Food stamps/EBT Cards review: Food stamps 228

I work at Wal-mart and three nights ago i saw a family ( i will not say what race) come in and purchase a 450 dollar tv and then buy 300 dollars worth of food with a ebt card...Now that is a messed up thing, i don't agree with either side but i do belive it needs to be lowered down to can get it and things need to be checked out before there given the card.

i agree on both ends i dont think its one ethnicity over the other people just do things based on how they are raised. the world cant change that no matter how many people get on here and comment those who are doing wrong know they are. and those who are taking care of their family's how they should are the ones who use ebt for what its used for. i don't know where that puts me? this is my first month going into the second not my choice but i told myself this is not a way of life just to help ease my situation for now which i am in the process of changing i guess some of you think im a bad person because i treat my kids to ice cream at the store or get them something sweet. or make a special dinner for them im trying to keep it normal as much as possible. am i good or bad ? god will be the judge

Wow! I came across this page trying to see if I could purchase Easter baskets from Kroger with my EBT card. Funny thing is, I have EBT and in order for me NOT to qualify for them in my state, I'd have to make over 30 thousand a year, which I don't. I pay a mortgage, smoked over 25, 000 dollars in child support that I will NEVER see, even as it grows to reach well over $80, 000... I just don't understand, why all of the hard feelings to EBT users? I pay taxes, and am pleased to be getting a little of them back! And I live in Oregon, so 98% of people with EBT are white! Organic food my [censor]! People buy what they want to eat, and I could care less! What bothers me is living by all these people on meth, and tons of pedophiles. But to each his own. Over 20% of our states tax dollars are allocated to these drug addicts...not to people needing food stamps. Just something to think about. If you need food and you're complaining about people getting food stamps, order a food box! Do it every week if you want! Im helping pay for that, and I donate, so feel free! Also, if you're so disgusted by people on food stamps, move to a more affluent neighborhood where you won't see it. If you can't afford to do that, maybe you should recognize that you're just not doing too well, and shut up. And if you're fat and complaining about what other people eat on foodstamps, please seek help! I really hope you're not just speaking out of hunger. This is the dumbest thing to argue about...and look at the show biggest loser, or Heavy...and tell me how many poor, white people are making awesome food choices. The majority of America are who benefit from these programs, and over half of America are lower middle class, foodstamp using, overweight, white people. Anywho...dies anyone know if you can purchase a pre-packaged Easter basket on FS? Unfortunately, I DO not qualify for that minuscule amount of cash you people are complaining about! Which hasn't gone up in my state since 1967...

My phone tries to spell for me! I mean I am owed more than $25, 000 in child support at this time.

P.S. I DO qualify for section8, but was at work when they opened the list 2 years ago...they closed the list later that day, and may not re-open for several more years. When it does, the waiting list will be around 8-11 years. I guess a lot of people are speaking out of jealousy that someone is damn near living on the streets, but instead is collecting $500/mo for two kids? Hmmmm. The CHEAPEST place I have EVER lived cost me &815/mo. Sect 8 is something you have to know about to get! Oh wait, or be on drugs! Meth addicts have it so dang good out here, I swear. I wonder if Frank would move out here if he knew that! Anywho, welfare is a myth. Look at your paystubs and see how that fraction of a cent really bothers you! It hasn't gone up since the 60's folks... And the ONLY easy access thing to get in this country is food. PERIOD! Stop complaining. And Frank, im assuming the park you live in is stressing you out, so put your home on some wheels, and roll out! Lol! :) You are too funny.

And maybe outsourcing, buying everything on borrowed tax credit, and large tax breaks to those 2% wealthiest in the country, are more of a reason for our deficit? Some college would do you good Franky boy.

I mean, borrowed credit.

Sorry Frank, I pay mortgage on my condo, and I Pay taxes. Check out the latest census hon. America is STILL mostly white. And what is the alternative to welfare? Jailing the homeless and hungry, or having them breaking into your trailer to feed their family? Please go to school Frank, and find out which one is more cost effective. And lastly, if you got rid of food stamps, welfare, or whatever else, think of all of your friends that would be staying in your tiny space for nights at a time. :( Stop having a pity party Frank, get an education, and take care of your family. Excuses are for people used to failing. How unattractive to be a man that can't do what a man is supposed to. Preach on Frank. And get rid of your racist views. Open your eyes to what reality really is.

And my father retired vice president of Xerox, my mother is a consultant and headed our city's development commission. Lol. I work as an emergency utility dispatcher for 4 different states. Jealous much?

