Food stamp cards not working

[Guest 6.8 AR]

No one is saying you are or were a leech. I'm sorry to hear you had all those problems, and because you decided you had to

accept SNAP assistance, evidently you did what you thought you had to. That's what the system is for, but it used to be only

for temporary assistance. Now, it has become a lifelong endeavor for many, and it encourages slavery. It is an incentive for

many to not work when they can.

 

Who on here said you were worthless, or a drain on society? I think I can speak for most around here, that no one said or

inferred that. While there are many around here who think the SNAP program should be ended, most would probably say

for temporary use it would be acceptable, just not a permanent thing.

 

You already said you felt humiliated just getting the damned things. You had a need. We get it!

 

There is no need to defend everyone else on assistance. If they choose to, let them have their say.

[DaveS]

Very well said Timestepper. You've shown gratitude well enough and we appreciate that. Get over the "humility" part PDQ Don, because helping friends is what friends do. At least where I came from. I don't think there is a single person on TGO that hasn't "helped the cause" of a member in need anywhere on this forum. I would assume that it shall happen again, as long as needed by someone. It's just who we are.

 

If I don't get my retirement check, guess what? I may be heading to the food stamp office myself. And, when I walk in the door, I'm walking in with my head held high, because of the fact that I worked my whole life, same as you did, and "earned" the right to be there asking for assistance. I don't want to demeanor anyone here, but I suspect there would be a bunch of lazy a**es there waiting in line that should "bow down" to us for supporting them!

 

Rant Off

 

Nuff' said....carry on.

 

Dave

Edited October 13, 2013 by DaveS

[tnguy]

Timestepper, you seem like a hard-working and forward-thinking person. Maybe if the money for this program (which, by the way, not only goes to those in need but also to the vast army of government workers who have to administer this program and a bunch of other things besides) hadn't been taken from the wages you'd earned over the years, you would have had enough put-by not to have to go to the government, cap-in-hand.

 

You say you don't like to accept charity, which I understand (though a wise man knows to accept help when he needs it and pays it back or forward as he is able) but EBT is so much worse, depending not on the kindness of strangers but extraction of their wealth by force.

 

Though I am very much a hate the game, not the player type person. The welfare state in this country is trapping millions into destitution and I think it's a crying shame for those people.

Edited October 13, 2013 by tnguy

[UncleJak]

I worked in the grocery business for 10 plus years (I am a butcher). Foodstamp abuse runs rampant in every store I ever worked in.  There are some people who really do need the assistance, but in the areas where I worked (11 different stores, for the same company) there was very little "need".  The are several stories I could share, but the one that sticks out in my mind the most involves a leather jacket.  I had been to the western store the week prior and they had a leather jacket that was just in. It was the most beautiful jacket I had ever seen, and it cost $450!  I knew I couldn't afford it, so I drooled and left.  The next week, I was taking a break and went to buy a soda and candy bar up front.  The guy standing in front of me had on the very jacket that I had seen. I commented on how nice it was and that I hoped the price would go down once it wasn't so new.  He replied "yea, it's nice" and turned back around to purchase the groceries.  Imagine my surprise when this guy pulls out a EBT card to pay for his groceries! It sickened me to think he had $450 for a jacket but he didn't have $50 for groceries!

 

I believe when a community has a member in need, it is the shared responsibility of that community to step in and assist. I have seen this done many times in many ways.  When my mother in law's husband walked out after 30 years of marriage with crops in the field waiting to be cultivated and animals needing to be attended, a large group of friends and family, myself included, stepped in and did what had to be done.  No one asked for anything in return, we did it because there was a need in our community. This is how I believe our creator intended. I believe in "you don't work, you don't eat", but that does not address "you can't work". 

 

I am thankful for the EBT program when it helps someone who "can't" work. i despise it when it helps someone who "won't".

[DaveS]

I worked in the grocery business for 10 plus years (I am a butcher). Foodstamp abuse runs rampant in every store I ever worked in.  There are some people who really do need the assistance, but in the areas where I worked (11 different stores, for the same company) there was very little "need".  The are several stories I could share, but the one that sticks out in my mind the most involves a leather jacket.  I had been to the western store the week prior and they had a leather jacket that was just in. It was the most beautiful jacket I had ever seen, and it cost $450!  I knew I couldn't afford it, so I drooled and left.  The next week, I was taking a break and went to buy a soda and candy bar up front.  The guy standing in front of me had on the very jacket that I had seen. I commented on how nice it was and that I hoped the price would go down once it wasn't so new.  He replied "yea, it's nice" and turned back around to purchase the groceries.  Imagine my surprise when this guy pulls out a EBT card to pay for his groceries! It sickened me to think he had $450 for a jacket but he didn't have $50 for groceries!

