Restaurants accepting food stamps

[ACooper]

I've noted no one who is against welfare/food stamps/etc. has ever NEEDED welfare, food stamps, etc. Yeah, you (general you) work hard for your money, but you also got to go to college because mommy and daddy paid for it, or you got to take the higher paying job 10 miles away because you had the means to get there. You never worked 80 hour weeks just to pay for rent and groceries. You never had a medical crisis that cost $10,000 without having insurance. A lot of people take advantage of the system, but a lot of people need it and take only what they need.

This statement is just wrong on so many levels I don't know where to begin. That's quite a large assumption on your part.

How in the world do you know what others have or have not been through, have or have not worked for, paid for themselves, and overcome. I can tell you I have worked two jobs, and even with those two jobs I fell within the guides to sign up for assistance and chose not to. It was motivation to work harder, make changes, and do better for me personally.

The majority of people who have issues with assistance are not against helping the ones who actually need it, and the ones who use it as it's intended..........it's the other side of that group that screw the rest, screw you for benefit amounts, screw you for the attitude others have about it as well.

 

[milos_mommy]

I don't think there are too many people who don't think there are problems with system, and that it needs to be changed so that it's harder to take advantage of and easier for those who actually need help to get help.

A lot of people, including some on here (which I've gathered from this and other threads), are against any kind of welfare. They think people should work for that they get, and that no portion of their taxes should go to help the less fortunate. Who, in their mind, are less fortunate because they're lazy, or not smart enough to manage their finances. They seem to think "work harder" is advice that if taken will get people out of an impoverished situation.

 

[Miakoda]

I never said that. BUT I do think that people should be "encouraged" to not make a lifestyle out of welfare. If that means ending welfare benefits after a certain length of time, then so be it.

 

[~Jessie~]

I don't think there are too many people who don't think there are problems with system, and that it needs to be changed so that it's harder to take advantage of and easier for those who actually need help to get help.

A lot of people, including some on here (which I've gathered from this and other threads), are against any kind of welfare. They think people should work for that they get, and that no portion of their taxes should go to help the less fortunate. Who, in their mind, are less fortunate because they're lazy, or not smart enough to manage their finances. They seem to think "work harder" is advice that if taken will get people out of an impoverished situation.

Well, if you're impoverished you shouldn't be eating junky foods like take-away pizza. Not only is it more expensive than cooking a meal at home yourself, it will probably cause you to worsen your financial situation like missing days of work for upset stomach or having to take diabetes medicines.

If you're impoverished, you need to LEARN how to make the right financial/health choices. Having GOOD financial habits make it easier to have more money.

Seriously, milosmommy, do you think that it is a GOOD financial choice to spend $10-15 on a pizza? Do you think someone who is getting FREE FOOD from the government should spend this much money on a pizza?

They can pick up a box of pasta ($.50), 1lb of cheap hamburger ($2.50), a can of diced tomatoes ($.50), a block of cheese to shred ($.50) and there, a whole healthy meal for $4.

But see, these people ARE lazy if they are spending their food stamp money on pizza. It just goes to show they have crappy financial habits and can't budget or handle their money.

And it's offensive when you think that EVERYONE against all of this welfare BS had a free ride through college. I had a full scholarship to my university, and I also worked. I lived in the dorms, a student apartment, and shoe boxes of apartments until I graduated. I worked HARD so I could get a well paying job when I graduated.

Heck, Ian is taking three grad school classes and working 40-50 hours a week. We are paying for his grad school.

It's called WORKING HARD and making the RIGHT choices. It's calling the student loan offices and making sure financial aid was secured rather than complaining on chazhound about how the whole world is out to get poor lazy people.

 

[Jules]

I should start off by saying obviously if kids are using food stamps and still have the ability to spend money on partying/alcohol/bounce houses, this is a completely mismanaged and appalling program.

But Seriously? You think 99% of college kids get an allowance from their parents? I know some do, but 99% is a ridiculous estimation...and I don't know where you go to school where most kids have credit cards from their parents. Most of my friends are upper middle class, wealthy kids, and I only know one with a credit card.

A lot of college kids forgo eating so they can get an education. It's a privilege, but unless you want to make minimum wage and live either in poverty or just above the poverty line for the rest of your life, you need to go to college. Working 15 hours a week doesn't pay the bills. It hardly pays for food. When you've got to pay rent, pay the tuition, pay for transportation to get to school, pay for supplies, etc, how are you supposed to buy groceries?