Clearly, YOU need a welfare program...or perhaps a food box?

I could be your friend Frank, and my daddy could be your best friend. If you ever want to move up on the corporate ladder, which I am as a single mother of 3, let me know. Maybe we can HELP you. This is called "networking" Frank. So, please, don't bite the hand that's trying to help you see reality. One of these days, a person of color may cone to your rescue, and how dumb would it be for you to continue to suffer in your pathetic complaining existence by refusing the help. Make this a race issue all you want, but your anger comes from your own doings. Im sure a lot of people share your views...isn't it amazing that we work with people like you and still end up doing better with a better attitude, less hatred, and are still pushing forward. Be somebody, and THEN try to offend somebody. But your chump change can't even help your family, so it certainly won't help mine. And I REFUSE to BLAME an entire race of people for ANYTHING that goes on in MY life. My parents raised me better than that Frank.

Clearly you can't read! Lol! I pay a mortgage sweetie. I have NEVER had subsidized housing. But ok Frank. You keep feeling that way about people. And check out where I live. Portland, OR honey. Could you afford it? Your racist views are so far off from how anyone around me is living.

And why would you assume I'm black Frank? You're racist bs is disgusting to all intelligent people who know any better. But I guess the position I hold doesn't count because I'm black? Is that right? So I should get another job? Or would that not count either? Like I said, don't try to bash people when you are blaming your poverty on everyone else. This is America, so if you can't stand a multitude of races, reside somewhere else. Grow a pair Frank, or find a man to take care of you since you're so upset that you can't take care of yourself.

I can not understand for the life of me why so many people are angered over the way people use their ebt cards. I have noticed people complaining about the "junk" that certain people buy with the card and they feel that it is an outrage for them to do so. I do not see this as an abuse to the program. Let these people buy what the [censor] they want to buy with their food stamps because they are doing exactly what the program is designed to do, which is to buy FOOD. Should it matter that they have a bag of chips or cookies or ice cream in their shopping cart? My next problem is that I read a previous comment where someone said that it disturbed them to see people that have ebt come in with their "designer clothes and nice cars". Well damn. Should everyone who recieves food stamps look as though they are homeless and needy? Is it wrong for them to look decent in public? After all, don't you think that if the government is paying for their food that they would have a little extra cash to use on themselves. Stop worrying about what the next person is doing and spend a little more time on doing what makes you happy. Maybe you won't be so mad at other people's lifestyle.

Love this page! I am a grocery store clerk and have seen both sides. There are those who you can tell definitely need and deserve the program. I've waited on people who have counted out pennies to pay for a few groceries. There are many who work and still cannot afford food. Why is food so expensive these days? The food companies overcharge and make their packages smaller and smaller so what you buy now barely feeds 2 people at one meal. But I have also seen people pull out that card and out pops many many hundred dollar bills and credit cards from their wallets. They wear big thick gold jewelry and have iphones I couldn't even afford to look at. They call other people on them and ask what their pin number is. Most of the cards don't swipe. You have to punch the number in. What's up with that? I've seen people buy good food but mostly they buy junk food and then use their real money to buy beer and expensive food that once again, I couldn't afford. All those people using our tax money to buy junk food is going to get heart disease and in later years use our tax money to get free surgery for it. I do think food stamps is a needed program. I do think more needs to be done to regulate it.

Please ask yourself how spending billions on the war in the middle east is helping you, or housing prisoners who molest children with clean clothes, a bed, and three meals a day is helping to keep your wallets fat. It's not! I would love to choose how my tax money is spent, but I can't. But the last thing I'd want to take away, is something that DOES provide help for people who need it. Welfare seems like skid row in my eyes. I have no idea how one could survive off of it, but damn, I feel sorry for them more so than angry. And if a social worker is making the mistake of giving somebody cash and food stamps while they have income...they need to be handled. When people try to abuse the system, claim extra people on their tax forms, collect financial aid and never show up for class, it will catch up to them. The IRS wants their money, and they are serious about it. All in all, what a world it would be if we could all CHOOSE where every cent of every dollar should be spent.

