# Myth: Food stamp users make poor shopping decisions



## primroselane (May 10, 2002)

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg sought federal permission to bar New York Cityâs 1.7 million recipients of food stamps from using them to buy soda or other sugared drinks. 

The request, made to the United States Department of Agriculture, which finances and sets the rules for the food-stamp program, is part of an aggressive anti-obesity push by the mayor that has also included advertisements, stricter rules on food sold in schools and an unsuccessful attempt to have the state impose a tax on the sugared drinks. 

Public health experts greeted Mr. Bloombergâs proposal cautiously. George Hacker, senior policy adviser for the health promotion project of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said a more equitable approach might be to use educational campaigns to dissuade food-stamp users from buying sugared drinks. 

In 2004, the Agriculture Department denied a request by Minnesota to prevent food-stamp recipients from buying junk food. The department said that the plan, which focused on candy and soda, among other foods, was based on questionable merits and would âperpetuate the mythâ that food-stamp users made poor shopping decisions. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39551076/ns/health-the_new_york_times/

How much should we spend to educate people on food stamps that sugared drinks can make one overweight or obese? How much should we spend to educate people on food stamps that being obese or overweight is bad? How come people on food stamps don't already know these things?


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## Beeman (Dec 29, 2002)

I don't think it's only "food stamp people" that either don't know these things or don't care. Just go to a supermarket and see what's marketed. A 2 litre of soda is 99 cents and a gallon of milk is $3-4. Soda makes the kids happy and that's all most parents care about food stamps or not. A box of Pop Tarts is $1.79 and is 200 calories per tart and no cooking required. See many TV commercials for broccoli or carrots?


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## mountainwmn (Sep 11, 2009)

Yup, all that junk food is much cheaper and especially if you are on food stamps you need cheap. I buy "real" food as much as I can, but I probably eat a .99 bag of chips for lunch 4 times a week.


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Myth??? What myth are they talking about? Casual observation would show all the junk food sold via EBT. Why not have a WIC type list of available foods? And don't tell me "They don't know how to cook", They can darn sure learn if they want to eat.

Time to go eat some of my $23 per 50 pounds rolled oats for breakfast. Do you know how many breakfasts you can make out of 50# of rolled oats?


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## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

Time to go eat some of my $23 per 50 pounds rolled oats for breakfast. Do you know how many breakfasts you can make out of 50# of rolled oats?[/QUOTE]

No idea . Oats are for horse's :hysterical:ound:


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

mountainwmn said:


> Yup, all that junk food is much cheaper and especially if you are on food stamps you need cheap. I buy "real" food as much as I can, but I probably eat a .99 bag of chips for lunch 4 times a week.


I hope you're not saying you eat chips because that's all you can afford. PB&J on whole wheat is just one option would be healthier and more filling and probably cheaper.


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

That's why I see those end-of-school year articles on how kids without access to school lunches will go hungry. A loaf of day-of-bread, jumbo size jar of peanut butter, large jar of jelly, a couple of pounds of baloone (sp?), hot dogs and buns and mac and cheese, all washed down with water, can give the kids a good feed - AND - they can large prepare them themselves.


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

My guess is that someone who is grabbing a bag of chips is doing it because they are out at lunchtime and it's cheaper than McDonald's. But that's not the same as not being able to afford something healthy. That's a convenience issue, a not planning ahead issue.


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

There used to be a program called Wick, not sure if it's around any more. They would give you coupons for free food, sort of like food stamps, but you could only get what was on the coupon. I think that would be a great idea for food stamps too. They could not be cashed , no change back, and needed to be used by the expiration date.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

Since the food stamp program is now electronic, I wonder if there is an actual breakdown of what percentage of the money is spent on junkfood verses real food? That would be interesting to see.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

If they can add extra taxes to the tab of those who pay cash for our candy bars they can darn sure put some rules and requlations to those who spend food stamps, payed for by those of us who spend cash.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

Beeman said:


> A 2 litre of soda is 99 cents and a gallon of milk is $3-4.


Actually in my part of Texas; Milk is 99 cents a gallon right now and (name brand) soda is $1.59 for 2 litres. O.J. is $3.49 for a half gal


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

My problem with these programs -- the blocking it on food stamps, the extra taxes, etc. -- is this: Where does it end? 

Sure we can sit here all day and we can probably all agree to a basic "logical" end to what is healthy and what is not. But when's the last time the government did anything logically? Butter is not healthy, but I bet most HT members would agree it's a staple. Vegetable oil is not healthy, cheese is not healthy, sausage is not healthy, juice is not healthy. Nothing, without moderation, is "healthy". So are we going to allow them to tax our butter and our oil and our cheese and our sausage and our juice and our....., too? 

I'm no more "for" the food stamp program than anyone else. Here in MI recently the big headline has been how "food stamp" recipients, who now actually receive money loaded monthly onto their "Bridge Card" instead of actual stamps, have been using those cards at ATM machines in casinos. There have been millions of dollars withdrawn from the food stamp fund at casinos and, presumably, used for gambling. One "expert" they interviewed on the news actually argued that it shouldn't be stopped because "we don't know they're using it for gambling. Maybe it's casino employees who are eligible and they just use the ATM at work rather than traveling to one off site." WHAT?!?! That is the biggest load of B.S. I've heard in a long time. But I digress, the point is, I'm not a fan of the food stamp system. Not at all. So don't go calling me a "stinkin' liberal" -- or whatever more creative names I know you all can come up with.  But I also am not for more governmental control and if we let them stick their fingers in food stamps or we let them stick their fingers in taxes on sodas and chips they'll have their fingers in everything else before we know it.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

olivehill said:


> There have been millions of dollars withdrawn from the food stamp fund at casinos and, presumably, used for gambling.


I have no doubt that it is a problem, only to clarify, at least in Oregon and I'm assuming Michigan (I think California also is having the same problem, withdrawing money at Casino's). There is a "bridge" program and still I think what we think of as "welfare" as in actual cash. It is a separate program from food stamps BUT the cards have both the "cash" and "food stamps" on one same card but they aren't interchangeable. Food stamps can only buy food, now IF they also receive cash assistance they can get that via an ATM but the two families I know that get huge food stamp assistance do not qualify for cash, so they can only buy food, period.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

Ken Scharabok said:


> That's why I see those end-of-school year articles on how kids without access to school lunches will go hungry. A loaf of day-of-bread, jumbo size jar of peanut butter, large jar of jelly, a couple of pounds of* baloone (sp?), *hot dogs and buns and mac and cheese, all washed down with water, can give the kids a good feed - AND - they can large prepare them themselves.


My bologna has a first name, it's OSCAR, my bologna has a last name, it's MEYER, oh I love to eat it everyday, and if you ask me I will say cause Oscar Meyer has a way with BOLOGNA.  That's the only reason I know how to spell it. LOL


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

wendle said:


> There used to be a program called Wick, not sure if it's around any more. They would give you coupons for free food, sort of like food stamps, but you could only get what was on the coupon. I think that would be a great idea for food stamps too. They could not be cashed , no change back, and needed to be used by the expiration date.


I know in some states they still have WIC and it's used to supplement the foodstamps.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

As olivehill said - where DOES it end?!?

I know many people are actually down on their luck and actually NEED the food stamps to eat. But how many people actually get food stamps - not because they NEED them, but because anything "free" helps them out. (And it's not actually free - it's taxpayer money.) Sometimes I have to wonder if all these programs should just be stopped. Their family can help them out (if they can and are willing) and if not, they just fend for themselves.

And yes, WIC is still very much alive. And people get it who really don't need it. 

I know of one young couple where both worked, and in addition they owned their house plus a duplex house they were renting out. I'm still trying to understand how two adults WITH jobs AND a duplex apartment that gave them monthly rent money - how they were eligible to begin with. But they were!!!!

Their child could not eat the regular formula that WIC provided the coupons for. So you know what they did? They used the coupons, bought the formula and then sold it over EBAY!

I know of people who go to the food pantry every week. They are given a box of food - everyone gets the same thing - and if there is something they don't want or "like" they have to take it anyway. How much stuff ends up in the garbage because the food pantry people don't "like it"? I would like to transport these people back in time to the Great Depression where back then they ate WHATEVER was edible - whether they "liked" it or not! 

