Let me give the perspective of someone who is actually on food stamps – me.

I am currently on food stamps due to medical illness.

Despite having been disabled for 10 years, I never had to apply for this program.

Things got so bad for me recently that I had no food to eat. So I applied for food stamps. The application process was not easy – most of the workers were belligerent and misinformed about my rights and the requirements for their own program. I had to fight to get access to a program I clearly qualified for.

It is very difficult to make out the month on the amount I am given. I have lost weight and I know my diet is lousy. Despite all that, having never been on such a program, I am grateful it exists.

Nobody I met at the food stamps office that was also applying appeared to be rubbing their hands in anticipation of ripping off the system. There were many tired people who had been waiting 5 or 6 hours to meet with a worker. There were many mothers with small children. Nearly everyone spoke of how poorly they were treated by the workers and how little information they were given about the process.

The documentation required to receive food stamps was astounding. I was also fingerprinted and photographed. It was not a process I care to repeat. How someone would game this system is beyond me – or even why someone thinks someone would game this system is beyond me. For what? For a small amount of food each month?

Where this idea of people ripping off the food stamp system comes from I don’t know. Where is the evidence of this?

All I saw were frustrated and tired people who wanted nothing more to get out of that food stamp office.

Comment by hb79 — September 17, 2007 @ 6:47 pm

That is the mentality of many of the poor in this country. Why work if you don’t have to. You sit on your ass and let others work for you. Sick.

You and your girlfriend belong in jail for fraud.

Comment by Zooey — September 17, 2007 @ 6:44 pm

The majority of people on food stamps and HUD and many other social programs take advantage of the programs. There is fraud everywhere in this country. But because their poor, they let them get away with it. Drive through any welfare project and you will see that the majority of cars in them are nice. Since they don’t pay for housing or food, they get to spend the money whatever they want. Since most of you have never been in the projects, you will have to take my word for it.

I’ve got a challenge. Go to the food stamp office in an inner-city. While standing in line, ask how you can cheat the system. You will be amazed at the knowledge some people have at cheating the system, but have no idea who their Congressmen is.

Oddly enough, the 5th amendment makes clear the rules about taking property, and the 4th amendment makes clear the process that the government must follow to search people.

If we continue to allow the feds this kind of power, I can only imagine where it will lead.

It’s time to start demanding that the government follow the bill of rights. It’s not just some “good idea” – it’s the law. And even the TSA is not above the law.

Some reading:

“Contract with America: Bill of Rights”
http://www.populistamerica.com/contract_with_america

Comment by stopthecons — May 21, 2007 @ 1:17 pm”

Comment by ForTruth — September 17, 2007 @ 9:24 pm

IMHO:
I believe that not one dime should ever go to a foreign country while one child or adult is homeless, jobless or hungry.

After we fix our own “Backyard”, Fix Poverty. Then we will know how to actually do something useful for the world, rather than trying to rip off their resources, for corporate interests the Robber Barons.

Comment by Daryll — September 17, 2007 @ 6:36 pm

Way to support the troops there Daryll, since some of the men and womens families have to live on foodstamps, while they bleeding, dying in Iraq, for a war started over lies.

If Bush hadn’t vetoed their pay raises, they wouldn’t have needed as much help.

Yeah, way to support the troops, hypocrite.

Comment by Keltoi — September 17, 2007 @ 9:41 pm

Cool so in two more years I can stop working my second during the school year night warehouse job as well as all the additional summer jobs. Still sucks to have only 16 years in and a masters +30. Ah just two more years…

I have taught 18 years – it was tough to get by at first, but now I live quite comfortably. I also work 183 days a year vs about 240 for most others; summer school work is easy to get if you want it.

It is REPREHENSIBLE that miltary service people qualfiy for public assistance. Utterly shameful. I know a lot of them live on base, get free food, get generous pay outs for college, but my God, how can we value idiot actors, athletes and singers more than soldiers willing to sacrifice everything? Unbelievable.

What is the percentage of people who abuse the welfare system?

And is it worth putting up with the percentage of abusers to help the people who are legit?

Should America have citizens who are going hungry?

“You know I would NEVER admit to voting (D)”

“FOR THE RECORD HB79 IS NOT ME.”

For the record, HB79 joked about voting for (D), and you

will never “admit” to voting for the (D)…

so, would you ever “admit” to being HB79?

sticky…very sticky…

anyway, i got to run…been fun Bob.

Dude, give me SOME credit.

You know I would NEVER admit to voting (D)

I will not post under another name again…

thank you, come again Hacker. ;)

Comment by hb79 — September 17, 2007 @ 8:02 pm

Make that “day old” produce, whatever that is.

Comment by dbadass — September 17, 2007 @ 8:00 pm

Never said anything about “out of date” food.

go to my place, look for fridays post. I’ll be there