 

I believe when a community has a member in need, it is the shared responsibility of that community to step in and assist. I have seen this done many times in many ways.  When my mother in law's husband walked out after 30 years of marriage with crops in the field waiting to be cultivated and animals needing to be attended, a large group of friends and family, myself included, stepped in and did what had to be done.  No one asked for anything in return, we did it because there was a need in our community. This is how I believe our creator intended. I believe in "you don't work, you don't eat", but that does not address "you can't work". 

 

I am thankful for the EBT program when it helps someone who "can't" work. i despise it when it helps someone who "won't".

Very well put Unk'a Jak!

 

DaveS

[ArmyBrat61]

The Scripture I posted was never meant to insult those that cannot work.....it is meant to slap those that will not work. I grew up in a military family where everyone pulled their own weight and slacking off was not allowed. Illness and injury are not slacking off....laziness and sloth are....as they are acts of will.

[Guest CCPT]

Here's my opinion, and the source of my anger:

Five generations growing up in government housing that is supposed to be "temporary," people at Exxon buying $20 worth of junk with an EBT card and sifting through three hundred dollars in cash to find their card, those walking through the bricks wearing $200 shoes and a $200 outfit (plus accessories) while talking on a free government phone and toting an EBT card, etc.

Anyone who HAS to use temporary assistance is neither a low life, nor a leach. Those who grow up thinking they deserve or are "owed" these benefits are the worthless people that fuel my anger. When I walk into a government housing unit and see a 50" flat screen and X Box 360 in every room, I want to explode. Edited October 13, 2013 by CCPT

[Chucktshoes]

Timestepper, you seem like a hard-working and forward-thinking person. Maybe if the money for this program (which, by the way, not only goes to those in need but also to the vast army of government workers who have to administer this program and a bunch of other things besides) hadn't been taken from the wages you'd earned over the years, you would have had enough put-by not to have to go to the government, cap-in-hand.

 

You say you don't like to accept charity, which I understand (though a wise man knows to accept help when he needs it and pays it back or forward as he is able) but EBT is so much worse, depending not on the kindness of strangers but extraction of their wealth by force.

 

Though I am very much a hate the game, not the player type person. The welfare state in this country is trapping millions into destitution and I think it's a crying shame for those people.

 

Thank you tnguy, as you may have stated the view I hold better and more tactfully than I can. I won't make personal judgements against an individual as we must all make (and live with) our own choices in life. What I will say on the subject is this: Charity is a good and wonderful thing to be encouraged as it is beneficial to the giver and the receiver. The government taking at gunpoint from one person and giving it to another is not charity, it is legalized plunder and it is immoral on its face. If I don't have the right to use force to rob someone of the benefits of their industry, I can't vote to grant that right to the government to do it on my behalf. 

Edited October 13, 2013 by Chucktshoes

[TMF]

When I walk into a government housing unit and see a 50" flat screen and X Box 360 in every room, I want to explode.

If it makes you feel any better, they likely didnt pay for all that nice stuff they have.

[QuietDan]

All I have to say is.....2 Thessalonians 3:10....wish we would adopt that.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:10

 

"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat."

 

The biblical verse says "would not work" not "cannot work."

 

 

 

I have no problem whatsoever feeding the widows & orphans, and the injured among us. Not a problem.

 

I have a serious problem supporting those who could work and choose not to. A very serious problem with that.

Edited October 13, 2013 by QuietDan

[Guest CCPT]

If it makes you feel any better, they likely didnt pay for all that nice stuff they have.

Oh I know... But some poor soul did. Then they paid to fix their door that got kicked in, too.

[Timestepper]

Well, now that I've pissed everyone off... :rofl:

 

As I've said, I agree with a lot of what has been said here. I personally share in the opinion that a hand up shouldn't be given (nor taken) as a handout. And again abuse is rampant, but again - and I mention this from first hand observation - it's not as rampant as those who've never had to rely upon it seem to believe.

 

I lumped myself in with the leeches because the overall tone of this thread didn't really make much of a distinction.

 

I mean, to read a blanket statement like "I have never seen a person swipe an EBT who looked like they missed any meals, ever." and a few other things I've seen in this thread, kinda' makes a person feel like he's already been stuck in the same category. And it doesn't make a damned bit of difference how hard he/she may or may not have worked before, during or after. How would you know? Have you ever taken the time to actually talk to one of these lowlifes?