If the government keeps giving you free stuff (and cash) what incentive do you have to actually go out and earn a living?

WHERE DOES IT END?!?


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## logbuilder (Jan 31, 2006)

I watch this guy on youtube. His most recent rant was about welfare being used on vacations. He is intense.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q4rTZuXkU8[/ame]


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Where does it end? When the parasites consume their hosts.


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

WIC stands for Woman, Infants and Children. Children need to be under a certain age. The recipient is given a fairly detailed list of what they can buy with the WIC card. Two I recall is they can only buy real fruit juices and non-sugared cereal. As I recall in Ohio, certain items were delivered, such as milk.

Once had five rental apartments. Of the three getting it at one time, two worked nights at a pole dancing place. The third was a professional companion. Rather attractive, she could accompany professional men to conferences and such.

From what I understand more and more benefits are being consolidated on a limited number of cards. Using the old terms, far as I know, Food Stamps and Welfare on the same card, with the register being able to read different balances.

For example, I don't think WIC includes diapers, but they can be bought off of the welfare portion, with the recipient only paying taxes on it. Food Stamps items are not taxed.

Wish someone was on most of the programs so they could clear up the what and hows.

Liike most, I do not regrudge those receiving the assistance expect I, along with many others, pay for it in the long run.


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## gideonprime (Oct 17, 2007)

mnn2501 said:


> Actually in my part of Texas; Milk is 99 cents a gallon right now and (name brand) soda is $1.59 for 2 litres. O.J. is $3.49 for a half gal


99cent Milk! Dang I gotta move.


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

if the mega corps would STOP lobbying to get their products listed for acceptable purchase with "*FOOD*" stamps this would be a NON ISSUE ... their products are NOT FOOD, they are food substitutes ...


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## limey (Sep 1, 2004)

Ken Scharabok said:


> A loaf of day-of-bread, jumbo size jar of peanut butter, large jar of jelly, a couple of pounds of baloone (sp?), hot dogs and buns and mac and cheese, all washed down with water, can give the kids a good feed - AND - they can large prepare them themselves.


Well, in my book, jelly, bologna, hot dogs, and mac and cheese are junk food. Not much different to soda. As for the person buying a 99c bag of chips for lunch - an apple would do you more good and would probably be cheaper!

Limey


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

limey said:


> As for the person buying a 99c bag of chips for lunch - an apple would do you more good and would probably be cheaper!
> 
> Limey


Not where live!

Where I live, 99 cents will get a grab bag of chips, or an apple, or a package of Bar-S hot dogs.


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

Assuming you aren't given .99/day for lunch, anyone should be able to do better than that. $5 at the beginning of the work week will buy bread, pb, a fresh fruit or veggie like bananas or carrots. That's without stepping into Aldi's where it would be even easier.


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

Regardless of what we all think of the merits of the food stamp system (and I'm one of those ranting against it) this is more an issue of how they are used.

It is astoundingly easy to find out every single item purchased on a EBT card. In terms of information they work exactly like your savings and discount card.

Just like when you swipe your discount card it automatically triggers a new set of prices for the card holders, an EBT card swipe automatically sets in the purchase restrictions. That means that they get a total at the end they owe for cash for anything that was rejected.

So..the REAL question becomes; why aren't they sharing this information with those who pay these bills?

And you can look all you like. I've made FOIA requests for the info and all sorts of stuff but they claim they don't collect that information. Bull. Of course they do.

And it is as easy as disqualifying cig purchases with the card to disqualify any other food.

In fact, it is easier to have a list of approved foods than you would believe. VERY simple.

Yet they don't? 

Because the lower classes who thrive on leeching on society are the backbones of the junk food market and everyone knows it. If those companies had to actually get their product nutritionally qualified to be on the Food Stamp list most would go broke. 

Clearly there is a WHOLE lot of dirty in this whole business; from the trashy people who fill their carts with junk and ask you and I to pay for it to the companies that market the trash for them to buy with your money.


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## country4me (Apr 10, 2008)

I work at a large "superstore" & see lots of abuse. 

One that really bothers me is when people use their foodstamp/ebt card & get cash back. That is understandable for diapers, soap, etc. but what about when that money is then used for beer or cigarettes........

I may have posted about the time 2 ladies went thru my line & bought over $130 worth of Easter candy for their children & paid for ALL of it with food stamps. Just wonder if the kids were hungry for "real" food at the end of that month. 

Lots of holes in the system-wish there was an easy answer.....


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

gideonprime said:


> 99cent Milk! Dang I gotta move.


Me too! The kefir grains are getting $3+/gal. milk, a qt./day! I don't remember the last time I've seen 99 cent milk.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

ChristyACB said:


> to the companies that market the trash for them to buy with your money.


Christy, great post and I agree 100% It's like the articles I've read about the "intentional" setting up alcohol/cigarette/"loan-shark" businesses in very poor neighborhoods. I know people should be able to make good decisions, but it seems like many companies prey on the situations, and weaknesses of the very poorest among us.


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

country4me said:


> One that really bothers me is when people use their foodstamp/ebt card & get cash back. That is understandable for diapers, soap, etc. but what about when that money is then used for beer or cigarettes........
> 
> I may have posted about the time 2 ladies went thru my line & bought over $130 worth of Easter candy for their children & paid for ALL of it with food stamps. Just wonder if the kids were hungry for "real" food at the end of that month.


My question is, can you tell they were using food stamps? Isn't cash assistance credited to the same card?


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

primroselane said:


> The department said that the plan, which focused on candy and soda, among other foods, was based on questionable merits and would âperpetuate the mythâ that food-stamp users made poor shopping decisions.


No government entity is going to tick off the corn syrup manufacturers! They have the money and an army of people who make darn sure the interests of their companies are put before ANY health concerns of the common man, much less people who have very little money. 
I'm not crazy about supporting multiple generations of welfare precipitants, but they don't carry the blame alone. There are MANY big businesses who wouldn't want the status quo to change AT ALL.


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

I hope Mayor Bloomburg gets the go-ahead for this just so we can see what happens.


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

i will ask this again.....
Why should YOU decide what i buy for my family? 
Where does it stop?
there is already restrictions in food stamps and they are enough, I am sorry you people feel like this but really, how would you feel if someone walked up to you and said "you cannot buy such and such" I have had dirty looks for buying soda and i have had dirty looks for buying any meat but tuna (gag me), so where does it stop? Should you be able to decide wich milk i buy? what kind of eggs? which brand of oatmeal? Or how about how much i can buy? Can i only buy 2 loafs of bread a month? 2 gallons of milk? 1 bag/box of cereal. honstly where does it stop? and exactly WHAT gives you the right to decide? because you pay into the system? So do i so does all that i know that are on food stamps. why cant WE decide what we can buy for meal?


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## primroselane (May 10, 2002)

pastelsummer said:


> i will ask this again.....
> Why should YOU decide what i buy for my family?


I shouldn't, UNLESS you buy it with my money. And I have to pay for the medical consequences of your dysfunctional and/or ignorant behavior.


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## country4me (Apr 10, 2008)

JanS said:


> My question is, can you tell they were using food stamps? Isn't cash assistance credited to the same card?


The cash came off their foodstamp / ebt card. They have a balance for food & a balance for cash. 

Just bothers me that any money for assistance of any kind can be used for beer or cigarettes.....


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

Ken Scharabok said:


> *Wish someone was on most of the programs so they could clear up the what and hows.*
> 
> Liike most, I do not regrudge those receiving the assistance expect I, along with many others, pay for it in the long run.


I doubt you will get your wish. Anyone trying to clear it up would get bludgeoned by the rest of the anti-foodstamp crowd and called dysfunctional and ignorant. Just look at posts 33 and 34 for evidence of that.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

Paumon said:


> I doubt you will get your wish. Anyone trying to clear it up would get bludgeoned by the rest of the anti-foodstamp crowd and called dysfunctional and ignorant. Just look at posts 33 and 34 for evidence of that.


I'm not anti-foodstamp. I think that there is a part of every society that should be taken care of....the elderly, the disabled, children (not their able bodied parents). I won't call anyone dysfunctional or ignorant, but I agree that those in society who do pay the bills have the right to know what their money is spent on, and have the right to voice an opinion when food stamp money is spent on potato chips and soda (or pop, depending on where you're from). That's not being mean spirited or anything else. There just needs to be some controls and accountability in case the person in the checkout line chooses not to make good choices.


