NO! I will not 'just go get on food stamps'!

As I look around me at our friends, neighbors and aquaintences, I see people jumping on the government handout bandwagon at an alarming rate! Some are truly deserving and in need of the assistance so it is good that it's available for them. On the other hand, I now know a lot of people who are on welfare and or food samps that for the life of me I can't ever imagine how they could count as qualified recepients. This infuriates me!
I am a woman with a full time job, my husband also works full time. Thank God our child is grown as it was becomming harder and harder to care for her adequatly. Yes, we consider ourselves lucky to have jobs! Through numerous layoffs and career changes we have both gone through to atain our current employment we make signifigantly less than we did 8 years ago. Oh well, that's just the way the ball bounces. We are getting by and that's enough to be grateful for. We aren't and have never been wealthy, used to make a comfortable living though. And yes of course I long for those days of not having the constant nagging fear of not being able to pay the rent or the light bill, the regular weekly trip to the grocery store when I bought the foods my family loved even if they weren't on sale. But I like to think I have evolved, or changed with the times in my spending habits.
We used to eat nice steaks, now we have hamburgers.
Used to have a wide variety of side dishes with our meals, now we eat a lot more rice and potatoes.
Oh well, we are still eating.
Date nights used to be dinner and a movie, then maybe a nice drive through the country. Now we are lucky to have a frozen pizza at home and wouldn't dream of 'wasting' gas to go on a joyride for fear we won't have enough to get to work.
See, I mean we have adapted to our new income level weather we like it or not.. As I talk to people who share the same financial problems as myself I hear more and more that I should just go get on food stamps or apply for section 8 housing like they did so I pay nothing or a small fraction of what it really costs.
These same people who admit to being on government assistance are the ones who ask me to babysit for them so they can go out to the bars or on their weekend getaways. The same people who gripe and complain that the government is bankrupt blah blah blah are the ones who bring the $15 bag of oysters to the bbq or the bottle of gray goose to play cards.
It is so irrititing! If they would just change their extravagant way of living they could make do just like I have. But no, somehow they are allowed to go on as they did when they had good jobs. No freaking wonder our country is falling to sh**.
I'm not saying that these gov programs are what led us here but if our tax dollars werent being wasted on letting people be lazy and live the way they think that they 'deserve to' somethings just may not be so bad.
I will not stoop the the level of relying on this government to take care of me just so I can keep up with the Joneses. Although that is most likely exactly what they want.
Ok thanks, peace and love to you all. Unless you are another of the gov leaches then I hope you have bad dreams and heartburn.

Food stamps might sound bad now, but in 100 years they will be collector items. Probably worth a lot of money.

Like this.

Good for you, Celestial1. Right now, I'm employed and doing well. I've managed to work my way into a good position. I don't expect it to last forever, so in the meantime, I've purchased some farm land in Kansas that is extremely fertile. I've learned how to grow crops in that climate, and if it all goes belly up for me, I have a trailer with a tornado shelter, and enough land to sustain myself and family indefinitely. I suggest everyone follow a plan similar, and learn to take care of yourselves. You don't really need that big screen TV or new car. Spend the money on something that can help you out later. Land, shelter, seeds, and education.

reply to post by Celestial1


If you think about it they have eliminated the bread lines and soup kitchens of the Great Depression by simply giving everyone a Govt. credit card. Indeed many of the people in the US are waiting to see the bread lines reappear, but if you look at the numbers of people who are on foodstamps, the bread line percentages are the same as they were in the thirties, only now they are invisible.

Something to think about.

BTW, I qualify for food stamps even though I work full time, but refuse to get them as well.

Good point and thread.

reply to post by navy_vet_stg3


Good point. I am trying to get some land right now. The more remote, the better. Look into earthbag home building. So many advantages and so sturdy. In fact I am thinking about approaching the lumber companies here and trying to start an earthbag building school.

