How Bad Is The Economy?
Posted by the912project on April 4, 2009 · 102 Comments
1 in 10 Americans Gets Food Stamps
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102 Responses to “How Bad Is The Economy?”The Restoring Honor Rally August 28, 2010
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Not only would I like to know how many of those on Food Stamps are actual citizens of the U.S., but how many of them are committing fraud? Just as the state of Virginia is proposing drug testing for unemployment benefits, so should the national government if they are going to insist on offering entitlements. We have become a society that is comfy in it's poverty. That is unacceptable. I do not feel that getting assistance should be an embarrassment, however, it should be a complicated process with very many hoops to jump through.
You need to stop looking at other people as the problem and looking at yourself for the answer.
I think that the food stamp program is a good concept to temporarily pick someone up and get them going again. It cannot be an indefinite amount of time. I have received unemployment benefits. The funds run out, so you cannot just rely on it forever. Knowing that is great incentive to get your ass out there and find a way to make ends meet somehow. The best incentive to get someone back to work is for any financial assistance to be temporary.
Welfare has always been a thorn in my side. I get so tired of going shopping and seeing people who can't speak english buying food on food stamps that I wouldn't even think about buying because of budget, and then go out and climb into a brand new SUV. Or see food stamps being used for food and the "boyfriend" behind with a cart full of beer or a big screen T.V. or other expensive items and pays cash or uses a credit card. I know most on 9-12 work hard, others are retired and if you all are like myself, you live within your budgets, i for one don't even have a credit card. If I don't have cash to pay for it, I don't need it. If its a larger item, I'll save for it and cut back on something else. The major bill I have is my car, that I have to make payments on. I get tired of seeing people using credit cards for $5-10 items, there is something wrong with that picture.
Because he is a huge basketball fan, I suspect President Obama will soon be pursuing the "Michigan solution" for the economy. The Michigan Gov pursued policies which pretty much mirrors the current administration and Congressional economic plan. The state's problems are well documented; however, they have been able to rally behind Michigan State's basketball team and its excellent run in the NCAA. It is said to be inspiring the entire state and you really can't blame Michiganders. Perhaps as the President's economic policies play out, he will form a Presidentual team consisting of himself, Biden, Pelosi, Reid and Frank in an attempt to rally and inspire people. That may not happen, but what a hoot that would be!
I decided it might be harder for awhile, but I had to go back to school so that I could earn enough to support us. Now I qualify for $320 in food stamps, and I have money to buy steak. I always have money left over at the end of the month, and now Obama just gave me another $40 in food stamps. It sickens me that I am given so much when working people have to go without. Yes. I could not take the help, but then I wouldn't be in school so that I can get away from needing help. I am ashamed to be taking the help, but I want to get to the point where I can be self-sufficient, and I know I wouldn't be able to without assistance. Thank you for helping me, my fellow Americans.
This isn't easy for me to post, but I'm one of those people that are on food stamps. I'm a divorced mother of one, and I had a job that I had a degree in. When I was married, the job I had was enough for just a second income, but it didn't support my family after I divorced my husband. He rarely paid child support, and I didn't have enough money for all of my bills. I did everything I could to make ends meet, but they never quite met. I became sick of only being able to afford meat once a week for "a treat," buying my son's clothes a size too big, and worrying how I was going to afford daycare for my son because I didn't get home form work until six at night.
jeanyus, there's no shame to be felt when you're trying hard and working hard as you can. ihave always felt that there is always room in our federal and state budgets to feed children.
my boy and i are retired military. we are able to shop at an air force commisary. they take the TEXAS star card, which is the food stamp equilvalent in TEXAS. this is just wrong in sooooooo many ways. our military can't afford to feed their kids without help. or is it some retirees can't afford to feed themselves?
it think the unjust welfare recipients milking the system, with no morals, are just as much at fault as the government. i'm ready to just give up and let these people have this "lovely world" we live in. it feels as if it is already ruined. there really are not enough good people left. BUT IT IS GOOD TO KNOW THERE ARE A FEW
This is a hot-button issue with me. My brother worked in a supermarket in a resort town and he was always amazed by what people bought with food stamps – Cheetos, beer, pop tarts, that sort of stuff. My own sister-in-law is on WIC, even though she and her husband have two cars (both purchased new), a new motorcycle, a $200,000 house, and cable tv (my husband and I are raising our family on one income, with only one car – no cable tv here!). Often, she'd try to give away some of the food she got on the program (they had to fill their quota, even if they couldn't use all of it, so that they wouldn't lose future benefits), but I always refused. Even though it was just a gallon of milk (and who wouldn't mind buying one less gallon of milk?), I couldn't bring myself to take it. My parents went through a lot of tough economic times when I was growing up (a one-income home, with my father working almost at minimum wage), but they NEVER resorted to government assistance. I can remember eating rice and milk for breakfast (and it wasn't that long ago, back in the 80's). For them, it was a matter of pride, from lessons of self-reliance and thrift passed from their parents. I follow their example today and I hope to teach my son the same lessons in this age of entitlement.
I agree with many of the posts – we need a return to living within our means. My church has a welfare system that I think the U.S. Government could learn a lot from. The bishop assesses a family's need and determines if they qualify for assistance with food (my sister-in-law and her husband on WIC applied to the Church first, but the bishop didn't see a legitimate need, considering their circumstances). When that need is truly required, the Church uses offerings donated from the members and the money is to buy the basics – milk, bread, flour, cheese, etc. – all of which produced at Church-owned centers where the members receiving the Church aid (and those who aren't) volunteer. It creates a cycle of productivity and accountability, which is lacking in the Government program (more info on my church's program can be found here: http://www.providentliving.org ) I'm all for helping those who are truly needy, but only if they're also willing to help and better themselves in the process.