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

pastelsummer said:


> i will ask this again.....
> Why should YOU decide what i buy for my family?
> Where does it stop?
> there is already restrictions in food stamps and they are enough, I am sorry you people feel like this but really, how would you feel if someone walked up to you and said "you cannot buy such and such" I have had dirty looks for buying soda and i have had dirty looks for buying any meat but tuna (gag me), so where does it stop? Should you be able to decide wich milk i buy? what kind of eggs? which brand of oatmeal? Or how about how much i can buy? Can i only buy 2 loafs of bread a month? 2 gallons of milk? 1 bag/box of cereal. honstly where does it stop? and exactly WHAT gives you the right to decide? because you pay into the system? So do i so does all that i know that are on food stamps. why cant WE decide what we can buy for meal?


The day you required that my money go into your purchases and used the government to force that money from me is the day you decided that I (and all the others out there who pay) are your guardians.

That's NOT to say that you didn't pay into the system, are having a hard time and are now collecting for a short period. That is how it was intended. NEVERTHELESS, when you decided you had to go on the dole for your food, you gave up the right to spend it any way you like. Just like any other charity.


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

ChristyACB said:


> The day you required that my money go into your purchases and used the government to force that money from me is the day you decided that I (and all the others out there who pay) are your guardians.
> 
> That's NOT to say that you didn't pay into the system, are having a hard time and are now collecting for a short period. That is how it was intended. NEVERTHELESS, when you decided you had to go on the dole for your food, you gave up the right to spend it any way you like. Just like any other charity.


Exactly.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2010)

Melissa said:


> Since the food stamp program is now electronic, I wonder if there is an actual breakdown of what percentage of the money is spent on junkfood verses real food? That would be interesting to see.


I can't find that information, except for the tidbit that $4 Billion a year of food stamps are spent on carbonated beverages. But I do have some observations to impart, from which anyone can draw their own conclusions.

*1st:* on the subject of using food stamps frugally.

Some extensive research was carried out recently. The results are disturbing.

Regardless of whether we are talking food stamps or cash, people who shop frugally tend to watch sales, and at least sometimes use cents-off coupons.

80% of coupons are redeemed by the 20% wealthiest of the population.

Grocery stores in affluent areas see the largest number of coupons redeemed.

Grocery stores in economically depressed areas see the smallest number of coupons redeemed.

(as an aside- when you are printing coupons off the internet from the standard sites - coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com - they want your zipcode so they can personalize your selection for your area. Experienced coupon users have learned that you get the best coupons by putting in the zip code for Beverly Hills. No kidding!).

*2nd:* on the subject of using food stamps healthfully.

If you have an opportunity, and if you dare, visit the grocery stores in the inner cities (and DO NOT go after dark!!). It will vary by neighborhood and by region, but as a general rule, these stores look like oversized convenience stores.

The produce section will be very small or non-existent.

Staples will be very limited. If there's a sizeable Hispanic and/or elderly population in the area, you will see dry beans, bags of rice, and such things as that. Otherwise, you will see very little or none of these items.

You will see lots of small size items, such as tiny jars of mayo, tiny boxes of laundry detergent, tiny bags of sugar, and all sorts of standard items in miniature. More tiny sizes than regular sizes for a lot of items. You will see things you didn't even know come in tiny versions.

You will see HUMONGOUS displays of soft drinks, chips, candy, cookies, snack cakes, and other junk foods. In many inner city neighborhoods/regions, the amount of junk foods in the stores WAY overwhelms the amount of "regular" foods.

My own personal observation in multiple cities- the poorer the neighborhood, the greater percentage of food sold in the grocery stores is JUNK.

And get this, the pet food aisle will have a lot of expensive premium brands of canned dog food.

Grocery stores carry what sells.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

ladycat said:


> And get this, the pet food aisle will have a lot of expensive premium brands of canned dog food.
> 
> Grocery stores carry what sells.


Because people who can't afford more expensive meat for human consumption can afford the better brands of dog food. It's not just dogs eating it. Canned dog food is an old standby for poor people and homeless people. You just don't often hear about people eating dog food because most of them wouldn't want to admit it.

.


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

naturelover said:


> Because people who can't afford more expensive meat for human consumption can afford the better brands of dog food. It's not just dogs eating it. Canned dog food is an old standby for poor people and homeless people. You just don't often hear about people eating dog food because most of them wouldn't want to admit it.
> 
> .


yeah, I'm not so sure they're spending 5 bucks to eat 4 tiny cups of dog ice cream. What you're saying doesn't fly. Over and over that's been shown to be urban myth. Eating cans of cheap tuna is actually less than premium cat food.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2010)

ChristyACB said:


> yeah, I'm not so sure they're spending 5 bucks to eat 4 tiny cups of dog ice cream. What you're saying doesn't fly. Over and over that's been shown to be urban myth. Eating cans of cheap tuna is actually less than premium cat food.


If it were a matter of going cheap, chicken would be wayyyyyyyy cheaper than canned dog food.


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

Yes, but chicken takes a bit of skill to complete. Not a out-of-the-can and eat product.
I've look at the nutrition label of some cans of dog food and they seem pretty good. Comes down to a survival sitation, I'm going to go one-of-one with Fido, and then Fido may be the next meal.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2010)

Ken Scharabok said:


> Yes, but chicken takes a bit of skill to complete. Not a out-of-the-can and eat product.
> I've look at the nutrition label of some cans of dog food and they seem pretty good. Comes down to a survival sitation, I'm going to go one-of-one with Fido, and then Fido may be the next meal.


In that case cheap dog food would make more sense than that ridiculously expensive stuff.


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## RedHeadedTricia (Jun 20, 2006)

ok I have a couple cents to add to this issue...
I am currnetly on Food Stamps here in Michigan $200 monthly, I sit down at the beginning of the month and write up menus and a grocery list. And I stick to it. I allow myself some pop (do use the recycle dimes I get as Gas Money for rides but that is only $2 or $3 a month) but no other "junk" food....candy, cookies, snacky cakes, etc. When I have them given to me I use coupons as I can't afford to spend $2.00 everyweek for a newspaper. They do help in the slightest bit but not a whole lot. For what I call my extras I get brick of cheese and some tricuit crackers... and only if and after I get my meals. I run with a calculator the whole time I'm shopping. I buy the stuff to make my own bread--yeast,flour (including whole wheat) I buy my eggs in a 5 doz. box, and try to buy things in either family size so I can get a couple of meals to stretch or most time--store brands... now this is at a "big box" store. If there is a "big" holiday, I try to do my shopping during the "whatever day sale". I don't buy my meat there... I buy at my little hometown market as the meat is of better quality and I try to do an assorted meat bundle--who gets it from across the street from the butcher--so it is much fresher without the carbon monoxide (?) that is injected to the "big box" store meat to make it look pretty and fresher than it really is. They will package it into specific request... ie: 1/2# for burger or 2 chicken bnls breast, two porkchops, etc for me but even that is still over $100. in just meat, so there is half my foodstamp allottment. Now I don't qualify for the "cash" benefits...so I have a friend that makes sure that he gets me a large pack of toilet paper for the month, and some cheap cleaning supplies and other monthly Non-food items when He happens to go to a "warehouse store" because I can't and has to help me pay my regular house bills so that I have heat and lights. I don't go anywhere as I can't afford to keep a vehicle legal, thank goodness he is willing to make sure I can get to the doctors and the grocery store once a month, but as long as he is able too. I have been on Foodstamps before and that was when my 2 girls were 5 & 6 and living with me, but it use to be that cigs and alcohol are not allowed and they can't buy them. It won't pay for them....

As for the WIC program... up here... women can get it only if pregnant and children up to the age of 5... I can't get that either. 

And on top of that I can't work because I'm under doctor's care for extreme hyperthyroidism but still don't qualify for any kind of medical or SS benefits either. So Foodstamps are the only way I eat... those who need the help can't get it... then there are those who abuse it that can get it.... go figure! I don't want to recieve Foodstamps like I have for the last year, but I just don't have a choice. The only reason I have a laptop is that it is 4th gen. hand-me-down, without a printer so I can't even print coupons out. I hate to depend on others--but I will do what I can in order to eat. 

