Customer paid for groceries with food stamps, walked into parking lot and...

[Skull and Bones]

I usually shop at a market basket in londonderry nh.  It is a affluent bedroom community here and when we were house shopping 5 years ago they started around 280k.  Food stamp day is the 5th of every month and ive stupidly have gone there on that day.  I am surprised the fire marshall allows that many people in the store at one time.  There is a youtube video for grand opening market basket londonderry.  Its just like it.

I didn't know how to post this from my droid.  but this is what I'm talking about.

[Skull and Bones]

and the better question is why are almost all food stampers obese?  they ain't missing any meals.

[Skull and Bones]

I'm not saying nobody deserves food stamps.  I'm just curious how much they get each month.   I literally have no idea.

I've been involved in the grocery business and I've seen plenty in the $200-300 range.  The funny thing is they don't ration it out over the month.  They blow it all at once and always on the first day they can use them.

[SnookAU]

First, no one is getting rich or has it made because of Food Stamps (SNAP). Typically the benefits are around $150-$200/month, not much considering the skyrocketing cost of food especially meats. SANP can only be used for food and not prepared or hot foods (like fried chicken or rotisserie chicken at Publix, even though it is cheaper than the raw chicken).

Second, the HDTV thing is irrelevant. I buy my mom, who is living solely on a paltry SS check, a HDTV. If she sells it for $300, that is gone in under a month and now she has no TV unless she buys a CRT TV for $150. So saying she should use a stop-gap solution instead of a long term solution is short sighted. Now if a recipient BUYS a $1000 TV that is a different story.

Third, sure their are some that abuse the system, but that is not the biggest problem or cost. My biggest gripe is it takes around $45 to administer every $100 of benefits. My complaint isn't a welfare recipient having a HDTV, it is the welfare office needing an HDTV in their break room, and needing HD Computer screens to do their work, and needing new computers and software every other year, or their needing ergonomic chairs at their mahogany desks.

Fourth my other big concern about any entitlement program is it breeds a culture of dependency without creating any incentives or support system to get off the teat. As posted above, people don't want to get a job as a roofer for fear of losing the UE benefits they have become dependent on. The benefit programs need to be structured so there is a "weaning" process so that taking a new job isn't a bigger risk than staying unemployed.

Exactly.  No one ever said anyone was getting rich off food stamps.  Because they aren't.

But your last statement sums up my view of handouts.  The dependency it creates is the same reason why some (not all) people on assistance still drive nice cars and are able to still live comfortably. 

Its a waste.  And because of your third point, I'd like to see all government handouts completely wiped out.  Let community assistance happen on the ground level, not by the fat cat government.  I actually give the human race some credit... if you cut out those free government handouts, people would be forced to adapt.  They'd quit having so many children, that's for sure.

[SnookAU]

I'm not saying nobody deserves food stamps.  I'm just curious how much they get each month.   I literally have no idea.

I've been involved in the grocery business and I've seen plenty in the $200-300 range.  The funny thing is they don't ration it out over the month.  They blow it all at once and always on the first day they can use them.

Yep.  Which is exactly why they're on food stamps in the first place.  So what do we do?  We reward people who can't budget their money or live within their means and making the working idiots pay for it.

[SnookAU]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/more-one-five-mississippians-food-stamps-155341433.html

15% of Americans on food stamps.  1 out of 5 Mississippians on food stamps.  What a joke. 


Food stamp use by state:

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2011/11/01/some-15-of-u-s-uses-food-stamps/tab/interactive/

Its amazing how the heaviest use of food stamps is in the south.... where Republicans usually win elections.  So much for being against "socialism"!

[John Galt?]

Seems like this is the appropriate thread for this:


A woman with 15 kids walked into the welfare office.
'WOW,' the social worker exclaims, 'are they all yours?"
'Yep, they are all mine,' the flustered momma sighs, having heard that question a thousand times before. She says, 'Sit down Leroy.' All the children rush to find seats.
Well,' says the social worker, 'then you must be here to sign up. I'll need all your children's names.'
''Well, to keep it simple, the boys are all named Leroy and the girls are all named Leighroy."
In disbelief, the case worker says, 'Are you serious? They're ALL named Leroy?'
Their momma replied, 'Well, yes-it makes it easier. When it's time to get them out of bed and ready for school, I yell, 'Leroy!' An' when it's time for dinner, I just yell 'Leroy!' And they all comes a running. An' if I need to stop the kid who's running into the street, I just yell Leroy' and all of them stop. It's the smartest idea I ever had, namin' them all Leroy.'
...The social worker thinks this over for a bit, then wrinkles her forehead and says tentatively, 'But what if you just want ONE kid to come, and not the whole bunch?'

'Then I call them by their last names.”