 

I'm not defending the guy with the $450.00 jacket although I had to put $300.00 worth of fancy footwear on a credit card recently and then tack another $80.00 on for modification of said footwear in the hopes of someday being able to walk again. (So far it hasn't helped and I may end up maxing out my credit card on orthotics to that end.)

 

Maybe I'm taking things too personally. But maybe... you know what? Never mind. I decided a long time ago that if I wasn't going to get off my ass and work to change something then I didn't have any business bitching about it.

 

In fact, I got a great deal on Ramen noodles earlier this week and I know of a guy not far away who's living out of his pickup and might not have been able to stock up, so I think I'll go shoot the #### with him and give him some noodles and an old coffee pot to boil water in...

 

:leaving:  :surrender:

 

 

[TMF]

Well, now that I've pissed everyone off... :rofl:

As I've said, I agree with a lot of what has been said here. I personally share in the opinion that a hand up shouldn't be given (nor taken) as a handout. And again abuse is rampant, but again - and I mention this from first hand observation - it's not as rampant as those who've never had to rely upon it seem to believe.

I lumped myself in with the leeches because the overall tone of this thread didn't really make much of a distinction.

I mean, to read a blanket statement like "I have never seen a person swipe an EBT who looked like they missed any meals, ever." and a few other things I've seen in this thread, kinda' makes a person feel like he's already been stuck in the same category. And it doesn't make a damned bit of difference how hard he/she may or may not have worked before, during or after. How would you know? Have you ever taken the time to actually talk to one of these lowlifes?

I'm not defending the guy with the $450.00 jacket although I had to put $300.00 worth of fancy footwear on a credit card recently and then tack another $80.00 on for modification of said footwear in the hopes of someday being able to walk again. (So far it hasn't helped and I may end up maxing out my credit card on orthotics to that end.)

Maybe I'm taking things too personally. But maybe... you know what? Never mind. I decided a long time ago that if I wasn't going to get off my ass and work to change something then I didn't have any business bitching about it.

In fact, I got a great deal on Ramen noodles earlier this week and I know of a guy not far away who's living out of his pickup and might not have been able to stock up, so I think I'll go shoot the #### with him and give him some noodles and an old coffee pot to boil water in...

:leaving: :surrender:

I think you're taking it too personally. Ya don't exactly have to read between the lines to know what the problem is we're talking about here.

[bersaguy]

Confessions of an EBT Leech

 

In January I was averaging slightly less than a thousand bucks a week before taxes. Then I tore a quad tendon and a few weeks later (after wok comp. kicked in) had about six hundred fifty bucks a week coming in. Then, on March 15th, while on "hawk patrol" in our back yard (my wife had left the door of the chicken run open and the hawks were having a heyday with our bantys), I became the reluctant recipient of a self-actuated adventitious ballistically induced subcutaneous astragalus aperture (my left knee buckled and as I stumbled, I accidentally shot myself in the freakin' ankle with a .357mag rifle - been around guns literally all my life and it's not supposed to happen, but sometimes it just does). Anyway - BANG - six surgeries, several weeks in the hospital and ZERO income from April until the second week in July when I was able to start working part time in our office, making about a hundred eighty bucks before taxes. Since then, I've missed three weeks of work because my wife contracted viral meningitis in mid August and spent a week in the hospital and then needed 24 hour care for a couple of weeks afterwards and there was no one else to help.

 

Man, talk about being damned glad to be one of those weirdo prepper types! We had enough food set by to get us through quite a spell, but we went through our savings pretty quickly just trying to keep heart & soul together and purchasing "specialty items" that I needed that insurance wouldn't cover.

 

One of the members here spread the word while I was still in the hospital and a collection was taken and, as much as I detest accepting "charity" of any kind, the money couldn't have come at a better time. I know I haven't thanked the members and friends here on TGO nearly enough and I'd like to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone for the words of support and their donations when I was at my lowest, both physically and mentally. Mere words cannot begin to express the depth of gratitude and humility I continue to feel for the outpouring of support.

 

 

 

I said all that to say this: I'm not out to chew anyone's ass and I agree with some of what has been said here so far and there was a time when I, myself, thought that everyone who received food stamps or an EBT card was lazy and no account and just needed to get off their butts and get a job...

 

Then all of a sudden I had no choice but to apply for EBT myself. I haven't been able to buy beer or cigarettes or even a hot rotisserie chicken from the grocery store like a bunch of people seem to think. We can't buy gas, batteries, hot nachos, or even freakin' toilet paper. I applied for (and was rejected by)  Social Security Disability - figured since I'd paid into it all these years, I'd take a little out until I could get back on my feet (no pun intended). NO ONE wants me to get back to being a productive member of society as much as I do. And as I type this I still don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to work full time. And we're still getting by on less than two hundred bucks a week.