The chances of the government taking advice from anyone but themselves or some talking head is about as likely as me finding ice cubes in Hell
i'd like to now how long it will take the good people of this nation to start voting independent.? the 2 parties we currently have have done nothing for this nation except grow the government and put us in debt for the past 80 years!! they got us into it, but it will be up to the common folks who love there country and there freedom, to get us out, put us back on the right track. i truely believe if we stay the coarse with only 2 parties to choose from, we are DOOMED, or lets start a new party the AMERICAN PARTY anything other than the same old same old, think about it this year on the 4th, remember what you are celebrating, it's not republicans day nor democrates day, it's INDEPENDENTS DAY!!!!!! not to mention it's the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENTS not the declaration of DEPENDENTS nor the delaration of democrates or republicans. if we're going to get the government under control , we need to let our current employees know their are not doing a satisfactory job and they will be replaced!!!
I grew up dirt poor in Mississippi. Our family easily qualified for every government relief program there was, but my father refused it for four reasons.
1. I overheard a friend ask Daddy why he doesn't accept food stamps and the answer was that he would have to drive to a town where he was not known to spend them.
2. My father considered it his duty as a husband, father and man to provide. After he got home from the sweat shop factory he worked in the garden until dark every summer day and in the woods cutting fire wood every winter day. We were never hungry or cold.
3. He considered not taking hand outs to be a great teaching tool for me. I can attest personally that he was right.
4. He did not consider it to be a Christian thing to do.
Now fast forward 40 years. I am running a small business in Mississippi. More than half of my customers use some form of welfare to shop in my store and I have yet to see one show any shame at all. They simply think of it as something they deserve. The one thing I as a retail merchant know well and have tried to teach is this. Even though I make money from customers who use welfare, I know that I could make more if they had freedom from it.
That really depressed me!!! I dont believe the founders ever intended this.
I like that last line about freedom from welfare. You obviously came from rags to owning a business. Would that have happened if your father had enslaved his family in welfare? You also made me think again about how much more profit yours and every business could have if customers would work even half as hard earning as they do scamming the gov.
Your family sounds like my family. It was tough but we proved that we can beat the odds. No actually we did not beat the odds. Stats show that taking welfare decreases the chance for real prosperity. It is not a crutch but a trap. You mentioned that you had tried to teach those principles of freedom to your customers. Thank God for your effort. we need to get you elected to the legislature in Mississippi.
I appreciate the super endorsement. If I get 99 more along with some people who do more than just wish me luck I might consider running again. I tried it three times before and found that people were afraid to buck the machine.
I actually had a man tell me that he knew I could do better than the incumbent but votes for incumbents because they have more experience. I had several tell me that I must not be a Republican because I ran against a Republican in the primary. Instead of running I should spend time educating my fellow citizens.
http://www.electcliffbrown.com http://www.freespeechroundtable.blogspot.com
I appreciate the super endorsement. If I get 99 more along with some people who do more than just wish me luck I might consider running again. I tried it three times before and found that people were afraid to buck the machine.
I actually had a man tell me that he knew I could do better than the incumbent but votes for incumbents because they have more experience. I had several tell me that I must not be a Republican because I ran against a Republican in the primary. Instead of running I should spend time educating my fellow citizens.
http://www.electcliffbrown.com
http://www.freespeechroundtable.blogspot.com
The whole system is screwy. My 18 year old niece, who lives with her father, called the welfare office and said she was homeless. She now gets $300 a month in food stamps. Being the generous person she is, went and bought a cake and items for a meal, for her friends mother's birthday! So take this whoel 1 in 10 thing with a grain of salt, how many of them shouldn't be getting the food stamps in the first place?!!
welfare it is not ! it is control! i came from a large family 8 kids divorced parents 1967 we were on welfare . i believe there was only limited products they had 1 gal of peanut butter in a large can i rememberd most . nothing fancy at all .no beer no chips. no credit cards . it was very embarrasing as a kid . i guess its not embarrassing any more yoy can buy beer cigarettes i guess anything. we got free lunces and all the other kids knew it in school i hated it and swore when i got older i would never take any handouts!i was married at 20 and had three boys and barely made ends meet at 200 dollars a week on long island, my mother worked for the state of ny and told me i was eligable for free heating oil which cost me 300 a month, i told her that was for poor people not for me ! i now own a successful but small family business since 1986. welfare should only be temporary you should be drug tested and it should be at special stores with only important items to survive,and of course only for americans! these days i see them shopping buying full racks of ribs chips soda ect . thats a crime, welfare is slavery . get a job!!!!!
The basics are really simple – if evil people can dumb-down the population and create fear & dependance on "BIG BROTHER" government, EVIL RULES !!! For the truly needy, our Christian Churches never turn people away. Our food pantry in our church has NEVER been empty.
Simple fact: Give a man a fish, you fed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you fed him for a life time. For any young folks reading this, think deeply about these concepts. Ultimate slavery is to a Socialist (or worse) government.
By the way, we eat quite well in our house on a small amount of money – EVERYBODY down to the grandkids knows the basics of cooking (a lost skill).
Foodstamps are a really stupid dependency program enslaving and numbing the lazy. It is really gut wrenching to see all the really fat people getting junk food at the store and then loading it into a new car. HORRIBLE
A message to our fellow citizens on welfare:
As class warfare rages on, the poor are pitted against the rich in an epic struggle of push and pull. As the government declares war on poverty, their tactics hardly reflect their rhetoric. As they tax and spend in the name of fairness and economic stimulus, the exact opposite occurs. More layoffs every week and month set new records going back further into our country's past of dark seasons of recession. As the economy continues to decline, the government points to an ever-increasing list of evil-doers. Big oil and energy (except solar and other “green” sources even though the amount of land destroyed by a solar field is many times that of an equal energy producing oil field), big tobacco, big finance, big auto, big airline, big ad infinitum. So, the wealth of these and many other industries must be sacrificed and given to the government so the government can redistribute the resources where they deem appropriate for “economic stimulus”. Have you seen what reliance on the government buys you? A crappy place to live in a crappy neighborhood, crappy food, crappy medical care (if any that is actually effective) and a crappy future is what you exchange… and for what? The “freedom” to sit on your ass and watch Jerry Springer while collecting a check for free and money for nothing is what you exchange for self-respect, a pay check to spend on what you want and need based on your judgment for your family, a future that can bring a raise based on your talents and hard work instead of the “fairness” of some government official or the will of a fickle people. What you have exchanged when you fall for the government “rope-a-dope” propaganda is your freedom to be what you were always intended to be. Are you who you want to be? Are you free to be who you want to be? Who will give you a more fair exchange for your talent and hard work? Big free market industry or big government?
