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I am from an "EBT" family on food support. Our family was living the good life (albeit with LOTS of debt) until my father died, my brother developed a drug problem, I was diagnosed with a slowly fatal brain tumor, the economy turned sour, and we lost our business. Currently, I am applying for work, but my car has a transmission problem I can't afford to fix and two new spots showed up on my MRI - and even if I worked, my family might still qualify for food benefits, and I would certainly qualify for Medicaid, as that is the only reasonable healthcare option I have found in my particular situation - which limits my employment to jobs less dignified than what you would expect a college graduate with a summa *** laude to hold.
Something like 65% of the population will go on a means-tested social program in their lifetime. People get into difficult positions - often beyond their control - and need social programs like SNAP and WIC to get out of them, especially in a country as individualistic and with as weak of a family structure as the United States. In fact, I'd be in favor of raising the asset limits on SNAP and Medicaid to allow people to build a bit of wealth before weaning themselves off.
As for the food purchasing decisions of those with EBT cards, I think we all know the stereotypes. Those stereotypes are probably grounded in reality. As for my family, my mother and I prepare meals from raw ingredients almost every night, but I still buy 12 or 16 cans of Diet Shasta at 25 cents a can about once every two weeks, as well as an occasional treat. I feel that most taxpayers would sympathize with me if they knew what I was going through.
Nevertheless, there are those - many - who shop unwisely with their EBT cards. Laziness could be one reason, but another could be a lack of time, at least a perceived lack of time to prepare meals. Many EBT shoppers DO work, and between work and the tasks involved with childcare (often they are single parents), little time is left over for meal preparation. Many work odd shifts. Although you could question why they have not bought, for example, a Crock-Pot, keep in mind that many lack much awareness of kitchen appliances, often having grown up in AFDC (the old food stamp program) families. In fact, I would bargain that many have only rudimentary kitchen skills or lack them altogether. Also, one has to realize that it is not only EBT card users who buy Doritos, Queso Dip, Mountain Dew, and Hershey's Bars, but the public in general. I don't see why EBT users would be more refined than the general public in their food consumption habits. Many of them should adopt healthier eating habits, but because of lack of education and preferences for readily-consumable, tasty food (like many of those who don't use EBT cards), they do not. In fact, I observe that those who truly care about what they eat are disproportionately from the more educated (bachelor's degree and above) portion of the population, though more people from the lower classes seem to be caring about healthy eating in recent years.
It is human nature to find a class of people to blame every ill on, but I can tell you that the poor woman who spends all of his or her EBT balance on processed foods is no guiltier than the wealthy man who does not donate to charity. Most people who qualify for food stamps would rather not.
Your family is an exception, but most food stamp users are perfectly healthy, so healthy that they are giving birth at much higher rates than working people.
If food stamps were only given to people with real disabilities, brain tumors and so on, food stamps wouldn't be a problem and such a large chunk of the population wouldn't be living on them.
One problem with the typical food stamp user is that they tend to be in the below average IQ group and have a 5 year old's mentality about nutrition. The sweets and junk food are appealing because they can just pop open the bag and start munching away.
But good food is not more expensive than the food that is empty calories. A bag of carrots is cheaper than a box of donuts, a bag of raw potatoes is cheaper than a bag of potato chips. An apple is often cheaper than a bag of candy or twinkie bars.
What the hell is wrong with PB&J? My kids love that stuff eat it a lot for lunches. Ramen Noodles same thing they are cheap and filling so I buy them for my lunches.
The lack of proper nutrician is the issue. Things like the noodles are filled with every preservative and salt known to man kind and your kids over time become very unhealthy with food like that. So maybe you could still be as cheap as you like to be with your children but instead study a course on nutrician to fill them with healthier things.
All parents IMO would benefit from a nutrician course.
Your family is an exception, but most food stamp users are perfectly healthy, so healthy that they are giving birth at much higher rates than working people.
If food stamps were only given to people with real disabilities, brain tumors and so on, food stamps wouldn't be a problem and such a large chunk of the population wouldn't be living on them.
