Baker harassed for not accepting EBT payment. (Florida: condo, crime rates)

[JacksonPanther]

When only the poor are obese, then we can institute rules designed to help them become not obese. But I look around and see morbidly obese at all income levels in this country.

I wish as a country we would stop blaming the poor for all our ills, and look to where all our governmental money is really being spent - defense, healthcare, and pensions - none of which are the fault of the poor. If you want to make a difference in your taxes, attack those three issues, not the poor.

You could run EBT/WIC/SNAP all the way to $0 and it wouldn't make a dime difference in your taxes.

[miu]

Here's an idea, instead of issuing EBT cards, recipients are allotted a certain number of specially designed MRE meals each week, depending on the number of household members and their ages.

[snatale1]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

I wish as a country we would stop blaming the poor for all our ills, and look to where all our governmental money is really being spent - defense, healthcare, and pensions - none of which are the fault of the poor. If you want to make a difference in your taxes, attack those three issues, not the poor.

WOW! Really? If you want luxuries, you use your own money, not the taxpayers...PERIOD! I bet your ok with the the taxpayer money Obama gave the auto industry going to their bonuses too, right? I bet you also see no issue with driving down the streets in the projects lined with Cadillac's and Mercedes...nothing wrong their! There obviously in need of hard working American tax dollars! Unreal.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by miu

Here's an idea, instead of issuing EBT cards, recipients are allotted a certain number of specially designed MRE meals each week, depending on the number of household members and their ages.

You know, there are companies that make money with selling prepared meals to people that are not inclined to cook. Maybe weight watching programs like Nutri-Systems, or meals for people with dietary restrictions. When I was married but childless we looked into those programs, because I hate cooking. And you know what? Those programs were VERY expensive - so expensive that it wasn't even close to what it cost to shop and cook. The price difference is outrageous.

All that to say if you went down this "MRE" approach you suggest, expect the price the government is paying to go up dramatically. Preparing meals for a large number of people is easy. The problem is always in the distribution - getting the food to thousands of people, in a safe manner.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by snatale1

WOW! Really? If you want luxuries, you use your own money, not the taxpayers...PERIOD! I bet your ok with the the taxpayer money Obama gave the auto industry going to their bonuses too, right? I bet you also see no issue with driving down the streets in the projects lined with Cadillac's and Mercedes...nothing wrong their! There obviously in need of hard working American tax dollars! Unreal.

If it's that easy I invite you to quit your job, liquidate your assets, sign up for government assistance, and then purchase your Mercedes.

[pennyone]

I enjoy cooking my food, so I dont see what can be wrong with limiting public assistance money or credit to only food items such as raw meats, vegetables, bread, raw rice, corn and other staples like flour etc. The idea of public assistance is that those who receive it also have other income that, combined with the public assistance money, will make for an adequate resource to keep the family fed. So, if the person wishes to buy the pie, then use the real money that he or she should also have through actual jobs, no matter how little they pay, to buy the pie. Same goes for cigarettes....no welfare money should ever be allowed to be used for these two items. The welfare money, or EBT, should only be used for solid, real and raw foods. No processed snacks, no soda, and certainly no woopie pies.

I was brought up in a family where my mother considered a good wholesome pot-roast and lots of vegetables to be the REAL food of gods. All candy and chocolate bars, along woth chips and sodas of all kind were banned. I wasnt even allowed to eat a snickers bar! I am in my thirties now, and my eating habits are still very good. I am lean, fit and I have not had a cavity in my life yet! So what's wrong with encouraging those on welfare to live like me? What's wrong with being poor but healthy? It's a great way to save public money by reducing the avoidable burden on our already stretched healthcare system.

The flip side is even better. If a poor person does not wish to be "forced" into buying good wholesome foods through EBT regulations, then get off welfare and be independent like the rest of us.

[miu]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

You know, there are companies that make money with selling prepared meals to people that are not inclined to cook. Maybe weight watching programs like Nutri-Systems, or meals for people with dietary restrictions. When I was married but childless we looked into those programs, because I hate cooking. And you know what? Those programs were VERY expensive - so expensive that it wasn't even close to what it cost to shop and cook. The price difference is outrageous.

All that to say if you went down this "MRE" approach you suggest, expect the price the government is paying to go up dramatically. Preparing meals for a large number of people is easy. The problem is always in the distribution - getting the food to thousands of people, in a safe manner.