RedHeadedTricia


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2010)

RedHeadedTricia said:


> I am currnetly on Food Stamps here in Michigan $200 monthly, I sit down at the beginning of the month and write up menus and a grocery list.


There are many people who DO use food stamps wisely. I've known plenty IRL, and if you hang out at the coupon forums, you will see lots of those people are on food stamps. Many of them ended up there (at the coupon forums) because they were having so much difficulty making their food stamps stretch out for the month. They would buy only the basics, lots of cheap starches, in the store brands. 

Their extreme couponing has allowed them to have an abundantly healthy diet of whole grains, veggies, etc, and they even get stocked up ahead.

It also helps them that they have learned how to get most of their non-food needs for free (cleaning, personal care etc). This is a tremendous help to them. They are able to go from poverty-stricken and struggling to having some room to breathe and a little to fall back on, even though their income and bills are the same. Sometimes they joke that they've gotten spoiled to name brands.

So you definitely can't put all food stamp recipients in the same category. I've seen plenty of both extremes.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

ChristyACB said:


> yeah, I'm not so sure they're spending 5 bucks to eat 4 tiny cups of dog ice cream. What you're saying doesn't fly. Over and over that's been shown to be urban myth. Eating cans of cheap tuna is actually less than premium cat food.





> If it were a matter of going cheap, chicken would be wayyyyyyyy cheaper than canned dog food.


I think perhaps some of you would simply prefer not to believe that you have some of your own citizens eating pet foods and just call it an urban myth because it goes against your sense of pride. Perhaps some of you should put your pride aside and open your eyes.

If it happens here in a country that is doing so much better economically than America, then you can bet your life it's happening in America on a much bigger scale.

I know that prices of canned pet foods are lower prices in the States than in Canada but I don't think they're more expensive than their equivalents in canned food for humans. 

I work as a life skills instructor with homeless people and with seniors on limited incomes and single moms on welfare. None of them have the luxury of food stamps or WIC, those kinds of social programs don't exist in Canada. Many of those people eat pet foods. 

A large can of dog food labelled "Beef Stew", with the chunks of beef and cooked carrots and potatoes in gravy will sell here for $1.39. The equivalent for humans, a large can of ready to heat "Chunky Beef Stew" with basically similar but higher quality ingredients, sells for twice the price or more, anywhere from $2.79 to $3.29.

A small can of "gourmet" chicken, beef or tuna for cats sells for 77 cents on sale at Safeway. The same size can of tuna, beef or chicken for humans sells for $1.69 or more.

People who can't afford the more pricey pet foods will buy the cans of solid meat paste, take it out of the can and mix it with a few other ingredients for filler and some seasonings then make patties or meatballs out of it and fry it or include it with meatloaf, casseroles or spaghetti.

.


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

It may happen in some areas. Here, at 58 cents, it's cheaper to buy people tuna for my cats than to buy canned cat food.


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## sirquack (Feb 18, 2009)

RedHeadedTricia said:


> The only reason I have a laptop is that it is 4th gen. hand-me-down, without a printer so I can't even print coupons out. I hate to depend on others--but I will do what I can in order to eat.
> 
> RedHeadedTricia


I am glad you are at least able to get the food stamps for your needs. A suggestion for you, check with your local library to see if they have printers on their internet computers. Some will let you print a certain number of pages (coupons) per day for nothing. It might be a way to save a few more dollars to spread your limited funds even further. 
And it might sound petty, but talk to friends and co-workers about getting their coupons from papers they get that they wont use. Here in Iowa, we get twice weekly shoppers at our house and each of them contain coupons. I share mine with friends who are not as fortunate as I.


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

naturelover said:


> I think perhaps some of you would simply prefer not to believe that you have some of your own citizens eating pet foods and just call it an urban myth because it goes against your sense of pride. Perhaps some of you should put your pride aside and open your eyes.
> 
> If it happens here in a country that is doing so much better economically than America, then you can bet your life it's happening in America on a much bigger scale.
> 
> ...


Sad...just sad. Are you helping them learn to budget, cook real human food? How to shop sales and make a meal last? What exactly is a life skills instructor?


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

TJN66 said:


> Sad...just sad. Are you helping them learn to budget, cook real human food? How to shop sales and make a meal last? What exactly is a life skills instructor?


Yes. Life skills is what it sounds like - teaching skills that enable poor people and people with special needs to live better quality and healthier lives. I teach them budgeting, couponing, showing them where are the least expensive places to shop for food, clothing, household needs. I teach healthy cooking and how to stretch a meal, how to stretch a dollar. How to do their own minor home repairs, how to grow a garden and what are the best foods to grow for this climate. Also teaching things like essential medical, health and hygiene practises according to their individual needs. Street kids and single teenage moms get assessed for occupational skills and taught new skills that will help them to find employment. I help them to access other human resources programs that are available to them and their children. I also work with rehabilitating homeless people (mostly street kids), drug addicts, prostitutes, and I do rehab work, counselling and skills training with battered women and their children in women's shelters. Disabled seniors and other people who've had accidents, illnesses or disabling surgeries and must learn how to live differently to accomodate their handicaps. I have a number of other duties that fits into the category of Life Skills Instructor, including training and supervising other people who are learning to be Life Skills Instructors, but the above listed are the basics of the job. I guess you could say it's kind of like a 'jack-of-all-trades' type of social work - social workers refer people to me to teach them what the social workers can't teach them. 

.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

> George Hacker, senior policy adviser for the health promotion project of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said a more equitable approach might be to use educational campaigns to dissuade food-stamp users from buying sugared drinks.


The only way that would make sense is if they were spending their own money. 

They should only be able to get whole, unprocessed foods. And there should be education offered on how to prepare food as many people don't know basic skills like that today.

The way God had it set up, you left your field to produce what it will every 7 years, rest the land. Whatever it produced the poor could come and harvest. Also, you didn't glean you fields, you didn't harvest the corners, if you forgot a sheaf, you left it. This way a person had a chance to get out and work for some food and didn't have to starve but didn't have everything done for them either. Much better system.


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

naturelover said:


> Yes. Life skills is what it sounds like - teaching skills that enable poor people and people with special needs to live better quality and healthier lives. I teach them budgeting, couponing, showing them where are the least expensive places to shop for food, clothing, household needs. I teach healthy cooking and how to stretch a meal, how to stretch a dollar. How to do their own minor home repairs, how to grow a garden and what are the best foods to grow for this climate. Also teaching things like essential medical, health and hygiene practises according to their individual needs. Street kids and single teenage moms get assessed for occupational skills and taught new skills that will help them to find employment. I help them to access other human resources programs that are available to them and their children. I also work with rehabilitating homeless people (mostly street kids), drug addicts, prostitutes, and I do rehab work, counselling and skills training with battered women and their children in women's shelters. Disabled seniors and other people who've had accidents, illnesses or disabling surgeries and must learn how to live differently to accomodate their handicaps. I have a number of other duties that fits into the category of Life Skills Instructor, including training and supervising other people who are learning to be Life Skills Instructors, but the above listed are the basics of the job. I guess you could say it's kind of like a 'jack-of-all-trades' type of social work - social workers refer people to me to teach them what the social workers can't teach them.
> 
> .


Do you find that people really want to better themselves? Or are some mandated to take the life skills classes you offer? Or is it totally voluntary? Interesting field you are in. I think something like this should be taught in schools too. Like home ec/shop sort of thing. Just thinking off the top of my head.


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

Don't know if this is true or not, but told to me as true. Some years ago now the Senior Citizens had a drive to collect monies to buy turkeys for the needy for Thanksgiving. When it come time to give them out, they couldn't find anyone willing to cook the thing. They ended up dividing them among themselves.

Now, had they delivered a cook turkey with trimmings, then maybe..


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2010)

Ken Scharabok said:


> Don't know if this is true or not, but told to me as true. Some years ago now the Senior Citizens had a drive to collect monies to buy turkeys for the needy for Thanksgiving. When it come time to give them out, they couldn't find anyone willing to cook the thing. They ended up dividing them among themselves.
> 
> Now, had they delivered a cook turkey with trimmings, then maybe..


Boy can I believe it!!!


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

TJN66 said:


> Do you find that people really want to better themselves? Or are some mandated to take the life skills classes you offer? Or is it totally voluntary? Interesting field you are in. I think something like this should be taught in schools too. Like home ec/shop sort of thing. Just thinking off the top of my head.