 

I agree that there are a lot of abuses to the system. I've heard radio talk show hosts go on and on about the worthless EBT card leeches stocking up on steak and pork chops at the end of the month. And I was outraged right along with them. Then I had to become one of those worthless leeches myself. And I found out a few things. I'm not going to bother to share what I've learned here because I've read this thread and I'm beginning to doubt that it would make any difference.

 

And no, it doesn't look like I've missed many meals. Part of that is because, thanks to careful planning on the part of my wife and myself, I haven't. And part of it is because I still can't get around well enough to get the physical exercise I need to get myself back into decent shape. 

 

There's more I could say, but I won't bother because it won't change any minds and besides I've got to worm my way under the house and work on a water leak that I can't afford to pay a plumber to work on, so I'll leave you with this:

 

There are a lot of abuses to the system. Not nearly as many as people seem to think, but they do exist. I'm sorry that I'm one of the leeches who uses EBT. If it's any consolation, I haven't bought any ammo, guns or fishing gear since before I got hurt. Every cent I make goes back into our household and I've even been forced to sell off some pretty dear possessions to keep the lights on...

 

I just pray that none of the gloaters here ever have to eat their words and become an EBT or SSI leech. Believe me, it's not only not fun, it's humiliating and degrading and top of everything else, you get to listen to people you used to respect talk about how worthless you are and what a drain on society you are. Oh sure, they won't mean you, personally, but that's only because they don't know you're an EBT leech. When they find out, they'll feel sorry for you and pity you and become conciliatory...

 

...and that's even worse.

 

 

:(

 

Confessions of an EBT Leech

 

In January I was averaging slightly less than a thousand bucks a week before taxes. Then I tore a quad tendon and a few weeks later (after wok comp. kicked in) had about six hundred fifty bucks a week coming in. Then, on March 15th, while on "hawk patrol" in our back yard (my wife had left the door of the chicken run open and the hawks were having a heyday with our bantys), I became the reluctant recipient of a self-actuated adventitious ballistically induced subcutaneous astragalus aperture (my left knee buckled and as I stumbled, I accidentally shot myself in the freakin' ankle with a .357mag rifle - been around guns literally all my life and it's not supposed to happen, but sometimes it just does). Anyway - BANG - six surgeries, several weeks in the hospital and ZERO income from April until the second week in July when I was able to start working part time in our office, making about a hundred eighty bucks before taxes. Since then, I've missed three weeks of work because my wife contracted viral meningitis in mid August and spent a week in the hospital and then needed 24 hour care for a couple of weeks afterwards and there was no one else to help.

 

Man, talk about being damned glad to be one of those weirdo prepper types! We had enough food set by to get us through quite a spell, but we went through our savings pretty quickly just trying to keep heart & soul together and purchasing "specialty items" that I needed that insurance wouldn't cover.

 

One of the members here spread the word while I was still in the hospital and a collection was taken and, as much as I detest accepting "charity" of any kind, the money couldn't have come at a better time. I know I haven't thanked the members and friends here on TGO nearly enough and I'd like to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone for the words of support and their donations when I was at my lowest, both physically and mentally. Mere words cannot begin to express the depth of gratitude and humility I continue to feel for the outpouring of support.

 

 

 

I said all that to say this: I'm not out to chew anyone's ass and I agree with some of what has been said here so far and there was a time when I, myself, thought that everyone who received food stamps or an EBT card was lazy and no account and just needed to get off their butts and get a job...

 

Then all of a sudden I had no choice but to apply for EBT myself. I haven't been able to buy beer or cigarettes or even a hot rotisserie chicken from the grocery store like a bunch of people seem to think. We can't buy gas, batteries, hot nachos, or even freakin' toilet paper. I applied for (and was rejected by)  Social Security Disability - figured since I'd paid into it all these years, I'd take a little out until I could get back on my feet (no pun intended). NO ONE wants me to get back to being a productive member of society as much as I do. And as I type this I still don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to work full time. And we're still getting by on less than two hundred bucks a week.

 

I agree that there are a lot of abuses to the system. I've heard radio talk show hosts go on and on about the worthless EBT card leeches stocking up on steak and pork chops at the end of the month. And I was outraged right along with them. Then I had to become one of those worthless leeches myself. And I found out a few things. I'm not going to bother to share what I've learned here because I've read this thread and I'm beginning to doubt that it would make any difference.

