Food stamps for fast food - REALLY???????

[keista]

OMW, WTH? and REALLY??????????????????????

First, let me say that I believe in the food stamp program! I've used the program myself when it was necessary.

HOWEVER, it really steams me when I see it abused! When I'm at 7-11 INDULGING (spending money on a well deserved treat) It really kills me when the person in front of me is buying $20 worth of junk food and paying for it with food stamps! Makes it worse when it's after 11pm and it's parents buying their toddlers slushies and chips.

So apparently the system isn't being abused enough, our tax dollars will now allow ppl to spend 5X the amount of money on a meal as it would cost to cook at home, and the meal will be 10x more unhealthy. UHG


Now, for the REAL irony in all of this. These giant food chains (both convenience stores and restaurants) spend millions lobbying for the privilege to accept food stamps. They also spend millions avoiding paying taxes INTO the system that they are trying to tap into to generate more revenue.

Is it just me or are we going to H.E.doublehockeysticks in a hand basket FAST?

 

[Hound dog]

Yup. We sure are.

I have no issue with food stamps or people using them. All 3 girls have used them. (katie still is) I grew up on them.

But I also have an issue with them being used for junk food. I never used them for junk food the year I used them. Had a sister in law that was the bulk of what she bought, and strange enough I always had a third of mine carry over into the next month while hers never lasted past the 2nd week. Hmm Katie's never last past the 2nd week either.

This though, is utterly ridiculous. I think the moron who came up with the idea ought to be stoned to death. What a waste that would be........and more kids would go hungry because the stamps wouldn't even last half the month. ugh

Saw the reason Katie can't keep cash past the 2nd week of the month............M does the shopping with whatever child is willing to go with him. Saw him at krogers yesterday with Alex.....cart was full to the top with absolute junk. easy child and I pretended not to see them nor did we offer them a ride home. ugh

 

[keista]

I forgot to add the link to the article. Just in case anyone thought I was just plain crazy (that's an entirely different issue)

 

[AnnieO]

...To be honest... In a "normal" supermarket, junk food is cheaper than the ingredients for real food. Not like chips - but leaner cuts of meat are more expensive... As are fresh veggies. The canned ones are cheaper.

Personally, I like real food better. So even when I am broke... I just am more careful, is all.

The whole 7-11 thing is, however, making steam come out my ears.

We don't qualify for any assistance, not even reduced-price lunches for the kids. We really needed it a while back - not so much, now. But... I don't make any more money than I did. (The SS benefit the kids are getting really helps.) But my friend H was out of work for 6 months - She and her hubby have between them 5 kids, 2 of them full-time... And they got $900 a month for groceries. WOW. I couldn't even SPEND that much on groceries in 2 months!!!

 

[Hound dog]

Yeah, I know.

Katie tries to convince me she only gets like 600.00 a mo and I know better because the girls got that much with just 1 child. They were like omg mom what are we supposed to buy with so much money?? Yeah, they were used to me spending 150.00 a wk on 5 people up until like last year when food prices went up so darn high. Although now I'm down way below that amount except when I'm stocking something.

 

[AnnieO]

Sheesh... I go to Kroger or Meijer about every 2 weeks and spend around $170.

Then again, I go generic on a LOT, rarely buy pop or sweets or chips...

 

[keista]

...To be honest... In a "normal" supermarket, junk food is cheaper than the ingredients for real food.

Very true, and that's part of my disgust with the abuse in convenience stores. If they shopped at a supermarket, they could get a lot more for their money. Still unhealthy, but bellies are full and satisfied. I've seen ppl go out with one bag in FS food and I go out with five bags paying the same $ amount. The difference? I'm buying sale store brand, and they're buying non-sale name brands. It goes on and on and on.

There are also indirect ways of abusing the system that the neighbor girl tried. She wanted to use my computer to look up recipes for home made dog food. Ah, you can't even feed yourself (she was out of work at the time) and you're going to cook for the dogs? Sure! Food stamps will pay for the ingredients, but it won't pay for dog food. Then don't have a dog!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, I did NOT let her use my computer. And yes, she got an earful.