Yes, I think most people I deal with want to better themselves, especially those who know they can't go any further downhill than they already are (except to die). Most of them are enthusiastic to get involved in life skills training programs. Those who have given up on themselves, who are so dispirited and feel they are worthless need to have the positive qualities, talents and skills they possess within themselves pointed out to them and nurtured in order to help them regain self-esteem and confidence in themselves. Some people are so totally lacking in hope, motivation and the will to survive that they need a different kind of skills and confidence training than what I or my colleagues can offer them, plus they need a lot more one-on-one interaction with counsellors. People like that get dealt with by different agencies.

Some programs are mandated for certain people. For example younger able bodied, single people with no dependents who apply for welfare will be eligible for welfare but they're mandated to take skills and occupational training so they can get jobs and get out of the welfare system as quickly as possible. People like that have a time limit for being eligible for welfare and for taking advantage of the skills training programs offered to them. 

Battered women, prostitutes and single or divorced moms with very young non-school age children still at home aren't required to look for jobs but they are strongly encouraged to take advantage of all skills and social training programs available to them. Once their kids are all in school then they are mandated to attend skills and occupational training programs. We don't have a lot of single welfare moms who keep on having babies in order to stay on the welfare system - they don't ever get enough on welfare to make it worth their while. Their classes and training, transportation and child-care costs while they're going to school is paid for (or subsidized in one way or another) and they mostly look forward to getting out into the work force once all their children are in school. They do want to improve themselves and are motivated to do so. Of course there will always be some few who are too ill or mentally challenged to take advantage of the training programs or get out into the work force, and some who have learned how to "play" the system, but they are few and far between.

.


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## ChristyACB (Apr 10, 2008)

naturelover said:


> I think perhaps some of you would simply prefer not to believe that you have some of your own citizens eating pet foods and just call it an urban myth because it goes against your sense of pride. Perhaps some of you should put your pride aside and open your eyes.
> 
> If it happens here in a country that is doing so much better economically than America, then you can bet your life it's happening in America on a much bigger scale.
> 
> ...


I think you're whistling dixie over there. I just went to farm fresh for milk and that isn't a cheap store. So I strolled down the pet food aisle and it's .69 for the cheapest 5 oz can of tuna meal for cats and the cheapest can of tuna for humans of the same size is.....wait for it.....49.

A normal can (12 or 13 oz? I can't remember) of dog food was 1.19. The can of spagettios or spagetti and meatballs by chef boy r dee was...wait for it....89.

The days of cheaper eating fido chunks are over for all but those who have actual mental problems and can't figure out that is dog food.


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

primroselane said:


> I shouldn't, UNLESS you buy it with my money. And I have to pay for the medical consequences of your dysfunctional and/or ignorant behavior.





ChristyACB said:


> The day you required that my money go into your purchases and used the government to force that money from me is the day you decided that I (and all the others out there who pay) are your guardians.
> 
> That's NOT to say that you didn't pay into the system, are having a hard time and are now collecting for a short period. That is how it was intended. NEVERTHELESS, when you decided you had to go on the dole for your food, you gave up the right to spend it any way you like. Just like any other charity.


by your own words since i paid in it is MY money also so again what give the right? I put MY money into it that means it is MY money i am spending also. So by your own words since it is MY money i am spending you have absolutely no right to tell me what to buy


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

christy you say that makes you my gaurdian ok. get up here and truely be my gaurdian, pay my bills take me to the dr pay that bill buy my toilet paper, my diapers for my kids. 
YOU ARE NOT my gaurdian. 

You have a problem with buy expensive foods....... what about the problem of allergies, my sisters on of foodstam ps one is on disabilty and her husband is applying because he has severe sight problems. They have a son with celiacs and a daughter with allergies to corn.wheat.soy.peanuts.and oranges you try to buy cheap for those kids!
My other sister her husband was a miner and lost his job he now works any job he can get but they are 99% temp jobs that barely make minimum wage try feeding a family of six plus all the bills on that. PLUS she has a 3 y/o who has problems maintaining her weight and takes in a minimum of 2x thecalories a normal child her size would. A friend i have has a son who no matter what she feeds him he has times that he has crashes from low blood sugars so she will buy a couple things of candy to give him enough of a spike that he can come out of it enought to eat a high protien food. My point here is that you NEVER know what is going on and why people buy what they do. if you put those restrictions on them how can they feed the kids what they need? I pray for all of you with these attitudes that you NEVER reach the depths that some of these people have. because i honestly dont think you would be able to handle it


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

ChristyACB said:


> I think you're whistling dixie over there.
> 
> The can of spagettios or spagetti and meatballs by chef boy r dee was...wait for it....89.
> 
> The days of cheaper eating fido chunks are over for all but those who have actual mental problems and can't figure out that is dog food.


I think you're being insulting. 

I also think you're in denial, perhaps because of the somewhat more affluent lifestyle your specialized job allows you to live in.

Do you really equate a can of spahettios & meatballs as being good food with a high protein content? That stuff is cheap junk food designed to fill you up and make you fat and sick. I wouldn't feed it to my dog.

.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

pastelsummer said:


> by your own words since i paid in it is MY money also so again what give the right? I put MY money into it that means it is MY money i am spending also. So by your own words since it is MY money i am spending you have absolutely no right to tell me what to buy


Good point, but you know what, it's not worth it to try to justify yourself to the posters that you quoted, it'll be falling on deaf ears. Just saying .... :gaptooth:

.


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

yeah i am realizing that they are to stubborn and stuck on thierselves


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

naturelover said:


> I think you're being insulting.
> 
> I also think you're in denial, perhaps because of the somewhat more affluent lifestyle your specialized job allows you to live in.
> 
> ...


Ok, re-read what you just wrote. You're comparing spaghettios & meatballs and dog food with the dog food coming out as the "good food with a high protein content".

You also ignored the part where she (and earlier, I) posted that tuna is cheaper than the same-size can of cat food in our areas. Do you have a problem with tuna as well? 

Isn't it possible that you're right about what's happening in your country and others who live in America are right about what's happening in their country?


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2010)

naturelover said:


> I think you're being insulting.
> 
> I also think you're in denial, perhaps because of the somewhat more affluent lifestyle your specialized job allows you to live in.
> 
> ...


Christy's point was, that if people are eating dogfood because it's cheap, there are actually cheaper human food choices.


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## NamasteMama (Jul 24, 2009)

limey said:


> Well, in my book, jelly, bologna, hot dogs, and mac and cheese are junk food. Not much different to soda. As for the person buying a 99c bag of chips for lunch - an apple would do you more good and would probably be cheaper!
> 
> Limey


 I agree, totally junk food. Might as well add a soda to wash it down if your eating crap like that.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

JanS said:


> Ok, re-read what you just wrote. You're comparing spaghettios & meatballs and dog food with the dog food coming out as the "good food with a high protein content".
> 
> You also ignored the part where she (and earlier, I) posted that tuna is cheaper than the same-size can of cat food in our areas. Do you have a problem with tuna as well?
> 
> Isn't it possible that you're right about what's happening in your country and others who live in America are right about what's happening in their country?


First of all, I was talking about people eating *high quality* dog food, not *cheap* dog food and not cheap junky human food. Would you feed your dogs potato chips and cheap canned spaghettios to meet their protein requirements?

Yes, I have a problem with tuna too. You are comparing prices. Have you also compared quality and nutrition counts? What is most important to you - quality and essential nutrient needs or cheapness?

Yes, it's possible I'm right about what's happening where I live and some of you are more knowledgeable about where you live and what the economy and poverty is like where you live. You have 10 times the population there and 10 times the problems so obviously I don't know about all of it. Do you? But I can tell you I've done some extensive travelling/visiting through the states and some of the places I've visited .... the quality and type of food that some people in some places are forced to eat to survive is appalling and I met several who included dog food in their diets.

If you think there are no poor people in your country have the smarts to include higher quality dog food in their diets over junk food then I think you're in denial too.



Ladycat said:


> Christy's point was, that if people are eating dogfood because it's cheap, there are actually cheaper human food choices.