Whaddya think?
Nicely said, but sadly true about the decline in so many areas of our society. Reading this actually does depress me. I need to go now.
1 out of 10 is not a surprise, especially with todays economy. Still wondering where all these jobs are that our tax dollars were supposed to be used to create. I think after the Obamanation, another democrat will not be in power for at least 30 years. That is if we still have a country that is free.
Working on it, looking at my work schdule and planning things out. As ususal someone is trying to make a buck, The American way. I got this link from Townhall.com
http://www.discountbookdistributors.com/teapartyb...
They have some nice signs in case anyone is interested. NO, I don't work for them.
Amen! Get yourself to a teaparty on April 15 and yell about this stuff going down, as one of the Arrogant Americans!!!! Yes, I AM Arrogant, AND INDIGNANT, Barack Obama!
I agree. An extra $960.00 a year, WOW. I literally just got into long term food storage and managed to stock nearly a one year supply of food for less than $800 dollars. Albeit, it is flour, sugar, beans, rice, cooking oil and spices and tons of off-brand canned meat and vegetables.those on benefits think they will never end and when it does they are poorer than before, not only supply wise (free money to stock and stash) but they complain because it all ended and they have nothing left.
The ones I have compassion for are those on disability, unable to work or only able to work part time and those retired with minimum retirement income.
A person I know is disabled and works part time to help make ends meet. She does qualify for food stamps for a grand total of $16 a month.
I too am angered by those that take/use the system for their own ends. If they hired more to police these "users" and illegals it would stop.
With Obamas bill and Pelosi, there will be an influx of illegals!
One simple law will fix the problem. Anyone receiving food stamps, free school lunches or welfare is not able to vote in any election. At first glance, most people would think this to be harsh. We have all heard the phrase "No taxation without representation". Here is our country's new phrase: "Representation without taxation". The people who are voting in our representatives have outnumbered the people who are working and paying taxes. If these people cannot vote themselves more social engineering at our cost (and our children's cost), we can start to fix this country's fiscal and moral mismanagement.
I understand that the people that went to work one day were just like you and me when they went to work and that by the end of ONE day the big difference is that they no longer had jobs. So I am supposed to believe that 5M+ people are supposed to be drug tested just because they through no fault of their own now receive UEC and now people want to get their panties in a twist because there ARE SO MANY OF THEM so they need tested to lower the cost of the UEC being paid out? Give me a freaking break. Whose paying for the tests? Sorry no witch hunt for me, this group people are being used to get the attention off the politicians and the amount of money they are giving out in welfare to the bankers and their cronies. Using the price we pay for goods and services still doesn't justify a witch hunt, what the employers pay for the insurance is a fraction of the final cost of the product.
This video helped me get a different perspective on it.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/video-search/m/2205845...
What I find disturbing is that the grocery prices went up when gas was high, yet since the gas prices went down, the food prices have stayed the same. What gives? These grocery stores are making money, hand over fist, at our expense. I guess they figured we wouldn't gripe since gas prices lowered. I am griping though…I am a military sposue who lives in a small rural community. The commissary is too small to accomodate everyone, all that is out in the civilian community is a walmart. So I have to drive 48 miles one way to Alexandria, La. or 68 miles one way to get to Lake Charles, otherwise I cannot get a full grocery shopping done. This is ridiculous!
part deux
I can tell you some stories of working at HEB in San Antonio and welfare…it would make blood shoot out of your eyes! Young kids in store at midnight with their welfare shopping mama's, $600.00 worth of crap food, loading it up into an suv or cadillac, trying to sell extra food stamps not used, this is when they used paper food stamps, to get cash for whatever they couldn't buy otherwise. Sickening! Plain and simply put, the program is broke and people have found a way to have their cake and eat it too.
part deux
I can tell you some stories of working at HEB in San Antonio and welfare…it would make blood shoot out of your eyes! Young kids in store at midnight with their welfare shopping mama's, $600.00 worth of crap food, loading it up into an suv or cadillac, trying to seel extra food stamps not used, this is when they used paper food stamps, to get cash for whatever they couldn't buy otherwise. Sickening! Plain and simply put, the program is broke and people have found a way to have their cake and eat it too.
Ben Franklin: I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.
The social safety net has become a vast hammock. Welfare recipients are now generational because the social experiment of the Great Society has failed miserably- When you invest in poverty you expand poverty.
Is anyone surprised that the poorest class of Americans are plagued with obesity-related ailments? The people in poverty here don't go hungry as those elsewhere- because they aren't really poor, some receiving the government benefits equivalent of over forty thousand dollars a year.
After the republican congress dragged Clinton kicking and screaming to approve their welfare reform, the democrats pulled an end run to expand the Food Stamp and Medicare programs- which are now far larger than ever. This isn't an issue of safety nets but buying votes. When you rob Peter to pay Paul you can rely on Paul's vote.
I agree that government dependents must forfeit their right to vote- It is a conflict of interest that has dire consequences upon us all.
Take away the massive, overloaded, welfare hammock- It's long overdue.
The only flaw in your "arguement" is we can not and I will not allow anyone who has the right to vote to be denied that right. I realized that the welfare system is corrupt and the politicians use it to by votes, but we need to find a way to reform the system. The regime isn't going to do it, because they see the way to remain in power, just look what happened in SC when the governor didn't want to take any stimulus money.
