US = Food stamps nation and is growing and growing and...

Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
17,999
1,396
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Sad read. There are so much wrong/failure in the story, I will pick out a few.

a federal program that began as a last resort for a few million hungry people has grown into an economic lifeline for entire towns. Spending on SNAP has doubled in the past four years and tripled in the past decade, surpassing $78 billion last year. A record 47 million Americans receive the benefit — including 13,752 in Woonsocket, one-third of the town’s population..

SNAP enrollment in Rhode Island had been rising for six years, up from 73,000 people to nearly 180,000, and now three-quarters of purchases at International Meat Market are paid for with Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.

33% of the town population is on food stamps? That's a lot of people.

He had ordered 150 pounds of the tenderloin steak favored by the newly poor

Steak for people who are on food stamps? :eek:

They leaned on shopping carts and smoked cigarettes,

On food stamps and have money for cigarettes?

Was it better to pay down the $600 they owed the landlord, or the $110 they owed for their cellphones, or the $75 they owed the tattoo parlor, or the $840 they owed the electric company?

Money is tight and they spent $75 on tattoo?

A Salvadoran immigrant who wanted the meat pack flier translated into Spanish.

Aprender a hablar Inglésl

His store had already sold more than $5,000, with $4,700 paid for in SNAP.

Over 90% of sale were paid by food stamps? Yike.

a 2004 Mitsubishi Galant leased on 18 percent interest for $90 a week.

She had spent about two weeks of SNAP money on groceries that would last seven or eight days.

Lack of common sense and basic finance FTL.


Don't forget to read the comments section in the bottom of the article.


http://articles.washingtonpost.com/...7768635_1_mother-s-day-food-stamps-woonsocket
 
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boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,890
642
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EBT cards may become more valuable than U.S. currency in the near future. Sounds like the learning curve is quick. The question is whether to get on them now or to wait.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,095
513
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This has the potential to be like the health care industry and our higher education system. Where govt interjects itself into the market to help some people only to have the market's supply\demand curve broken by endless govt money. The result is higher costs and more people requiring govt help to purchase within that market.
 

bozack

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2000
7,913
12
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I know it is anecdotal but the amount of people here on public assistance that have nice cars, expensive luxury items, and what not seem to be on the rise, as does abuse of certain assistance programs such as the EBT cards...

I have seen more and more of my facebook contacts complaining about it lately, and working in a liberal's utopia near the city which is chalk full of new low income housing units I can say all that is seen are BMWs, Mercs, Audis, and other higher end luxo cars....

Even read on another forum of people using EBT cards to buy expensive Swiss watches and other jewelry so that they can then go pawn it.

I guess if living on assistance allows for that much luxury spending, and provides pretty modern housing (as is the case here) why would they want to get off of it?
 

Geosurface

Diamond Member
Mar 22, 2012
5,776
4
0
I think our society is setting itself up for a really, really, REALLY scary bubble-burst in the not so distant future. Complete with starving hordes destroying things.
 

Mursilis

Diamond Member
Mar 11, 2001
7,756
11
81
May 13, 2009
12,333
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Can't you guys see they are struggling to make it. Wake up around 1pm, watch cable TV for a few hours, go into work for a 4 hour shift, get off work about 10pm, go to bros house and watch more TV and get drunk. Rinse and repeat..
 

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
197
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Where does the blame belong?

Failed education system?
Factories going overseas?
Lack of motivation?
Too many government handouts?

What can be done to fix the situation?

Job training?
Low cost college?
End government handouts?

As a general rule most people are lazy and will take the path of least resistance. How do you motivate someone that is comfortable working a part time job and drawing government aid?

How many of those people drawing aid want a better life, but are unable to find gainful employment?
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
Where does the blame belong?

Failed education system?
Factories going overseas?
Lack of motivation?
Too many government handouts?

What can be done to fix the situation?

Job training?
Low cost college?
End government handouts?

As a general rule most people are lazy and will take the path of least resistance. How do you motivate someone that is comfortable working a part time job and drawing government aid?

How many of those people drawing aid want a better life, but are unable to find gainful employment?

Well once you have your flat screen, cable tv, and steak what would constitute a better life?

Basically if you can live a better life than 90% of Kings in history while sucking off the government teat why wouldn't you?
 

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
197
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Basically if you can live a better life than 90% of Kings in history while sucking off the government teat why wouldn't you?

A matter of pride, wanting nice things in life, not wanting to be a burden upon others, set an example for your children,,,, there are lots of reasons to find gainful employment.

But then again, to a lot of people out there none of that matters.

Once people get in a comfort-groove they do not want to change. If someone is comfortable on welfare, there is no incentive to change.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
A matter of pride, wanting nice things in life, not wanting to be a burden upon others, set an example for your children,,,, there are lots of reasons to find gainful employment.

But then again, to a lot of people out there none of that matters.

Once people get in a comfort-groove they do not want to change. If someone is comfortable on welfare, there is no incentive to change.