 

[DammitJanet]

I didnt read the article but are you saying that they can go to 7/11 and buy prepared junk food like hotdogs or slushies and use food stamps or are you saying they can go to McDonalds and use food stamps?

Number one, back when I was working food stamps...NO hot food was allowed to be purchased on stamps. I think there were some exceptions like soup kitchens that charged 2 food stamps back in the day when stamps were actually paper stamps.

I really dont think people should be buying Big Macs with FS's. However, even I have been known to buy a coke and a pack of crackers at a gas station with FS's. Sometimes you just have to stop and get something on the spur of the moment. But whole meals, no.

 

[Hound dog]

I said 150.00 a wk, I meant two........split up between aldi's krogers and meijers and we had a trunk FULL of food.

Makes me furious. I can even see a little bit of junk food, I mean I won't begrudge a child having a cookie or after school snack.....but a cart full? omg And katie gets free lunches and breakfasts for the kids. Yet last year I had to bawl her out for packing kayla's lunch. I told her she's an idiot. lol

 

[Jody]

I have also used food stamps when I lost a job several years ago. I did not abuse them in any way. I ate better and more healthy when I had food stamps then when I had to add food in the budget. They gave me some crazy amount like almost 400.00 for one month. I could not believe that was what I was really supposed to be spending on food a month, I never had that much in my grocery budget. More like 30-40 per week if I was lucky and got some over-time.

When paper food stamps were in use, if you went in to the store and bought a candy bar for 50 cents they had to give you the change back. So people who wanted a bottle of beer or a cheap wine, would go back and forth buying small items and accumulating enough change to get the item that would not be covered by food stamps. Cigarettes, or whatever.

 

[DammitJanet]

Jody, that was a real problem and one of the reasons that the electronic cards came out as soon as they were able. The Fraud investigators got soooo tired of watching tapes of people buying bubble gum 10 times in a half hour just to get a bottle of cheap wine. It was disgusting. When the EBT cards came out, we were thrilled! We could actually see people's transactions and what they bought and then the times. You could actually tell if it appeared someone was selling their benefits at the same store. Like if Bobby goes through register 1 and buys $100 worth of food at 12:30 then his card swipes again at register 3 at 12:35 for another $135 then I seriously doubt he could have run back in the store and shopped for that amount of food. Now if he just swiped another $10 or $20, yeah, that could be a forgotten item he quickly remembered. We all do that. But the unusual patterns were stuff we looked at then we went back into stores and watched the tapes over the cash registers to see exactly what transpired. Then came the interviews! What fun....lol.

 

[Hound dog]

Janet, katie was doing that at a store up in dayton the whole time they were there. I wonder if that is why her benefits were suspended for a while? I'd forgotten they did that.

 

[hearts and roses]

Waaaay back when I received food stamps and housing money, it was my two girls and me and all we received for food was $450 a month. And we weren't allowed to use them to buy soda or chips or most junk foods. We could buy crackers, cereals, meats, juices (only 100% juice, but no convenience juice boxes); we could buy fruits and veggies and some packaged food like instant rice and potatos (ew), etc. Although 7-11 accepted them, I never wasted them there. I did once pay a woman who babysat for me with them so I could get to the SS office without bringing the children and, of course, the caseworker said if I can get someone to babysit the kids for that appointment I should be able to get a babysitter for me to get a job. Ugh. I didn't tell her I was using FS to pay said babysitter. To supplement my (lack of) income, my mom sent me money every month. I stupidly told the caseworker this, thinking she'd increase my monthly stipend to make ends meet, but alas, the following month, that exact amount was deducted from my monthly income! I had to go back and tell them my mom couldn't afford it anymore so I could get what I was getting. Seems the guidelines were perhaps a bit more strict years ago - before the Clinton overhaul and before all the changes that came later that were supposed to save the states money! Not!