I have questions and comments that pertain to food stamp benefits. I am a mother of two kids who works and goes to school and when I tried to apply for food stamps when my husband was sick with cancer and taking treatments for a whole year and hardly working I got denied. They said I made $200.00 to much! And I only make $10.00 an hour. Do they not take into consideration the gas it takes for me to get to work bills, diapers etc.! But yet I see people that receive $900.00 or more in food stamps wearing Jordans (shoes) that are brand new and cost them like $300.00 or more and they have brand new clothes on! This just pisses me off when my family needs it and yet there are people out there that can all of a sudden afford $300.00 shoes but are on food stamps! Also another thing I also see them buying soda, candy, uh lets see crab legs and sea food from the grocery store with EBT. I work for a living and can't afford sea food like that! I pay taxes and to see that my tax dollars are going to people buying candy and soda with my tax dollars! [censor] I think it should only be for the ESSENTIALS! Milk, eggs, meat you get the idea the basics. Not for candy and soda! No wonder the United States is the most obese country in the world! We make [censor] to easy for some people. I totally agree with a lot of you on here and this is not by any means a "slam" on the people who do need and do NOT abuse the system. But for those people out there who DO abuse the system one day us tax payers will have the last laugh and I hate to be this way but society has made me bitter in a lot of ways. So my advice to anybody out there who needs assistance my suggestion to you would be to quit your job and have a bunch of kids then the government will help you. Things have thankfully gotten better and my husband is cancer free and back to work so we no longer need assistance and I am so proud of who we are. We are hard working people who make an honest living and it has made me the person I am today and damn proud of it. For you people that just abuse the system go screw yourselves! If that is who you want to be is a good for nothing lazy [censor] who will live on government assistance and so will many generations in your family have it because all you are is a "freeloader" and if you are comfortable with being labeled as that then DAMN... ( all us honest hard working people can do is shake our heads at you and think man they're pathetic).

Just a question...if a person gets say, $200 on foodstamps, and decides to spend it on crab instead of budget to make it last the whole month, why is that upsetting to people. Obviously they won't have stamps for the remaining month. I guess if you decide to spend your own cash and decided to budget poorly, you'd be in the same boat. I just don't understand the argument of not allowing people to spend food stamps on foods of their choice. Bad budgeting will keep them hungry, so all in all, don't you have the last laugh?

Lastly, it seems like a lot of people are upset because people are receiving food stamps who aren't supposed to qualify. Fraud. So people assume that foodstamp fraud is where all their tax dollars are going? Or most of them? Or too many of them? I just don't understand where the anger comes from. If anything, someone doing dirty things in public places is a laugh to me. My thoughts are more geared at what their mugshots is going to look like when they get caught. When you play around with government money, and get caught, they will take it out if thierry [censor]. Plus fine them, and add interest. People who complain about food stamps paying for crab are slow to do so. If they are not fooling the system, and are really spending their money on expensive items...they'll also be eating ice for the rest of the month. It's not like they pay for a certain amount of meals...they have a set amount and are supposed to budget. Anyone could afford lobster and crab. It just may end up being your only meal for a while.

Wow! I am amazed at the racist comments on here. I am a full time employee and have worked since I was 16. My husband has also worked since he was 16. We have two boys. My husband got laid off and against his wishes I went and applied for food stamps. We could not do it with just one income and he did look for new jobs and did not even file for umemployment was a pride thing I guess. I live in a double wide and I feel blessed to have a roof over my head. They made me feel like crap. I was told well you work so you might not qualify I was like so what I work but I still need some help. Basically if I quit my job stayed home etc we could get everything there is to get but by then we would be completely homeless and I was raised you work and do what you have to do for your family I was not riased up having to ask for benefits. There was times when it was just beans and cornbread but hey it was food upon the table. You dont know a person situation so I feel like it is wrong to judge them. At some point in your life you might have to ask for help and there is nothing wrong with that. The issues I have is when people get all these benfits and do nothing period no work no nothing. If they are unable to work that is different but I know people who get benefits that could and should be working. It should not matter about race. My husband want use the ebt card but he will eat what I fix. He just got a new job so I am sure we want be on the benfits much longer and to me thast what the program is for trying to help people get back up on their feet sort of speak. It's no ones business what food I buy sometimes I get chips for my kids lunches etc mostly what I get is things that can be cooked but I do occassionally buy what you consider junk food. I am a bargain shopper I want buy something just beacause I have ebt I try to get stuff that I know will last for my family and the main things such as milk bread etc and I freeze it. If people look down on me let them but I dont have to answer to anyone except the man up stairs. I am thankful for the help that we did get and I hope that we will never have to use the program again.

###s, ###s, ###s.

White people built this country. ###s are inferior to white people. Most people on this site would like to say this but don't have the balls. Wake up white people, and quit being so timid. Say it like it is.

