Which Is Worse For Poor People, Buying Lottery Tickets - Or Smoking Pot? (solution, school)

[ergohead]

Originally Posted by miu

This thread reminds me of the NPR show This American Life broadcast that I listened to a year ago. I recommend listening to the podcast of it.

This American Life

I don't think that poor people should smoke cigarettes, drink or play the lottery on a regular basis. And they shouldn't smoke pot or do drugs at all. They just can't afford it. And the odds of winning a lottery ticket are remote, and all those ticket purchases do add up.

You don't think they should smoke pot?

What if they don't have cable?

You try it sometime!

[afoigrokerkok]

Originally Posted by ergohead

My family was on welfare in 1959.

The feds used to drive by and drop off a block of cheese, bucket of peanut butter, flour and powdered milk.

I think this system was also designed to keep prices up for the farmers, rather than dumping food into the Mississippi River.

Sounds like a great idea.

Maybe we need to return to that kind of a system

[bgibbs42]

Originally Posted by ergohead

For finding a new tax base, almost every State legalized gambling for the tax revenues it brings in.

Liberals complain that children go without food because the parents buy State lottery tickets.

Do Conservatives complain that smoking pot would keep the parents on welfare?

Would Liberals want welfare pot-stamps for the welfare recipients?

Would this lower domestic and community violence?

Buying lottery tickets is worst. At least when you smoke pot you are guaranteed a high.

[malamute]

I don't think poor people need pot or lottery tickets. Pot just makes them lazier and lottery tickets is just more of that thinking that wealth should come without work.

I'd give them free meth because maybe they need some energy to want to get up off the sofa and turn off the television and do something, maybe rake leaves, clean houses.

[ergohead]

Originally Posted by afoigrokerkok

Sounds like a great idea.

Maybe we need to return to that kind of a system

I agree.

Add beans and rice to the package, and those folks would be healthier and smarter than any white-bread suburbanites.

Affluence in America is a disease.

But who cares about health when you've got self-esteem? (Expensive tennyrunners)

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by KevK

Poor people should neither be playing the lottery nor be smoking pot. If I were running things, we would have 2 laws like this:
LAW 1: Any person who recieves and soley relies upon welfare, SSI or other government programs to live shall forfiet any winnings in any public or private lottery or other game of chance and be prohibited from playing in such game.
LAW 2: Any persons fitting the description in Law 1 shall also be subjected to random urine, hair or blood test for usage of any drug not prescribed, any illegal drug or any tobacco usage and, if found, be given one warning and then removed from any public assistance program and banned for 5 years.

I sure would not want to live under your brutal communist regime. Why would anyone want more laws anyway? Pizz on the laws.

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by miu

This American Life

I don't think that poor people should smoke cigarettes, drink or play the lottery on a regular basis. And they shouldn't smoke pot or do drugs at all. They just can't afford it. And the odds of winning a lottery ticket are remote, and all those ticket purchases do add up.

Isn't this what Hitler and Stalin did to their people? Did you forget that America is suppose to be a land of free choice despite how much choice the Bush crime family took from us?

[fitzy24]

Originally Posted by afoigrokerkok

Your questions are somewhat conusing to understand, but I'll tell you a story. A few months ago I was at a convenience store and saw an obese woman (probably 300 pounds+) using her Lone Star Card to buy food (TX's version of food stamps).

She was in front of me in line and put these things on the counter (and ONLY these things) -

Bags of chips, bags of cookies, candy bars, several of the 12-packs of sodas, etc.

She took out her Lone Star Card to pay for all these items. Then, she asks the clerk for 3 lottery tickets and 2 packs of cigarettes and uses cash to pay for them.

It is interesting what some people's priorities are.

My word! Aren't you a nosey mofo? It's interesting that it's always conservatives or republicans not on welfare that tend to pay attention to what the person in front of them are purchasing and what they use. When I'm in line, I don't look to see what the person in front had and how they will pay for it. I guess I'm not a nosey bee like some of you here. I'm too concerned with placing my groceries on the counter so I can hurry and get home.

Did you follow the woman out the store to find out if she got in a cadillac?

[enraeh]

simple solution: food stamps (or their like) can only be used to purchase fresh fruit, veggies, meat, fish, poultry, dairy, dried beans, rice, fruit juices, spices, baking from scratch items,cookware, and cookbooks. NO: frozen dinners, cans, ice cream, processed foods, etc etc. you get the idea.

This will teach the recipient responsibility and planning ahead and develop their self esteem.

plus it will help our family farmers

[enraeh]

Originally Posted by fitzy24

My word! Aren't you a nosey mofo? It's interesting that it's always conservatives or republicans not on welfare that tend to pay attention to what the person in front of them are purchasing and what they use.

and how interesting that democrats and liberals are always paying attention to what other people make in salary and then decide if they deserve it or not based upon their own personal inadequacies