I strongly believe in the welfare system, however, I feel there is much too much abuse and fraud out there. And, I'll go down on record as also saying I believe in mandated birth control while one is collecting. If you can't afford it, you shouldn't be having any more children, dearie. And, while I'm at it, I'll also state that I feel that each recipient should have to take a physical with-blood work to check for drug use. Randomly. And there should be mandated training and job placement still available. When I was on the dole, I called to find out about the JOBS program in NY at the time and the woman told me to call back when difficult child was 3!!! She was 18 months!! I told the woman that I had no interest in being on welfare for any longer than necessary and to please put in touch with someone who would get me into a program ASAP. Yeesh! Women who are not on welfare go back to work in 6-8 weeks, why can't a person on welfare? In fact, all those moms/dads collecting welfare should be part of the programs that watch other people's kids while the others go back to school/work. I see nothing wrong with providing opportunities for work while collecting. It's supposed to be a stepping stone, not a lifestyle. Sorry if I've bent anyone's feelers, but having been there and seen first hand the appalling abuse and fraud, I have strong opinions on this topic. I even wrote letters to the Reagan and Clinton. No response other than a form letter thanking me, which was as expected.

 

[keista]

or are you saying they can go to McDonalds and use food stamps?

This is the new trend!

Louisville-based Yum! Brands, whose restaurants include Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver's and Pizza Hut, is trying to get restaurants more involved, federal lobbying records show.

California, Arizona, Michigan and now Florida are allowing this.

The National Restaurant Association supports Yum!, said spokeswoman Katie Laning Niebaum, but the National Association of Convenience Stores does not.

This is all part of the irony. The convenience stores are now going to lobby against the restaurants having this privileged, because it will cut into their profits! I say start the program from scratch and model it like WIC.

And Janet, grabbing a quick snack because you MUST eat something is one of the reasons convenience stores started accepting FS, that and needing milk or eggs at 4am. And THAT I have no problem with. The most recent abuse I witnessed was 2 young males (late teens-early 20's) spent about $26 in snacks and drinks, and walked across the street to the internet/video game arcade.

 

[DDD]

I absolutely think WIC is one of the few valuable programs. The controls are there for assuring that children not only have access to healthy items but, I think it's still true, the children are checked on a regular basis to make sure that they are growing appropriately.

Honestly I wonder if the younger FS recipients even know how to shop for nutritional food. Also doubt that many of them know how to cook. Yeah, I know, it sounds like an old person gripe but I'm exposed to alot of young parents and the only time they eat anything other than chicken nuggets or hot dogs is when they go to their Mom's or their Grandparents house.

Personally I have to admit it really gripes me when GFGmom buys lobster, grocery store made subs and lots of already made salads from the deli. Maybe I am getting grumpy, lol. DDD

 

[DaisyFace]

Food stamps for fast food.....hmmmmm....

I guess when it comes right down to it - I'd rather NOT mandate what a person can buy or cannot buy. I don't know their life - I don't know their issues. Could they be eating healthier? Probably. Could they be eating cheaper? Probably.

But at the end of the day - so what? Am I really going so far as to resent a poor person because I do not "approve" of their food choices?

 

[AnnieO]

DF - good point... I can't argue that... Except when they then complain about all their health problems such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, but refuse to make changes in their diet...

 

[hearts and roses]

DF - good point... I can't argue that... Except when they then complain about all their health problems such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, but refuse to make changes in their diet...

Amen.

 

[flutterby]

When we stop giving subsidies and tax refunds to corporations making billions - with a "b" - in profits, I might start worrying about some poor person spending $10 on junk food.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Also doubt that many of them know how to cook.

This is more true than many people believe.
If you didn't have a homelife growing up... then who on earth would have taught you these things?

A friend-of-a-friend in another city got all up in arms about the "waste" that goes on when these kinds of people are given "real food". He was told: They don't know what to do with it. So, instead of giving the outfit $$, he offered to run a cooking class. He would take 10 people at a time, once a week - and give two courses the same night. 10 weeks. He did it for years... the hardest part was turning people away. There was NEVER enough room for the people who wanted to take it. They even had to restrict it to "one person per family"... BUT... anyone who went through the course was tracked by the agency, and these ones got MORE of the "good stuff" because they knew how to use it. This fellow was good enough to have been a chef (he worked in a whole different industry). The things he taught them were the things he learned from his grandma - depression-era cooking... soups, stews, chili, and so on. How to plan ahead for less work and less clean-up.

But there aren't many people left who both know how to do this stuff, AND have the time to do it, the ability to teach, and the health to take the pace.