Attention black people on this site: The white people on this site hate you, and for good reason. They don't have the guts to say it because they have been shamed by the left wing liberal media, but it's the truth.

To whom it may concern
I am a school bus driver and i work only four hours a day and is off in the summer .And i cant get nothing from the goverment! I dont vote no more because if you work you dont count .The goverment work and look out for crimals and women who keep making babies and dont work but got all the time in the world to have sex! with man who dont care to bits about them but just want to use there body to get off.And the goverment support this behavior.If you work it dont have to be a job making 26000 a year and to the goverment that is a lot .How do they think that you can live off that little money!Its no way you can.They count every penny you get even the pennies you dont see.Like you might gross 800.00 on your check but you bring home 575.00 but they count 800.00.They are ripping us off.That is why God is coming and he is taking back the LAND FROM MAN.Because the Goverment is the biggest threifs you ever will no! They are the biggest crooks.They are selling left and right and it is a same.But God see everything and no just willnot go unjust.We all have to leave the world and judgement day is for everyone.You see more jail being build the schools.And they are making money off jailmates.Charging people money to send money to inmates in jail.And thing the goverment can make a dollar off believe me they got there hands in it .That is why the war is going on.They selling from that to.The all got there college degress but they are the dummes people on the face of the earth.The laws that they make up dont even make since.Like one if you have mentally issuse as a child then when you get older your issuse go away.How sick is that.If you have mental promble at any age they never go away.Mental prombles just dont turn on and off like lights.We are being play buy the goverment .And it is a same.But God is going to play them.The bible say the wages to sins is death .These people who get foodstamp only doing what they do is because they can.I dont see nothing wrong with buying crabs, soda or junk food if that is what they eat.Because if you could get stamps you would do the same.And by the way it is food no matter what kind food it is .Food is food.What Iam saying all should be able to get stamps if you dont make over 45000.00 dollars a year.Or maybe 4000.00 ayear and stop beatting us out of are money.They support the wrong people and not the right people.Just because I get up and go to work that dont mean that Iam doing good because Iam not.And dont mean I dont need some help because I do.And what I want to no is why are we taking care of crimals.They went out in did a crime and my money is support they cost of living.I believe that if you do a crime then if you have to do more then ten years in jail then you need to be dead.Where do the law get that we people who get up and go to work do the right things have to pay for people who dont.That is not what I want to do.They want give me a dime but they will house a crimal and give the world to women who keep making kids and putting them on welfare and they can get everything the goverment got to give them and more and they will call you to vote for them and a heart beat!People like me who go to work and get punish for working.Iwill never ever vote again in unless it is jesus and no of them look like jesus to me!

Yea, yea, yea... I'ts just one person. Sure. I saw a young gal just tonight get on her cell phone to call someone about the EBT pass number so she could buy a load of junk crap for some other people because the cashier noted that it was her 3rd trip to the store.THAT NIGHT...This is ALL a load of crap. I'm going face to face with whoever I can to STOP this crap. THEY can get the generic food IGA corn flakes. STORE brand CHEAP stuff Hamburger, not G-- D---- Expensive steaks and whatever they want ! Help them to stretch THEIR dollars, no cash (CASH ?) and even the most lowlife POS drug dealer does not want DRY pinto beans, IGA bread, bannanas, and 2 percent milk. I for one am going to try and STOP this BS... I'm TIRED, of supporting all the POS'S in this country...

Nelly, your a prime example of a POS...WE don't need to give the people on food stamps the RIGHT to buy WHATEVER the F THEY want ! This is the ### that is the abuse. If they can fix mothers on the WIC program ( the other ###, ) ( I DID'NT screw them women for their brats ) to only get certain things, it can be done for others, the GODDAMN Congressmen, and women don't want to get off their lazy ### and do something about that either...

I live in Georgia and applied for food stamps of this year in April. Was told it would take 30 days to see if I qualified. So, I waited till then. About a month & 2 weeks. I finally got a card, but it showed a "0" balance. So, I went back to the Food Stamp Place wondering where the hek it was going on. The lady told me the computer pick up an old account I had 6 years ago & was going to issue me another card with a new number. She said it will take 2 to 10 days. So I waited again...2 1/2 weeks later no card yet. Again back to the FS place. Was told a new card wasn't issued to me & I said I was here about 2 weeks ago trying to fix the problem. Now she saids I will be getting it in 2 weeks. I'm still waiting. Its been 3 months now. I'm wondering where does GA hire these people from. They don't know ###. And the money comes from JP Morgan too...really pisses me off.