Sadly, there is a definite trend away from home cooked meals in all segments of modern society. People are either not home very much, they are busy on the internet socializing or gaming, or watching tv. Everyone could save a lot of money by returning to a lifestyle of home cooked meals. I feel that Asians still cook at home with their rice cookers and from the clientele and what's in their shopping carts at the Asian markets.

Well perhaps we could turn the EBT system into one like the food rationing programs during WWII. Maybe local governments could contract the distribution out to companies like Costco, Walmart or largest grocery store in the area. The recipients would be issued staples like eggs, low fat milk and yogurt, fresh vegetables and fruit, and bulk packaging of other approved foods and also healthy prepared meals. And I don't think that bags of sugar, blocks of butter or american cheese, and frozen french fries should be a part of this.

But my point is that the EBT program is to help people and families in need, for it not to supply ALL of their dietary needs. And it should be a temporary solution, as I don't think that any recipient should ever count on being in this program forever. At some point, families need to wean themselves off of government handouts. They shouldn't even be making more babies until they can live without food stamps or Section 8 vouchers. Their focus should be financial independence.

Also, while anyone or any family is on government assistance, why not use the connection to teach them and get them into the habit of eating better and without junk food??

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by miu

But my point is that the EBT program is to help people and families in need, for it not to supply ALL of their dietary needs. And it should be a temporary solution, as I don't think that any recipient should ever count on being in this program forever. At some point, families need to wean themselves off of government handouts. They shouldn't even be making more babies until they can live without food stamps or Section 8 vouchers. Their focus should be financial independence.

Also, while anyone or any family is on government assistance, why not use the connection to teach them and get them into the habit of eating better and without junk food??

This all sounds so good, until it comes time to implement the solution...

OK, you want EBT to be a temporary solution? Good. So do I actually, so we agree on that. Now, let's talk about how we get a family who is third-generation government dependent, off of the system.

It starts with jobs. Do you have jobs available for these low- or no-skilled workers?

If you do have the jobs, do you have childcare available for them, that is affordable and doesn't put them right back into the position of needing assistance? Any solution you put in place for child care will have people complaining "why are they getting discount/free child care, when I have to pay?"

If you don't have the unskilled jobs, do you have the educational assistance to get them the skills they need in order to compete for skilled jobs? Any solution you implement will have people complaining "why are they getting educational assistance, when I had to go into debt for $100,000 to go to school?"

You try to implement these programs, and the same people on this thread complaining about EBT will be complaining about ANYTHING you do to help the poor. Good luck getting your programs funded.
So what happens is that nothing changes, the poor get more entrenched, the current assistance model continues. Eventually we will have to live behind walls and hire security to take our kids to school, like the upper-middle-class do in Brazil.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Bruins_Fan

Certainly are some holier than thou posts in this thread. So quick to dictate what the poor can and can't do. Funny, these are often the same people who kick and scream about the government supposedly telling them what to do. Hypocrites if you ask me.

Okay, I'm done with this thread.

Yup I don't want the government telling me what to do with MY money, but MY money comes from my paycheck, not taxpayer funded entitlement programs. Therein lies the difference.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

This all sounds so good, until it comes time to implement the solution...

OK, you want EBT to be a temporary solution? Good. So do I actually, so we agree on that. Now, let's talk about how we get a family who is third-generation government dependent, off of the system.

It starts with jobs. Do you have jobs available for these low- or no-skilled workers?

If you do have the jobs, do you have childcare available for them, that is affordable and doesn't put them right back into the position of needing assistance? Any solution you put in place for child care will have people complaining "why are they getting discount/free child care, when I have to pay?"

If you don't have the unskilled jobs, do you have the educational assistance to get them the skills they need in order to compete for skilled jobs? Any solution you implement will have people complaining "why are they getting educational assistance, when I had to go into debt for $100,000 to go to school?"

You try to implement these programs, and the same people on this thread complaining about EBT will be complaining about ANYTHING you do to help the poor. Good luck getting your programs funded.
So what happens is that nothing changes, the poor get more entrenched, the current assistance model continues. Eventually we will have to live behind walls and hire security to take our kids to school, like the upper-middle-class do in Brazil.

I have a handful of jobs that require no experience and pay $10/hour and benefits every year. Half the people I hire end up calling out from jail or just not showing up, or being a total slacker--sleeping on the job. I run a business not a daycare and whatever their issues are outside if work isn't my problem. And no, I don't have on site day care--I have 30 employees and very few have young kids. I do offer. Cafeteria plan where they can contribute a portion of daycare expenses pre-tax, none have ever availed of it.