 

And no, it doesn't look like I've missed many meals. Part of that is because, thanks to careful planning on the part of my wife and myself, I haven't. And part of it is because I still can't get around well enough to get the physical exercise I need to get myself back into decent shape. 

 

There's more I could say, but I won't bother because it won't change any minds and besides I've got to worm my way under the house and work on a water leak that I can't afford to pay a plumber to work on, so I'll leave you with this:

 

There are a lot of abuses to the system. Not nearly as many as people seem to think, but they do exist. I'm sorry that I'm one of the leeches who uses EBT. If it's any consolation, I haven't bought any ammo, guns or fishing gear since before I got hurt. Every cent I make goes back into our household and I've even been forced to sell off some pretty dear possessions to keep the lights on...

 

I just pray that none of the gloaters here ever have to eat their words and become an EBT or SSI leech. Believe me, it's not only not fun, it's humiliating and degrading and top of everything else, you get to listen to people you used to respect talk about how worthless you are and what a drain on society you are. Oh sure, they won't mean you, personally, but that's only because they don't know you're an EBT leech. When they find out, they'll feel sorry for you and pity you and become conciliatory...

 

...and that's even worse.

 

 

:(

Timestepper, you are not a leech and you have nothing to be ashamed of. You have worked hard to provide for your family and you ran into a streak of bad luck and you are deserving of all the benefits you are receiving and I for one will never look down on anyone that has worked hard all their lives and then falls on hard times through not fault of their own. I am glad to you were able to get the help you needed because most deserving folks cannot get it............ :up: :up:

[Timestepper]

I think you're taking it too personally. Ya don't exactly have to read between the lines to know what the problem is we're talking about here.

Right. I know you're not talking about me, you're talking about all the people who aren't like me. They're the ones I'm talking about, too. Some of them even used to be like me. Can't rock a baby to sleep six nights in a row and then get mad because it wants to be rocked to sleep on night seven. You can make an automatic rocker but then you lose the right to gripe when the rock-ees start crying when it breaks down.

 

Don't like that so many have come to depend on and even demand the automatic rocker? Don't gloat when it fails, work to help change things so that fewer find the automatic rocker desirable.

 

Now, even though I quoted and responded to a particular individual, this post isn't really aimed directly at anyone... unless you think it is...

[Links2k]

Confessions of an EBT Leech
 
In January I was averaging slightly less than a thousand bucks a week before taxes. Then I tore a quad tendon and a few weeks later (after wok comp. kicked in) had about six hundred fifty bucks a week coming in. Then, on March 15th, while on "hawk patrol" in our back yard (my wife had left the door of the chicken run open and the hawks were having a heyday with our bantys), I became the reluctant recipient of a self-actuated adventitious ballistically induced subcutaneous astragalus aperture (my left knee buckled and as I stumbled, I accidentally shot myself in the freakin' ankle with a .357mag rifle - been around guns literally all my life and it's not supposed to happen, but sometimes it just does). Anyway - BANG - six surgeries, several weeks in the hospital and ZERO income from April until the second week in July when I was able to start working part time in our office, making about a hundred eighty bucks before taxes. Since then, I've missed three weeks of work because my wife contracted viral meningitis in mid August and spent a week in the hospital and then needed 24 hour care for a couple of weeks afterwards and there was no one else to help.
 
Man, talk about being damned glad to be one of those weirdo prepper types! We had enough food set by to get us through quite a spell, but we went through our savings pretty quickly just trying to keep heart & soul together and purchasing "specialty items" that I needed that insurance wouldn't cover.
 
One of the members here spread the word while I was still in the hospital and a collection was taken and, as much as I detest accepting "charity" of any kind, the money couldn't have come at a better time. I know I haven't thanked the members and friends here on TGO nearly enough and I'd like to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone for the words of support and their donations when I was at my lowest, both physically and mentally. Mere words cannot begin to express the depth of gratitude and humility I continue to feel for the outpouring of support.
 
 
 
I said all that to say this: I'm not out to chew anyone's ass and I agree with some of what has been said here so far and there was a time when I, myself, thought that everyone who received food stamps or an EBT card was lazy and no account and just needed to get off their butts and get a job...
 
Then all of a sudden I had no choice but to apply for EBT myself. I haven't been able to buy beer or cigarettes or even a hot rotisserie chicken from the grocery store like a bunch of people seem to think. We can't buy gas, batteries, hot nachos, or even freakin' toilet paper. I applied for (and was rejected by)  Social Security Disability - figured since I'd paid into it all these years, I'd take a little out until I could get back on my feet (no pun intended). NO ONE wants me to get back to being a productive member of society as much as I do. And as I type this I still don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to work full time. And we're still getting by on less than two hundred bucks a week.
 
