Foodstamps Soar By Most In 16 Months: Over 1 Million Americans Enter Poverty In Last Two Months

zero hedge ^

[Perdogg]

And we thought last month's delayed foodstamp data was bad. The just reported foodstamp number for September was a doozy, with 607,544 new Americans becoming eligible for foodstamps, as a record 47.7 million Americans are now living in poverty at least according to the USDA. The monthly increase was the highest since May 2011, and with August's 421K new impoverished America, over 1 million Americans made the EBT card their new best friend. It is unclear just which atmospheric phenomenon will get the blame for this unprecedented surge in poverty, which comes at a time when the pre-election economic data euphoria was adamant that the US economy was on an escape velocity to utopia. Instead what we do know is that in August and September, over three times as many foodstamp recipients were add to the economy as jobs (324,000). We also know that with the imminent impact of Sandy, which will send foodstamp recipients soaring, it is now looking quite possible that the US may end 2012 with just over a mindboggling 50 million Americans living in absolute poverty and collecting the $134.29 average monthly benefit per person, instead of working. Welcome to the recovery indeed.

[A_perfect_lady]

Here in L.A., we've been told that hundreds of teachers have been RIF-ed or laid off. But when our school advertised for an English teacher, we got one applicant. One.

But then, when we speak of "poverty" in America, we have quite a broad and soft definition.

[ronnie raygun]

Cloward and Piven strategy
Overwhelm the system into collapse
http://www.henrymakow.com/obama-personifies-cloward-pive.html

[baddog 219]

Free stuff... Cost you nothing... But your soul and freedom..

[crosshairs]

Millions have suddenly become disabled and can’t work either. What a coincidence.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“Foodstamps Soar By Most In 16 Months: Over 1 Million Americans Enter Poverty In Last Two Months”

That's OK, because if everyone winds up on food stamps then everything will be ‘fair’.

[meyer]

What’s the definition of “poverty”?

What’s the definition of “income”?

Does ‘income’ include all the free, taxpayer-funded handouts like welfare, food stamps, school lunches, section 8 housing, medicaid? If not, why?

Should ‘income’ include monies piad for work that are confiscated by the government in the form of taxes and fees for the benefit of others, or should ‘income’ only include “net” pay?

Finally, at what level of income does it make sense to quit working (except maybe under-the-table) and live off the taxpayer-funded benefits?

Those are pertinent questions. Especially the last one, since the vast majority of people collecting freebies are scamming the system anyway.

[hal ogen]

nobama’s plan is working. Commie bast*rd.

[Buckeye McFrog]

When the 50 million EBT cards all flash “error” Obama will take to the TV screens and blame it on Republicans and Eeeeeeeevil Grrrrreeeedy Corporations. ACORN will start bussing pitchfork mobs to gated communities and Obama will finally have what he wanted all along.

[woodbutcher1963]

Two points I would like to make.

First, many of these people who are getting benefits are working , but getting paid in cash. This is the problem with our income tax system. This is why I have always thought that a national sales tax would be more far than the regressive income tax system that we currently have.

Secondly, there are many jobs available in the trucking, oil and gas exploration and other industries. There are trucking companies out west willing to pay a signing bonus. They are also willing to put you through tractor trailer school if you will sign a long term contract. I also hear stories of welders getting paid six figure incomes in ND including a place to live/sleep at night. Many of these jobs are not 9-5. They may even require you to work overseas. Many of these jobs are also physically demanding.
You are not sitting in a cubical working on a computer.

I have another example of someone I recently hired to look at a house I am purchasing. A septic system inspecter. This man did over 750 inspections a year at $229 a pop. Do the math. In addition to that he also designed and rebuilt septic systems when they failed. He also stated that about half of what he was paid was in cash. He did not even work in the winter when the ground is frozen.

[throwback]

That is a good point. We can’t see the bread lines. This depression is more advanced.

[sanjuanbob]

Tax payers pay for this

[kawhill]

Amen to that. And Secretary of Agriculture Vilsak has the gall to say that the importance of the American farmer/rancher is being diminished. Maybe that’s because the farm states went about 65/35 to Romney. I wouldn’t
expect much love from Obama/Vilsak during the next four
years.