Living on Food Stamps, a la CNN

[strmrdr]

actually that does bring out a point every action taken by the government has consequences there would likely be major issues over the type of reform that is needed by those that make it a lifestyle.
That would have to be addressed.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/5/2009 6:09:16 PM
Author: elle_chris

Education, Storm. In NYC more than half the population on public assistance are young moms. When they come into the office and apply for funding, we should also have programs in place that teach them how to live with the money they receive. How do you give hundreds/thousands a month to a young person that''s never had much money and expect them to be responsible? That you really can''t afford to spend this money on keeping up with the joneses.
That you can feed a family of 6 a healthy meal on less than 30 bucks.
We have nothing in place now that teaches people life skills.
Most of the people (again this is in nyc) that are on Welfare today grew up being on it. Their moms, and grandmothers were on it. Their neighbors are on it. In their world, this is the norm. How do we break cycle after cycle of this?

Only education breaks these cycles.
If you''re going to put more money into the broken system, put it into that.

that''s the problem with our welfare system,three generations on welfare.

heck, why bother to work when you receive taxpayer''s money month after month.

 

[Dancing Fire]

i agree with beebrisk and Diamond confused.

 

[luckystar112]

There def needs to be something done about the multiple generations on welfare. Not sure how to fix it though....
Work/Voluteer and get more money?
Drop out of school/enter juvenile justice system and get less money?
Get cash incentives for each year your child stays in school? Perhaps with a 2 child limit per household?

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 2/5/2009 8:13:29 PM
Author: luckystar112
There def needs to be something done about the multiple generations on welfare. Not sure how to fix it though....
Work/Voluteer and get more money?
Drop out of school/enter juvenile justice system and get less money?
Get cash incentives for each year your child stays in school? Perhaps with a 2 child limit per household?

No easy answer. But I like your Ideas

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/5/2009 8:13:29 PM
Author: luckystar112
There def needs to be something done about the multiple generations on welfare. Not sure how to fix it though....
Work/Voluteer and get more money?
Drop out of school/enter juvenile justice system and get less money?
Get cash incentives for each year your child stays in school? Perhaps with a 2 child limit per household?

IMO...one child limit til they get off of welfare.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 2/5/2009 4:50:18 PM
Author: beebrisk


I would suggest Googling ''Food Stamp Abuse'', ''Food Stamp Fraud'' and ''Welfare Fraud'' to do your own research...I''m not in the mood to go link hunting at the moment. But actually, you don''t need to be an ''expert'' to know what''s going on. Just read the plethora of information out there.

testy already and its only page two! i have done a lot of reading on the topic and what''s more i used to be an eligibility worker......and i believe that claims of rampant abuse are false. yes, it exists, but i''m more concerned about the rampant fraud and abuse in our economic system a bit further up the ladder which is taking from us the taxpayers in the form of halliburton, blackwater, bofa, wall street, etc. welfare fraud is a pitance in comparison to white collar financial crime.

seems this thread has gone to rant level fairly quickly away from the OP''s post. one can talk all day about welfare abuse and/or food stamp abuse: the reality is that it is very very very difficult to live and feed a family on food stamps.

nighty night.

mz

 

[Miscka]

AGBF (Deb), I just want to say that I really like you and enjoy your posts

 

[swimmer]

Date: 2/5/2009 6:21:29 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 2/5/2009 6:09:16 PM

Author: elle_chris

Date: 2/5/2009 5:54:54 PM


Author: strmrdr

Date: 2/5/2009 5:33:23 PM


Author: Diamond Confused




As I said, I work in a place that caters to induviduals on welfare. I can assure you that most of them buy these things with their own money... I mean taxpayer money. I overhear their conversations all the time. They have no shame in admitting they are cheating the system.

Tell us how you would fix the system?


Complaining does not fix the problem just adds to it.

Education, Storm. In NYC more than half the population on public assistance are young moms. When they come into the office and apply for funding, we should also have programs in place that teach them how to live with the money they receive. How do you give hundreds/thousands a month to a young person that''s never had much money and expect them to be responsible? That you really can''t afford to spend this money on keeping up with the joneses.


