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When I was 16, I worked at a Super Market after school. I've always known about Food Stamps existing, but I never heard of WIC. We had to do a 1/2 day training in regards to what WIC is, how it works, how to process it on the register, etc.
Once I started to see it more often, I realized that it's a terrific program that (at least to my knowledge) is hard to abuse. You get a check and a list of food that your able to buy INCLUDING the ounces or amounts. What's even nicer is that, the people don't receive change and the money just goes back to the WIC office (yet, people would fight with us about it, lol)
So, why shouldn't Food Stamps act more like WIC? If my tax dollars are going to be used in order to help families (yes yes I know people abuse it, but not everyone) eat.. I rather them eat real food and not Cheetos.
Never understood why people can use food stamps for sodas, chips, COLD prepared foods like subs/sandwiches, and other crappy not-even-real-food.
Would you support this? If not, why?
I agree.... a wic type program instead of a freeforall would be better for all involved...it would be better for the reciepiant, it would be better for the government, it would be better for the stores
They are abuse in WIC, probably not as bad as food stamp, but there are abuse. If I have to choice which one to go, I would pick food stamp. If I have to make a choice, I would have let both of them go and let go of both the food stamp and WIC agency.
They are abuse in WIC, probably not as bad as food stamp, but there are abuse. If I have to choice which one to go, I would pick food stamp. If I have to make a choice, I would have let both of them go and let go of both the food stamp and WIC agency.
there will be abuses in any system
but if you are going to have a system of 'giving' food to people that 'need' it. then a WIC type program where the government will say you get this and that for the week (based on nutrient value) is a lot better than to say here is 700 for the month
either that or set up a government style food store where its the only place you can use the food stamps(kinda like a commisary) (but that would be too costly for the government)
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If I have to make a choice, I would have let both of them go and let go of both the food stamp and WIC agency
we do a good job of helping out the poor, and we need to keep something in place to give that 'helping hand' to the poor, and newly poor......but I agree that the 'entitlement' certainly should not be 'cradle to grave'
I agree with you. WIC is a wonderful program. I have to admit, over 25 years ago, my husband and I lost our business, we had no income, and I was pregnant at the time. I swallowed my pride and took advantage of WIC. It was no frills, but the milk, cereal, etc. really helped us limp along for a while. We applied for food stamps, too, but that was a lot tougher. I was pregnant, they couldn't argue that - so we got WIC with no trouble; but when we applied for the food stamps, they actually looked on us like we were scamming. We were white, MARRIED, had property, and looked middle class. I mean, they gave us these up-and-down looks; our clean, neat appearance, our clothes, my wedding ring... I felt like a bug under a microscope the way they were looking at me and asking intrusive questions, while we filled out the forms. I wonder if they would have done that if I'd been unmarried, pregnant, with a baby on my hip and two toddlers in tow? That's the way it was then.
Luckily, I found part time temp jobs which we used to buy groceries. By the time we actually received the food stamps, months later, my baby was several weeks old, and my husband had found a good job. The fact that we lost our livelihood and were temporarily needy seemed to be lost on them, because we didn't "fit the mold", at least as it was almost 26 years ago. I know things are different now.
The huge increase in WIC users that I've seen in our grocery store seems to imply that the recovery has hit a rough patch.
I agree.... a wic type program instead of a freeforall would be better for all involved...it would be better for the reciepiant, it would be better for the government, it would be better for the stores
Food allergies, diabetes, celiac disease, digestive disorders...there are many medical conditions that require special diets and would make it tough on SNAP (food stamps) recipients to limit the program to only a short list of foods. Many disabled and older people need to buy more things that are pre-prepared and/or microwaveable. Some poor individuals and families do not have working appliances or any appliances at all. There are too many special circumstances to put WIC-like narrow restrictions on what people can buy with EBT cards. Not only that, but there are many "junk" foods that have more nutrient value than many "non-junk" foods. There are a lot of gray areas once you start talking about what is and isn't "bad for you".
I have a problem with people buying too much junk food, too, but I think it would be unjust to disallow it. Should a child not be able to have ice cream, cookies, or other snacks every child enjoys just because their parents are poor? Should families not be able to have occasional holiday, birthday, or anniversary celebrations with special meals and desserts just because they are poor? You can say "people can use other money for that," but the reality is that many don't have "other money" that isn't spent on items like gasoline, bus fare, toiletries, cleaning supplies and medical/dental costs that the SNAP program doesn't cover. I have been volunteering with the poor for years and have been in many households where there genuinely is no money to spare.
Finally, there is a very wide range of people on SNAP, for many different reasons. I started getting SNAP benefits myself a few months ago because of long-term unemployment. Nothing about my background or appearance would ever lead you to believe I would be on SNAP. I had a more conservative view of the program before I became a recipient. It looks very different from the inside than it does from the outside. Limiting what an adult can buy with their benefits would be a genuine indignity, and further evidence of our contempt for the poor. I would certainly have a problem with it. I worked very hard for 20+ years before having to apply for the SNAP program, so I feel like I have paid my own taxes long enough that I should have access to a public program that doesn't treat me like I'm too irresponsble to make my own choices. I choose to buy mostly healthy food, but with due respect to those who read this...if I want a bowl of ice cream now and then, nobody here has the right to tell me I can't have it just because I am in tough times.
People who abuse he SNAP program tick me off, too, but the answer isn't to punish everyone. I've had to say this many times on CD...I am not a bad person just because I am on food stamps.