[Ladyfan]

 Good conversation, but I don't think you can decide how much to give to social services ;from the top down by looking at current budget.  I think you'd have to dissect the military and security budget by categories and specific items.
Find the waste and pork and trim accordingly.  See what you have and add to social programs AND education...this is not the time to cut teachers etc.  Nor should we be creating more and more charter schools.  Why does anything think its cost effective and prudent to fund UNTESTED brand new schools?  Schools don't grow overnight like mushrooms and become successful.,  They mostly, I say mostly because there are some who do ok., but they mostly waste time and money.l

[JavaRay]

Good one Galt.   When I was going to University, I worked in a hospital to pay my way through school.    There was this one 15 year old ghetto chick who used to come in to the emergency room all the time with various problems such as drug overdose, getting into fights, etc.   Probably the most ill mannered person I've ever met in my life.   Although only 15, she already had 4 kids and didn't know who the father of any of them was.   And she was butt ugly, so it wasn't only the age that was shocking, it was shocking that she actually found guys to have sex with as well.   That Leroy naming convention would have been a good idea for her.

[JavaRay]

I'm not saying nobody deserves food stamps.  I'm just curious how much they get each month.   I literally have no idea.

I've been involved in the grocery business and I've seen plenty in the $200-300 range.  The funny thing is they don't ration it out over the month.  They blow it all at once and always on the first day they can use them.

That's not so much.   I was thinking maybe they were getting more than that.  I worked at a grocery store one summer when I was a kid and I remember seeing people trading their food stamps for money at about 25 cents on the dollar so they could buy wine.

[CBWx2]

How much did we give to either of those countries prior to 2001 and 2003?

I don't really care to look it up, but I'm willing to bet America still gave more money overseas than the vast majority of countries on the planet, if not all, in 2001 and 2003 -  however those years were cherry-picked.

Those years were "cherry-picked" because 2001 was when we invaded Afghanistan and 2003 was when we invaded Iraq. Prior to our military excursions into these countries, neither received much aid from us.

Actually, for 2009 that leaves approximately $18 billion.

28 minus 5 doesn't equal 18.

My bad. I was using the wrong set of numbers. I included the military aid we give to those two countries as well as the economic aid, but in terms of just economic aid, you are correct. However, the fact remains that the U.S. gives the 2nd to least amount of aid in relation to gdp, and most of the aid we do give is phantom aid that goes to countries that don't necessarily need it, but we give it to them for political purposes. The amount of money allocated to USAID in 2009 was just shy of $12 billion. For those unaware, USAID is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid.

And the "extremely limited" statement was in reference to domestic welfare. You chose to make it about something else, and quite frankly, you've failed to legitimize your point any more in doing so.

Is that right?  So which country on this planet spends more money on Social Programs domestically?


And 14% of the budget is going towards "Safety Net Programs"

Safety net programs: About 14 percent of the federal budget in 2010, or $496 billion, went to support programs that provide aid (other than health insurance or Social Security benefits) to individuals and families facing hardship.

These programs include: the refundable portion of the earned-income and child tax credits, which assist low- and moderate-income working families through the tax code; programs that provide cash payments to eligible individuals or households, including Supplemental Security Income for the elderly or disabled poor and unemployment insurance; various forms of in-kind assistance for low-income families and individuals, including food stamps, school meals, low-income housing assistance, child-care assistance, and assistance in meeting home energy bills; and various other programs such as those that aid abused and neglected children.

A Center analysis shows that such programs kept approximately 15 million Americans out of poverty in 2005 and reduced the depth of poverty for another 29 million people. (Such programs likely kept even more Americans out of poverty since the recession began. For example, seven provisions of the Recovery Act enacted in February 2009 kept more than 6 million additional people out of poverty in 2009, according to a Center analysis.)

I know this is like asking a fat kid how many pizzas he should be allowed to eat, but exactly how much of the budget should be set aside for Social Programs?

Uh, try most of it. Outside of defense, infrastructure, and social programs, what do you think a government ought to be spending money on? Almost every other First World country spends more in relation to GDP on social programs than we do. That is a fact. I'd like to see us doing as much or more than everybody else. If you don't, that's certainly your prerogative. The end.

[CBWx2]

I'm not saying nobody deserves food stamps.  I'm just curious how much they get each month.   I literally have no idea.

I've been involved in the grocery business and I've seen plenty in the $200-300 range.  The funny thing is they don't ration it out over the month.  They blow it all at once and always on the first day they can use them.

Yep.  Which is exactly why they're on food stamps in the first place.  So what do we do?  We reward people who can't budget their money or live within their means and making the working idiots pay for it.

$200-$300 dollars for a month is not very much money at all. And perhaps the reason all these people shop in afluent neighborhoods in because that's generally where the good grocery stores are that offer the most selection. Many poor neighborhoods don't have grocery stores in them at all. Also, who cares if they blow it on the first day? I've routinely spent $200 on one trip to the grocery store. Truth is, it doesn't really buy you all that much these days. How do you know this money isn't spent on things that can be kept for a month? We often buy things like meat and veggies in bulk and freeze them until we need them. Jeez. SOOOOO judgmental and sanctimonious, this crowd...smh.

[deadzone]

How much does a Tomahawk missle cost us taxpayers?

[Biggs3535]

I know this is like asking a fat kid how many pizzas he should be allowed to eat, but exactly how much of the budget should be set aside for Social Programs?

I'd say 2/3rds of the $1.5 trillion in total expenditures

You're pretty close.

[alldaway]

and the better question is why are almost all food stampers obese?  they ain't missing any meals.

Carbs are cheap, and if you don't burn it off it becomes fat eventually.  Which is why eating foods with fatty acids moderately is okay as long as you are active.