I have seen photos of a car which totaled out its front end hitting an earthbag wall, and all it did to the wall was knock the plaster off. The actual bags themselves did not move. Now we are talking bunker quality here.

in comparison to me, you're filthy rich so i don't know what the hell you are complaining about. i steal my neighbors internet and wait for their water sprinkler to turn on at 7pm every night to collect water and bath. there are fruit trees down at the park and a community garden down the street where i jump the fence and help myself to a harvest. about 1 mile south there is a creek where i fish for crayfish and trout. for the crayfish i use a piece of road kill as bait, when i feel them tugging i yank them out of the water. on a good afternoon can collect about 50 of these little suckers. trouts love crickets. i would drive a twig down into the mud and tie a fishing line with a hook at the end to the twig and leave it there over night. there are always a fish at the end in the morning. i have an amstaff that hunt for me, he catches squirrels and tunnel dwelling rodents. he occasionally kill a cat for fun but am trying to get him to stop. at night i can hear wild boars in the bushes so hopefully one day i can catch me one of those for a tasty feast with my dog. i used to dumpster dive behind the local safeway for meat but it got boring, i like catching things.

lets all give this woman a round of applaud for making it harder on herself. bravo.

This is a little off topic but not.

What really ticks me off is how people on welfare are having children to get more money. It's like they use children as a raise in pay. This is not right in the least, yet the welfare system does nothing about it.

I should send an invoice to them saying they owe me using this formula:

"number of kids x age of each kid x the amount of food stamps x the number of food stamps I should have received x my age and my wife's age"

With that formula, I'd say they owe me a truck of cash.

Just because I have a job and I provide for my family doesn't mean I'm not entitle to those dollars, right? After all I'm and American just like the people abusing welfare.

Also to give an example, there is a couple with 3 kids that live down the street from me. I have talked to them several times and they tell me they make more money on welfare then they both did working.

Their welfare checks pay enough to have a $200,000 house, 2 brand new cars, nice things inside their house and there kids wear name brand clothing and one of them has a car. They also have an in-ground pool and awesome gardening.

So I say WTF to the people running welfare. I go to work every day, work hard to provide for my family to give them everything they want and then I see this fool with everything and he is doing nothing to earn it.

And by the way, one time he told me he invested his welfare checks and made a good amount of money. I am not a personal freiend with these jokers, but when you have block parties, they're always there bragging about how the government pays them to stay home.

reply to post by KnightFire


I'd have to call BS on this, I have been on welfare AND foodstamps within a year and a half ago. Me and my wife could not find work PERIOD in or around our city. Had no other choice but to accept welfare, we got the Max for a family of 3 guess how much we got..... believe me it was nowhere what you apparently uninformed/misinformed people think.

We got a measly $689 dollars of cash aid and $200 in foodstamps a month. Period. Now when you figure the absolute CHEAPEST place to rent is at least $350 in my area, then diapers for my daughter and other essential needs such as clothes,wipes etc....... BELIEVE ME I thank God that my wife was able to find work and I was able to get some sidejobs through a few shops I had worked at previously....

Welfare is NO way to live and while I agree alot of people take advantage of it,I must say unless they are working and scamming the system or are doing other illegal things, its not the "free ride" or as lucrative as you make it out to be. For honest people such as myself and family it was a blessing to have as an option but it was definently nothing more then JUST ENOUGH to keep us from starving to death.

I thank God my welfare experience was extremely short lived if I had to suffer a year of THAT,........

reply to post by KnightFire

What really ticks me off is how people on welfare are having children to get more money. It's like they use children as a raise in pay. This is not right in the least, yet the welfare system does nothing about it.

It is the same in every welfare system and there are always abusers ready to take advantage.

In England/Ireland they have children to get Council houses/flats.

there is no way in hell to live proper off of welfare. those that claim they are, are either lying or scamming on top of other income.

I live in a very nice condo community and quite of few of the people here are now on some sort of aid. they aren't living high on the hog. in fact more then a few supplement their aid by donating plasma twice a week. one guy in particular was once a successful tile setter, he can't even get work at burger king now. so think twice before yall go around painting vast pictures.

seriously, my next door grocery store has like five self checkouts. not that I'm a snoop or anything, but countless times I've seen many people I know swiping EBT cards. they weren't buying lobsters neither, usually marked down meats on the verge of spoilage and boxes of ramen.

I'm in such shape myself, I would love just a bit of stamps, and I wouldn't feel the slightest bit guilty. the government throws my tax dollars at a million stupid things I don't approve of. feeding my fellow americans IS something I do approve of, hell even the scammers.

the only welfare I don't like is section 8. in some cases in my community, they have rented condo units to some of the ghetto'ist mf'ers you could ever meet, knowing only that uncle sam's check is good for it. eating is one thing, but living in a fancy place is another.

I continuously see the same misconceptions over and over about Welfare so just a few facts that have been in affect since Clinton.

