The food stamp system provides low-income families with supplemental money each month for food in the form of federal dollars. Families qualify based on how much income they make...
The number of Utah households relying on food stamps reached a record high of nearly 100,000 in April...
There is a lady that is on food stamps and works... She doesn't make enough to pay all of her bills and still be able to feed her family... She shops frugally and tries to make her benefits stretch each month... I have respect for families that do that... She looks for a job that will pay better so she can get off of assistance... So far that hasn't happened... But I think that's what and who these programs should be helping...
I know there are people who are in need of temporary assistance with food stamps and other programs. These are suppose to be temporary programs and it seems like so many are on them for years and years and years... I wonder if programs that are set up to help can hinder at times... Almost 28 million Americans receive food stamps... I think that is horrible that there is such a need in America... I don't have the answers to this problem in America... But it seems like to me that they are should be helping people find jobs, manage money and educate people to help them provide for their families rather than give handouts for years and years... In all reality what needs to be done is teach these people some kind of life skills...
When I worked as a cashier at a grocery store, I would see things from another prospective and it would aggravate me... For example, we live in an area where there are many polygamists and they have large families and get alot of money put on their cards each month... After ringing up three carts worth of food that went well into the $400.00 dollar range at the minimum, they would still have $800.00 or more left on their food card for the rest of the month... I wish I was able to spend that much on food when my family was still at home... But what gets me is the food choices... They would get high end items they would choose to get over foods that would be healthier options... Then you will see some of these same people head over to customer service or have a second order rung up that would include beer, cigarettes and pay cash for them... Usually it wasn't the polygamist that did that, but I'm talking people in general... Then you help them out to their cars and they are driving a super nice vehicle... One customer was driving a Cadillac Escalade... I asked them how they can be on food stamps and own a car like that... They said that they have it registered under someone else and they don't legally get married so they can get more food stamps... I was furious!
The way the polygamists get away with this is by not legally marrying their husband... Colorado City and other polygamist communities is filled largely with unwed mothers without any visible spousal support... This has become a polygamist tradition, so that no proof exists of their many marriages through public records. Husbands marry only once in a civil ceremony... Other subsequent marriages are done "spiritually, but not legally... "It's a way of life. You get married, you go on welfare, and that's it. And if you lived in an area like we live in, they have tons of kids... It is nothing to get over a $1000.00 a month in food and other assistance... Plus most of these women and families are on medicaid for health benefits... And most polygamist families has many wives... Some men have 15 or more wives... So just imagine how much food is coming into the house each month... These are the same polygamists that are under the leadership of Warren Jeffs... Children shouldn't be penalized for what their parents do... Since when is it a good idea to reward illegal activity? Just my thought on this one... Click Here to read what Anderson Cooper says about this...
Then you have this other person who has been on food stamps and every other kind of assistance program out there... She is a single mom and knows how to work the system to her benefit... I find this horrible and I don't understand how people can sleep at night knowing that they can help herself, is able to work and still takes advantage of the system and has no problem doing it... I believe that what goes around comes around...
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| Leroy Fick |
Then you have this guy from Michigan. He is allowed to use food stamps after winning $2 million ‘Make Me Rich’ Lottery... Leroy Fick of Bay County, Mich., said in an interview with WNEM-TV that he still uses his bridge card at stores despite winning a jackpot on "Make Me Rich!" last June...
He even called them and asked about the bridge card and (the Department of Human Services) said you can go ahead and keep it if you want to," Fick reportedly told the station...
Unfortunately, under the current system, people can basically buy any food they want as long as it is not hot food (such as from a restaurant). The food stamp problem is only one issue in a long line of problems during this economic situation. I think that if people who are able to work and aren't working they should do volunteer work to get these benefits... I am thinking this for food stamps, unemployment or any other assistance programs... I think they should do drug testing also be done to qualify... I know many are thinking that I am against those that are on food stamps... That is far from the truth... I think that people rely on these too long when they should be temporary solutions till they get on their feet... It gets me that so many are taking advantage of the system and have no problem doing it...
In Closing: I think it is terrible that those who work and aren't on food stamps can't spend what is allowable to those who are on food stamps... I don't know what the answer should be... It is aggravating to see so many taking advantage of a broken system... It breaks my heart that there are so many homeless and hungry kids in the world that rely on food stamps... But it seems to me that something needs to be done... I think of people who are working hard, but just need a little assistance to provide basic food items for their family. I am 100 percent in agreement with helping those who need the help...
3 comments:
Something needs to be done to make sure the right people are getting help when needed. I have known people who have gotten turned down for petty reasons. There are times people hit bumps in their lives and need help. And then you have those that cause the bumps. Great article. It's nice to see that someone has the guts to write about how messed up our system is when it comes to dealing with the poor and the takers.
i agree with you 100% It also seems that if you are not of the spanish/hispanic descent you dont get crap. i know a well deserving couple with grown kids but very little income and very little retirement money coming in got denied because when asked if his wife or him was spanish and he told them no. they said that was too bad. it is stupid how they get all the dang benefits and ppl who need them get none. and those who abuse the system and use it to get more and more money need to be taken off for forgery.
As with any government program, there are always gonna be some who take advantage while the ones who really need the help don't get it.
Why is it that one single person can receive $200 a month in food stamps yet a single mom of a 4 year old who is working 3 part-time jobs is getting less than $200 a month?
The one that that really gets me is the people or merchants who will 'buy' food stamps from people. But then again I can understand someone on food stamps needing some cash too. Toilet paper, tooth paste, laundry soap, dish soap, etc. have to be paid for with cash.
Let's face it, our system has been screwed up for a long time and there's no sign that things are going to get any better. :(
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