Yeah, I'm a heartless soul, but I'd cut this program right now. No more freebies from the government, of any sort!
We have many marvelous charities in this country, religious and secular, who do better work more efficiently than any government office. And if we paid less in taxes, we could spare more for contributions to these groups.
Giving away housing and food with a government stamp on it is slavery of the most insidious sort. It must stop.
One more thought: I wonder how many of that "1 in 10 Americans" is really an illegal immigrant, because in many places, they are also eligible for these freebie programs.
My brother worked in a supermarket and he said that a good many of the people turning the food stamps in could barely speak English. I may be jumping to conclusions, but I'm just saying…
In my opinion the only people that should get any benefits from the government are veterans, they put everything on the line for us so we owe them no less, and they are the least likely to become parasites. Even politicians shouldn't get any benefits.
I agree with you about our vets. Heck, I'd give them a huge chunk of change towards a house, reduced-cost government-paid health insurance, a Bill for college or vocational education that paid not only for expenses but also a stipend so they wouldn't have to work full-time while studying…and anything else I could think of. I know of no other group in this nation more deserving of benefits than our vets, and I would NEVER begrudge my tax dollars going to help them.
Here we go 912'ers; http://www.marchforliberty.org/marchdetails.html
Washington DC Protest permit has been issued. Join in 912'ers
Have you ever wondered recently why many of your Democrat representatives have not scheduled town hall meetings or issued position papers? Perhaps it is because those representatives don’t want to address their constituents. It is obvious that those representatives have disregarded or dismissed their constituents’ inputs and requests to stop the march toward socialism.
But doesn’t every representative have to stand for re-election every two years? Wouldn’t you think that to get re-elected, they would not avoid or evade their constituents because that would not endear them to the voters next time around. But that is exactly what they are doing. So it seems that they do not care about being re-elected. There must be more to the story.
President Obama (BHO) has pushed for many of his campaign promises that cost trillions of dollars even though the economy is in trouble. That does not make sense unless BHO’s agenda is an economy that is centrally controlled (read: socialism) by an oligarchy. BHO cannot do it alone; he must rely on hand-picked comrades to carry out his plans. In turn, it means that, under the guise of distorted constitutional authority, elected representatives who have sold out to BHO will be rewarded by him, and the change to socialism will be a done deal. Being well-connected individuals, your representatives will vote to exempt themselves from BHO’s socialistic, spread-the-wealth economy. Being part of the oligarchy, your turn-coat representatives will avoid the rationing that will become standard under socialism.
The trick will be to recall those representatives immediately before they have the time to do any real damage, like vote for trillions and trillions of so-called stimulus bills that do nothing except enslave the population to the government. The BHO agenda is moving as quickly as possible and he ‘hopes’ that his ‘change’ (campaign rhetoric) from a republic based on capitalism will be replace by an oligarchy based on socialism. Power grabs by BHO and the debt being blown through the roof by Congress will seal the fate of the citizens. Now is the time to go on the offense, because during the rest of 2009 and all of 2010, our country is at risk.
Part 2;
If they answer "YES" to any one of these questions then your duty is to disqualify them immediately! The only place they belong under the "Structure" of our Constitution is in the "Judicial Branch". It is a "Conflict of Interest" for them to hold a position in any other branch of any government in the United States,
If you don't think this is true then just ask yourself one question; "Why does any lawyer running for a legislative position have to resign as an active member of his/her law firm? Because it is Unconstitutional". If you think they resigned and left their Agenda behind you are "SADLY MISTAKEN".
To All My Friends and Fellow 912'rs;
I have to put this comment into 2 parts as the 912 server can't handle it!
Part 1;
Please realize that most of your elected officials in your Local, County, State and Federal Governments are LAWYERS. They have NO BUSINESS being in any type of legislative position, period!
YOUR NUMBER 1 QUESTION AT CAMPAIGN TIME TO ASK YOUR CANDIDATE IS;
1. ARE YOU A LAWYER?
2. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN A LAWYER?
3. DID YOU EVER GO TO LAW SCHOOL?
4. DO YOU HAVE ANY RELATIVES THAT ARE LAWYERS?
5. ARE ANY OF YOUR CLOSE FRIENDS LAWYERS
I think that welfare/foodstamps and gov't help should be time limited. They need to be drug tested (randomly) provided a short term work training program and them expected to go to work and then repay the welfare through their tax refunds when they are on their feet. this does so much. It improves the families self esteem from the parents to the children. It teaches responsibility and integrity which allows a person to hold their head up knowing they are doing the right thing. This BS of people on foodstamps and getting welfare and living in housing and doing dope must stop. When that stops our society will improve. The young people will become better educated and make better decisions because their parents will become better role models. Drug tests are good enough for athletes, job applicants, job employees – why not welfare recipients? I was a single mom and we lived week to week but we made it, by the grace of God. My son graduates from college in 6 weeks, thanks to student loans, I made $42.00 too much for govt aid….that is ok, God provided and he has accomplished getting a degree and we did it without welfare, food stamps, housing just alot of hard work. This is America where dreams and goals come true with work – give a hand up not a hand out.
i just have to wonder what my taxes will be NEXT year, when some of these spending warm and fuzzy programs get put into play…….
Didn't you hear, you're getting an extra 12 dollars a week on your paycheck, you'll have to pay taxes on it next year. Wait a minute, they changed that to $10, still have to pay taxes. So the near I can figure it out, We pay taxes so that we get $10 of our money back and the rest goes to social programs and this is suppose stimulate the economy? Did I miss something? If you want to stimulate the economy….give me more of my money to spend.