I've noted no one who is against welfare/food stamps/etc. has ever NEEDED welfare, food stamps, etc. Yeah, you (general you) work hard for your money, but you also got to go to college because mommy and daddy paid for it, or you got to take the higher paying job 10 miles away because you had the means to get there. You never worked 80 hour weeks just to pay for rent and groceries. You never had a medical crisis that cost $10,000 without having insurance. A lot of people take advantage of the system, but a lot of people need it and take only what they need.

Ehm, no. I wish I could go full time to a fancy college. Guess what? I have worked full time AND went to school. Right now I am unemployed, so guess what? I have to take a break from college and will continue when I have the funds to do so. So no, college is a privilege, not a right.

 

[wcladymacbeth]

I dunno.... you can get a large Little Caesar's pizza in my town for $5. In that case, 2 pizzas can easily feed a whole family, and for $10? Not bad. My concern is more for their health. I think that people with food stamps should be required to buy more healthy food. Obesity is an epidemic that must be stopped, and unfortunately, it's a disease that's more prominent in the lower class. Placing restrictions like that on food stamps could only help.

 

[milos_mommy]

Where are you getting a block of cheese for .50$???? I have never seen a box of pasta for cheaper than .89$ a box, which no, isn't expensive, but if you add up the costs (I've also never seen a 1lb of hamburger for less than 3$...and that's a rare sale), it still costs about the same, or more, than a pizza from say, Costco, or little ceasars.

Plus, again, what if you don't have a stove, or an oven, or a microwave? What if you're a mother working three jobs and have a half hour to spend with your kids each night, and that's not long enough to cook them dinner? What if you can't read the instructions and don't know how to cook pasta? It sounds ridiculous, but there are families like that.

I think while the government is handing out food stamps, they also need to be helping with other issues...like WHY the family is unemployed or needs food stamps in the first place, and helping more with things like illiteracy, hygiene, etc.

And I know a ton of people work through college, get scholarships, support themselves, I'm doing it. But what about the kids who are homeless in high school? It's hard to get a scholarship if you don't have a place to sleep at night. What about the kids who don't get a job, because they watch their little siblings while their mom works 80 hours a week? All of you who worked in college, how did you get to your job? Not everyone can find a job within walking distance, not everyone can afford bus fare. Not everyone has a place to shower before they go on a job interview. Not everyone can read the help wanted ads.

 

[Fran101]

Where are you getting a block of cheese for .50$???? I have never seen a box of pasta for cheaper than .89$ a box, which no, isn't expensive, but if you add up the costs (I've also never seen a 1lb of hamburger for less than 3$...and that's a rare sale), it still costs about the same, or more, than a pizza from say, Costco, or little ceasars.

Plus, again, what if you don't have a stove, or an oven, or a microwave? What if you're a mother working three jobs and have a half hour to spend with your kids each night, and that's not long enough to cook them dinner? What if you can't read the instructions and don't know how to cook pasta? It sounds ridiculous, but there are families like that.

I think while the government is handing out food stamps, they also need to be helping with other issues...like WHY the family is unemployed or needs food stamps in the first place, and helping more with things like illiteracy, hygiene, etc.

And I know a ton of people work through college, get scholarships, support themselves, I'm doing it. But what about the kids who are homeless in high school? It's hard to get a scholarship if you don't have a place to sleep at night. What about the kids who don't get a job, because they watch their little siblings while their mom works 80 hours a week? All of you who worked in college, how did you get to your job? Not everyone can find a job within walking distance, not everyone can afford bus fare. Not everyone has a place to shower before they go on a job interview. Not everyone can read the help wanted ads.

and what about the little starving children in africa?

and what about the mom with no hands to use the microwave the government gave her??

what about the kids who are allergic to paper and can't go to school??

What about the dads who only speaks/reads a language only known to him and the members of his tribe all raised in a cult commune in Arkansas??
How will THEY read the pasta???

when does it end? there will ALWAYS be special cases, what ifs, "but what about??"s..
Its just not feasible to create a system to help them all, how would that even work?

Life isn't fair.. I really wish it was but there will ALWAYS be people who are less fortunate than others.

To help everyone would be to basically turn into a bunch of house pets. be given no freedom or rights or choices.. but just be given our food/water and a biscuit for being good and a safe spot to sleep in exchange for signing away our liberties.

I am A OK with welfare for those who need it.

but its obvious that welfare isn't working. because these cases still exist.. some people who NEED it don't get it
and many people who don't need it do.

and instead of providing things that people need.. I feel like its focusing WAY to much on what people want.
Pizza, Energy drinks, candy.. No no No. that is not a NEED. that is an UNHEALTHY WANT

Try being allergic to gluten and everything it touches. Yeah, that includes all food that was cooked in the same skillet, fried in the same grease, or flipped with the same spatula. Anything with any sort of grain that has spray on vitamins or folic acid? Nope. Anything with modified food starch? Nope. The ONLY thing I could safely eat from our cafeteria was apples and bananas, which I am NOT paying $300+ a quarter to have access to.