Once you got your flat-screen, cable, AC, and steak the marginal utility of "nice things" becomes quite small.
 

bshole

Diamond Member
Mar 12, 2013
8,309
1,209
126
The uber-wealthy moved all the nice middle class paying blue collar jobs overseas. It wasn't easy, they first had to buy off the politicians to make it happen. They are now taking shots at the nice middle class paying white collar jobs. What we have left in America is a growing pool of McJobs and dwindling pool of real jobs. Our corporate leaders and politicians have flushed our future down the toilet.
 

Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
17,999
1,396
126
<snip>
How many of those people drawing aid want a better life, but are unable to find gainful employment?

How about the young guy in the story gets on a bus for a job as roughneck (no skill) in the oil/gas field in North Dakota? They are needing workers and paying well. Even the local McD is paying way over the average for its employees.

He could stay with roomates, trim all expenses except the bare essentials to save money and send money home to help with the bills.

The young lady could do a much better job with budget and priorities. No more tattoo, implusive purchases, and fancy cellphones and all the bad choices in life. And so on.

No, it will NOT be fun but if they keep doing what they are doing, they will NOT going anywhere or get better any time soon.
 
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May 13, 2009
12,333
612
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The uber-wealthy moved all the nice middle class paying blue collar jobs overseas. It wasn't easy, they first had to buy off the politicians to make it happen. They are now taking shots at the nice middle class paying white collar jobs. What we have left in America is a growing pool of McJobs and dwindling pool of real jobs. Our corporate leaders and politicians have flushed our future down the toilet.

Maybe it will be a lesson to the next Greece? Although their screwups taught us nothing.
 

unokitty

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2012
3,346
1
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"We have added 10 million people into poverty since Obama took office, most of whom fell into poverty after the stimulus and the technical recovery began. In comparison, we have only added 123,000 jobs over the same period, according to the BLS Current Population Survey, which showed a seasonally-adjusted employment level in December 2008 of 143.369 million, compared to 143.392 million in February. (The BLS’ Current Employment Survey data looks almost as bad, with a gain of just 621,000 jobs in the same period.) The civilian participation rate in the workforce has dropped from 65.8 percent to 63.5 percent during that time, equaling August 2012 for the worst since September 1981.

The Obama administration agrees. "While the perception may be different,” Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Kevin Concannon told the WSJ, “the actual raw numbers, almost 50 million people [under the federal poverty level], is certainly one of the principal reasons why we see the enrollment increases in the SNAP program.”

Perception is the key ... The real fundamentals of the last five years don’t show a recovery at all, but a slow slide into poverty and decline. ..."
--Business Insider

In Chicago it is called patronage. After each election, the winning Democratic Politician does his best to steer tax payer money to the people that voted for him...

What part of just "spreading the wealth around" don't you understand?

Uno
 
Nov 7, 2000
16,404
3
81
i think if people want to be supported from the government, it should be all-in. govt housing, food, healthcare and employment. bare bones living, basic needs met, minimal luxuries. private charity can still be available for people that need help making ends meet temporarily.

just giving money does not work, creates dependency and abuse. if the govt is going to be providing something, they need to be in complete control.
 

Geosurface

Diamond Member
Mar 22, 2012
5,776
4
0
The uber-wealthy moved all the nice middle class paying blue collar jobs overseas. It wasn't easy, they first had to buy off the politicians to make it happen. They are now taking shots at the nice middle class paying white collar jobs. What we have left in America is a growing pool of McJobs and dwindling pool of real jobs. Our corporate leaders and politicians have flushed our future down the toilet.

Agreed
 
Apr 27, 2012
10,086
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The government only perpetuates poverty. Maybe if the government were to stay out of the way we wouldn't have this problem.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
Part of the problem is the government is staying out of the way. They are staying out of the way of our jobs going to china.

The government seems to have a habit of staying out of the way of the important stuff.

I remember back in 2007 that Walgreen's had a sign saying they had to raise the price of milk due to minimum milk price laws.

Apparently the government was too busy regulating the price of milk to regulate financial derivatives.
 

child of wonder

Diamond Member
Aug 31, 2006
8,307
175
106
Change food stamps so they can buy basic ingredients and raw foods only.

Eggs, milk, flour, sugar, yeast, 80% lean hamburger meat, chicken thighs and breast, raw veggies and fruit, etc. so those receiving the benefits are forced to cook to eat and the food they get isn't worth trading for cash/drugs/cigarettes.

Want to eat? Learn to cook. Heck, then you could even learn a skill and get a job as a cook.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
The uber-wealthy moved all the nice middle class paying blue collar jobs overseas. It wasn't easy, they first had to buy off the politicians to make it happen. They are now taking shots at the nice middle class paying white collar jobs. What we have left in America is a growing pool of McJobs and dwindling pool of real jobs. Our corporate leaders and politicians have flushed our future down the toilet.

Well I think you also have a problem where moving the blue collar jobs overseas also takes out white collar jobs. Or moves them into worthless endeavors. Instead of having our best and brightest figuring out how to make production processes more efficient we have them figuring how high-frequency trading algorithms.

You also wack the local tax revenue. Because instead of a factory paying property taxes in America, it does so in China.