Now that Obama has sold every American out by nationalizing everything he can get his hands on, its good for you to see that he has now sold everything to Europe;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFDBkf4F_hs
Our Government Employees have taken it upon themselves to choose who gets food stamps and free medical. There is no systems in place that is fair. A whole family who has used the systems for over 20 yearr with adult children at home is receiving free foods stamps and medical and free prescription drugs which they are all addicted to. And still this family who has lied and cheated for years remains on Government Assistance, L & I and anything other program that gives them free living expenses and handouts and let's not forget free prescription drugs. Government handouts really means we who work are paying the bill.
I am a small employer here in the wonderful state of Kentucky. I would like to say that I think an issue is being missed here. Price fixing by the grocery stores themselves. Competition in the grocery business has become basically a joke these last ten years. The big boys such as Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Sams, Ect… Have driven all the smaller grocers out of business. The stores that remain dictate what price a product will before it ever hits a shelf. Shelf space itself is rented out to the large manufacturers and what remains is used for store brand products. There is no room for any small food companys to come in and compete. When a smaller food company does manage to get through the door the larger food company will threaten to pull all of its products off the shelves unless this new competitor is removed. Seen it all the time. Thus we are stuck in a big cycle of price fixing by large grocery chains and large manufacturers without the free market creating the competition that is needed to produce lower food prices that many consumers need at this point. This practice is seen across the board not only in the food industry but also in the beverage and cigarette industry.
Here is the rub folks. Government regulators are suppose to protect the American public against monopoly's. But, because of large monopoly's in the food industry, the oil industry. the energy industry and yes the health care industry, The American people have been raped for the last ten years at the least. You cannot raise the price of energy to your homes and business by more than 100 percent in a matter of five years, gas for your cars by more than 200 percent (referring to 4.00 gas). Price of groceries by more than 150 percent. Price of trash service to homes more than 50 percent, Price of health insurance by more than 100 percent. Not even to mention things like home repair supplies, cleaning supplies, education, etc….
One out of ten on food stamps no surprise. People screaming that to many people on entitlement programs. Maybe so but many of them are on them legitimately folks. The funny or not so funny thing is the whole government bailout and stimulus program is to fight deflation. Frankly some good old fashion deflation is what is needed right now in our country. If not , we will see many more on food stamps, many more in foreclosure. I personally would love to lower my prices to my customers. But at this point to do so would be to commit financial suicide. I worry about my family and my business. But, I also worry about the people that work for me.
Call on our government to enforce the law and put an end to all these monopoly's and let the free market work as it should. And for the oil executives that parked the oil tankers out at sea until oil price began to rise again, Shut down your refinery's to drive up the price of gas and keep it from falling where it should have been. I think each one of you are guilty of not only treason, but the greatest human rights violation man has ever seen. Because of you people are starving in this country right now.
I know what you mean, I'm in KY also, I'm on the comsumer side. The key words in your post was SUPPOSE TO. Since when has our government done what it is suppose to. I am not making excuses for any of them, but just because gas went down, look at the stupid idea of using corn for ethanol to be used in fuels, and they are still doing it. There for the price of corn is up, now look at all the food products that use corn. So, unfortunately the price of food is remaining high. When it comes to the large stores edging out the smaller ones, I been watching it for years and it is down right sad, but I have no idea how we can reverse the trend, except find a small business that treats you fair and patronize them. I have a computer store that is small independent, I've been dealing with him for over 12 yrs. Yea, I can take my computer to large store to get things done faster, but he has always treated me fair, gives good service and in fact has build every computer since 1999 and I'm my 3 one.
We the American people have been ripped off to the tune of BILLIONS for the poor. If you were really to check you would probably find out that out of every doller the government rips off from the working people only about 5 cents ever gets to the poor. When you have the people in government like we do, what do you inspect they have to get their cut of the money first. Even though I look at it like my grandfather did "if you are to good to work your to good to eat" I can not take every bit of my disdain out on the poor. The ones we really need to take to the woodshed is the politician who thinks it is funny to keep the poor indebted to his sorry self instead of helping them to make something of themselves. I know this is not politically correct & you know what I really do not give a d**m its time for this to STOP
In light of all of this, we want to end the most robust economic engine of history???
What they gonna do when your money is gone?? Have you ever heard of a successfully built communist nation??
What did marx and the suckulors ever do for you???
Even our freeloaders are rich by world standards… Take away the 'producers' and we ALL starve…
That should be interesting…
Go ahead, cook the golden geese, then they are all gone… But feed them and they will at least support the dead, numbed down, Spiritually Decapitated zombies….
What do we look like, lemmings???
Better red than dead?? I doubt it… You want dead nations to rise, take out bobby mugabee and his saints and let the world see it happen…
How many mugabees we got in training now???
cont'd …After this she goes out to her nice looking car and leaves. I was appauled! If you have the money to buy cigarettes and lottery tickets, explain to me why my tax dollars are paying for your doughnuts?!!! I am not rich by any means, and there have been times where I have needed help. Working as a nurse assistant the pay is not great, and this is why I am now in school to earn an Associate's degree so I will never have to depend on the government again. I understand people needing help sometimes, but this was just ridiculous. When I received help I bought the cheapest things I could find, and made things from scratch because buying anything with food stamps was humiliating enough without having people look at what I am buying and judging me for it. This is not the first time I have seen someone USE the system, but for some reason this time it really bothered me. I guess it's because here I am struggling just to make ends meet, and in front of me I see someone who is wasting taxpayers money just because they can.
People need to learn how to balance their checkbooks. They need to live within their means. 1 in 10 people isn't a reflection on our economy, it is a reflection on how poor our welfare system is.
Scale back welfare. There are way too many people who don't need it, and/or who live way beyond their means.
Beginning this month the family of four on Food Stamps get’s an extra $80.00 dollars a month to help them out! $960.00 a year! All due to the economic stimulus law signed by Pres. Obama.
Do not mind giving anyone a hand up, but most of these are for generational welfare recipients.
