it, someone else will get it, right?). And what kind of car was it? A relatively new Chevy Malibu.

So here we have a woman, too large to walk, driving a new car with handicapped plates, talking on her own cell phone, receiving money from you and me so she can fuel her obesity. That's our money, folks.

I haven't been able to shake this experience. I'm just disgusted with the state of the social programs in our country. Somebody enlighten me.

....

America, the land of freedom and Justice for all

I have ran in to this kind of crap all of the time, I love how people that are struggling to pay their bills and are on food stamps shop at wegman's! Its the system, we have allowed it and there are people that will take advantage of it. The amazing part is her fat *** is supposedly disabled due to being fat, instead of doing something about it she is buying nothing buy junk and instead of walking around to burn the calories she riding in a cart to even get fatter.

[polywog999]

Back to the thread, well, rant... I think both sides of this debate deserve a good look. I have known people on food stamps to sell them for drugs. I also know families that have really needed help.

[SellersHappens]

Dallas couldn't possibly be offset by locations such as UT campus or 6th street

You clearly underestimate the suckitude of Dallas. And you call yourself a Redskins fan!

For all I know though, 6th street may be filled with fat people. I wouldn't know given that I don't think I've ever walked that street sober

[skinfan133]

I guess you're the kind of person who supports demonizing these programs, milking them dry of financial support and then deeming them not worthy?

This is the kind of ignorance that creates broken systems...

lol, literally.

No, here is how welfare should work: It is a last resort to keep people from dying on the street. It is to keep people from becoming homeless in between jobs. It is absolutely not for the woman described in this thread. It should be a true safety net.

What I meant by what I posted in response to you earlier is that there's a class of people in our society who believe money is magical and that it buys results. Good programs buy results. If you spend a million dollars on a program to teach dogs how to speak English and you don't get results, throwing more money at it won't give you those results if the end result is inherently broken. In this regard our current system fails to accomplish what it is supposed to do.

and absolutely I will demonize those who take advantage of things such as these. I am a tax paying citizen and I refuse to allow the money that is forcibly stolen from me by the government prop up people undeserving, that is people who don't actually need a safety net.

Wow, they should change your name to the 8 second kid!

[Destino]

yeah the ones that kill me are the ones walking around wearing Tommy Hilfiger Shoes and FUBU clothes with so much gold in their mouth itd take my entire annual income to pay for it walking into a grocery store buying thick ass T Bone steaks and Filet Mignot all kinds of foods that most average people cant afford to buy. they have gold chains around their neck looking like Mr. T and a nice assed watch and drive a lexus, BMW, or a Mercedes and buy their food with welfare...

then want to complain that "Da Man be holdin us down!!!" no ********* youre holding yourself down. They choose to live in run down "Gubment Housin" because they dont want to pay to live in a better neighborhood but yet tehy have 60" Flat Screem Plasma TV's and nicer furniture then most everyone else...

and still feel like they are owed "Reparations" what has this country come to?

Hate me if you wish, but you know what I am saying is true

"An Obama Nation is an Abomination!!" RdsknsFtbll Oct 2008

Is it just black folk on the government dime that bother you or others as well? lol

[SellersHappens]

Except for that going broke part.

I think the economic downturn, 2 wars, and the Bush era tax cuts might have a little more to do with the deficit than a $60 billion program.

[polywog999]

lol, literally.

No, here is how welfare should work: It is a last resort to keep people from dying on the street. It is to keep people from becoming homeless in between jobs. It is absolutely not for the woman described in this thread. It should be a true safety net.

What I meant by what I posted in response to you earlier is that there's a class of people in our society who believe money is magical and that it buys results. Good programs buy results. If you spend a million dollars on a program to teach dogs how to speak English and you don't get results, throwing more money at it won't give you those results if the end result is inherently broken. In this regard our current system fails to accomplish what it is supposed to do.

and absolutely I will demonize those who take advantage of things such as these. I am a tax paying citizen and I refuse to allow the money that is forcibly stolen from me by the government prop up people undeserving, that is people who don't actually need a safety net.

Thought you had me on ignore?

Thats pretty much what these programs are for, but, hey... just let people die. It doesn't effect you.

[Destino]

I think the fat people threads are my favorite.

Loved the post by skinfan about 60-70% accurate inferences. I'm not even going to research it more because it makes complete sense. An obese person, especially one of the ilk that zoony described, naturally leads to mostly accurate assumptions. Obese people are lazy! How else did they get that way? I have no idea why this is such an "unfair" assertion.