I agree that there are a lot of abuses to the system. I've heard radio talk show hosts go on and on about the worthless EBT card leeches stocking up on steak and pork chops at the end of the month. And I was outraged right along with them. Then I had to become one of those worthless leeches myself. And I found out a few things. I'm not going to bother to share what I've learned here because I've read this thread and I'm beginning to doubt that it would make any difference.
 
And no, it doesn't look like I've missed many meals. Part of that is because, thanks to careful planning on the part of my wife and myself, I haven't. And part of it is because I still can't get around well enough to get the physical exercise I need to get myself back into decent shape. 
 
There's more I could say, but I won't bother because it won't change any minds and besides I've got to worm my way under the house and work on a water leak that I can't afford to pay a plumber to work on, so I'll leave you with this:
 
There are a lot of abuses to the system. Not nearly as many as people seem to think, but they do exist. I'm sorry that I'm one of the leeches who uses EBT. If it's any consolation, I haven't bought any ammo, guns or fishing gear since before I got hurt. Every cent I make goes back into our household and I've even been forced to sell off some pretty dear possessions to keep the lights on...
 
I just pray that none of the gloaters here ever have to eat their words and become an EBT or SSI leech. Believe me, it's not only not fun, it's humiliating and degrading and top of everything else, you get to listen to people you used to respect talk about how worthless you are and what a drain on society you are. Oh sure, they won't mean you, personally, but that's only because they don't know you're an EBT leech. When they find out, they'll feel sorry for you and pity you and become conciliatory...
 
...and that's even worse.
 
 
:(

Thanks for sharing your story. I hope that your situation improves in the immediate future. I tend to believe that there are more stories like yours as opposed to people enjoying the substandard living that comes with being on government assistance.

I believe that it makes some people feel better patting themselves on the back because thru proper preparation or sheer luck they haven't found themselves at the mercy of people like themselves. No matter how highly we think of ourselves and our abilities it can always be stripped away and we my need to depend on the kindness of strangers, forum members or God forbid the government.

I refuse to lump the recipiants of government assistance into a monolithic group of leeches, because that's as crazy as some of the negative labels placed on responsible gun owners after a wack job goes on a shooting spree.

[Links2k]

Here's my opinion, and the source of my anger:
Five generations growing up in government housing that is supposed to be "temporary," people at Exxon buying $20 worth of junk with an EBT card and sifting through three hundred dollars in cash to find their card, those walking through the bricks wearing $200 shoes and a $200 outfit (plus accessories) while talking on a free government phone and toting an EBT card, etc.
Anyone who HAS to use temporary assistance is neither a low life, nor a leach. Those who grow up thinking they deserve or are "owed" these benefits are the worthless people that fuel my anger. When I walk into a government housing unit and see a 50" flat screen and X Box 360 in every room, I want to explode.

Please don't perceive this as an attack, because I'm not in that business. I would like to know how you and others obtain such personal information about people receiving assistance. It reminds me of a neighbor who liked to tell all of his business, only had one income coming into his home and could barely keep the lights on. It seems that each time that he spoke with me I felt as if I were being interviewed or "qualified" to see how and why my family is able to maintain its standard of living.

So, if you will, please explain to me how some of you know so much about the expenditures of others and how they obtained the items in theirs homes other than being told certain things by an agenda driven media and gossiping neighbors.

Thanks in advance!

[Links2k]

Thank you tnguy, as you may have stated the view I hold better and more tactfully than I can. I won't make personal judgements against an individual as we must all make (and live with) our own choices in life. What I will say on the subject is this: Charity is a good and wonderful thing to be encouraged as it is beneficial to the giver and the receiver. The government taking at gunpoint from one person and giving it to another is not charity, it is legalized plunder and it is immoral on its face. If I don't have the right to use force to rob someone of the benefits of their industry, I can't vote to grant that right to the government to do it on my behalf.

Well said Chuck! There has to be a better way to help those who truly need assistance while letting those who wish to abuse the system perish.

[TMF]

Thanks for sharing your story. I hope that your situation improves in the immediate future. I tend to believe that there are more stories like yours as opposed to people enjoying the substandard living that comes with being on government assistance.

I believe that it makes some people feel better patting themselves on the back because thru proper preparation or sheer luck they haven't found themselves at the mercy of people like themselves. No matter how highly we think of ourselves and our abilities it can always be stripped away and we my need to depend on the kindness of strangers, forum members or God forbid the government.