Makes that extra $13.00 in your paycheck look pretty shabby! Especially since your taxes and cost of living have gone up exponentially.
Some "food for thought"………The article states the average benefit is $112.00 per person,BUT a13% increase on a family of four means an extra $80.00 per month.THAT would make the average benefit $150.00 per person per month|Food stamp purchases in my state are tax exempt,although we have a state and local grocery tax.In my area, the tax is 10%.Food stamp purchasers have 10% more buying power than I do for the same item.Imagine free groceries every week AND a 10% "DISCOUNT"on every item.THIS IS CRAZY|||||||||
You betcha, it is absolute insanity! Personally know people who make $15.00 dollars an hour who receive some Government assistance she is single has three kids and she parties all the time and pays weekend babysitters her weekly child care costs are minimal also with Government help..
So, the housing industry is suffering, construction is nearly at a standstill, people are not spending their money remodeling right now. Jobs in construction are nonexsistant at the moment and have been for several months. One income is not cutting it. Should I feel guilty because you don't think I should get Food Stamps, or should I wait until I'm on the street and I don't have a vehicle and then you'll feel better about it?
In the early 80's,prior to meeting my 2nd husband, I was a divorcee raising2 small children. I worked 2 jobs to support them and my household. Sure I didn't get to spend alot of quality time with them, but they never went without anything. Iworked for everything. I didn't care what type of job it was just so long as I could make sure my kids didn't go without. After I married my husband, we both had low paying jobs as that was a recessed economy at the time. We made sure all our billswere paid and there was plenty of food. But if our paychecks didn't stretch to the next one for unforeseen reasons, my husband would pawn his wedding ring till the next paycheck came in and then get it back out. It's called personal responsibility. The government is not the arbitor of my life! I'm an intelligent person with a strong background in the corporate environment. But if I have to go to work for 7 or 8 bucks an hour just to pay my bills and put food on the table, by God I'll do it! I won't look to the government for a handout.
From: notifications@intensedebatemail.com
To: shepardchyna@hotmail.com
Subject: lbrtyNjstc4L replied to your comment on How Bad Is The Economy?
Don't kid yourself. Unemployment compensation is welfare. I have no problem with helping a family until they can get back on their feet, but to classify it as anything but an entitlement program is putting lipstick on the pig.
The unemployment system is broken. My plant laid off about 1/3 of its workforce last November. The folks who were laid off collect more in unemployment compensation than the folks who are lucky enough to still have a 4 day per week job. Their "benefits" are based on the six quarters prior to the layoff, when we were all working overtime.
The rest of us are left scraping by on a 32 hour workweek, with a 10% across the board paycut and reduced medical benefits.
There is zero incentive for these laid off people to go out and find another job. Many are collecting their unemployment checks and working "under the table".
Who do you think will ultimately pay the cost?
Sorry I disagree. I don't understand all this animosity for people that lost their jobs through no fault of their own and were more than likely at some point being drug tested while still employed and may have been with their companies for many years for all any of us know. My personal opinion is that the Politicians are trying to lump in all the people that lost their jobs in the recession with drug testing so we all sit around and complain about how they are all a bunch of lazy drug users who got what they deserved so the Politicians can escape being held accountable for having to address the issue in a way that might actually solve it. God forbid that should happen, since I think the Politicians had more to do with these people losing their jobs than these people themselves did.
I also wonder who everyone thinks is going to pay for the drug tests for just the 5+ plus million on UEC? My guess is the guy that still works 32 hours a week with a 10% paycut and reduced benefits will be getting to pitch in on that one.
Check out how many military families are on food stamps, you would be surprised! I grew up in a military family and my father made about $100 a month with jump pay for a long time. We ate many veggie meals because we couldn't afford meat. Learned how to eat coon, rabbits,and other critters. The military sector are the ones needing help, not a bunch of welfare parasites who don't work,and spit out children like a gum machine!! Yes, workers who have lost jobs need our help but for too long the system has been abused!
Let's expand on that. What is going to happen when our military is brought back from overseas. Active military will return to their bases and forts but what is going to happen the the Reservists and National Guard? How many can be assimilated into our work force? How many will have jobs to go back to? How many will be filling the lines of unemployment?
Just like Gitmo there never is a well thought out plan on how to deal with the ramification of their (Governmental and Socialist) actions. What can be expected is a spike of unemployment applications, which cannot be good for the overall recovery of our financial and economic well being.
Unlike welfare recipients, military personnel and their families live and breath American values, American traditions and ask nothing in return and what as a society do to thank them? Turn our backs, insult those who died protecting and defending American values and their families, put them out of work and unto unemployment lines.
I am not a politically correct individual or do I believe in cultural correctness, but when it comes to our military they have earned my respect, they have earned my gratitude and appreciation. I will do what I can to help them.
Here is a thought, take the welfare people put them into the military take the money that is being given to the welfare and provide it to those who served our great country to help them assimilated back into our society.
I can attest to this, too! My father was in the military for a good part of my childhood and we made sacrifices – food stamps were never an option to them! My mom was just telling me how every year they qualified to get free school lunch for all of us kids (there were four of us), but they refused. We didn't resort to eating "other critters" : ) but we definitely went without. And, honestly, I think I'm better for it.
My wife was at the grocery store last week when a man confronted a lady using food stamps to buy junk food and drinking a Starbucks coffee. I believe this goes to show you that people are getting tired of free loaders.
I am so excited about this group doing something to change the direction our country is headed.
Ultimately I believe it will be a group such as this one of responsible, hard working, accountable individuals battling with those that are ready to unlock the trasury and hand out all the money.
People do not recognize there is no such thing as a free lunch. The folks on the dole do not recognize that in order for them to "Win" someone else has to LOSE!!!
I FOR ONE AM SICK AND TIRED OF THEIR IGNORANCE AND LACK OF SELF RELIANCE COSTING ME AND MY FAMILY OUR FUTURE, IT HAS TO STOP NOW!!!!