That you can feed a family of 6 a healthy meal on less than 30 bucks.


We have nothing in place now that teaches people life skills.


Most of the people (again this is in nyc) that are on Welfare today grew up being on it. Their moms, and grandmothers were on it. Their neighbors are on it. In their world, this is the norm. How do we break cycle after cycle of this?



Only education breaks these cycles.


If you''re going to put more money into the broken system, put it into that.

That is a good start.

Combined with time limits might help.

Nationwide the % that are on it long term are small, well below 90%.


My fix would be 6 months welfare which includes a mandatory health and mental health eval. Those that fail either are tracked into a long term program.

Everyone else moves on to a 1 year work and school program.

Require 30 hours a week school and work combined. If going for a degree it can be extended as long as they are in school and getting good grades.

Then a 1 year coverage for health care only.

Interesting and excellent points from Elle and Storm...but Storm, how to pay for this costly education and mental health treatment?
I keep reading studies about the percentage of chronically homeless who are schizophrenic. This touches me personally as my BIL is schizophrenic and I am so glad that we live in a state that takes care of him. This has been hard to come to terms with, but I personally can not take care of a 6''6" grown man with violent rages against the voices in his head. He will be a ward of the state permanently at a cost currently of $50,000 a year...I do not want him living on the streets and for a variety of reasons, like your safety, you don''t either. But as a society we have to pay to help him and to keep him safe. Doing this does require paying taxes.

 

[swimmer]

Date: 2/5/2009 8:40:20 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 2/5/2009 8:13:29 PM

Author: luckystar112

There def needs to be something done about the multiple generations on welfare. Not sure how to fix it though....

Work/Voluteer and get more money?

Drop out of school/enter juvenile justice system and get less money?

Get cash incentives for each year your child stays in school? Perhaps with a 2 child limit per household?

IMO...one child limit til they get off of welfare.

Kind of like the PRC eh DancingFire? Are you secretly a commie?

Deb and MZ, great points.

 

[AllieGator]

I totally agree that the current welfare system isn''t foolproof...but most of the people on it do not abuse it. It needs to be overhauled, but welfare needs to be in place for those who need it. We shouldn''t punish the responsible who are in poverty for the sins of the people who are just lazy.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/6/2009 10:06:55 AM
Author: swimmer

Date: 2/5/2009 8:40:20 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 2/5/2009 8:13:29 PM

Author: luckystar112

There def needs to be something done about the multiple generations on welfare. Not sure how to fix it though....

Work/Voluteer and get more money?

Drop out of school/enter juvenile justice system and get less money?

Get cash incentives for each year your child stays in school? Perhaps with a 2 child limit per household?

IMO...one child limit til they get off of welfare.

Kind of like the PRC eh DancingFire? Are you secretly a commie?

no way!! but just give me one good reason why should my taxes go to support a welfare recipient with 1/2 dozen kids

when i as a taxpayer can't afford to support more than two kids. WHY??

 

[swimmer]

It is hard to both want the govt to "hands off my $$$$$$$" and yet want them to force sterilization (how to keep people from reproducing?) on poor people.

Working at WalMart full time still qualifies a single parent for welfare and many two parent homes as some stores are not allowed to "fully employ" people -not give enough hours or not pay for all hours worked. WalMart employees get more than $200 million in food stamps, WIC, etc. because they are paid so very very little. WalMart costs the entire US more than 1,250,000,000.00 a year because they do not pay decent wages and we as taxpayers have to subsidize. WalMart does not allow their workers to organize or unionize, what kind of minimum wage jobs are available in your community?

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 2/6/2009 8:32:25 PM
Author: swimmer
It is hard to both want the govt to ''hands off my $$$$$$$'' and yet want them to force sterilization (how to keep people from reproducing?) on poor people.

Working at WalMart full time still qualifies a single parent for welfare and many two parent homes as some stores are not allowed to ''fully employ'' people -not give enough hours or not pay for all hours worked. WalMart employees get more than $200 million in food stamps, WIC, etc. because they are paid so very very little. WalMart costs the entire US more than 1,250,000,000.00 a year because they do not pay decent wages and we as taxpayers have to subsidize. WalMart does not allow their workers to organize or unionize, what kind of minimum wage jobs are available in your community?

on thee other hand if WM pay their employees $20 an hr then the consumer pays through their wallet.

