A war. That’s where we’re going.
Besides bureaucratic resistance, or resistance from lawmakers, it would be trivial to change it to weekly or even daily.
But I suspect people who can’t manage a monthly deposit won’t be able to manage a weekly one either. I don’t think the key factor here is “bad money management”, thought that probably contributes. The key is that until it’s YOUR money that you worked for, you don’t have the proper motivation to learn to manage it properly.
“This is well demonstrated by people using their EBT money on junk food when they first receive a deposit on their card and then having no money/credit left at the end of the month.”
I remember when you weren’t allowed to buy “junk food” and other items with food stamps. Like every other intelligent policy, that was changed because it was “racist”.
Apparently extremely - as it will be caged as “taking away benefits”...
I marveled years ago when I was trying to help a young couple that had mastered gaming the system. They knew very well what could and couldn’t be purchased with their EBT...
They bought lots of Valentine candy, for example... also energy drinks. You cannot buy liquor with EBT...buy you CAN buy jumbo bottles of Vanilla Extract! You cannot buy a hot rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store... but you can buy an entire box of Hershey Candy Bars...
Within a day or two of their EBT being reloaded - they would be back trying to get folks to buy them some food...
It is a system that is, I believe, set up to encourage and promote bad decisions and scamming the system (aka - taxpayers).
Then again - the fact that the system went to the “debit card” format - ostensibly to reduce the “social shame” of being on public benefits itself was a flawed idea. While there is no shame in needing help - LIVING on it forever ought to be a huge shame. EBT is supposed to be temporary and/or supplemental - not a way of life.
Yeah, instead of flour and beans, they buy pot and meth..
Want change it.? STOP GIVING AWAY FREE MONEY..!!!
But, that's just my opinion...
Math is racist
I know dozens of kids, at an Ivy League university, who are receiving food stamps. And that’s just the ones I know.
I bet the true amount on the campus is thousands - as an easy-buck scam like this spreads very quickly
They have little income (they are students after all), they apply, they receive $300+/month - no questions asked.
The system is totally corrupt. The amount of people who it truly helps and are needy, is probably tiny
They’re not children. Let them spend it as fit. Do we hear stories of end of month running out of food? I have seen that.
Well, as I got older and watched friends being able to do whatever they wanted. At the time, I wore corduroy pants and pumas while my friends were all wearing stone washed 501 jeans and Reebok high top sneakers. Very materialistic, but my intentions were different. As a fat kid, my thighs always rubbed together and I hated the "VPP! VPP! VPP!" sound they made when I walked. While friends would ask their parents for $$$ to go to McD's in high school, I was lucky to be able to buy a cheeseburger at school. Most times I went to school and stayed hungry all day, then I would eat when I got home.
Anyhow, all of this made me somewhat resentful of my mom for a time. I couldn't understand why she insisted on keeping us in poverty, just because she wanted to be home to raise her kids. Of course, now as an adult, I look back and understand her intentions, if not the best, she was doing the best she knew how. Growing up on state assistance also made something in me snap. I had NO interest in making my kids grow up the same way.
If nothing else, reducing the total dollar value available by making them weekly rather than monthly would stop some of the sbuses like buying luxury foods to trade for drugs.
how about going to any martin luther king jr. avenue/boulevard across our country and asking those inhabitants...
Why change something that works?
‘ How hard would it be to change this system? ’
It’s government. It will take forever and cost huge money and then be wrong. Heavens, what do think will happen.
Honor the 10th Amendment and end federal funding of the program.
I think the whole giveaway system should be abolished and leave the job of helping the poor to churches where it belongs.
However, since that isn’t likely to happen, an accommodation would be to have the EBT cards restricted to what could be bought with them. Do it like WIC.
Allow only real food, meat, dairy, fruits, veggies, pasta, rice, bread, PB&J.
No snack food, no junk food, no soda, no juice, no energy drinks, no candy no packaged cookies or pastries, , no alcohol, not even frozen convenience foods like pizza and baked goods.. Only frozen fruit and veggies.
If they don’t like the restrictions, they can get off their lazy butts and get a job to actually pay for the food themselves. Then they can buy what they want.
A Soup Kitchen on every corner that needs it
Leave them alone, they are at the bottom and they do not need a budinsky.
The system was changed several times. First cheese giveaway. the Food Stamps. People sued cause it made them feel inferior. Opened up on all kinds of junk foods cause of people belly aching they were not allowed to eat what they wanted. The they can get $20 cash back so they can buy booze and cigs.
the dems kowtowed to them to keep them voting as they wanted them to.
So the answer is IMPOSSIBLE
Heading out to my car, I noticed that the middle aged men had a "law enforcement" vibe. I asked what was going on. The answer: it's "moms night". The first Friday night of the month, the "moms" dump their kids at the skating rink. All those middle age men are off duty cops present to ensure a safe and orderly evening.
Suffice to say, I avoided attending on "moms night" after learning what was going on. Walmart has a similar effect. The EBT shoppers show up to shop before midnight and roll to the checkstands as the clock strikes midnight with a freshly recharged EBT card. Extra staff on the registers. That may have changed post COVID as Walmart ceased being open 24 hours per day in most locations.