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It's easy and convenient, and that is the problem. Same with fast food. It's fast, easy and convenient. We made a seafood alfredo dish, that fed 5 people the other night, for under 8 bucks, shrimp, imitation crab (yuck) and scallops with veggies and pasta and alfredo sauce... It would have cost us over $20.00 to eat at Wendys, with much of the food going to waste, and to the waist.. A little common sense and willpower can go a long way, it's unfortunate that most people are born without much of either.
Im not so sure its that people have no common sense or willpower. I think it is just what they know and avaliability. Each generation seems to have less time and more convenience. Im of the cut up a whole chicken (skin on) peel potatoes and biscuits from scratch, now its buy skinless chicken tenders, frozen peeled and cut potatoes and frozen biscuits. Grandma, killed the chicken, grew the potatoes and rendered the lard for the biscuits.
So, have we changed society or has society changed us.
If the children can't have juice then they should be drinking milk or water for dinner. There is no nutritional value in soft drinks except calories and chemicals--it would be better to buy the $.35 packet of cool-ade and have sugar than coke..
Im not so sure its that people have no common sense or willpower. I think it is just what they know and avaliability. Each generation seems to have less time and more convenience. Im of the cut up a whole chicken (skin on) peel potatoes and biscuits from scratch, now its buy skinless chicken tenders, frozen peeled and cut potatoes and frozen biscuits. Grandma, killed the chicken, grew the potatoes and rendered the lard for the biscuits.
So, have we changed society or has society changed us.
Ha, me too. I could never buy fake mashed potatoes. I've felt guilty when I've bought canned frosting, like I'm cheating.
I live alone and have myself on a tight budget, so I often buy a whole chicken--get a few dinners as well as lunches to take to work.
I think many people, food stamp recipients or otherwise, just don't know how to shop and prepare food. They weren't taught or they don't have the imagination and drive to even try to figure it out. My mother didn't teach me to cook more than a few basic things. I bought a basic 1950's-era cookbook for $1 at a garage sale and learned a lot that way.
If the children can't have juice then they should be drinking milk or water for dinner. There is no nutritional value in soft drinks except calories and chemicals--it would be better to buy the $.35 packet of cool-ade and have sugar than coke..
This is true, but do we not lead full enough lives that we must be the food police and tell other people what to have for dinner?
I realize FS are paid for with tax dollars, I read 56 billion in 2009. How much was spent on the bailouts, 700 billion?
My own little town got a grant for 56,000 (my tax dollars) and built a 3 stall public bathroom, woo hoo. So in the grand scheme of government spending I dont care if after being unemployed for a year in this bad economy, defaulting on his loan and losing his house, Joe bob buys his kid a .50 soda out of the 400$ a month in fs he gets.
This is true, but do we not lead full enough lives that we must be the food police and tell other people what to have for dinner?
I realize FS are paid for with tax dollars, I read 56 billion in 2009. How much was spent on the bailouts, 700 billion?
My own little town got a grant for 56,000 (my tax dollars) and built a 3 stall public bathroom, woo hoo. So in the grand scheme of government spending I dont care if after being unemployed for a year in this bad economy, defaulting on his loan and losing his house, Joe bob buys his kid a .50 soda out of the 400$ a month in fs he gets.
There need to be *some* limits but the fact remains that there is an active barter set-up for people selling food credits for cash and as such you can always skirt the law someway.
However, it's not the guy buying his kid a soda that's the problem. It's the guy that sells his foodstamps for 50cents on the dollar so he has casino or beer money and then the kid gets one decent meal a day in that of a school lunch.
There need to be *some* limits but the fact remains that there is an active barter set-up for people selling food credits for cash and as such you can always skirt the law someway.
However, it's not the guy buying his kid a soda that's the problem. It's the guy that sells his foodstamps for 50cents on the dollar so he has casino or beer money and then the kid gets one decent meal a day in that of a school lunch.
I agree. I know some people trade FS for cash but you will never stop ALL abuse and you sure cant legislate morality.
At most public assistance offices, they recommend you buy store brand, and use coupons, in order to stretch your assistance as far as possible. That being said, most people are too stuck in their ways of "only name brand will do" and will continue to be that way.
well, that's a contradiction. Using coupons usually means you are buying name brands (and usually, the store brand is cheaper even with the coupon).
I buy a lot of BOGO things at the store when I shop, and I'm not on food stamps.
Good point, the welfare system does also provide cash assistance, they could have been buying beer with that... And for that, they should have their assistance suspended
Don't these funds come on a debit card? I can't imagine that the computers would allow alcohol to be tallied onto said card. I don't know for sure, but just as it would separate edible from non-edible, I would think alcohol would be separated as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paparaciii
I think food should be for free. You just go to a store and take whatever you want and don't pay a penny.
I know. Wouldn't that be the bees knees?
Quote:
Originally Posted by desli
That kind of apathetic attitude contributes to the overall. It's the same line of thinking as a person who says they don't care about illegal aliens coming into this country as long as that person is not directly affected in some personal way.
ALL of these kinds of things are about the overall . . . about the pennies adding up to billions of dollars and all the tiny little infractions adding up to epidemics of criminality, fraud, and violation of the rights of honest, hard-working, taxpaying, legal American citizens.
I'm really not sure how you extracted that I don't care but I'll leave you to it. The point is how ignorant some people are when it comes to the personal, individual cases of welfare recipients and how FAR they are taking the issue of what they should and shouldn't buy. Hopefully, that makes it clearer for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2mares
Maybe the gov. should require recipients to meet with a nutritionist and economist. And perhaps a behavior specilist to help change the eating habits of children of foodstamp recipients.
You are, however very much on point about foodstamps. Some people do just need a little hand up while trying to re-assemble their life after a job loss, then losing their house, etc. While plenty abuse the system, there are others who just barely get by, even after applying multiple times for the assistance they so desperately need.
Last edited by Ibginnie; 05-06-2010 at 07:55 AM..
Reason: response to deleted post
The question about race mainly stems from people saying that "black" isn't a race, neither is hispanic, well according to the most widely used dictionary, it sure as hell is.
I guess the definition of race is open to interpretation as is a single definition of poor. Personally, I dont consider those making under a gov. described annual income a race. If you threw 100 random naked people in a room, I would be hard pressed to distinguish the characteristics that unify them into a race.
Anyway, the topic is what ppl buy with foodstamps, not if I am a racist.
I can remember back when fs came in tear out coupons and there were restrictions on the purchase of candy, soda an probably other foods but you would get change back in cash. So you could still use the cash for other things. I guess they thought the debit cards would eliminate that. Where theres a will, theres a way.
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