One problem with the typical food stamp user is that they tend to be in the below average IQ group and have a 5 year old's mentality about nutrition. The sweets and junk food are appealing because they can just pop open the bag and start munching away.
But good food is not more expensive than the food that is empty calories. A bag of carrots is cheaper than a box of donuts, a bag of raw potatoes is cheaper than a bag of potato chips. An apple is often cheaper than a bag of candy or twinkie bars.
Another fascinating post! Full of assumptions and made up fakz. (I won't denigrate the actual word)
Listen, there are a ton of working poor who need FS to survive. There are many people who think hot dogs and frozen pizzas are healthy. It's not because they are dumb. They are simply not educated about nutrition.
Another fascinating post! Full of assumptions and made up fakz. (I won't denigrate the actual word)
Listen, there are a ton of working poor who need FS to survive. There are many people who think hot dogs and frozen pizzas are healthy. It's not because they are dumb. They are simply not educated about nutrition.
The below average IQ types are more likely than the above average IQ types to depend on welfare programs. I don't think there is any getting around that fact. It might be difficult enough for someone with an IQ of 120 to earn enough to buy groceries but all that much tougher for someone with an IQ of 70 or 80. Most high IQ types can get a job but obviously not those with a true physical disability.
Is that in response to the Illegal Mexicans giving Obama a donation with their food stamps? LOL
I can't even write that without snickering.
Lol yep. I don't know if that is true or not them giving him donation with FS. Really don't see how its possible unless they were getting TANF which is cash on a card deal then yeah I guess that can be considered FS.
But most food stamp users are perfectly healthy, so healthy that they are giving birth at much higher rates than working people.
Because the poor on the system IMO often lack common sense, education and may even refuse work offered for fear of losing benfits.
The poor are basically more likly to be stupid and breed like rabbits at other's expense, often by many different fathers. They don't have kids thinking about how to set up college for them in most cases.
When you can't take care of one real well, what drives them to breed 5 more? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ without working maybe?
If you are poor you can pop kids out for free.
You get WIC to age 5 free.
You may get money, medical, housing, baby sitting services, and education through the system for being poor and getting knocked up.
Give things away and lines form for it.
They feed their kids in many cases bad diets.
It is a problem that needs no social system that grows it.
The lack of proper nutrician is the issue. Things like the noodles are filled with every preservative and salt known to man kind and your kids over time become very unhealthy with food like that. So maybe you could still be as cheap as you like to be with your children but instead study a course on nutrician to fill them with healthier things.
All parents IMO would benefit from a nutrician course.
True enough. I enjoy the noodles been eating them since I was a kid. I have gotten so unhealthy thought that I do see it affecting my kids so it is time for a change..my son bless him HATES mcdonalds food....loves stuff from arby's though loved the roast beef but hates that crap from mcdonalds....soon none of us will be eating that crap.
The below average IQ types are more likely than the above average IQ types to depend on welfare programs. I don't think there is any getting around that fact. It might be difficult enough for someone with an IQ of 120 to earn enough to buy groceries but all that much tougher for someone with an IQ of 70 or 80. Most high IQ types can get a job but obviously not those with a true physical disability.
Bullcrap. I have an iq of 148 last time I was tested yet because I am disabled and wife works damn near min wage job we have to get FS. Oh and she has an iq of over 130 as well.
Listen, there are a ton of working poor who need FS to survive. There are many people who think hot dogs and frozen pizzas are healthy. It's not because they are dumb. They are simply not educated about nutrition.
Jesus... Excuses excuses excuses. If you think hot dogs and frozen pizzas are healthy, you are dumb. Period. When I'm broke, I eat spaghetti. It ain't rocket science. I sure as hell don't go and buy soda and chips. Oh wait, people don't do that, that's just a right wing myth we made up because we hate the poor. Never mind.
FS should be like WIC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OddBall84
Bullcrap. I have an iq of 148 last time I was tested yet because I am disabled and wife works damn near min wage job we have to get FS. Oh and she has an iq of over 130 as well.
Then you're wasting about 50 points of it.
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