My guess is that some/many welfare recipients are “large” and “need” a lot of food stamps. The author was probably a lean American.
I’m sick of subsidizing lobster, shrimp, and delivered take out for the welfare crowd. They need to learn to live within their means. Like, get a job and live off that, like the rest of us.
“”Welfare — the forcible transfer of wealth —”
True, it’s also a failure. Despite the government doing this we have food banks, meals on wheels, etc, etc, etc. Actually, the charity sector and private donations takes care of the task already and we need to just end welfare. The non-volunteer transfer of wealth.
The left hates this because people with money and morals get to tell people without either how to live their lives. (i.e. "I succeeded by hard work, clean living and responsibility. If you demonstrate those to me, I'll help you out. Otherwise, you can continue to live in your squalor")
Would have been a much better article with links to shopping lists and menus.
The tear jerking anecdotes of the child who claimed he had only one hot dog weiner, no bun, all weekend, or that kids were coming to school lethargic on mondays due to a lack of food really moved me. However I was moved to wonder why the hell, if they qualify for free food at school, don't they have pantries loaded with food stamp groceries?
We aren't supposed to question what they do with the benefits; we can't ask why they have outrageous fingernails or hairdos and their kids are starving. No, we just have to keep handing over more and more of our hard earned money.
I need to go grill a steak or something.
The Heritage Foundation recently published a study about how well off the poor really are. Another telling statistic is what percent of a state’s population is obese. Well, the Heritage study has a graph, based on Census Bureau data, that shows more than 50% of poor women are obese.
It is clear that the taxpayers are being taken for a ride with a lot of these programs.
I, like most conservatives, are anti-welfare especially to baby factory generational welfare types.. but there is a reality side to this issue that well off people never see.. I had to leave my first husband with a 5 yr old in tow. I lived in a small town where jobs were scarce.. I got a part time job at a restaurant but that didn’t pay all the bills so I went on food stamps.. we only got 60 dollars a month..and oftentimes I went without eating so my daughter could have food.. her father wasn’t paying child support and all they did was take away his contractor’s license..which didn’t put any money on our table.. not all people on welfare are bums.. and not every family gets enough every month to buy lobster and steak..
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 Last modified: Friday, September 14, 2007 11:21 PM CDT
Use Drugs, Lose Aid
By Jo Ann Hustis
Herald Writer
MARSEILLES - New legislation before Congress is the offshoot of an issue a local anti-drug coalition raised last spring.
“This is an example of why constituents should not be afraid of offering their suggestions,” Congressman Jerry Weller noted Friday, during an informal briefing with members of the Marseilles Concerned Citizens Against Drugs.
Weller (R-Morris) is co-sponsoring legislation requiring states to implement a policy of testing welfare recipients suspected of drug use.
“If they test positive, they will be retested for another 30 to 60 days,” he told the group. “If they continue to test positive, the state terminates their cash assistance for three years.”
Weller is co-sponsoring the bill with Congressman Phil English (R-Penn.) who introduced the measure in the past.
Known as the English-Weller Bill, the measure will require states to cut off cash assistance to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program participants for three years if three consecutive drug tests are returned positive.
Weller said the state of Michigan found it unconstitutional to require blanket drug testing. This is the reason the new measure mandates testing of TANF recipients only in cases of suspected drug use.
CCAD spokesman Angie Bowyer told Weller she is aware of an instance wherein a habitual drug and alcohol user is still receiving government assistance.
“That is money not being used for what it should be used,” she added. “If you go on welfare, I guess you should be drug tested.”
Weller said these kinds of instances are the reason for the legislation. The question is whether welfare caseworkers will be properly monitoring welfare recipients.
“The spirit of welfare reform is for those who need help to receive it,” he said. “At the same time, we want them to develop a plan on how they will move on to a better life.”
Weller noted the welfare reform plan is working, with fewer children living in poverty today than there were in 1996.
He said he supported the welfare reforms of 1996, which are assisting millions of people to become self-sufficient.
Weller said the government has a responsibility to continue to give people assistance, and to ensure federal assistance is being spent in the best way possible.
“The bottom line is, our legislation requires states to drug test welfare recipients suspected of drug use,” he told the group.
Weller said the individual states will be required to develop the drug testing policies.
“The vast majority of constituents I represent want a drug-free Illinois,” he added. “Children want drug-free parents.”
Bowyer told Weller of the new Helping Hands program the non-profit CCAD developed out of its budget.
She said the program provides assistance with such items as transportation to anti-drug clinics.
“We have $2,100 in our budget now,” Bowyer said. “Thirty percent of that goes to Helping Hands.”
In a printed release, Weller applauded CCAD members for the desire to better their community.
“And, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to pass this common-sense reform,” he was quoted as saying.
Weller also met afterward in private with Marseilles Mayor Jim Trager, who was also present during the CCAD briefing.
http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/articles/2007/09/15/news/739bdrugs.txt