Disclaimer: I know there are some fat people that can't help it due to genetics, blah blah. Not even close to a majority.

Diet has more to do with weight than activity level. I play basketball with many people that are over weight and I happen to know their activity level is high. It's ignorance (like you're displaying) that leads to high levels of over weight and obese individuals. If you eat wrong the average person will eventually gain significant weight even with steady exercise. As you get older your diet needs to adjust as well.

[Destino]

I don't - why encourage dependency? This country grew, thrived, and prospered for 150+ years without these programs, and by passing them, all we've done is create a permanent underclass.

Who prospered? Pick up a history book and pay close attention to standard of living for the common man. Take note at the size of the middle class in different periods of time. What makes the US great today is our standard of living compare it to the good ol days before any social programs.

[skinfan133]

We're in a similar situation, but it's not surprising to see either one of us not using the handicap status when possible. But there are times when we will need it - there is no other choice. I don't worry about the dirty looks or if someone is angry with me. Anyway, like you, I try to use the status sparingly.

As for those who use the status for being overweight or the proverbial busted toenail, that is simply wrong. There are very needy handicapped souls who could use that parking spot. I blame the doctors who issue the status too - they should know better.

Hope things are going well for you. We need a cure or a vaccine soon - I keep praying for it.

at the risk of going on a further tangent, I can't stand people who disrespect handicapped parking spaces.

story time.

My grandfather is an 80% disabled veteran. Needless to say, he actually needs the space for parking. So my family (me, parents, grandparents) go out for dinner, two separate cars. I ride with my grandparents so I can continue talking with them while my parents drive their car. Me and my grandparents get to the shopping center first (the nice one in landsdowne for those who know it) and there are no parking spots. Not a problem, Grandpa's car has a handicapped tag and plates. Well, handicapped if filled. And sitting in one of the spots is a car idling. I get out to go talk to the driver. Its a woman on her cell phone. I knock on the window, and she rolls it down and exclaims, "WHAT?!" I say, "Ma'am you're sitting in a handicapped space, do you have tags, "No, but I'm busy, leave me alone."

so I get a little annoyed and up the ante; "Look, unless you've got handicapped tags you need to move and go somewhere else, there are people who need this spot." She goes, "look, I have just as much right as anyone to be here, its just a parking spot." So I raise my voice, "Absolutely you do not have a right to be here! My grandfather over there is sitting in the middle of traffic waiting to park in this spot that you are idling in and don't even have a right to be in, so why don't you go talk on your phone somewhere else." And then she screams at me, "Well what ****ing makes him so special and more important than me?"

I lost it

"Well for your information, my grandfather is missing part of his leg and can't walk without a cane for more than 20 feet because he was hit with a hand grenade in Vietnam. He was a Marine for 30 years so that he could protect fat idiots like you from the Soviets and so that you would have the right to continue to yammer into that stupid cancer causing box next to your head. if you don't get out of this spot in 30 seconds I'm calling the police."

she left without a word.

****ing entitled people, at least my grandfather did something to earn the entitlement of parking close to a sidewalk. Anyone with a legit handicapped tag deserves those spots regardless, and I do call the police on people who park without tags or plates in handicapped.

so ye be warned

[HailGreen28]

I think the economic downturn, 2 wars, and the Bush era tax cuts might have a little more to do with the deficit than a $60 billion program.

Debateable. All military 18%, Non-Social Sec and Non-Medicare Welfare Programs 16%.

[Mursilis]

I think the economic downturn, 2 wars, and the Bush era tax cuts might have a little more to do with the deficit than a $60 billion program.

The debt was already 5+ trillion when Bush stumbled into office, son. Please read some history. Of course, Bush made the problem worse, but he didn't create it.

It's not the program itself that's bad - it's the kind of dependency it creates. We went from a nation of contributors to a nation of leeches in less than 100 years. U.S. public debt was less than 10% of GDP as recently as 1920, spiked over 100% due to WWII, and hasn't been below 20% since. And it's heading upward, and will get worse with "free" healthcare.

[mbws]

let me guess, you're the kind of person who supports increases in spending for education and welfare as a solution to problems...

this is the kind of ignorance that perpetuates broken systems...

So education is a bad thing?

[Nickclone]

lol, literally.

No, here is how welfare should work: It is a last resort to keep people from dying on the street. It is to keep people from becoming homeless in between jobs. It is absolutely not for the woman described in this thread. It should be a true safety net.

