One would think Ohio was run by Democrats, or something. 
-Eric
Posted on 10/18/2006 5:00:57 AM PDT by E Rocc
Claridon Township -- Tim Taylor's job calls for finding ways to distribute food stamps to Geauga County's Amish. He might as well be trying to sell them cars.
The horse-and-buggy crowd philosophically opposes the support program overseen by Taylor's agency, the Geauga Department of Job & Family Services. Accepting public assistance is verboten within the Amish culture. It simply is not done.
But Taylor is under orders to at least try to get them enrolled. The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services has asked Geauga and Holmes counties, which feature the state's largest Amish populations, to lift dismal food-stamp participation rates.
Taylor and his Holmes counterpart, Dan Jackson, called the mandate a waste of tax dollars, time and resources.
In their eyes, the directive is government bureaucracy that ignores the obvious in setting an unrealistic goal.
"No matter how much we do, the Amish won't sign up," Taylor said. "It's not something they endorse."
But the offer needs to be extended, said Jeanne Carroll, who is deputy director of the state's Office of Family Stability.
Geauga and Holmes lag far behind the rest of the state in getting eligible families registered. The state cannot presume that a group won't participate, Carroll said. Eligible families need to be made aware of the food-stamp program and given ample opportunity to join.
"We can't assume they don't want the benefits," Carroll said. "Frankly, they may."
The state required Geauga and Holmes to draft plans to lift participation rates. Both intend to launch small-scale advertising campaigns to reach the Amish and others. Holmes might use a billboard within an Amish enclave to promote food stamps.
Alternative approaches are possibilities, too. For instance, participants can use food stamps to buy seeds and plants for a garden.
But no matter the slant, few - if any - expect the Plain People to take part. The Amish typically shun outside support, said Steve Smith, a researcher at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania who studies the culture. The insular community finds its help from within. Neighbors assist neighbors.
In Geauga, local bishops strongly discourage taking any form of government hand-outs, said Levi Miller, a farmer and blacksmith in Middlefield Township.
"We believe that we are our brother's keeper," Miller said.
A 2005 report commissioned by the state detailed the Amish influence on food-stamp participation rates across Ohio. In Geauga, one in five eligible families was found to be Amish and unlikely to use the benefit. In Holmes, it's almost one of every three.
Taylor and Jackson said they've both asked the state to readjust participation goals for their counties. Carroll said the request is under consideration. This is the first year for the performance standard.
Meanwhile, the two counties will continue required efforts to market food stamps. Taylor and Jackson promised to keep the promotions low-key. They said that they feel uncomfortable pushing the program on a community that has made its opinion clear.
"We have a job to do," Jackson said. "But it's not to harass people to accept a service they've chosen not to."
One would think Ohio was run by Democrats, or something.
-Eric
I really doubt if the Amish are hungry. They may be poor in the eyes of government statistics, but I am sure they are provided for.
They have a QUOTA that must be met??????
I think we should put 'em in jail untill they accept the food stamps! /s
Refusing to accept Free Stuff from the government!
That's almost unAmerican.
It's certainly unDemocratic.
Jeesh! Unbelievable.
translation - Amish don't believe in forced socialism
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
How do these people normally make a living?
One of the best kept secrets are the Amish run grocery stores. They buy in bulk and pass down the savings. Anyone can shop there. BIG savings...but you never know what they will stock.
farming
Shhhh. I have learned that you should never try to point out how utterly stupid something is by suggesting an extreme example of the same. Some liberal freedom-grabber out there will take an idea like that and run with it...
How are they going to "market" to folks who don't watch TV, listen to the radio or get outside newspapers?
thanks.
A billboard. Like that'll work. LOL!
God bless those people. They are truly inspiring.
Yeh, put them in jail!! It's the American way. hahah.
Frankly speaking, the Amish are not the only people who reject socialism and socialist policies. As my mother told me about the many "poor but proud" people who reject such demeaning, humiliating programs. Those programs are only for people who have no shame, and who "milk" the system for whatever they can get. As we slide down the slippery slope of socialism, it may become more difficult to resist such unwanted help without ending up in jail or a re-education camp.
He might as well be trying to sell them cars.
Great analogy and good for the Amish. They once again prove themselves to stand head and shoulders above the average American.
There is something just plain WRONG when an office dedicated to undermining the role of the parents with welfare handouts is named the "Office of Family Stability"
dismal food-stamp participation rates.
This should be GOOD news. Not to a lib, though
Here you go. Have at it:
http://www.geaugajfs.org/
LOL. They could take some lessons from the Amish about family stability. It sure isn't by encouraging young girls to get pregnant out of wedlock by giving them their own apartment and food stamps as teenaged mothers.
Several years ago it was announced that nearby Gloucester County was full of starving children and their parents would not accept food stamps. How was this determined? Were skinny children with blotted bellies showing up at school?