I refuse to lump the recipiants of government assistance into a monolithic group of leeches, because that's as crazy as some of the negative labels placed on responsible gun owners after a wack job goes on a shooting spree.

I worked as a cashier at Walmart for long enough to get a decent cross section of folks on various forms of government assistance. I would also like to believe that it is the minority, and not the majority, of folks on government assistance who abuse the system, but that simply isn't true.

We say not to judge a book by its cover, but stereotypes tend to be real time savers. There is no single thing that absolutely identifies a person as a blood sucking leech on the rest of us, but more the totality of evidence. For example, there are a number of indicators that tip a person off as to the character of the person they're dealing with. The immediate indicator being how they dress. This is one of the quickest ways since many people choose the clothes they wear to fit the identity they have for themselves. Of course, this isn't an absolute. My grandfather worked outdoors and was always grungy, when we'd stop into the store. So then there is the way they carry themselves and the way they talk. The simple gestures, or lack of gestures one makes. Like when I say, "how are you doing today" and they ignore you like you aren't there.

These are just samples of what I'm talking about when I'm classifying one of these useless people on my mind. Usually within a few seconds you get an idea for the type of person they are. The type of person who has never had a job, or if they did they didn't have it long. They have a sense of entitlement about them, to the point that they treat YOU like a lesser because you're the guy behind the counter, when I'm actually superior to them because I'd logged more hours on the clock as a 17 year old then they have their entire lives. There is no excuse for the existence of those people. Unfortunately, the sexy siren call of government handouts seduces these personality types, and they flock to it. I don't believe that government assistance programs cause this problem, I believe it simply attracts the kind of people who otherwise would be living in shanty towns or under a bridge somewhere until they died of simple diseases before they're 30. The existence of these programs allows for these people to live in better conditions than what they otherwise would, and live longer than they otherwise should.

Anyone who is receiving government assistance, who intend not to be, should be enraged most by these people, as they are sucking off the resources designed to get you back on your feet. They are sucking off resources that aren't designed for them. From what I have encountered, the majority are leeches who never worked for any length of time and have no intention of ever working. Just stroll into a Walmart and watch people for a while.

[RED333]

Here's my opinion, and the source of my anger:

Five generations growing up in government housing that is supposed to be "temporary," people at Exxon buying $20 worth of junk with an EBT card and sifting through three hundred dollars in cash to find their card, those walking through the bricks wearing $200 shoes and a $200 outfit (plus accessories) while talking on a free government phone and toting an EBT card, etc.

Anyone who HAS to use temporary assistance is neither a low life, nor a leach. Those who grow up thinking they deserve or are "owed" these benefits are the worthless people that fuel my anger. When I walk into a government housing unit and see a 50" flat screen and X Box 360 in every room, I want to explode.

UM, that fuse is about to light.

I will help the ones that need it.

[Links2k]

I worked as a cashier at Walmart for long enough to get a decent cross section of folks on various forms of government assistance. I would also like to believe that it is the minority, and not the majority, of folks on government assistance who abuse the system, but that simply isn't true.

We say not to judge a book by its cover, but stereotypes tend to be real time savers. There is no single thing that absolutely identifies a person as a blood sucking leech on the rest of us, but more the totality of evidence. For example, there are a number of indicators that tip a person off as to the character of the person they're dealing with. The immediate indicator being how they dress. This is one of the quickest ways since many people choose the clothes they wear to fit the identity they have for themselves. Of course, this isn't an absolute. My grandfather worked outdoors and was always grungy, when we'd stop into the store. So then there is the way they carry themselves and the way they talk. The simple gestures, or lack of gestures one makes. Like when I say, "how are you doing today" and they ignore you like you aren't there.

These are just samples of what I'm talking about when I'm classifying one of these useless people on my mind. Usually within a few seconds you get an idea for the type of person they are. The type of person who has never had a job, or if they did they didn't have it long. They have a sense of entitlement about them, to the point that they treat YOU like a lesser because you're the guy behind the counter, when I'm actually superior to them because I'd logged more hours on the clock as a 17 year old then they have their entire lives. There is no excuse for the existence of those people. Unfortunately, the sexy siren call of government handouts seduces these personality types, and they flock to it. I don't believe that government assistance programs cause this problem, I believe it simply attracts the kind of people who otherwise would be living in shanty towns or under a bridge somewhere until they died of simple diseases before they're 30. The existence of these programs allows for these people to live in better conditions than what they otherwise would, and live longer than they otherwise should.