Well here we go back to that whole thing about being cheap. She only focused on what was cheap. Not on what was quality. Cheap. Do you realize that America has the cheapest food prices in the world? Do you know why that is? It's because people demand cheap and are willing to compromise or sacrifice quality over cheap .... and so that's what they get. Cheap. It's a sad example when you have a place that puts more value on the cost and quality of the food they feed their dogs over what humans are expected to eat for the sake of cheapness.

How cheap can people get before it endangers your health .... and your economy? Where do you draw the line on being cheap?

.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

primroselane said:


> How much should we spend to educate people on food stamps that sugared drinks can make one overweight or obese? How much should we spend to educate people on food stamps that being obese or overweight is bad? How come people on food stamps don't already know these things?


You should stop being cheap and should be teaching these things to children while they're in school. It's too late to re-educate most of the older adults who are already on your food stamps system, they've already been totally indoctrinated into the cheap is better lifestyle. People on food stamps are not all as stupid as you would have them be and many of the younger people can still be educated. You shouldn't pride yourself so much on what you think are your higher standards of living, your standards are still cheap by comparison with many other people. If you don't like what food stampers don't know then volunteer some of your time to help educate people instead of cranky moaning and complaining about what they don't know.

.


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## Bigkat80 (Jan 16, 2007)

pastelsummer said:


> christy you say that makes you my gaurdian ok. get up here and truely be my gaurdian, pay my bills take me to the dr pay that bill buy my toilet paper, my diapers for my kids.
> YOU ARE NOT my gaurdian.
> 
> You have a problem with buy expensive foods....... what about the problem of allergies, my sisters on of foodstam ps one is on disabilty and her husband is applying because he has severe sight problems. They have a son with celiacs and a daughter with allergies to corn.wheat.soy.peanuts.and oranges you try to buy cheap for those kids!
> My other sister her husband was a miner and lost his job he now works any job he can get but they are 99% temp jobs that barely make minimum wage try feeding a family of six plus all the bills on that. PLUS she has a 3 y/o who has problems maintaining her weight and takes in a minimum of 2x thecalories a normal child her size would. A friend i have has a son who no matter what she feeds him he has times that he has crashes from low blood sugars so she will buy a couple things of candy to give him enough of a spike that he can come out of it enought to eat a high protien food. My point here is that you NEVER know what is going on and why people buy what they do. if you put those restrictions on them how can they feed the kids what they need? I pray for all of you with these attitudes that you NEVER reach the depths that some of these people have. because i honestly dont think you would be able to handle it


I think you were asked before if you can barely feed your family why according to your sigline do you have tons of fur babies:? I didnt catch the answer the last time?


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## Bigkat80 (Jan 16, 2007)

naturelover said:


> I think you're being insulting.
> 
> I also think you're in denial, perhaps because of the somewhat more affluent lifestyle your specialized job allows you to live in.
> 
> ...


BUt its cheaper and better than eating dog food....thats the point! Who eats alpo when they can for less money eat chefboyardee? thats insane logic and I dont buy it.....


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

naturelover said:


> First of all, I was talking about people eating *high quality* dog food, not *cheap* dog food and not cheap junky human food. Would you feed your dogs potato chips and cheap canned spaghettios to meet their protein requirements?
> 
> Yes, I have a problem with tuna too. You are comparing prices. Have you also compared quality and nutrition counts? What is most important to you - quality and essential nutrient needs or cheapness?


Now you're saying TUNA has less quality and nutrients than dog food? ound: Remember when two different people posted that tuna was cheaper in our areas than tuna-flavored cat food? You're REALLY trying to tell us that tuna-flavored cat food is more nutritious than tuna?

You're coming across as the type of person who is so determined to be right that you change arguments every time you're challenged. First you say people eat dog food because it's all they can afford. Then you tell us poor people are too choosy about nutrition to eat cheaper foods like spaghettios. The way I remember "poor" was being happy to have two meals a day and yes, I'd have taken two cans of spaghettios over one can of anything.


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2010)

naturelover said:


> Well here we go back to that whole thing about being cheap. She only focused on what was cheap. Not on what was quality. Cheap.





Bigkat80 said:


> BUt its cheaper and better than eating dog food....thats the point! Who eats alpo when they can for less money eat chefboyardee? thats insane logic and I dont buy it.....


The thing is, there are people who have to buy the cheap starches in order to have enough to eat. 

This is especially true of the working poor, who either get no food stamps at all, or, based on their income (but not based on their expenses), they get a very limited amount of food stamps.

It's either beans, rice, and macaroni, or it's not enough to eat. That's the choice they have to make.


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

I should add that I'm a vegetarian so dog food, cat food, tuna, spaghettios with meatballs, none of that would be in my shopping cart. I could get a bag of brown rice and a bag of dried beans for the price of two cans of dog food and it would last me longer. A dozen eggs would feed me as long as those two cans.


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

read the whole thread...saw a lot of folks standing firm on black and white.

There really is a whole lot of gray on this issue. And not ONE good really quick fix, not one size fits all. Its like using a broad spectrum pesticide to kill half the bugs; you get the good with the bad.

There IS fraud and abuse as well as misuse in the welfare/food programs. There will always be that segment of our population that will abuse the system for gain(getting something for nothing). There is also that segment of our population that will not apply for help because of pride until forced to; also those who need but fall thru the cracks in the system.

I don't have THE answer. I can see that the proponents of both sides have their points. The situation we are all placed in is wrong. I/we should not have to pay for the abuse in the system. Those truely in NEED should be helped and then helped out of the system. Those who can't ever survive without the system thru no fault of their own, should be cared for. I wear glasses but the lenses are not rose colored. I see all of these social problems getting far worse before it ever gets better.


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2010)

bee said:


> read the whole thread...saw a lot of folks standing firm on black and white.
> 
> There really is a whole lot of gray on this issue. And not ONE good really quick fix, not one size fits all. Its like using a broad spectrum pesticide to kill half the bugs; you get the good with the bad.
> 
> ...


^^ This is probably the most sensible post in this thread.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

ladycat said:


> ^^ This is probably the most sensible post in this thread.


It is, isn't it?


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I'd have to be super desperate to apply for stamps because I don't like the victim mentality...but if a recipient wants to get a life and be victorious over their circumstances instead of whining and complaining and collecting than good for them. No matter what hand you are dealt in life there is something you CAN do to contribute instead of holding your hand out...learn to butcher free animals on craigslist for example.

Angel Food Ministries accepts FS and you can buy a week of food for a family of 4 for like $31 add $9 and one person eats for a month for $40...but you're getting $200 a month FS and its not enough? BS! It's too much and that's why people keep milking the system.
Try buying baking soda and vinegar to clean with...FS will cover it.


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

bee said:


> read the whole thread...saw a lot of folks standing firm on black and white.
> 
> There really is a whole lot of gray on this issue. And not ONE good really quick fix, not one size fits all. Its like using a broad spectrum pesticide to kill half the bugs; you get the good with the bad.
> 
> ...


Agreed for sure, most sensible post.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

Yesterday a friend of mine asked if I new of someone to babysit over night 5 nights a week for $250.00 a week. This is under the table so won't mess with welfair or food stamps. although it should it won't. 

So i asked as many people as I could if they wanted an easy only one took me up on it. out of maybe 20 people. the rest had some of the most lame reasons on earth. so dont tell me they want to work . we make it to easy not to , so I say start interviews and cut off all that dont realy need it .


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2010)

SquashNut said:


> Yesterday a friend of mine asked if I new of someone to babysit over night 5 nights a week for $250.00 a week. This is under the table so won't mess with welfair or food stamps. although it should it won't.
> 
> So i asked as many people as I could if they wanted an easy only one took me up on it. out of maybe 20 people. the rest had some of the most lame reasons on earth. so dont tell me they want to work . we make it to easy not to , so I say start interviews and cut off all that dont realy need it .


Wow, I would snap that job up!


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## primroselane (May 10, 2002)

naturelover said:


> You should stop being cheap and should be teaching these things to children while they're in school. It's too late to re-educate most of the older adults who are already on your food stamps system, they've already been totally indoctrinated into the cheap is better lifestyle. People on food stamps are not all as stupid as you would have them be and many of the younger people can still be educated. You shouldn't pride yourself so much on what you think are your higher standards of living, your standards are still cheap by comparison with many other people. If you don't like what food stampers don't know then volunteer some of your time to help educate people instead of cranky moaning and complaining about what they don't know.
> 
> .