The personal responsibility and work opportunity act requires welfare recipients to put forth an effort to receive their check. They either have to prove they are actively looking for work, or in the process of becoming "job ready" (schooling).

If they are found to be completely disabled, they have to apply for SSI or SSD.

There is a 5 year lifetime limit for cash benefits, with a 2 child cap in most states. So if you can get by without that cash benefit, I recommend you save those 5 years for a time when you might really be in dire straights.

It isn't like the 70's and 80's where you could keep popping out a baby to increase your check. You should check your current states policies to see how people are affected by it (some states have a family cap, where you get the same benefit no matter if you have 1 child or 10).

Once you understand the system, along with the fact that they are OVERWORKED and UNDERSTAFFED, then you can help out by reporting people who are blatantly abusing the system in some way.

People do fall through the cracks.


None of these things are applicable to foodstamps. There are very little limitations on foodstamps. The first and most important being your income.

If you have low enough income to qualify, then you should get foodstamps. Thats my personal opinion. Especially if you have children. You're free to live on rice and potatoes if you like, but I would want a child to have a more well rounded meal. The majority of health problems that are so prevalent today, are often connected to poor diet.


Disclaimer: Forgive me for failed usage of effect vs affect, if this applies ♥ Also forgive my use of wiki links, I recommend people who really have a gripe, to research it further on their own.

These money are nothing anyway (Compared to the "missing" trillions from the federal reserve, for example), most of your tax money are either stolen or used for wars or for your own enslavement/survellance/"security".


So not only people`s attitude wouldn`t change much, but also if your government steals your money, why would it be wrong to take some of it back? If you refuse to, they will just have a little bit more to steal, and you will be a little bit more enslaved (Because there will be more financial pressure on you).

Originally posted by Forevever
I continuously see the same misconceptions over and over about Welfare so just a few facts that have been in affect since Clinton.

The personal responsibility and work opportunity act requires welfare recipients to put forth an effort to receive their check. They either have to prove they are actively looking for work, or in the process of becoming "job ready" (schooling).

If they are found to be completely disabled, they have to apply for SSI or SSD.

There is a 5 year lifetime limit for cash benefits, with a 2 child cap in most states. So if you can get by without that cash benefit, I recommend you save those 5 years for a time when you might really be in dire straights.

It isn't like the 70's and 80's where you could keep popping out a baby to increase your check. You should check your current states policies to see how people are affected by it (some states have a family cap, where you get the same benefit no matter if you have 1 child or 10).

Once you understand the system, along with the fact that they are OVERWORKED and UNDERSTAFFED, then you can help out by reporting people who are blatantly abusing the system in some way.

People do fall through the cracks.


None of these things are applicable to foodstamps. There are very little limitations on foodstamps. The first and most important being your income.

If you have low enough income to qualify, then you should get foodstamps. Thats my personal opinion. Especially if you have children. You're free to live on rice and potatoes if you like, but I would want a child to have a more well rounded meal. The majority of health problems that are so prevalent today, are often connected to poor diet.


Disclaimer: Forgive me for failed usage of effect vs affect, if this applies ♥ Also forgive my use of wiki links, I recommend people who really have a gripe, to research it further on their own.

edit on 6-8-2011 by Forevever because: (no reason given)

Although, wikipedia has a lot of great information. Wikipedia does not give you all of the information. Here is an example:

Welfare Reform Family Cap

Welfare benefits are most often calculated based on family size. Many states passed family cap policies, which deny additional benefits or reduce the cash grant to families who have additional children while on assistance. According to the Welfare Rules Database from the Urban Institute, and NCSL legislative summaries, at least 19 states currently have a family cap policy and an additional two states have a flat cash assistance grant regardless of family size. Most of these state policies were passed in or around 1996 - 1997.

Also, I took a look through the US Welfare System's website www.welfareinfo.org... and didn't find anything stating there was a child cap.

The only thing it said was the following, but nothing stating it was following that policy to the letter. In fact, there are separte programs for children.

The US welfare system stayed in the hands of the federal government for the next sixty-one years. Many Americans were unhappy with the welfare system, claiming that individuals were abusing the welfare program by not applying for jobs, having more children just to get more aid, and staying unmarried so as to qualify for greater benefits. Welfare system reform became a hot topic in the1990's. Bill Clinton was elected as President with the intention of reforming the federally run US Welfare program. In 1996 the Republican Congress passed a reform law signed by President Clinton that gave the control of the welfare system back to the states.