 

[vintagecushion]

You seem to have answered your own question DF.

 

[packrat]

Or just MAYBE, some people really shouldn''t make 100 million dollars a year for being a CEO of a company, while paying their people minimum wage, and sending out a memo to their employees that there will be no raise this year b/c of slacking sales..meanwhile that person takes home a 4 million dollar bonus for the year.

 

[Allisonfaye]

Interestingly, according to Moody''seconomy.com, for every $1.00 in food stamps, a $1.72 goes back into the economy. For ever $1.00 of money spent on infrastructure, it is $1.59 and for every $1.00 in tax cuts.....$1.03. So I guess you get the most bang for your buck from food stamps.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 2/6/2009 10:42:30 PM
Author: packrat

Or just MAYBE, some people really shouldn't make 100 million dollars a year for being a CEO of a company, while paying their people minimum wage, and sending out a memo to their employees that there will be no raise this year b/c of slacking sales..meanwhile that person takes home a 4 million dollar bonus for the year.

packrat, I just saw this. I think we are both women. Does that matter to you? Will you marry me? (By the way, I am already married and encumbered by having a 16 year-old daughter with serious emotional problems. If I didn't have that I would pursue you. At least if I were male and you were free and willing!)

Hugs,
Deb

 

[AllieGator]

Date: 2/8/2009 9:21:15 AM
Author: AGBF

Date: 2/6/2009 10:42:30 PM

Author: packrat


Or just MAYBE, some people really shouldn''t make 100 million dollars a year for being a CEO of a company, while paying their people minimum wage, and sending out a memo to their employees that there will be no raise this year b/c of slacking sales..meanwhile that person takes home a 4 million dollar bonus for the year.

packrat, I just saw this. I think we are both women. Does that matter to you? Will you marry me? (By the way, I am already married and encumbered by having a 16 year-old daughter with serious emotional problems. If I didn''t have that I would pursue you. At least if I were male and you were free and willing!)


Hugs,

Deb

I agree with AGBF...you said what needed to be said! Go you!

 

[packrat]

Date: 2/8/2009 9:31:17 AM
Author: AllieGator

Date: 2/8/2009 9:21:15 AM

Author: AGBF

Date: 2/6/2009 10:42:30 PM


Author: packrat



Or just MAYBE, some people really shouldn''t make 100 million dollars a year for being a CEO of a company, while paying their people minimum wage, and sending out a memo to their employees that there will be no raise this year b/c of slacking sales..meanwhile that person takes home a 4 million dollar bonus for the year.

packrat, I just saw this. I think we are both women. Does that matter to you? Will you marry me? (By the way, I am already married and encumbered by having a 16 year-old daughter with serious emotional problems. If I didn''t have that I would pursue you. At least if I were male and you were free and willing!)



Hugs,


Deb

I agree with AGBF...you said what needed to be said! Go you!

*Blush*

The company my husband works for, a few years ago during "raise" (and I use this term in the loosest sense of the word) time, gave everyone in my husbands department a FIVE CENT RAISE. FIVE CENTS. Then they sent out the company newsletter w/the CEO on the front..and did a whole article on how he was so concerned about the struggles of his workers. Very much an "I feel your pain" article with tips on how to budget and economize...and in this article it said he was having to "make do" in these trying times as well b/c, ladies and gentlemen, he gave his people a raise (you know, 5 cents) and he didn''t give himself a raise. Oh no, he really is taking it like a man...his 22 MILLION DOLLAR SALARY would remain the same for the next year. AND for Christmas that year, my husband got 4 five dollar off coupons for the company''s (already overpriced) product. That was everyone''s Christmas bonus...the CEO took home a $9 million dollar Christmas bonus.

Companies CAN AFFORD to pay their people better while still retaining decent prices on their products. Their OVERWHELMING GREED prevents them from doing so.