Providing no fraud is involved of course I cannot imagine anyone begrudging a hungry person from using them. But you know bh I remember one time I was in line behind a lady who bought a lot of stuff using food stamps. As it turned out my order was fairly small so I wasn't there long. When I went out to the parking lot I saw the woman putting her groceries in the trunk of the car. It was a brand new Cadillac. I'm not kidding. I was stunned. Now I suppose someone with a brand new Cadillac could be hungry but it just looked so bad. Ill never know if she was just ripping the store off and drove home to a plush pad somewhere and went shopping later at fancy dancy stores. Thank you for your reply! :)
We must have a way to help those who fall into hard situations and need temporary assistance. Also low income elderly and disabled fall into this category.
We also must have a way to feed those who refuse to take care of their own needs. I do not believe it should be food stamps. It should be uncomfortable as would be soup lines and handing out loafs of bread and cheese. I am serious. Those people should have to go and get their free food at food depots and food banks. People who just refuse to work have more to spend on food with food stamps in some states than some middle class people can budget for food.
This post was edited by Thriftymaid at December 30, 2016 8:50 AM MST
I worked for almost 9 years 'serving' the homeless, the mentally ill, the 'poor working families. Yes, I saw some abuses of the sustem, but it really isn't as widespread as some may think. Before that we ran a food bank. Although we were a small community the need was there. So we did our best. Problem really is that the people who try or do scam the system, Make it hard for those in real need. I've been on both sides of that table: I was a 'client' and after I received my degree I was a "Client Services Caseworker." It just depends on 'whose' eyes you are looking with.
Pro food stamp. There are people out there starving and homeless. We got to help them somehow. Although the wealthy can be real dicks about this kind of a thing.
I know. Those with full bellies and money enough to take care of all their needs and wants can be especially cold/cruel/stingy when it comes to those less fortunate than they are. Wouldn't you think it would be the opposite way around? Thank you for your reply Zack and Happy Friday! :)
Totally pro. Because more food gets thrown away in this country that can be used to help people. We can afford to feed the world probably. People who are against it act like it is coming out of their pocketbooks. Not so.
This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at December 30, 2016 6:42 AM MST
Yes, we can. The world's food growers produce about 3,400 calories/per person/per day. Hunger is a logistic/political problem, not a problem of inadequate resources.
There are many who are in genuine need of this benefit from the government. Sadly there is a lot of abuse and fraud. I look forward to the day when the words at psalms 72:7-19 are fulfilled.
I am pro "food stamps" because a society as rich as ours should have some mechanism to ensure everyone has basic food needs met regardless of income.
I am anti-food stamps as the program is currently constructed/administered. I think something along the lines of a guaranteed minimum income would be a better way to ensure people can meet their basic needs.
Minimum income wouldn't help. Economic philosophies aside, many people aren't capable of managing their own affairs. All the money in the world wouldn't help. Suffice it to say that I know many people in these positions- Addicts, those with disabilities, and people with low IQs that simply would not make wise decisions if they had more money. At least with food stamps, they can eat. If it was general income, they might not. I'm coming from a place where I know people like this and they have children too.
In a perfect world, everyone would have their needs met, especially those who can't take care of themselves, but I don't think a guaranteed minimum income would do this- not as a solution for everyone. I've read stories about people trading their food stamps for diapers, maxi pads, and medicine, and this suggests to me that maybe food stamps is not the best solution either- they're going without things they need and maybe these kinds of people would be better served by some kind of guaranteed income, but it's not a solution for everyone.
@JA -- There are some people for whom no amount of help, short of stripping them of most of their autonomy, will be effective.
For those who do have some ability of self-management, sometimes they need housing, or medical care, or diapers, or feminine hygiene products more than they need food. With food stamps their options are A) go without or B) commit fraud to exchange their food stamp benefits for whatever else they need.
On a more fundamental level, whatever system of social welfare benefit we implement should come from an attitude of genuine caring and a desire to maximize effectiveness, not from the attitude (displayed by a certain AMer elsewhere in this thread) such benefits require shame and suffering to satisfy Social Dominance impulses.
B.H.Wilson 