So it looks as though it is up the the state goverment, not the federal government to determine how much a person gets,and it seems to vary by family or person.

I completely understand that people are out there abusing the system and I understand that only 19 states are actually using some form of the bill passed while Clinton was in office. I'm just saying there are tax dollars being used where they shouldn't be and the people running the Welfare system should take a closer look at the people that is receiving aide.

I know the guy I was talking about in my post lost his job as a financial advisor about 5 years ago, so he must have good knowledge of how the system works in order to be able to do what he is doing. I just hate that he brags about it.

Originally posted by XJMatt
reply to post by KnightFire

 

I'd have to call BS on this, I have been on welfare AND foodstamps within a year and a half ago. Me and my wife could not find work PERIOD in or around our city. Had no other choice but to accept welfare, we got the Max for a family of 3 guess how much we got..... believe me it was nowhere what you apparently uninformed/misinformed people think.

We got a measly $689 dollars of cash aid and $200 in foodstamps a month. Period. Now when you figure the absolute CHEAPEST place to rent is at least $350 in my area, then diapers for my daughter and other essential needs such as clothes,wipes etc....... BELIEVE ME I thank God that my wife was able to find work and I was able to get some sidejobs through a few shops I had worked at previously....

Welfare is NO way to live and while I agree alot of people take advantage of it,I must say unless they are working and scamming the system or are doing other illegal things, its not the "free ride" or as lucrative as you make it out to be. For honest people such as myself and family it was a blessing to have as an option but it was definently nothing more then JUST ENOUGH to keep us from starving to death.

I thank God my welfare experience was extremely short lived if I had to suffer a year of THAT,........

edit on 8/6/2011 by XJMatt because: (no reason given)

I'm sorry you had to go through that and I'm so glad that you're back on your feet. My point is just that, you needed it and although it wasn't much that your state provided for you it was something, and you didn't use it for personal gain, but for your personal need.

My rant is about how the people that don't need it, use it and take advantage of it for personal gain.

reply to post by KnightFire

None of these things are applicable to foodstamps. There are very little limitations on foodstamps. The first and most important being your income

because they're federal, not state

as for the cash info

in most states

You should check your current states policies to see how people are affected by it

People do fall through the cracks.

Also forgive my use of wiki links, I recommend people who really have a gripe, to research it further on their own

I'm glad to see you did. ♥

I would hope if you see someone abusing the system, you'd report them.

Originally posted by Forevever
reply to post by KnightFire

 

None of these things are applicable to foodstamps. There are very little limitations on foodstamps. The first and most important being your income

because they're federal, not state

Also forgive my use of wiki links, I recommend people who really have a gripe, to research it further on their own

I'm glad to see you did. ♥

I would hope if you see someone abusing the system, you'd report them.

The funny thing is...I've reported him 3 times over the past 7 years and nothing has been done about it. Guess they're busy with others.

reply to post by Celestial1


Celestial1 reading your rant reminded me of certain in-laws we have. they handle their finances like children that don't yet know better. house is full of big screen tv's, laptops, game consoles, lots of the latest cell phones, late model gas sucking motor vehicles, a huge trailer at a trailer park that is also loaded with gadgets.

their household income is twice what ours is. over the years we have given them money so many times i lost count. bought them a car, gave them a few other cars over the years. last time they needed cash we made it clear it was a loan. to be paid back.

i lost my temper when sister in law calls last week upsetting my wife. sister in law wants to borrow money for the electric bill. the reason i'm pissed off? because we never saw the $850 we loaned her when her husbands motor vehicle was being repossessed some years ago.

seems like everyone has a few pinheads in their lives. you could sit down and openly speak with these people like adults, it won't make a damn difference. fine with me, they can live as they please. but they aren't living off my wallet again.

reply to post by KnightFire

Also to give an example, there is a couple with 3 kids that live down the street from me. I have talked to them several times and they tell me they make more money on welfare then they both did working.

Their welfare checks pay enough to have a $200,000 house, 2 brand new cars, nice things inside their house and there kids wear name brand clothing and one of them has a car. They also have an in-ground pool and awesome gardening.

This is your story if I'm not mistaken. The one you reported 3 times in 7 years?

Is it possible at all that they inherited the house?

Is it possible they claim to be "better off" out of pride?

