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Many many years ago as a new parent recently laid off we went on the 'food stamp program'. They really were little pieces of paper back then. I ate better for t

Many many years ago as a new parent recently laid off we went on the 'food stamp program'. They really were little pieces of paper back then. I ate better for those 7 weeks than I had all my adult life to that point. And it was years before I was able to eat that well again. The system is great for what it tries to do, help people in need. But in my opinion we have gone far too far in trying to remove the 'stigma' of being on aid. Instead of heading in to town to collect our stamps you get an EBT card with money automatically added to your account each month. It's too easy to take the money. When we were on aid we needed it. But having to use those colored pieces of paper in line at the grocery store while everyone else watched was a huge motivator to get out and get a job.

damncabbage 13y ago
I ate better for those 7 weeks than I had all my adult life to that point. I'd suggest that today's "food stamps" don't cover as much as they used to. The article does a good job of showing how little nutritious food the handouts can buy. Instead of heading in to town to collect our stamps... Which costs money, particularly if you have to live a fair way outside out of town. Because you're poor. But having to use those colored pieces of paper in line at the grocery store while everyone else watched was a huge motivator to get out and get a job. People are trying. Pull your head out and look at the economy. You may be fine; plenty aren't, and are stuck in a rut where they can't get out. I know arguing with you is useless, but it's this "I worked hard, I got mine, so fuck you" attitude that's making everything worse for the poor. Have some empathy.
- jrockway 13y ago
  The post you're replying to never said "I worked hard, I got mine, so fuck you". Perhaps you're projecting.
- SteveGerencser 13y ago
  Without going in to a very long detailed family history, I do have 2 sisters that have basically worked less than 20% of their entire adult life. Between them they have 8 kids and 5 baby daddys. They do very well living on 'aid'. One of them is in Fort Meyers "on vacation" right now. For every person trying hard and working to improve their life, there is usually a matching person not giving a damn and enjoying the freedom that not having to work gives them. Do they live in a nice house and drive a nice car? Nope. But they live as well as any college student in any fair sized college town, and had Playstations and X-Boxes long before I did. But thanks for projecting 'your' issues on me. I never once said I got mine so fuck you. Not even close to that.
  - cpleppert 13y ago
    >>For every person trying hard and working to improve their life, there is usually a matching person not giving a damn and enjoying the freedom that not having to work gives them. Do they live in a nice house and drive a nice car? Nope. But they live as well as any college student in any fair sized college town, and had Playstations and X-Boxes long before I did. I would love to see statistical evidence of this phenomenon. The unemployment rate for labor force participants (which you need to be to collect welfare) is 17% so I'm not sure how you get from there to 50%. Out of ALL people living in poverty 59% don't have job which isn't surprising considering a lot are young or elderly or performing other familial responsibilities. As for living as well as any college student in any fair sized town I have a hard time understanding how that could possibly be true.
    - SteveGerencser 13y ago
      Because being poor is not something you play at for a week and decide the system is broken. In my small circle of family and friends and acquainences, for every person that needs help, there are 2 or 3 that are living the easy life. Is it a great life? Hell no. Would I want to live that way? Never again. But they do it all the time because it is easier than actually working. Do I know enough to have a statistical standard? No, but I know enough to let me know that the system is completely and totally broken. The solution is NOT giving even more aid. The solution is to stop requiring people be so dirt poor to get it that they give up. Rather than saying oh - you have too much money / asset / whatever to get get help and forcing them to choose selling their only car or getting help, give them enough help to bring them to a minimum level of security. If that level is $500/wk and they can go out and EARN $300/wk trying to get ahead, give them $200 more to feel secure in the effort they are making. What we shouldn't be doing is forcing them to zero and telling them at any effort short of $500/wk ends all aid. That is a system designed to create and maintain a 'poor' class of people for very obvious reasons.
zanny 13y ago
If you can get it. My mother lost her job from the place closing two years ago and after the unemployment ran out she applied for food stamps. Denied because she owned a car and house. I wouldn't be eligible because I own a car. Which is ridiculous, because that just means she has to sell one to eat. It means that she has to choose between entering that destitute poverty cycle or starve. She never got the stamps, but has had fleeting employment since.

damncabbage 13y ago

I ate better for those 7 weeks than I had all my adult life to that point. I'd suggest that today's "food stamps" don't cover as much as they used to. The article does a good job of showing how little nutritious food the handouts can buy. Instead of heading in to town to collect our stamps... Which costs money, particularly if you have to live a fair way outside out of town. Because you're poor. But having to use those colored pieces of paper in line at the grocery store while everyone else watched was a huge motivator to get out and get a job. People are trying. Pull your head out and look at the economy. You may be fine; plenty aren't, and are stuck in a rut where they can't get out. I know arguing with you is useless, but it's this "I worked hard, I got mine, so fuck you" attitude that's making everything worse for the poor. Have some empathy.

jrockway 13y ago
The post you're replying to never said "I worked hard, I got mine, so fuck you". Perhaps you're projecting.
SteveGerencser 13y ago
Without going in to a very long detailed family history, I do have 2 sisters that have basically worked less than 20% of their entire adult life. Between them they have 8 kids and 5 baby daddys. They do very well living on 'aid'. One of them is in Fort Meyers "on vacation" right now. For every person trying hard and working to improve their life, there is usually a matching person not giving a damn and enjoying the freedom that not having to work gives them. Do they live in a nice house and drive a nice car? Nope. But they live as well as any college student in any fair sized college town, and had Playstations and X-Boxes long before I did. But thanks for projecting 'your' issues on me. I never once said I got mine so fuck you. Not even close to that.
- cpleppert 13y ago
  >>For every person trying hard and working to improve their life, there is usually a matching person not giving a damn and enjoying the freedom that not having to work gives them. Do they live in a nice house and drive a nice car? Nope. But they live as well as any college student in any fair sized college town, and had Playstations and X-Boxes long before I did. I would love to see statistical evidence of this phenomenon. The unemployment rate for labor force participants (which you need to be to collect welfare) is 17% so I'm not sure how you get from there to 50%. Out of ALL people living in poverty 59% don't have job which isn't surprising considering a lot are young or elderly or performing other familial responsibilities. As for living as well as any college student in any fair sized town I have a hard time understanding how that could possibly be true.
  - SteveGerencser 13y ago
    Because being poor is not something you play at for a week and decide the system is broken. In my small circle of family and friends and acquainences, for every person that needs help, there are 2 or 3 that are living the easy life. Is it a great life? Hell no. Would I want to live that way? Never again. But they do it all the time because it is easier than actually working. Do I know enough to have a statistical standard? No, but I know enough to let me know that the system is completely and totally broken. The solution is NOT giving even more aid. The solution is to stop requiring people be so dirt poor to get it that they give up. Rather than saying oh - you have too much money / asset / whatever to get get help and forcing them to choose selling their only car or getting help, give them enough help to bring them to a minimum level of security. If that level is $500/wk and they can go out and EARN $300/wk trying to get ahead, give them $200 more to feel secure in the effort they are making. What we shouldn't be doing is forcing them to zero and telling them at any effort short of $500/wk ends all aid. That is a system designed to create and maintain a 'poor' class of people for very obvious reasons.

zanny 13y ago

If you can get it. My mother lost her job from the place closing two years ago and after the unemployment ran out she applied for food stamps. Denied because she owned a car and house. I wouldn't be eligible because I own a car. Which is ridiculous, because that just means she has to sell one to eat. It means that she has to choose between entering that destitute poverty cycle or starve. She never got the stamps, but has had fleeting employment since.