Last edited by Slithytoves; 10-19-2013 at 07:14 PM..
Food allergies, diabetes, celiac disease, digestive disorders...there are many medical conditions that require special diets and would make it tough on SNAP (food stamps) recipients to limit the program to only a short list of foods. Many disabled and older people need to buy more things that are pre-prepared and/or microwaveable. Some poor individuals and families do not have working appliances or any appliances at all. There are too many special circumstances to put WIC-like narrow restrictions on what people can buy with EBT cards. Not only that, but there are many "junk" foods that have more nutrient value than many "non-junk" foods. There are a lot of gray areas once you start talking about what is and isn't "bad for you".
I have a problem with people buying too much junk food, too, but I think it would be unjust to disallow it. Should a child not be able to have ice cream, cookies, or other snacks every child enjoys just because their parents are poor? Should families not be able to have occasional holiday, birthday, or anniversary celebrations with special meals and desserts just because they are poor? You can say "people can use other money for that," but the reality is that many don't have "other money" that isn't spent on items like gasoline, bus fare, toiletries, cleaning supplies and medical/dental costs that the SNAP program doesn't cover. I have been volunteering with the poor for years and have been in many households where there genuinely is no money to spare.
Finally, there is a very wide range of people on SNAP, for many different reasons. I started getting SNAP benefits myself a few months ago because of long-term unemployment. Nothing about my background or appearance would ever lead you to believe I would be on SNAP. I had a more conservative view of the program before I became a recipient. It looks very different from the inside than it does from the outside. Limiting what an adult can buy with their benefits would be a genuine indignity, and further evidence of our contempt for the poor. I would certainly have a problem with it. I worked very hard for 20+ years before having to apply for the SNAP program, so I feel like I have paid my own taxes long enough that I should have access to a public program that doesn't treat me like I'm too irresponsble to make my own choices. I choose to buy mostly healthy food, but with due respect to those who read this...if I want a bowl of ice cream now and then, nobody here has the right to tell me I can't have it just because I am in tough times.
People who abuse he SNAP program tick me off, too, but the answer isn't to punish everyone. I've had to say this many times on CD...I am not a bad person just because I am on food stamps.
No one is saying you are a bad person for being on it. I have had tough times and my family has been on it before too. Same with wic which i think is a great program. I dont see why we cant take some of wics ideas to the snap program. Split the money up into catagories and limit how much junk food you can buy. It already restricts prepared food so i know it can be coded right.
I think if social workers case loads were not so heavy they could require a food stamp recipient to turn in their register receipt and have the case worker decrease their allotment based on how much unnecessary items that were bought.
Every social worker I know (I am a social work student...preparing for a 2nd career) does not believe in limiting food stamp purchases. Neither does their national organization. There would be a huge amount of resistance to what you are suggesting, and rightly so. Social workers know that there needs to be freedom of choice for the reasons stated in my other post.
No one is saying you are a bad person for being on it. I have had tough times and my family has been on it before too. Same with wic which i think is a great program. I dont see why we cant take some of wics ideas to the snap program. Split the money up into catagories and limit how much junk food you can buy. It already restricts prepared food so i know it can be coded right.
See the thread titled "food stamps stigma". People spent pages and pages attacking the character of people on food stamps like we are a monolithic group. Sorry, I'm a little defensive.
The category idea isn't a bad one in theory, but doing the categorizing would be an absolutely gigantic task with all of the many foods and brands out there. Not only that, but an experiment I did for a social work class shocked me: A snickers bar provides more nutrient value than many "healthier" foods by weight and cost. As I said before, drawing the line gets very tricky.
I think most people have good intentions when they say they think the program should be limited. But doing the limiting would be an incredibly time-consuming ad expensive endeavor.
I have a problem with people buying too much junk food, too, but I think it would be unjust to disallow it. Should a child not be able to have ice cream, cookies, or other snacks every child enjoys just because their parents are poor? Should families not be able to have occasional holiday, birthday, or anniversary celebrations with special meals and desserts just because they are poor?
The problem is that the folks on food stamps/SNAP are using money forcefully taken from me (taxes deducted from my paycheck) to pay for their junk food/celebration food.
I know multiple struggling families who get no benefits at all who plan celebrations in accordance with their limited means - they bake a cake/cupcakes from a mix or from scratch, for example, with a half gallon of ice cream, not a $20 store bought cake. In other words, a lot more modest celebration, not spending money they don't have.
I have done a lot of volunteering in the past - serving meals at multiple soup kitchens in different areas of my large metro area, helped distribute at food banks, helped deliver Thanksgiving/Christmas baskets directly to the recipients, helped with Christmas gifts for needy kids, and so on. Shelled out a lot on such programs, too.
I am so heartily sick of the entitled attitude of the majority of the recipients I've interacted with when I've been involved with such programs that I don't donate to anything anymore. Period. I will only donate directly to those I personally know to be in need, and I will try to do it anonymously (sending a grocery store/Walmart/Target gift card) or through another person, if possible.
Having multiple mothers scream at you that the gift someone else bought for their child is "not good enough" (generic mp3 player, for example, instead of a name brand iPod) is enough to make just about anyone but the most dedicated do-gooder jaded. Or parent/guarding filling out the angel tree gift form for a 5 year old and putting "18K gold chain" down for the kid's gift. Are you kidding me? Screw that.
They want help, they can go to Obama their savior. Where I have any choice, I'm done.
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