Is it possible they're dealing drugs to make up the difference...... (very possible actually), but those new clothes could be coming from "grandma" or "auntie". You really can't know whats going on unless you're involved in that family. The rest is hear-say.

The inground pool came with the house - if its owned outright, nothing welfare can do - they stopped liens over 20 years ago as well. I know this for sure because I own my house, and it was inherited, and came with a welfare lien - I believe it was in 1990 that lien was ... "expunged"? not sure if the term is right (I was a teenager at the time, my mother handled all that).


If you reported it, I would imagine someone investigated. If they didn't, maybe you should move up the ladder. Who did you report it to directly? If you called the secretary at the CAO, who knows who got that message and threw it in the trash?

And if they were investigated, it is possible for mentioned reasons, that no violation was found.


All I'm saying is things are not always what they appear to be. I'm not trying to be argumentive, so if I sound like it I apologize. You don't need to justify to me where you get your opinion, just advising you that if you're firm on it, you should be contacting someone other than your original attempt.

I'd be quick to report someone driving a brand new car and claiming to be on welfare too. But what we perceive to be reality, isn't always how it is.


I do absolutely agree there are people who take advantage. I also know for a fact that people fall through the cracks, but I still think if you qualify for food stamps and are living on rice and potatoes, you should get them. At least for the sake of good health. Lord knows we have enough problems without being forced to live on a crappy diet of ramen and ketchup.

Originally posted by Forevever
reply to post by KnightFire

 

Is it possible at all that they inherited the house?

They did not inherite the house. They built it the same year I built mine.

Is it possible they claim to be "better off" out of pride?

Anything is possible. But, when they show you the things they've purchased, claiming becomes reality.

Is it possible they're dealing drugs to make up the difference...... (very possible actually), but those new clothes could be coming from "grandma" or "auntie". You really can't know whats going on unless you're involved in that family. The rest is hear-say.

I agree, they may be getting help else where, but the excessive buying is very noticeable and I wouldn't think someone would be giving them extra money to spend on material things if they are on welfare. As for the drug dealing, I haven't notice any extra traffic at their house at all hours of the night. Knowing how this guy is and how he brags about everything, if he received some big inheritence, he would have to rub it in every chance he would get.

The inground pool came with the house - if its owned outright, nothing welfare can do - they stopped liens over 20 years ago as well. I know this for sure because I own my house, and it was inherited, and came with a welfare lien - I believe it was in 1990 that lien was ... "expunged"? not sure if the term is right (I was a teenager at the time, my mother handled all that).

My neighbor put their pool in last summer. He told me first hand, he paid for it with an investment deal he did with his and his wife's welfare checks. Then he laughed and said, "I wonder if the government knows they paid for my $20,000 pool?"

If you reported it, I would imagine someone investigated. If they didn't, maybe you should move up the ladder. Who did you report it to directly? If you called the secretary at the CAO, who knows who got that message and threw it in the trash?

I made my report to my state's Department of Job and Family Services Bureau. Each time I talked to the same lady and she always says, "we will look into it and call you back with our findings." I have never received a call back and she has told me I'm not the only one filing complaints on them. So you would figure something is being done.

Just so you know, I have not made this my personal agenda and I'm done messing with it. I called, I did my part and if they are willing to send them money good for them. Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.

All I'm saying is things are not always what they appear to be. I'm not trying to be argumentive, so if I sound like it I apologize. You don't need to justify to me where you get your opinion, just advising you that if you're firm on it, you should be contacting someone other than your original attempt.

I understand not all things apear what they are and I know I don't need to justify anything to you. It's nice to get something that's bothering me off my chest. Hence the rant.

reply to post by navy_vet_stg3


Agreed. Why go to the grocery store when you can grow and raise all of the food you need 10 feet outside your door? Not saying that I do at the moment, but I try to only eat and consume what I grow/raise myself. Although I've only gotten into chickens and hunting turkeys, I have yet to raise a cow, lamb, etc. Some day soon, though...

But, on topic with the thread, I witness the same selfishness myself from people on welfare and food stamps. I've been on my own since I was 17, and I've worked really effin' hard to live the life I want to live. I enjoy the feeling of earning what you get. I despise people who think they deserve anything in life when you just sit around all day and offer nothing back to your community or society. You don't deserve anything unless you've put the effort in it. Simple as that. Our ancestors fought too hard for us to sit on our arses. Laziness is a plague infesting our country and I'm scared for what this country is going to be like when the new generations take over.