AMEN BROTHER…….AMEN
Exactly. What really gets me is that some people that are perfectly capable of working but are just too lazy to do so, they're able to get $400+ in food stamps while there's some people who are permanently disabled, can't work, barely making it on their disability checks through the month, even when the money is being used for just the "bare-bones" necessities (and by that, I don't mean junk food, cigarettes, and other junk. I mean food that's good for you, toilet paper, etc.), and all they can get is $14 in food stamps. Another thing is how some people can cross state lines, use a different last name, and get food stamps from more than one state without somehow getting caught. Sadly I know people who have done this, and it really frustrates me because that money could be going to someone else who actually does need it. That's just my opinion though.
Military families who are on welfare are on it because they are living outside their means. We have caught up pretty well to civilian pay scales. The military star card is a horrible program, and it teaches young privates to spend $5k upwards in debt, and then have to try and pay that off with a 24% interest rate. They have to have 2 cars, a big truck and a van or suv. I see it all the time living on post. I see these young wife's, with 4 kids, at the commissary, paying for their groceries with food stamps, and in the mean time they are carrying a $400.00 Coach purse, loading their groceries into a 2007 Dodge Durango, and buying cases of beer and a huge bottle of Grey Goose vodka. I still havent quite figured out how they get the welfare going, my guess is they borrow someone's clunker to fit the mold. It's aggravating that these people do this, both military and civilian.
"The folks on the dole do not recognize that in order for them to "Win" someone else has to LOSE!!! "
Oh, I think they realize this — but think that somehow it's ok to steal from the producers, the successful and in Obama's words — THE RICH to their own benefit. Making the rich become poor will NEVER make the poor rich!
The problems the USA and the rest of the world are experiencing are directly related to Government power over the market place (that is our working lives). Power that has been expanding thru welfare state schemes and corporate welfare. That power is rooted in the governments control of money, its ability to print money. That power has corrupted Governments, markets and the people. The resolution will be found when paper money is returned to the gold standard. This would forever seperate the government from the economy, – we seperated church and state 1,000 years ago – it is time to seperate goverment and the market place – for the same reason – to end the corruption of absolute power. The power to print money and control financial markets is absolute power – and it is corrupting absolutely our financial markets and the global economy.
Do you remember the "stimulus" bill provision to effectively repeal welfare reform passed under Bill Clinton? The states now get bonus money to add more people onto the welfare rolls. There is likely to be huge fraud that comes along with this "stimulus" since it is not possible to track this huge outflow of money. Corruption and fraud will have a feeding frenzy on this "stimulus" and we the taxpayer will foot the bill.
Can you say…..Vote buying. Then when the stimlus money runs out for all these fuzzy programs that the state will have to put in place because the gov't's paying for them now. How does the state continue to pay for them….Can you say higher state taxes.
Go work in an OB/GYN division of a teaching hospital and tell that to the fourteen and fifteen year olds that have kids so they can get their free apartment and food stamps. A lot of these young women are third generation never worked a day in their lives welfare queens. We taught them how to do it. Can we unteach them?
too bad we keep giving money to them for each child. If we told them we're only going to give you help with one and the rest you can pay for that would put a stop to child bearing as a job. I work in an ER of a large teaching hospital and you wouldn't believe the number of them and others that use the ER as their private doctors office. when we have several free clinics that will see them and give them free medication. But they don't like to wait and when they come to the ER they get seen faster. So the next time you go to the ER and have to wait you'll know its because we have taught a lot people to use the ER as a doctors office.
The US Population clock says there are currently 306,146,778 people in the United States. 32.2 million of which, according to the article, are on food stamps. How many of those 32.2 million aren't even American citizens?
32.2 million looks terrible but let me play devil's advocate for a minute. Let's put this into perspective. In September of 2008 the article says the number on Food stamps was 31.587. That would mean that in spite of the millions of jobs (and homes) lost by Americans in this country since September the number of people that are on food stamps on increased to 32.2 million… a growth in the rolls of .818 million correct?
Now what concerns me more than the fact that it grew by less than a million since September is that over 31 million were already on it. When I take into account the number of hard working Americans that have lost their jobs, the number of elderly that have seen their retirements portfolios wither into nothingness over the last 7 months I'd have to say perhaps we are not the nation of moochers the article would make us out to be.
I would say that under the current economic circumstances it is no surprise the rolls have swelled by almost a million people. My question is what is the excuse for the other over 31 million that were already on it….. how long have they been on it……and how many of them are American citizens.
America…….Land of the FREE……….NOT the free ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For the past 7 years I have worked over nights in a wal-mart super center, on the grocery side. I have seen the same people month after month, year after year. Young and old, I've seen men cry at the register cause they felt they've let their family down and I've seen men who could care less, it just means more money in there wallet to spend on them selfs.
The first of the month.
If you can get through this read maybe the economy is not the problem.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/print/200905/imf-a...
I was wondering why this story was on a UK website.
If we drug tested everyone receiving public assistance (i.e. welfare, food stamps and unemployment) the problem would take care of itself.
Educate yourself before you post about unemployment.
http://topics.law.cornell.edu/wex/Unemployment_co...
-snip-
To support the unemployment compensation systems a combination of federal and state taxes are levied upon employers.
This is not an entitlement program. Some of you people amaze me. You call yourself observing whatever principle suits your need, I suppose. How many people do you really think lost their jobs in the last year and are on unemployment and taking drugs, especially in the situation the economy is in now? Lumping these people in with entitlement programs just amazes me, but I suppose you will justify it somehow. I hope if you are ever in a position where you lose your job that people are not as judgemental of you as a lot of you are of others.
I agree with your point, but there is a huge amount of fraud in the system and unfortunately it is easy to lump people into one group. I lived in a small town in the 70s and got to know people and we had a lady who dispensed food stamps. She was a very nice person and very compassionate, so getting food stamps from her was very easy. I remember seeing people, perfectly healthy, who never worked, wearing new Eddie Bauer coats using food stamps. They were well known in the community and there were quite a few people that abused the system in this town.