I recently moved to Cali, from the east coast with every intention on working as soon as i got here. Had a job (i thought ) lined up and the whole nine. Airlines lost my luggage and we know how that goes. Reported to the job site to find out that they lost a major client and laid people off shortly before my arrival. Im a newly diagnosed diabetic so i had to fill my scripts (outta pocket) and it dampered my expenditures. A friend told me to apply for Ebt. Was very reluctant for many reasons...

1. The embarrasment
2. worked my entire life why does it come to this
3. for smart mutha effers like most of yall who dont know shyt about someone elses problems but pointing the finger from your living room computers

The economy is shot over here in cali as opposed to Ny or philly. Yes thats where im from and yes im black. Ive read some valid points and ive read some bs on here lets start wit the valid points

junk food wit ebt card? uncalled for yes i agree. But to really let you know the truth when i went to the building to apply for general relief i was suprised to see 65% white people. WHITE NOT BLACK... Yea rub your heads because it shocked me too

everybody so racist but if your white behinds in a store and somebody whoopin ya behind and a black man walks by you'll be begging him to help ya a$$...

I work for a grocery store and in a very poor neighborhood... the majority of our customers are EBT and WIC. WIC is a great program although the Check portion of it is so outdated and slow, it specifically states what you can and cannot buy. The essentials are on there and are nutritious.. many thing I myself would like to purchase but because I am working my low paying job until I finish school, I cannot buy. I understand there are those who are in need of the EBT system. But there are all the rest of them who abuse the system every day. You know what it feels like to spend 6 hours in school, to then work 8 hours through the night to then sleep for 4 and get up an do it all again, to then have some family of 6 come through your line, nails done, hair done, great clothes, and buying ### with their cash side? They cash it out and come back and spend it all on alcohol and cigarettes. They buy chips and soda and load up on candy with their food side. Meanwhile I haven't been able to afford a new pair of work pants in years. I get it, we all need to splurge a little to make ourselves happy.. but when you are abusing the system and consistently spending my money on things that I cannot even begin to afford, then that makes me resent the entire EBT system. You will not find one employee in my store who doesn't feel the same way. We watch this happen every single day. The same family of 6 (probably family of 7 by the time I finish this comment), buying the same crap every day. Not once have I seen them buy something nutritious, and I know exactly where all of their money is spent. They are in every race too... not just black/white. Every race.
I do see those who obviously use their cards like the system intended them to. You can actually see that they come in, grab a shopping cart, and begin to shop based on what their family needs to be kept fed through the month. It is nice to see those people come in and realize that my money went towards something good. That they are being fed. But seeing those people come in who reek of alcohol and are cashing out to buy more... they just prove to me that the food stamp system needs a change. it's not doing any good wasting our money on that.

I am on EBT, I am disabled and unable to work. I worked all my life and I payed into the system. I am white, a female of 57. I get 200.00 in EBT. I shop in Longmeadow, Ma for my meats at Arnolds. I can buy 75.00- 100.00 in meats and it fills my freezer. I use the rest to buy staples for the month. If I run out of milk bread and other things, I go to food pantries to make it through the month. I see the abuse here also in Pittsfield, Ma. But that is the states problem, not mine. I mind my own business and do what I am supposed to. Everyone needs to mind THEIR OWN!

There is no abuse of a government handout like what goes on in Birmingham al. When the tornadoes came through 99% of the 60k people were black looking for the Obama handouts and boy o boy did they get it. It looked like an auto show with Cadillacs with huge wheels everywhere. I work down town and they shut a several mile area around where they was giving free ebt cards away if your power blinked. I can't remember of the millions of dollars they gave away that day but if I remember right it was around 25 millions or so. Most of the people standing in line was dressed nice and some was even dressed in business ware. In the weeks after you could buy ebt cards on every corner in Birmingham for 50 cents on the dollar and sometime lower. I was approached many times at gas stations in the weeks after. A few days later I was in the local china-mart and noticed two early 20s black girls dressed very nice that was 5ft6 to 5ft8 and around 275 pounds being loud and doing some kind of stupid rap booty shake laughing in the middle of the isle. 20 minutes later when I went to check out and guess who is in line ... They pulled out there ebt card and paid for their arm full of food. After paying I went on to subway inside china-mart to eat lunch. Low and behold here are these too again and I have to wait behind them again. One had a coupon and got up there to pay and started arguing with the subway girl wanting her to give both of them free drink and chips with one coupon. After she refused they said they wasn't paying and walked out and the worker threw the food in the garbage...I paid and started to my car and seen these girls getting in a 2009 black cadillac cts with 22 inch wheels parked in the first spot closest to the building in the handicapped spot. This is the main part of what's wrong with our country. People like this thinks someone owes them a living.