You are making judgments about me without the facts to support them. I am making judgments about significant portions of those on welfare with a lot more knowledge than you have about me.

I am not against welfare per se. Nearly everyone has some kind of bad luck and there is nothing wrong with needing help and there is nothing wrong with accepting help so long as a person is doing everything they can to return to self-sufficiency.

My questions were primarily rhetorical. I believe that many people receiving unemployment want any job that will bring them self-sufficiency. I also believe that there is a significant segment on unemployment that would rather get unemployment than to undertake stressful or hard work, or work they feel is beneath them. 

I believe that a significant segment of people on welfare would rather stay on welfare than engage in hard work which would bring them self-sufficiency. I remember life before then War on Poverty. In those days, many families could not make it on their salary. They didn't/couldn/t go to the government so they got second jobs. I won't go into closet sizes, mended clothes, unairconditioned homes and cars, cooking from scratch, gardening and canning, home permaments, home hair cuts, handmade toys, brown bag lunches, party-lines, or kool-aid. You ate cake on your birthday. I was a teenager before I learned that when my dad purchased a used car, slightly newer than the old one which expired on life support, this was not technically a "new" car. And somehow we survived without cell phones. We passed notes in the halls instead of tweeting. Now days credit cards have replaced second jobs.

I believe most people on welfare know sugared sodas, candy, cookies, pastries, and high fat, comfort foods will, along with a sedentary lifestyle, make them overweight or obese. I believe most people on welfare know that being overweight or obese with create their own health problems and shorten life. But, like quitting smoking, looking for a job, or in my case, replacing the water heater, it is something they will do latter.

I believe that most people, welfare recipients included, do not exercise because it is uncomfortable, if not hard. People believe they are entitled to maximum comfort. 

If people are truly so ignorant that they do not know what foods, along with a sedentary lifestyle will make them fat, then they need their food options structured for them. I also wonder about the parenting they are capable of providing for their children along with the role model they are providing.


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## RedHeadedTricia (Jun 20, 2006)

Moderators....please delete if you feel that it this too much flamethrowing I'm just trying to defend myself



mpillow said:


> Angel Food Ministries accepts FS and you can buy a week of food for a family of 4 for like $31 add $9 and one person eats for a month for $40...but you're getting $200 a month FS and its not enough? BS! It's too much and that's why people keep milking the system.
> Try buying baking soda and vinegar to clean with...FS will cover it."
> 
> First of all I never claimed that $200 wasn't enough to live on every month... I was just saying how much I got...and, as a matter of fact I do use baking soda and vingegar for cleaning a lot of things just because FS does cover it. I'm just saying that making menus and grocery list are tools that I use to help me do my shopping and to make sure that I have balanced meals. I perfer not to have to on them at all!!
> ...


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

If you truly need then use it....and with careful planning you should be able to store extras....to help when you return to work. I don't spend $200 a month on food for our family of 5 and I have plenty of food for a LONG time.

Don't get the wrong impression of me...my neighbor and his mother are on the "dole" and I am able to grow lots of food...and have animals...and we live just above the poverty line...I share my excess with my neighbor and just this week brought my pressure canner to her house to help her can potatoes because they were on sale...

(Don't give up on the gardening...broc., green/yellow beans are pretty easy to grow in cooler climates...look for free mulch hay bales to grow in...my sister used this and grew some really great veggies and only had to water a little more often.)


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

"I believe most people on welfare know sugared sodas, candy, cookies, pastries, and high fat, comfort foods will, along with a sedentary lifestyle, make them overweight or obese. I believe most people on welfare know that being overweight or obese with create their own health problems and shorten life. But, like quitting smoking, looking for a job, or in my case, replacing the water heater, it is something they will do latter."

And the taxpayers pay a second time for their health care. Going to an emergency room is expensive. Just made the tour to the tune of $7,700. At leastI passed out in the hospital do didn't have the ambulance ride.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

Ken Scharabok said:


> As I recall in Ohio, certain items were delivered, such as milk.
> .


That is (or was 12 years ago)true. I clearly remember stepping over a gallon of WIC milk sitting in front of the door outside, when we would visit my ex bf's bother. We would get inside and the whole place was filled with pot smoke with their 3 toddlers running around. Not only could they sit home all day smoking weed, the govt would deliver free food right to their front door...I guess they were too busy lighting up to answer the door when the food was delivered...tough work opening a door.


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

every time this type of subject comes up we see folks complaining about food stamps being spend on junk food . then we are also likely to see complaints about food stamps being used to buy high quality meat . 
For some it doesnt matter what people use food stamps for they are going to complain because they see someone else getting something they arent .
high quality food is often more expensive than the junk food or prepackaged .
you can buy a case of cheap mac & cheese for the same money it takes to make a pan of good mac and cheese . most poor I have seen buy what they can get cheap to fill a belly , more often than not its high fat high carb even worse than most candy bars but its filling . look at ramon noodles sure they are cheap but they are packed with carbs and fat too not very healthy unless your working your butt off constantly. 
basically people are going to gripe if they feel someone is getting something for free and they arent , never mind what else may be going on in their lives .


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

PyroDon said:


> every time this type of subject comes up we see folks complaining about food stamps being spend on junk food . then we are also likely to see complaints about food stamps being used to buy high quality meat .
> For some it doesnt matter what people use food stamps for they are going to complain because they see someone else getting something they arent .
> high quality food is often more expensive than the junk food or prepackaged .
> you can buy a case of cheap mac & cheese for the same money it takes to make a pan of good mac and cheese . most poor I have seen buy what they can get cheap to fill a belly , more often than not its high fat high carb even worse than most candy bars but its filling . look at ramon noodles sure they are cheap but they are packed with carbs and fat too not very healthy unless your working your butt off constantly.
> basically people are going to gripe if they feel someone is getting something for free and they arent , never mind what else may be going on in their lives .



I actually agree with you. Yes, buying rice and beans is fairly cheap, but to be honest, alot of people don't know how to cook anything but pre-cooked/pre-packaged foods. I believe those that do know how to cook try to buy healthier alternatives with limited funds.

I know that there is a lot of fraud going on with the welfare programs, but there's also many that use the system as a last resort, and try to get off of it as soon as possible.

Red headed Tricia is a prime example of this, along with others who have posted in other threads similar to this. Face it, there are times that some people need help. Unfortunately in many cases those they should be able to go to for help are either unable or unwilling to do so, such as family members and Churches. So, where are they suppose to turn?


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

Bigkat80 said:


> I think you were asked before if you can barely feed your family why according to your sigline do you have tons of fur babies:? I didnt catch the answer the last time?


my fur babies live on the food we grow. they hay my husband spends his night growing after work AND wow wild concept here i know after all this forum is about homesteading! I BREED THEM FOR MEAT!!!! CHickens= eggs and meat Cows= meat rabbit=meat yes i make fur babies out of my breeders i get to play and love them and eat thier babies, that is how i manage to feed my family meat other wise we would all end up being veggie and starch eaters and sorry god gave us meat for a reason. All total on my breeders and meat animals i spend less that 50 bucks a month on feed. As for my animals i cannot eat well as of last month i started selling them to put more food on my table since the food stamps drop to less that a thrid of what i had before. What you also failed to remeber is that I am one of the people that has a plan to be off the system in less than 2 years. Also the reason i can afford the >50 a month is because i go without alot of things most of you dont. I have gone without papertowels and toilet paper. my daughter was diapered in cloth untill my son was born he was cloth untill we realized the cloth was what was causing the infected rashes on his bum. 

All any of you prissy people are doing is looking for someone to blame because you dont wanna pay taxes. well get off the food stamps and put the blame where it belongs in the government! If they got off thier butts and did what needs to be done my husband could find a job that would pay him enough that we wouldnt NEED the ---- foodstamps.