Anyone who is receiving government assistance, who intend not to be, should be enraged most by these people, as they are sucking off the resources designed to get you back on your feet. They are sucking off resources that aren't designed for them. From what I have encountered, the majority are leeches who never worked for any length of time and have no intention of ever working. Just stroll into a Walmart and watch people for a while.

That's a reasonable opinion.

As for people having high dollar material items in their homes that doesn't bother me because there are too many variables that come into play. For example grandmother worked for forty years and is now retired. Divorced daughter with kids on government assistance moves in and brings items from the marriage to granny's house. Are they no longer allowed to have nice things because the mother now has a need for assistance? I could give examples all day. My point is is that many of us because we have busted our humps to be successful tend to deny the benefit of doubt to those not like us. It's easy to cast a broad net.

Nice engaging with you guys again. My battery is almost dead. Cya later.

[Chucktshoes]

Well said Chuck! There has to be a better way to help those who truly need assistance while letting those who wish to abuse the system perish.

There is, return charity completely to the private sector where it belongs. Government is wholly incapable of successfully engaging in charity. The correct definition of charity renders it as a synonym of love. Government cannot love, only individuals can love. Charity is far more than cutting a check to someone in need, it is becoming a part of their life and loving them back to wholeness. I think many folks like the idea of government welfare because it allows them to be self righteous and say they care for people in need without actually having to come face to face with those in need and give deeply and painfully from their own pockets to provide for others' lack.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Chucktshoes

[Timestepper]

Went down and talked to the guy living out of his pickup. Pretty nice guy. Turns out he's homeless because he chooses to be - Well, actually what he said was that he could get 3 hots and a cot if he wanted, but that would require doing something against the law to the woman he's been married to for the past ten years (and is now separated from) and he chose not to go that particular route no matter how much he feels she deserves it.

 

Thanked me profusely for the noodles and the coffee pot - he's in a tight spot right now because his employer cut back his hours to avoid having to offer him healthcare and he refuses to not pay his bills and hasn't been able to find an extra job to make up for the lost wages. Told him I could relate.

 

Asked him if he'd thought about or applied for food stamps or EBT. He said he'd rather starve than be labeled as one of the moocher class. Told him I understood perfectly then I admitted that his noodles had been purchased with an EBT card. Told him lots of folks don't understand how the rules have changed and that it's not as easy to get and keep as it used to be. He said Yeah? What about the guy with the fancy cedar walking stick and new blue jeans he saw in Walmart with a pocket full of cash and using an EBT card? I told him it might've been me - bought the jeans before my accident and hadn't been able to wear 'em out much... spent 3 months in the recliner with my foot propped up and used the time to make the walking stick in hopes of someday using it to walk. Had the cash in my pocket because I'd just sold a pair of custom made cowboy boots I bought a couple of years ago and couldn't wear anymore thanks to surgery number six which permanently fused my left ankle. Explained that Walmart was on the way to the power company and I didn't think that leaving the cash in the car was a real good frickin' idea. He said he reckoned that maybe things weren't always what they seemed after all. Told him yeah, but good luck convincing anybody else of that.

 

Nice guy. Enjoyed talking with him. Told him to go ahead and apply for assistance - the way the system works and the way things have changed, he'd probably be back to sh*ttin' in tall cotton before he got approved, if he got approved (it took six months for us). Told him I'd bring him some more noodles next week and not to worry about the stigma, if anyone said anything tell 'em it was my taxes that went to feed him - theirs had been used up funding a study of the sex life of the Abyssinian crotch cricket and if they didn't want to fund stuff like that they'd better quit voting for the ******* idiots who keep giving away their tax dollars for stuff like that...

 

Learned some things today. Reckon I'm richer for the knowledge so I guess that classifies the day as a success in my book. Hope everyone else had a successful day, too.

 

:hat:

 

...TS...

[ncomarc]

I was glad my wife and I had TennCare when my daughter was born, the release of medical financial burden helped me stay in school and has allowed me to be a working member of society. I had a brother in-law that was on that for 8yrs cause he was a POS. He always had the latest and greatest electronics and being forced to be around him got uncomfortable because he had no issues using the system. We were approved for EBT but my wife did not want to receive it cause we were able to make do concerning the food but if we needed it at the time I'd have no issue taking it. I believe receiving help to better yourself is nothing to be ashamed of, specially if it gets you in a position to help and pay it forward. I've seen enough instances where it helped people like it did me and seen the abuse.

I just worry about the kids that might go hungry because of this.

[jcluff]

All I have to say is.....2 Thessalonians 3:10....wish we would adopt that.

. Thx for this. I taught a Sunday school lesson on self reliance and this fit in perfect!


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