What I meant by what I posted in response to you earlier is that there's a class of people in our society who believe money is magical and that it buys results. Good programs buy results. If you spend a million dollars on a program to teach dogs how to speak English and you don't get results, throwing more money at it won't give you those results if the end result is inherently broken. In this regard our current system fails to accomplish what it is supposed to do.

and absolutely I will demonize those who take advantage of things such as these. I am a tax paying citizen and I refuse to allow the money that is forcibly stolen from me by the government prop up people undeserving, that is people who don't actually need a safety net.

I think you're overestimating how much people actually get per month, this isn't going to save these people, they can't live off of it. Its supposed to be nothing more than a band aid so they don't completely bleed out, alleviate some of the burden.

Some people are going to try and abuse the system, it doesn't mean the system is bad, is means that people are trying to abuse the system. Besides, your tax dollars are being wasted on bigger things than the anecdotal fat person buying candy bars.

[skinfan133]

I think the economic downturn, 2 wars, and the Bush era tax cuts might have a little more to do with the deficit than a $60 billion program.

completely false. The Iraq war was a drop in the bucket (a wrong drop in the bucket mind you) compared to the projected financial strain of entitlements: medicare, medicaid, and social security alone are going to appraoch 60% of the current federal budget in terms of cost in the next 20 years. You do the math, here's the conclusion: not good.

[TheDoyler23]

Scooters, cell phones, food stamps, sweet midsized sedans and accessible parking?!

Sign me up!!

Actually, I would hate to trade places with that person.

I've had that person as a client and her life has tons of challenges that you may not see in 5 seconds.

This client, whose husband left her, moved out of state and doesn't pay the support he's supposed to. He left the house to go into foreclosure. She's been a homemaker for years and is a person with LD. She suffered years of abuse from her husband and at one time, was in a car accident that severely effects her physical stamina. While she may walk around here and there, she needs that Accessible parking. She has two kids who both have challenges and receive alternate education services. One child is a person with autism and often refuses to eat, so she bribes him with mini Snickers bars to eat dinner.

So if I see her at the store and she's riding in a scooter, buying candy bars, and parking her car in a accessible space, I'll say hello and treat her like a person, and not a leech.

[Ryman of the North]

I wonder if there's a whistle blower site for folks like this.

i totally agree on all points. I think assistance for those in legitimate need is required of an enlightened society, but those who abuse it should be made to pay a very heavy penalty.

~Bang

couldnt agree more, if you genuinely need some help its one thing, using food stamps to eat better than most working people makes me angry.

btw I am a large guy but nothing pisses me off more than fat ****s who use those scooters and just get fatter, to me if you have health problems because of your lifestyle (smoking, having sex indisciminately, eating deep friend peanutbutter samwhiches etc etc) then I shouldnt be covering that with MY taxes. heres a clue, slow down on the snickers fatty mcbutterpants, stop screwing everyone slutty slutterton and johnny lung cancer I dont wnat to hear about how you smoked a pack a day every day for 40 years.

[PF Chang]

Diet has more to do with weight than activity level. I play basketball with many people that are over weight and I happen to know their activity level is high. It's ignorance (like you're displaying) that leads to high levels of over weight and obese individuals. If you eat wrong your activity level would need to be insane to compensate.

I know people that work out 5 days a week and are at least 20 pounds over weight. I know people that out last me on the basketball court that have a BMI over 30 (that would be obesity). If you eat wrong the average person will eventually gain significant weight even with steady exercise.

I completely agree with you. How is poor diet not the responsibility of that overweight person? I don't really know what I said that was so ignorant. What am I being ignorant of? When did I say that diet wasn't important?

I did say that fat people are lazy, a generalization that is likely what you took offense with. Perhaps there is a better word for a person that won't eat right or exercise, or will only do one of the two. Either way, I'm not making excuses. But you seem to know it all; I'll just keep being "ignorant" of obvious concepts like diet and exercise.

[Destino]

completely false. The Iraq war was a drop in the bucket (a wrong drop in the bucket mind you) compared to the projected financial strain of entitlements: medicare, medicaid, and social security alone are going to appraoch 60% of the current federal budget in terms of cost in the next 20 years. You do the math, here's the conclusion: not good.

Medicare/Medicaid/social security... aren't those paid seperately from taxes and actually dipped into for other expenses in the budget. I fail to see how cutting these (which would have to come with a cut of the corresponding line item on our taxes) would change the national debt.