Posted on 07/26/2012 4:42:06 AM PDT by RealTeen
Working at a large chain grocery store, you get used to dealing with EBT, WIC and other forms of welfare. Sometimes it is painfully obvious the person does need some sort of help. Other times, too often I believe, someone abusing their government benefits just makes you cringe and doubt the entire system. I find myself echoing an article from a former Wal-Mart employee at College Conservative, who says it’s time for serious welfare reform. Here are some of my ideas for reform and why I believe it:
Make EBT Recipients Ineligible for Large Lottery Payouts
There were several customers at Kroger who loved to play the lottery, to the tune of $10-$20 every single day, minimum. I’m not talking instant scratch-off tickets where they might recoup $10 of their invested cash, I’m talking the big games. Pick 3, Pick 4, MegaMillions and Powerball were their games of choice. Meanwhile, as they were dumping upwards of $300 into a loser’s game a month, they were buying their food with EBT. It would be too much of a problem to force retailers to look up EBT status (if even possible) for small wins, but the large lottery payouts that require winners to go to the state offices should be off limits for EBT recipients. Maybe that would disincentivize their gambling on welfare.
(Excerpt) Read more at jhpolitics.com ...
Anyone receiving govt. assistance should not be allowed to vote.
...and spike those foodstuffs with strong doses of Norplant.
/sarcasm
Food stamps prop up grocery prices, subsidize Big Ag, and disguise the outrageous inflation rate.
If food stamps were cut off, people who couldn’t afford to feed their families at these current prices would be rioting in the streets. Later, when the free market had once again set the price, Big Ag lobbyists would be rioting in Washington, demanding a replacement for this lost subsidy. And as the citizenry became aware of how rapidly inflation was stealing their wages, there would be riots outside the Fed.
In other words, there’ll be no food stamp reform.
So, why are you prohibiting lobster in your scenario?
Public roads included or not?
Your thread morphed from “no lottery” to “no good food”. I agree people on assistance should not be able to gamble with the assistance, but I don’t agree with the “you can’t get decent food because ‘how dare you lose your job’”.
Meat is a staple, people need red meat as well as fish for a good balanced diet. Fruits, fresh...not packed in syrup...is important to the growth of healthy children. Milk loses some of it’s nutritious value when dehydrated.
There use to be a government food distribution once a month that helped with cheese, peanut butter, milk, vegies, canned meat etc...most of those are now gone. I know in SW colorado, they were only benefitting the Native Americans (read: indians). Specifically those on the reservation.
Like a ten items or fewer lane, there could be a designated check out lane: foodstamps accepted only in this lane.
Prove it.
Where, exactly and specifically, TODAY, can you purchase lobsters for less than US$1.25/lb?
And when that person stops receiving welfare, WIC, food stamps, EBT whatever, then thier voting privilege will be restored.
I was comparing it to whole beef hotdogs of course, but have you looked at THIS WEEK’S price on chicken dogs? Due to the drought processed meat prices have been skyrocketing.
I work part time in the wine and spirits department of a large grocery store. The department is openly connected with the main store so I also see a considerable number of grocery purchases along with the beer, wine and spirits. It is very common to see people come through the department and buy $20+ worth of mainly junk food and pay for that with EBT and then pay cash for $30+ dollars worth of cigarettes, beer or liquor. I even had one young woman come through and purchase $40 worth of baby formula with a WIC coupon and then pay $100 cash for a keg of beer. Aside from a few little old ladies living on Social Security who limit their EBT purchases to actual food items, most EBT customers are buying either junk food like soda, chips and candy or are buying steaks and crab legs ..I’ve seen it all. If Michelle Obama wanted to seriously address obesity she should push to limit EBT purchases to healthy food items similar to the WIC program.
I just showed you today's, right this instant, price for generic branded chicken & pork hotdogs at Peapod (Giant Food home delivery) in Chantilly, Virginia USA. That's right in your backyard.
Here's today's, right this instant, price for frozen lobster tail at Peapod.
I'm calling this hand. Show me what you're holding.
Frankly speaking, I prefer all pork wieners ~ which are much higher priced than these things ~ but if pressed, I'll eat beef ~ but around here those are all pushing $3.99 a pound.
We've had lobster for less this summer.
>>Currently lobster is cheaper than hotdogs.<<
Not in MI, which is where that receipt is from.
I live here.
Parts is parts.
Yeah, that is a seriously large loophole.
I don’t disagree with most of your post and the other ideas in this thread. However, if the subsidies were eliminated so that the market would rule, prices would likely increase for everyone on all products.
Supply would not increase and demand would stay the same. The margins for the retailers are already low. Even basic foods need some processing, even if it is only washing the potatoes or bagging the rice, flour and beans.
I believe the only reason ground beef is even available is that there are scraps from butchering, plus unsold cuts that must be moved before they spoil or else be frozen to be sold at a lower price because they had previously been frozen. Produce has a short shelf life as it is. I do not even understand why there can be a huge selection of both fresh and frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts while it is sometimes hard to even find bone-in chicken breasts, which are more expensive. I would think that the processing would raise the price. I think produce that was at the limit of its shelf life would naturally be sold for less or even given away rather than have to throw it out. I know some small stores do this already. Even excess lettuce and other greens can be braised and pureed to be used as sauce or stock base.
People really need to be taught to cook from scratch and how to utilize anything available. These classes could be a requirement for benefits. Those who know how to cook and stretch food could teach those who don’t and, in return, receive some sort of incentive. My area has community garden plots available. People could be taught how to cut up a whole chicken. It isn’t difficult.
Quality produce is available at Aldi’s for 1/3—1/2 less than the exact same item at another nearby store. Last time I shopped there, the quality of the produce at Aldi’s was superior to that at other stores.
My own preference would be for monthly commodity distribution at the grocery store, since I don’t believe the government even maintains stockpiles any longer. Perhaps the recipient could be qualified for different amounts of different commodities, depending on income, age, family size. I remember when commodities were all there was. Families might distribute any excess to relatives who were struggling, but not qualified. Some folks received more of certain items than they could eat, so they gave it to their adult children.
My state still has asset limits as to cash in the bank and investments. Single, unmarried women w/children must name the father to qualify for more than WIC. I think you are allowed a house, a car w/a low resale value and a life insurance policy, plus $25k in cash assets, but I am unsure if this is actually implemented equitably across the state. I think urban people receive more than rural ones, but again, this is anecdotal. I do know that SNAP benefits seem to vary between counties.
I like the way the Mormons handle this. They require work in exchange for food and they have lots of work available. By working, people also acquire skills.
Can you give us some details?
Using the card to buy food for somebody else for cash I already know about. I'm going to guess that some number of these women work as housekeepers/babysitters for people (off the books), and use their EBT card when shopping for their employers (getting reimbursed in cash).
I also figure that many of these women are getting multiple benefits using multiple addresses. One needed reform would be to fingerprint recipients and cross-match new applicants with old ones. It would need to be nationwide so that people couldn't scam it by moving to different states.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/mansfield/news/x1400282800/Low-lobster-prices-mean-big-savings-for-area-shoppers#axzz21jdgSjnR $3.99 a pound. BTW, bad tasting hot dogs do not qualify for comparison. Then there’s Polska Kielbasa (the prototype for the hotdog) and it’s $3.99 a pound as well ~ see: http://www.shoprite.com/pd/Hillshire-Farm/Polska-Kielbasa/16-oz/044500331219/
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