What I believe has most people are upset about is:
The Welfare State
definition:
1. a social system based on the assumption by a political state of primary responsibility for the individual and social welfare of its citizens
2 : a nation or state characterized by the operation of the welfare state system
This I believe is what has most hard working people including myself are upset about, not about the person who through no fault of their own lost their job and needs assistance until they can get on their feet again. That paid into unemployment as did their employers did.
They are the ones that don't work, never have worked or works just enough to stay on the system but really has no intention of working hard enough to get off the system. The one's that are more than happy existing in life at the expense and hard work of others, so they can get their welfare check buy their booze and drugs.
If it is not an entitlemnnt program what do you call it? For you to bring up that unemployment is paid by a tax on employers just goes to show me that you must not understand business. The employer & the business are not paying the unemployment tax the PEOPLE ARE. You see employers & business's do not pay tax's they pass it on in higher costs for the products they & services they provide.
Can I just say that there needs to be a sweeping overhaul of the Food Stamp programs in this country. A couple of weeks ago I went to a convenience store to buy a soda. A soda that I had to dig up enough change to buy mind you. When I went to check out there was a woman ahead of me who had just purchased a pack of cigarettes and a $10 lottery ticket. After paying for these things with cash she used her Link card to buy 3 glazed doughnuts.
Consider this, though, our President has committed a LOT of money to the IMF to aid countries struggling because of the world-wide economic downturn. I guess I want a list of these countries as well as specific reasons why they are more important to our president than every single new food stamp program enrollee.
1 person in 10 are on food stamps. This to me does not refelect the sad state of our economey it refelct sthe sad state of our society. 1 in 10 people, come on if 9 people couldn't feed the one something is wrong with us as human beings. I have ran food pantries large and small. There is a need but I also know that it would be reletivly easy to stop this problem if everyone stopped depending on the government to fix it and started trying to fix it themselves. If you know a neighbor is struggling help them out, buy them some groceries, Mny churches have programs that a person can buy food for $15 to $20 a bag and it is a substantial amount of food. And trust me just because someone needs food or is on food stamps it does not alwyas mean they are takeing advantage. Because our society has allowed the GOVERNEMENT to take of the care of those who are less fortunate (because we have refused to do it ourselves) this has happened. Why not go to the welfare office and pcik a family and say hey come with me I wanna go buy you some grocieries and help you get back on yoru feet. That would be the AMERICAN thing to do.
Brother you have said a mouthful. About 4 years ago, I sold my prfitable business and went to work for free (as it turned out) for a charity called Community Impact Organization. At the time I belonged to a church with over 2000 members and was in a men's group of a contributing church (financially) with over 2400 members. There was about 20 of us that did all the work and got it running. We were donated a 60k sq ft building ($1.00/year) by a major corp. The 20 of us had to gut and redrywall half the building. When we had it up and running we had many community services available. But many of these services required additional staff which we had no funding. We needed to fill 300 hours a week . The senior pastors at both churches allowed us to put on presentations to explain what we were doing and ask for help. After 4 weeks of presentations we managed to get 4 volunteers from over 4400 members. You see the building wasn't in a good part of town, but that wasn't it totally. Suburban churches have lost site of what it is they need to do. And I believe 100% that your point is correct. When we allow the government to carry the load we should be carrying we always find something to do that entertains us or find something to buy that we don't need. So ultimately we create the society we now have.
Assuming there is no fraud and one in ten actually do need food stamps this proves why Biblical tithing works.
i bet more then half dont need it at least ! i could name a few i know personally and they are eiather losers or drug addicts > they make it bad for the ones who do need it and like i said its probably less then 50% . theyll need more with the price of cigarettes going up,!!
Great idea just as long as those issuing the mandates are willing to help their neighbor if he/she is still laid off for example.
Hey you shiftless lazy wothless pile of human flesh that won't work, but rather suck off the government teat…
Would it hurt you to say thank you?
Hey you shiftless lazt wothless pile of human flesh that won't work, but rather suck off the government teat…
Would it hurt you to say thank you?
See how helpful you are. Your principles shine through. Just think. Maybe it's you!!!
The first child born to a single mother should recieve help. If the woman chooses to have more children she and her male counterpart should have to repay half the money they get for the first one. If she chooses to have 3 kids the money stops. Bet we would see a lot of single Moms choosing one little one out of wed-lock.
Good theory, but not everyone receiving assistance ran to get it the moment their first kid popped out. What about those who already have several kids? How many kids should a married couple be limited to?
If they arent on welfare they can have as many as they can afford..as could anyone. Only those receiving welfare should be limited as to how many the tax payer should pay for.
i disagree completely. this is the thinking that got us in this mess in the first place. not the tax payers job to raise anyones kids. can't feed'm don't breed'm
Don't forget what this project is all about, principles and values!!!! when the government usurps the duty of a citizen it does permanent damage to that citizen and to the country. We here about a woman's right to choose,well her choice is when she agrees to have sex. When she makes that choice she obtains the consequenses. Its true in this individual scenario, and in the more macro scenario we face now. If the failure of the banks and AIG would have caused severe damage to our economy, so be it, those are the consequenses a government faces when it overlooks its responsibility to its people. We would have to put our nose to the grindstone and start over and never allow the condition to arise again.. Principles, by definition,means things that are so important that they are never, never compromised, no matter what the consequense.
People that are living on taxpayer charity should have mandatory cut off dates…also the amount they recieve should not increase as they continue to have more children.
I do't doubt it. I'm sure if someone did an expose on the welfare program, we would see it has grown by leaps and bounds under the Obama administration. We should be so proud as a nation to see these numbers, of course I am being sarcastic, we should be angry that this is what our country has come to.