Now try sorting through a dumpster to find everything that is not gluten or contaminated by it somehow, so you can find something to eat that won't make you puke or poop blood. And no that is absolutely NOT an exaggeration. That was my life for TWO MONTHS until a very awesome classmate noticed I looked more like a concentration camp survivor than college student and made me start sleeping on her couch. We became roommates after that and are still best friends to this day.

Ok well thats understandable.. so I guess rare cases do exist and you are one of them.
but again I just DONT UNDERSTAND why candies, energy drinks, and all that other crap are OK for people to use the money on.

I would be A OK for the program if it wasn't giving people money for things they don't need.

isn't welfare supposed to be about NEED? not want.

 

[KenyiGirl]

Absolutely NOT.

Eating out is a luxury....not a necessity.

I love how my tax dollars are going to making sure people can enjoy the luxuries that my family has to forgo......all so those people can get such benefits.

I'm tired of all this crap and the cell phone crap and everything else.

I'm to the point that there needs to be a 2-yr maximum to welfare benefits. Tough luck.

Agreed.

when does it end? there will ALWAYS be special cases, what ifs, "but what about??"s..
Its just not feasible to create a system to help them all, how would that even work?

Life isn't fair.. I really wish it was but there will ALWAYS be people who are less fortunate than others.

To help everyone would be to basically turn into a bunch of house pets. be given no freedom or rights or choices.. but just be given our food/water and a biscuit for being good and a safe spot to sleep in exchange for signing away our liberties.

I am A OK with welfare for those who need it.

but its obvious that welfare isn't working. because these cases still exist.. some people who NEED it don't get it
and many people who don't need it do.

and instead of providing things that people need.. I feel like its focusing WAY to much on what people want.
Pizza, Energy drinks, candy.. No no No. that is not a NEED. that is an UNHEALTHY WANT

/snip/

Ok well thats understandable.. so I guess rare cases do exist and you are one of them.
but again I just DONT UNDERSTAND why candies, energy drinks, and all that other crap are OK for people to use the money on.

I would be A OK for the program if it wasn't giving people money for things they don't need.

isn't welfare supposed to be about NEED? not want.

Good post, Fran

 

[~Jessie~]

:hail: :hail: Great post, Fran!

 

[milos_mommy]

Problem is, not thousands upon thousands of people are in a cult where they don't read or speak english, and not thousands upon thousands of moms with no hands get food stamps.

It's not a special circumstance or rare occurrence for someone to not have a microwave, or a kitchen, or not have time to cook meals because they're working just about all the time. It's not a rare occurrence for kids to not be able to do well in high school because of their financial situation. It's unfortunate that kids who go to a costly school and have their food paid for by either their jobs or mom and dad are the ones getting the government assistance, but that doesn't mean other people don't need it.

I agree that it's ridiculous to spend that stuff on candy, liquor, etc. but that doesn't mean college kids couldn't and shouldn't benefit from food stamps.

Do you know how many people live below the poverty line in this country? If you don't, guess without looking it up. See how close you come to the right answer...

 

[Renee750il]

. . . a very awesome classmate noticed I looked more like a concentration camp survivor than college student and made me start sleeping on her couch. We became roommates after that and are still best friends to this day.

THIS is the way it's supposed to work. Helping each other, one on one, person to person.

 

[ACooper]

THIS is the way it's supposed to work. Helping each other, one on one, person to person.

Yes, yes it is. It makes people more accountable for their actions, behavior, and treatment of others instead of making too many who think they are OWED.

Our tax dollars are TAKEN by the threat of imprisonment and given to any random person that the 'system' sees fit.........some people are grateful, take only what's necessary, and do better as soon as they possibly can. Those are the people who would be helped by those around them voluntarily without threat of prison.

Then you have the bums, the ones who choose assistance as a way of life. They could work, they could attend school or training, they could do lots of things to improve while on assistance but choose not to. THOSE are the ones who would either be out of the gene pool or get off their asses eventually because nobody would voluntarily keep giving to them.

Thessalonian 3:10-12:

"If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their own work quietly and to earn their own living."

In other words, if you can and you won't.........starve and be gone.

 

[sillysally]

I think that they only need to be able to be used at grocery stores for several reasons. First of all, the food choices in general are going to have more nutritional bang for the buck. If our tax dollars are going to be used for food stamps it would be nice if people are being nourished in the process. Secondly, getting into the habit of eating out does not promote spending habits that allow people to eventually get off the food stamps.

