Food Stamp Beneficiaries

you DO realize that the vast majority of food stamp beneficiaries are children and the elderly.... don't you?? Do you not want them to eat? Also, the majority of adults on food stamps ARE working... only have such miserable incomes.. that they qualify... Do you not want the working poor to eat.. Hey... tis the season of giving and brotherly love...
 
A few years back we had a pretty good President that worked hard at getting the dead heads off the food stamps and other giveaways. He did great and a lot of folks ended up working or they lost their giveaways. Those costs went way down while he was President and for some years after. Some were third and fourth generation folks living off other, working, folks taxes. I was real happy to see that President lowering the hand out community size.

Who was this SMART President? Bill Clinton. He managed to encourage lots to stop begging and to get a job. If the jobs did not pay much they got credit for trying and support continued for a while then was adjusted. Eventually these people would get earnings up to some minimum and then be put off the dole completely. There were no handouts directly, as I remember. Hand outs were temporary and would end. If an effort was made to find work, the handouts were extended and justified and lowerd as earnings were factored in. Clinton worked hard to drive the lazy ones off the federal roles. The truly hard up ones were able to get medical or other reasons to be supported but laziness did not count.
 

Capt Lightning said:
We have the same arguments here in the UK. There are undoubtedly those who genuinely need help, and those who know how to play the system.
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I agree... and that brings up a question of ethics. DO we hurt the vast majority of recipients who actually DO need help in order to punish the few that are able to game the system..? Is that ethically and morally the right thing to do?
 
As Bill Clinton showed, there were plenty that had made the handout system their way of life. I forget the figures but it turned out to be more than just a few of the collectors and if no effort is maintained, then the government is not doing its job to protect the legal need for help or the real taxpayers from the delinquent folks.
 
I have felt, for a long time, that 30% of every dollar we send to Washington is flushed down the drain. There are, and will always be, welfare cheats...just as there are mega corporations and big banks that suckle at the Federal Teat endlessly. If the government actually cared about how our tax dollars are spent, and actively tried to limit the waste and corruption, there would be many billions a year left over that could be put to good use rebuilding our quickly deteriorating infrastructure, and supply 10's of thousands of good paying jobs to help people lift themselves out of poverty. But then, that would require politicians who aren't little more than Pawns for the wealthy special interests.
 
QuickSilver said:
I agree... and that brings up a question of ethics. DO we hurt the vast majority of recipients who actually DO need help in order to punish the few that are able to game the system..? Is that ethically and morally the right thing to do?
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I agree, better to let SOME scammers get away than let those who truly need them not get them. BUT that doesn't mean you stop trying to ferret out the scammers and/or publicize the find to discourage scamming but not the use of food stamps. I know people that truly need them but can't get them. I will say in many, but not all cases the recipient of any government benefit must be incentivized or reincentivized to stop using benefits. I know of people who bought season tickets to sporting events while on government benefits along with getting very creative with income tax returns. You have to challenge or have restrictions on any benefit program to prevent abuse.

When I read stories like the New York City Caribbean community shipping food back to the islands bought with food stamps or I see a surfer dude grilling a steak I blow gaskets. Don't even want to get into the scams store owners do to get more profit out of the food stamps themselves.
 
Don M. said:
I have felt, for a long time, that 30% of every dollar we send to Washington is flushed down the drain. There are, and will always be, welfare cheats...just as there are mega corporations and big banks that suckle at the Federal Teat endlessly. If the government actually cared about how our tax dollars are spent, and actively tried to limit the waste and corruption, there would be many billions a year left over that could be put to good use rebuilding our quickly deteriorating infrastructure, and supply 10's of thousands of good paying jobs to help people lift themselves out of poverty. But then, that would require politicians who aren't little more than Pawns for the wealthy special interests.
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Only 30%???
 
On another forum, a poster complained that often the people who collected free food, were drunk, smoked or were taking drugs.
If they can afford these health damaging habits, they can afford food. There are other cases of people using these handouts in order to afford expensive gifts for their kids at Christmas.

OK these stories grab headlines, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be more careful about who receives these benefits.
 
Why does everyone worry SOOOOO much about what poor people buy with food stamps and NEVER seem to give a thought to the BILLIONS of Federal subsidies given to the Oil companies or Big Argriculture? That money dwarfs the money spent of food stamps... that for the most part, is feeding poor kids and old people, At least THAT money is going right back into the economy and not into some Off Shore tax haven or Swiss bank., or to buy some CEO another home in the South of France.
 
Capt Lightning said:
On another forum, a poster complained that often the people who collected free food, were drunk, smoked or were taking drugs.
If they can afford these health damaging habits, they can afford food. There are other cases of people using these handouts in order to afford expensive gifts for their kids at Christmas.

OK these stories grab headlines, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be more careful about who receives these benefits.
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Every year I watch the lines waiting for the free stuff..School supplies/clothes, Thanksgiving/Christmas Turkeys and what ever.. I always see someone talking on their smart phones!! They should be removed from the line..
 
I personally know people who play the system ...yes they waste pennies on the dollar...but like QuickSilver said....our leaders waste two dollars for each one....but does two wrongs make it right....I would love to see each and everyone take care of themselves and their own family but those days have past and now big brother is watching over us....but i think many think they shouldn't get free stuff, but hey don't take away mine...
 
ronaldj said:
I personally know people who play the system ...yes they waste pennies on the dollar...but like QuickSilver said....our leaders waste two dollars for each one....but does two wrongs make it right....I would love to see each and everyone take care of themselves and their own family but those days have past and now big brother is watching over us....but i think many think they shouldn't get free stuff, but hey don't take away mine...
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I say if food stamps or welfare is cut or eliminated... then Corporate Welfare should be also. I'd rather "waste" money on the poor than "waste" it on paying for some yahoo's yacht! However, Republicans will always go after money spent on poor and middle class Americans rather than cut the goodies for the Wealthy? WHY? Well that's pretty obvious... the poor and the middle class don't have lobbyists forking over millions to campaign coffers or PACS.... do they.
 
I believe that I have posted something about the wealthy helping the politicians and that just as many wealty help the Democrats as the Republicans. More than one of our current Democrat Presidents big money helpers is a billionaire.
 

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