Food stamps put Rhode Island town on monthly boom-and-bust cycle

Washington Post ^ | 16 Mar 13 | Eli Saslow

[SkyPilot]

WOONSOCKET, R.I.

[SkyPilot]

Three years into an economic recovery, this is the lasting scar of collapse: a federal program that began as a last resort for a few million hungry people has grown into an economic lifeline for entire towns. Spending on SNAP has doubled in the past four years and tripled in the past decade, surpassing $78 billion last year. A record 47 million Americans receive the benefit — including 13,752 in Woonsocket, one-third of the town’s population, where the first of each month now reveals twin shortcomings of the U.S. economy:

So many people are forced to rely on government support.

The government is forced to support so many people.

...........

She pushed the kids toward the checkout line. Another SNAP shopper was already in front of her with $230 worth of food on the conveyer belt, so they had to wait. Sariah grabbed a package of Play-Doh off the shelf and ripped it open, throwing green putty on the floor. “Are you serious?” Rebecka said. “That’s another $6.50 you just cost me.”

“I’ve been there,” said the shopper in front of her, turning to help clean up the Play-Doh.

“I’m flipping,” Rebecka said.

“The best and the worst day of the month,” the shopper said.

Rebecka paid $168 and returned to the parking lot. Sariah fell on the gravel and started to cry. “We’ll stop at Burger King,” Rebecka said

_________________________________________________________________

I. Give. Up.

This nation has become one massive Welfare Hell Hole.

Because of Sequestration and its heavy handed approach to forcing the United States military to "pay" for 50% of all the cuts, we now cannot "afford" to pay for tuition assistance for our own active duty troops who have sacrficed and bled for their nation, but we dole out Billions upon Billions to the growing welfare takers.

We cannot "afford" to pay for Dept of Defense teachers, aircraft maintenance personnel, or nurses (all of whom are taking a 20% pay cut due to impending furloughs DoD wide), but we can pay for EBT cards so that lazy do nothings can eat fast food and join the ranks of the obese.

We are in national decay. The irony is the Republicans have convinced themselves that raping the military through Sequestration is a "Victory" - while Sequestration exempts Entitlement (including Food Stamp) spending.

Way to go GOP!

[txrefugee]

When the gravy train finally wheezes to a halt, there will be blood in the streets.

This is why they don’t want tourists to feed the bears in Yellowstone. The bears become belligerent when the free food runs out. They have forgotten how to fend for themselves and will look upon their former food donors as the next meal.

[silverleaf]

welll gee, Nancy Pelosi TOLD us simple peoplw that food stamps and unemployment were the most effective stimulus out there

This just proves it

Now why not extend this to every town in America and KA-BOOM! We all get rich!

[tgusa]

Meanwhile, our lords in Washington continue to spend money we don’t have. Just insanity.

[rightwingintelligentsia]

It is disturbing to go to the grocery store and see how many people pay with EBT (around here, “ACCESS”) cards. I’m sometimes tempted to ask the clerk how many of those he/she sees a day, but they’re probably not allowed to answer.

[The Working Man]

Matt Bracken aka our own Travis McGee has discussed what will happen if the SNAP or EBT cards fail to get reloaded. It definitely won’t be pretty.

Here in my own very rural county in Kentucky, we see this same scenario every month. The first three days of the month are the ones I and my wife stay home. Once the holders of these cards have stocked up for the month, they mostly just stay at home and become mesmerized by the boob-tube.

The middle of the month or even the last week are great to go shopping in. Last week I was at Wal-mart and there were maybe twenty customers inside. We were far outnumbered by the people working there. On the other hand the first week and weekend of the month... They are totally jam-packed, a real madhouse.

So if the EBT cards fail to load? I am going to hunker down, heck I might even fell a tree across the one lane gravel road leading to the house to keep people away.

[silverleaf]

"Was it better to eat the string cheese now or to save it? To buy milk for $3.80 nearby or for $3.10 across town? Was it better to pay down the $600 they owed the landlord, or the $110 they owed for their cellphones, or the $75 they owed the tattoo parlor, or the $840 they owed the electric company"

This sounds like a joke. $185 on cell phones and tatts and they can't afford milk for the 2 babies they had on MEDICAID?

[sheana]

$110 for a cell phone and $75 for tattoos would be $185 more for groceries this month. But that’s just me.

[SargeK]

An apt analogy!

Mind if I use it?

[Tijeras_Slim]

They need to get an obamaphone, so they have more money for tats.

[Stand Watch Listen]

In a similar vein...

Hmmmmm..the irony

The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is actually proud of the fact it is distributing the greatest amount of free meals and food stamps ever. In fact, it's now running ads across the U.S. (USDA Ad Buys) to encourage more use of food stamps.

Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks us to
"Please Do Not Feed the Animals."

The stated reason for the policy is because the animals soon grow dependent on handouts, forget how to fend for themselves, and starve to death if nobody is there to feed them.

Hmmmmm...Thus endeth today's lesson.

[eyedigress]

I have been to R.I. a number of times in the last year. Dumber than dirt but honestly doesn’t know why.

[Pan_Yan]

$110 for a cell phone and $75 for tattoos would be $185 more for groceries this month. But that’s just me.

Did you catch the lease on the nine year old car at 18% interest? $90 a week comes out to $390 a month. Throw in the cell phone and tattoos you mentioned and all of a sudden you're caught up on your bills and eating better in just a couple of months.

[sheana]

Yeah I saw that, pure stupidity.

[Second Amendment First]

Went to Pawtucket in the early ‘90’s to look at a company I was interested in. There were signs everywhere in RI that possession of a handgun was a felony. I just felt my interest there flagging immediately.

[KC_Conspirator]

The Foodstamp President.

[BfloGuy]

All this welfare just allows people to stay in economically dead areas and rot a bit more comfortably. Under normal the circumstances we used to know, they'd have left Rhode Island for Texas or the Dakotas to look for work.

And, of course, it isn't just Rhode Island; it's the inner cities and rural areas of the entire Northeast and much of the Midwest. The welfare allows the politicians who maintain the system to remain in power -- and so it goes.

[eyedigress]

Those folks need to stay there. Poorest example of life I have ever seen.

[Oatka]

It is disturbing to go to the grocery store and see how many people pay with EBT (around here, “ACCESS”) cards. I’m sometimes tempted to ask the clerk how many of those he/she sees a day, but they’re probably not allowed to answer.

I was traveling through Iowa two years ago and stopped at a Wal-Mart just off the Interstate. I never saw so many Somails in native dress outside of National Geographic.

The Somali woman in front of me swiped two cards before the third one was accepted. After she left, I asked the Hispanic clerk if the woman used EBTs. She said she didn't know. I told her the woman probably did and that all the clerk had to do is look in the mirror to see who was paying for it. Deer-in-headlights.

When I returned to my car, I noticed a Tyson chicken processing factory across the road, which explained it all. Gotta love that cheap labor subsidized by the taxpayer.

[SkyPilot]

$110 for a cell phone and $75 for tattoos would be $185 more for groceries this month. But that’s just me.

I read that as well.

As I watch my nation implode around me, I am almost crushed at times. All I can reason is that God is judging our country.

That which should outrage us is accepted, and that which is noble and good is rejected.

To help the truly poor is to have the spirit of Christ, but the Bible also tells us this:

"If any will not work, neither let him eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:10

Meanwhile, those who do work are punished and penalized by our own Government.

I used to think the imminent collapse of our nation was about 25 years away. Now, I believe it is actually upon us.