No. It was based solely on household cash income. While the farm families had a low cash income, they had chickens, cows and pigs for meat and large vegetable gardens. None were hungry. In addition to what their farm produced hunting and fishing for the table were popular sports. Many even had wood burning heat for winter and trees on their land.
When the bureaucrats tried to sign them up for food stamps the reply was usually “Why do I need a hand out?”
Government trying to force their religion on the Amish Alert.
Next time someone tells you that government saves all the money it can, and it only spends what it absolutely has to, after you get up off the floor from laughing, mention THIS.
Ah, yes. Trying to find a 'problem' to fit a 'solution'. Pathetic.
Maybe the government should burn their crops. That'll boost demand and teach them a lesson. It would also increase jobs, as the government would have to hire people to do the burning and put the fire out. Everybody wins.
How do these people normally make a living?
Well, they typically raise a lot of FOOD! Then they can the veggies & fruits that they don't sell; rent a frozen food locker for meat, if they need one....
And, another poster is correct about the Amish grocery stores.
They will never accept food stamps, nor do they need them. They would be the first ones there if an "English" family in their community needed food!
ping
"We're from the Government and we're here to help you."
STOO-PID™ Amish. You may think you don't need government help but WE know better. So, you WILL take what we offer or else! You will sign onto our program - or ELSE! You WILL put down those plows and pick up these Food Stamps - or ELSE.
DAMMIT! You WILL become dependent on US -- or ELSE!
I have 2 direct experiences with food stamps that have had me voting Republican since I could vote. One was over 30 years ago. I was newly married and just beginning teaching in South Carolina making somthing like $5,000 a year. My husband and I went grocery shopping, and we were buying the 5 pounds of sugar on sale for 39 cents, the hamburger on sale , etc. So we check out behind a woman with shrimp, steak, her cart loaded with all of these goodies. You guessed it, she paid with food stamps.
Years later I was living in Maryland working in business, and a manager who had six kids and earning a good salary, said because of the number of kids he had he could qualify for food stamps. He was livid.
And now today, we see where our overloaded government is trying to force food stamps on people who don't need them.
How do you spell a scream?
Oddly, Geauga County is very Republican.
Some Amish farm, some do outside work like construction,or wood working like cabinet and furniture making. Many of the young girls work as waitresses, other women will quilt , make jellies and jams, which is sold from the farm and local markets. The men in the winter often make wood toys, wood lawn things etc.Which is also sold off the farms or in local markets. They can work for the English. Most don't want anything free from the govt. They take care of their own . Many operate those puppy mills. They do find a way to make enough money to support themselves and help their sons buy farms which aren't cheap. Most hardworking Amish are doing well for themselves.
Unfrickin' believable.
Wow - talk about socialism at its finest!
"The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services has asked Geauga and Holmes counties, which feature the state's largest Amish populations, to lift dismal food-stamp participation rates."
So, they have a government job, trying to get a group of people who do not believe in handouts, to take money from the government. Thereby justifying the large, bloated and ever expanding budget, which the government then uses to raise taxes from the working poor.
Who says Reagan beat communism? It's alive and well in Ohio, apparently, and coming soon to a county near you!
I loved that movie. The Amish made such a difference in their lives.
The "New Deal" mentality. They'd outlaw self-sufficiency outright if they could.
This is about one thing: budget resurrection.
If these moron bureaucrats can't spend this year's budget, they get less next year.
Somehow they got hold of the taxpayer's money this year (probably as a grant by extrapolating statistics) and they know damn well that if they don't get rid of it that come this time next year they're going to be out of work
Unreal
There would be a case for pestering people like this if there's a genuine reason to suspect that they can't take care of themselves but are incapable of rationally acknowledging that fact. I very much doubt that this is the situation here.
Maybe they should send in SWAT teams to force them to sign up? </sarcasm tag off>
Why is it some people just don't understand that there is a large part of the population that don't want handouts? They should try to spend the money where it is really needed, deporting the people that actually use the system that shouldn't.
I am 68 years old. When I was a child, if someone had announced that poor people could get a free turkey for Thanksgiving, no one would have shown up. Everyone was too proud to accept a hand out.
We were not rich in monetary terms but we had our dignity. Today you have people waving to a tv camera as they come out with a 'goody' bag. 50 years ago they would have been hiding their face in shame.
good morals, hard work, and getting rid of a lot of the crap in your life will make a difference in anyone's life.
hrm.. maybe we should send some dems to live in amish communities for a while..
Yes, they obviously know what's good for the Amish. Morons.
Typical liberal reaction.
I have a lib brother in law who told me we qualified for a govt. program. We informed him that we wouldn't use it and that we knew what was best for our family.
His response was "apparently not".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.