Food Stamps

[jrschrock]

just got mine cut off

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

just got mine cut off

If that means you now have enough income to take care of your needs, congratulations. If it means something else, you'll have to explain if you want us to understand the effect.

[PrincessPerky]

IMO, the federal government should not be in the business of personal needs. If you have ever noticed, charities feed the poor around the world with basic sustinence. It would be rediculous to see a charity give out the things you can buy here on food stamps.

Government assistance should be very basic. Slop for food, community housing with shared baths, and donated clothing. It should be just enough to sustain life, which would encourage the recipient to want and do more for themselves. I would bet the farm that those who truly need help, would get plenty from their own community.

Ditto

[GREENBACK]

This is just another reason I am so against federal government cookie-cutter social programs.

"change you can believe in"


Obama- 2008

[maat55]

just got mine cut off

I would like to know your honest opinion. Did you have to have food stamps or did you accept them because they were available?

If you did need help, could you have turned to family, friends or charities as apposed to government aid?

[disneysteve]

I would like to know your honest opinion. Did you have to have food stamps or did you accept them because they were available?

If you did need help, could you have turned to family, friends or charities as apposed to government aid?

That is a difficult question and I think there are a lot of personal and cultural issues that would come into play. I have never been in that situation so I can't be sure what I would do, but I tend to think I would take public assistance before asking friends or family for help. Call it stubborn pride. I could get the public help without telling those close to me my business. I also would not want to burden my family with my problems. I would never want to be in a situation where I had to go begging my family for money. That would totally change the nature of our relationship.

As I've said many times, I think the system is poorly designed and highly abused, but I don't have a problem with some type of public assistance being available for those who really need it.

[asmom]

"change you can believe in"


Obama- 2008

lol, as if Obama invented social programs.

[Shaabenanizer]

My autistic sister recently went on food stamp for $160/month for two people - for herself and one of the staffs that prepares and also eats the food. Two years ago she was laid off from her part time job in a factory and I've been sending her $300/month so she can continue her quality of life i.e. horse back riding, social outings, hobbies, and of course for food. Whenever the staffs suggested food stamps I resisted, can't explain why I hated the idea of food stamps when the Federal and State government spends at least $90,000 a year to house her in the community (versus an institution) and hire people to look after her and teach her social behavior and skills.

Finally the staffs went ahead and applied for and was granted food stamps for my sister, and told me I don't have to send back as much money, maybe not even at all. That will be a huge financial relief for me, and yet I still feel very ambivalent.

[Snodog]

Have you seen the income requirements for food stamps? I would not exactly be envious of these people.

An advantage of government programs rather than charity/family is the risk is spread out over more people.

Is there abuse in the system? Sure. But that is not however a reason to get rid of it. Charity can be abused also.

[disneysteve]

Charity can be abused also.

Very true, especially since many charities operate on an honor system. I've read that the soup kitchens in Atlantic City have trouble because people walk over from the casinos to get a free lunch and then go right back to gambling.

[maat55]

That is a difficult question and I think there are a lot of personal and cultural issues that would come into play. I have never been in that situation so I can't be sure what I would do, but I tend to think I would take public assistance before asking friends or family for help. Call it stubborn pride. I could get the public help without telling those close to me my business. I also would not want to burden my family with my problems. I would never want to be in a situation where I had to go begging my family for money. That would totally change the nature of our relationship.

As I've said many times, I think the system is poorly designed and highly abused, but I don't have a problem with some type of public assistance being available for those who really need it.

Despite your honesty, I think that mindset is destructive to the will of the individual. People need motivation and no easy outs. It is like opening pandoras's box.

[disneysteve]

Despite your honesty, I think that mindset is destructive to the will of the individual. People need motivation and no easy outs. It is like opening pandoras's box.

I'm not sure there is a difference to the "will of the individual" between taking public assistance and taking support from family. I would feel horrible about doing either one. In either case, I would want to get out of that situation as quickly as I possibly could. In the case of borrowing from family, I'd want to repay them as soon as possible. So I think the motivation to improve my circumstances would be just as strong either way.

[maat55]

I'm not sure there is a difference to the "will of the individual" between taking public assistance and taking support from family. I would feel horrible about doing either one. In either case, I would want to get out of that situation as quickly as I possibly could. In the case of borrowing from family, I'd want to repay them as soon as possible. So I think the motivation to improve my circumstances would be just as strong either way.

I have no doubt that you would find any avenue other than social or family assistance. In most cases, when family is involved, proud individuals would take very little help and pay it back.

My concern is the disconnect that occurs when people take public assistance. IMO, it is easier for the average person to relax on government assistance. I'm also a firm believer that very, very few people with, no available government option, will always find self help.

I really do believe that society is better served when assistance is local and not federal in nature.

[PrincessPerky]

Food stamps are currently available to my family...if we hid our savings.

I have no intention of doing so, even though we are unemployed and the savings, while decent, will not cover much when UI runs out (if it ever does.....)

Long before I would ever take the gov't up on that freebee, I would start being serious about following Jeffery's dollar a day eating habit long before the EF ran out.

So why will we take UI but not other govt money? Partly because it is paid for out of my husbands former paychecks, and the company he worked for. Partly because it is really easy.

[disneysteve]

Food stamps are currently available to my family...if we hid our savings.

That's exactly part of the abuse issue. There are fairly simple ways to game the system. Keep your cash in your mattress instead of your bank account (where it isn't earning anything anyway) and bingo, you qualify for benefits.

I can't tell you how many patients I have who are collecting some form of government assistance, Medicaid, SSI/SSD, unemployment, etc. who freely admit that they are working and getting paid under the table. If they took a legitimate job and played by the rules, they would lose their benefits.

Good for you for not cheating the system. Hope your husband finds work soon.