i disagree on this if somebody does not work and not have to no money it is good if they have a food stamp card so what if people use the card for different reasons it is for a good reason

I definitely don't think that EBT abuse is cool but this is a hilarious thread because people who work as check out clerks are ACTUALLY judging someone else? LMFAO. Get a real job. What are you contributing to society by working as a store clerk for $8 an hour which is basically poverty level? YOURE the loser my dear delusional friend. Don't give me that "I'm in college" BS either, because by the time I entered college I was already a successful writer earning upwards of $45, 000 a year. Now I'm 28 and earning $72, 000 annually. You can make a good living doing other things you talentless losers. You have the right to judge someone because you work as a store clerk? That's embarrassing and comical.

I too went from making a good living, to being laid off, to being forced to get virtually any job that I could just to stay afloat. And that job happened to be a hourly store associate. I went from a good life, to making just over minimum wage and having to scrape and save just to survive. I was thankful to be able to use EBT during that time to get food. I too would see other people shoveling junk into their carts and paying with EBT, and it did make me wonder what their real situation was. But, with every benefit situation like EBT, there will be abuse and there is really no way to stop it.

I have since recovered and moved on from that, but I look back at that experience as a positive thing because it gave me a completely different perspective on things and I got to see both sides of the spectrum, something people like "Heckle" should someday do as well.

well Mrs Obama is working towards using EBT food stamp to ONLY purchase healthy foods. and to the racist grocerer PAH-LEESE get a life and a better job where you not sitting at a register monitoring "the other side of the tracks" every move!

"well Mrs Obama is working towards using EBT food stamp to ONLY purchase healthy foods."

I don't see that ever actually happening. There would be too much confusion as to what is "healthy" and not.

AGREES

Watch me swipe my EBT!

"EBT, EBT, watch me swipe my EBT"
I think the EBT should change to the WIC, where only basic assigned staples of foods should be available for purchase. An ID check should also be required. There should be a solid $200 allowance per family, and there should be no drinks, chips, fast food, etc. allowed. I am a teacher with a family (2 kids and a wife) and we are near the poverty line, but there is no way in God's name I can't cut to provide for my own family. I've had to deliver pizzas and work second jobs to keep the money flowing, but here is the ultimate point.

Provide for yourself and be responsible. BILLIONS of dollars of EBT money are being flushed every year because the government is too lazy to investigate EBT to cash fraud, illegal immigrant applications, and the like. Not only do the disabled need the money, but my two daughters expect food on the table every night, and they don't understand why they should be hungry when it's being divided onto other people's tables due to taxes.

icu2 - thanks for proving that insulting another person with no facts to the contrary only makes you look stupid.

I've taught for 3 years in a 98% black HS in one of the most economically depressed places in the nation. I know that 75% of the people there need the basic services desperately, but there is a persistent 25% that sell their EBT cards to cash repay places. I have seen the mamas on section 8, welfare, and EBT cards drive around in Escalades. People may not believe me, but I worked in a HS where 75% of the kids got free or reduced lunch, and 75% of the students wore Coogi, Girbaud, or Ebisu clothes while sporting Ipods and the like. I'm also not saying that the poor should look poor, but when kids are wearing $100-200 an item clothing, you know someone's mama has some misplaced priorities. I've also lost a job in the last 3 years, but I worked my butt off to find a new one to get my family back on their feet.

But, of course, I'm "not too bright and have a poor grasp of the subject."

Well, the solution itself is very simple. If we don't reduce welfare to it's most basic form (a food allowance of $200-300 for a family with an expiration date), then soon those who are life-long entitlement chasers will never become productive citizens. People quickly begin to reflect the values of their nation. Our nation used to be one of hard-working, save every penny types, and consumerism and entitlement have in a way destroyed this fact.

If it ever comes to the point where the entitlement class can out vote the producing class, the country will go bankrupt and then those who bankrupted it will lash out in frustration. This may seem like an extreme statement, but it is an unavoidable truth.

I have a feeling that the trolls here must really enjoy their mother's basement.

"My guess is because like the majority of us heterosexual men he doesn't like homosexuals." - Paul Vance

You're right, you're obviously a mental giant.