Sorry, but IMHO, the number of people who have NO WAY to heat food are in the minority. If someone has stats to counter that, I'd be happy to look at them. Even if this is the case, there are food choices that do not require heating or refrigeration. Also, you do not need to have something fancy or expensive for cooking. Before we met DH lived in a house where, for some reason, they had no stove or oven. BUT, they had bought a toaster oven and hot plate (which can be bought second hand dirt cheap) and cooked food that way. They even cooked frozen pizza in the toaster oven--they just broke it into pieces--lol.

The tiny amount of people that might have to be creative when buying from a grocery store does not justify being able to use food stamps for eating out.

 

[zoe08]

Yes, yes it is. It makes people more accountable for their actions, behavior, and treatment of others instead of making too many who think they are OWED.

Our tax dollars are TAKEN by the threat of imprisonment and given to any random person that the 'system' sees fit.........some people are grateful, take only what's necessary, and do better as soon as they possibly can. Those are the people who would be helped by those around them voluntarily without threat of prison.

Then you have the bums, the ones who choose assistance as a way of life. They could work, they could attend school or training, they could do lots of things to improve while on assistance but choose not to. THOSE are the ones who would either be out of the gene pool or get off their asses eventually because nobody would voluntarily keep giving to them.



In other words, if you can and you won't.........starve and be gone.

If welfare stopped tomorrow you would probably be amazed by the number of people who all of a sudden can fend for themselves. But as long as we are supplying them with little effort on their part...they will continue to live a lifestyle of welfare. The ones you are talking about who truly need help, I believe would be helped by the people around them. If half their money wasn't already taken and redistributed, I believe people would be much more charitable when it's not being forced upon them. Many people are resentful that their money is giving to "poor" people to feed them so that they can spend what money they do have on big screen TYs, iPhones, video games, etc. The system encourages people to spend.

Everyone I know on assistance, gets their big check from income tax and goes out on a big spending spree, buying big screen TVs, new furniture, etc...all this stuff that we DONT have because we spend ours on bills and feeding our family, and putting money in our emergency fund. But they are rewarded for going out and blowing 5,000 that could have fed them for several months.

 

[smkie]

In our state, EBT is to be used for COLD items NOT prepared on site.

And you can get fountain drinks, but they can't have the straw in them when you bring them to the register. And you can heat the food after you've purchased it, but not before.

that^^^

and if your stupid enough to not use them wisely you will be hungry the last of the month with no where to turn and no one to blame but yourself.


As to the charity aspect, I don't know. I read a book about the new rich and one man who was incredibly comfortable said he was his own favorite charity.

I took the income tax money and went out and bought double of every necessity we have to use, from personal to household. That scared me so bad to spend money like that I sent the rest of it to the utilities. I was paid up for quite some time. Each month the balance came due as 0 I was so grateful.

 

[Renee750il]

Smkie, you are one person that I seriously doubt anyone would have second thoughts about helping, because for you, it IS help -- you're not sitting around doing nothing telling everyone how entitled you are but are doing what you can, with dignity, nor do you squander the help you receive from others. That is also how it should be.

 

[smkie]

I have a hard time thinking the world would be charitable since it is my personal experience that people really don't want to see what is going on around them. It is far to easy to look the other way, figure it is someone else's problem, their people should help them, and so on. and on and on. I wish I didn't feel that way.

 

[Jules]

THIS is the way it's supposed to work. Helping each other, one on one, person to person.

Smkie, you are one person that I seriously doubt anyone would have second thoughts about helping, because for you, it IS help -- you're not sitting around doing nothing telling everyone how entitled you are but are doing what you can, with dignity, nor do you squander the help you receive from others. That is also how it should be.

:hail::hail::hail:

 

[sparks19]

I have a hard time thinking the world would be charitable since it is my personal experience that people really don't want to see what is going on around them. It is far to easy to look the other way, figure it is someone else's problem, their people should help them, and so on. and on and on. I wish I didn't feel that way.

obviously I can't say for sure but perhaps this attitude has come from the fact that we are already losing a good chunk of our paychecks to pay for the less fortunate by force. Doesn't really leave a whole lot left for a lot of people who have to take care of their own families after they've taken care of everyone else's by having their money taken every week

The governments already got our "charitable" donations.

not saying that's the right attitude to have but when you make people be "charitable" by force it kind of dampens the spirit of helping others get by out of the goodness of your heart and a lot of people just don't have enough left over after to take on someone else.