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

mpillow said:


> Angel Food Ministries accepts FS and you can buy a week of food for a family of 4 for like $31 add $9 and one person eats for a month for $40...but you're getting $200 a month FS and its not enough? BS! It's too much and that's why people keep milking the system.
> Try buying baking soda and vinegar to clean with...FS will cover it.


 i found out about afm a couple years ago and was super excited loaded up the web page got ready to buy some food for m y family and the closest place is a 60-90 minute drive from me.In my POS car that cost a tank of gas wich is 50 bucks! so you are talking 250 bucks to get that food.... And whay cant i just buy that much here and save the wear and tear on my car, AND they dont mail it out to you. SO yeah it is awesome for those that can get to it. I will admit i havent checked in in about a year so m,aybe they have one closer now but still when you add in the gas not worth it for me and mine

pyrodon is right man i get the foodstamps I have actually cut out any junkfood and candy that i buyt with them. if i cannot buy that with my own income i don't buy it. but look at the prices of the stuff you want people to buy then look at the nutritional content. would you prefer higher foodstamps and less medical or less food and higher medical?

You peoiple actually make me sick. You ***** and moan because you have to pay in to the taxes and it goes to foodstamps. And why should some one get it if you cant. You make me so sick. I truely pray you hoitey toitey people never have to get to the point you have to use foodstamps.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

LOL
I worked as cashier in a grocery store for 10 years I know what you all are buying....
and my obese diabetic brother is milking it as well as my drunk pot smoking brother....

So why not give obese folks less money and make them thinner (and so healthier) and drug test all of them?

Hoitey Toitey...REALLY? I'm up beyond my elbows in guts butchering bulls I raise for the table...as well as deer, chickens, goats the occasional road kill turkey...sorry sweetie but WORK is my FRIEND whether it is here at home educating my children and farming the land and chopping my wood for NOTHING while my husband works 45 hrs a week...hardly glamorous...but I do have a WORK ETHIC and PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY that I must pass on to my children....those things which are hard to live thru make you stronger given the opportunity...to do them without a safety net.

And do look at angelfoodministries website...there are a lot more spots now...or maybe you and some neighbors could ask a local church or community center to open one...the answer is always no... unless you actually ask...place a free ad on craiglist...I saw one tonite in my area for someone looking for animals (roosters etc) for free so he might put some meat in his freezer....


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

i put ads on craigslist and freecycle constanly! i work my ass off raising meat and kids. I have work ethic too. As for asking churches to do the AFM been there done that they say got to the catholic church they have thier own food ministry. yeah they take 4 people once a week just like community action. Honey i do NOT sit on my ass i may not work outside of the home but i work my ass off in it PLUS i am trying to get a WAH job to help out.


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## 36376 (Jan 24, 2009)

What I object to are the ones who don't have a plan and milk the system deliberately. I'm sure you don't agree with the career milkers either. Why should my taxes (and your taxes for that matter) pay for them? 

Pastelsummer, you seem to have a plan and want to get off of them. Good for you!!! Keep at it!! My husband hasn't had a job for over three years. He took unemployment for 2 months and didn't feel right doing it so he stopped. So we've been on our own for almost 3 yrs. completely depleting savings and such. That was our decision to do and not necessarily saying anyone should follow our lead. That was just us. He's done everything he can to keep the house and us fed. We do Angel Food also. Check it out again like mpillow said. They may have added some sites. There are at least 5 locations in my area alone and it's not an urban area. 

We have/had a huge garden (which dried up like alot of others did) So you are actually doing more with the animals and such. I'm impressed with what you are doing and I'm not being condescending. I haven't been able to talk my husband into pigs or chickens yet. He grew up raising hogs and I'd like to have a few chickens. He hunts so hopefully he'll get a deer come the end of the month or Nov. 

I hope your situation improves vastly!! Good luck!


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

angel foods isnt bad but its also not the great deal some seem to think , We used it for a while but seriously you can only take so much over peppered chicken, and its not the most healthy food . 
I agree that people need to learn the art of cooking . 
I also agree that there are plenty of folks that abuse any system they can .
Ive seen guys making close to $20 ph have their wives stay home and get on food stamps but claim to be conservatives. Ive seen drug dealers making 10 times more than most of us milking the system for every penny .
I realize Im not the norm here because Id rather support 100 abusers than see a single person in real need go without


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

Oh I LOVE pork!!! But it sooo hates me i can eat bacon and a small amount of ham.. I am looking for someone to go in with me and i take a ham and bacon and they get the rest.


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## 36376 (Jan 24, 2009)

PyroDon said:


> angel foods isnt bad but its also not the great deal some seem to think , We used it for a while but seriously you can only take so much over peppered chicken, and its not the most healthy food .
> I agree that people need to learn the art of cooking .
> I also agree that there are plenty of folks that abuse any system they can .
> Ive seen guys making close to $20 ph have their wives stay home and get on food stamps but claim to be conservatives. Ive seen drug dealers making 10 times more than most of us milking the system for every penny .
> I realize Im not the norm here because Id rather support 100 abusers than see a single person in real need go without


We get the Angel Food when it's stuff that we use. Like this coming month we won't get it because the menu isn't what we usually eat. Too much processs stuff. The months that they have the boneless skinless chicken breasts, plain pork chops, the hamburger we get, the plain frozen veggies and some other things. And the peppered chicken is so true, this last batch of chicken nuggets were inedible for me. And you are also right that it isn't the most healthy.


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

PyroDon said:


> angel foods isnt bad but its also not the great deal some seem to think , We used it for a while but seriously you can only take so much over peppered chicken, and its not the most healthy food .
> I agree that people need to learn the art of cooking .
> I also agree that there are plenty of folks that abuse any system they can .
> Ive seen guys making close to $20 ph have their wives stay home and get on food stamps but claim to be conservatives. Ive seen drug dealers making 10 times more than most of us milking the system for every penny .
> I realize Im not the norm here because Id rather support 100 abusers than see a single person in real need go without


I see the same here Pyro. I'm sick of the hypocrisy of these folks. Attacking some single mom who's struggling to do her best and then milking the system themselve's. Or slamming all the Union workers who recently spent 2 years and lots of $$ locally building a new pipeline through the area. Not to mention all the taxes they paid. Nope I don't believe much of anything they say. They're best ignored, the problem is they vote and procreate. LMAO!


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

mnn2501 said:


> Actually in my part of Texas; *Milk is 99 cents a gallon right now* and (name brand) soda is $1.59 for 2 litres. O.J. is $3.49 for a half gal



What store and is this on sale??? I am not that far from you.. we pay 3.99 a gallon.


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

sirquack said:


> I am glad you are at least able to get the food stamps for your needs. A suggestion for you, check with your local library to see if they have printers on their internet computers. Some will let you print a certain number of pages (coupons) per day for nothing. It might be a way to save a few more dollars to spread your limited funds even further.
> And it might sound petty, but talk to friends and co-workers about getting their coupons from papers they get that they wont use. Here in Iowa, we get twice weekly shoppers at our house and each of them contain coupons. I share mine with friends who are not as fortunate as I.



Also one could look for or start a coupon swap at the entrance to their store... here I have seen the store have a box where people can put coupons they don't want and sometimes distributors put whole pads of them in there...


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## primroselane (May 10, 2002)

While I do not feel obligated to provide sodas, candy, cookies, etc., for those food stamps, I cannot understand why people are not allowed to purchase soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper. Is it because these things can be more easily exchanged for money?

And while I think free school lunches often wrongfully make people who can hardly afford to feed themselves, feed children of those who are capable of doing so, providing toothbrushes and toothpaste to kids who don't have them are much less than the consequences. The problem, of course, is the myth that poor kids/adults tend not to take care of things that are free.


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## mommyby3 (Aug 20, 2002)

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.......but please don't clump all food stamp recipients together. I have been a single mom of 3 kids for the last two years...after getting out of a very abusive marriage of 12 years. I have been looking for work since then and going to school. I have been unable to find any work.

I do not want to be on food stamps, but I do need to feed my children right now. I do not buy soda or junk food. I cook everything from scratch, with plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. I may buy ice cream as a treat for the kids one a month.

I too have seen people who "abuse" their food stamps, but not every one does. I would give up my food stamps tomorrow for a job.

I did what was best for my children and I need the help right now. And I'm very grateful for it. But the goal is to not need them anymore.


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## cowboy joe (Sep 14, 2003)

olivehill said:


> I'm no more "for" the food stamp program than anyone else. Here in MI recently the big headline has been how "food stamp" recipients, who now actually receive money loaded monthly onto their "Bridge Card" instead of actual stamps, have been using those cards at ATM machines in casinos.


Was in line behind a lady with $90 worth of steak in her basket (nothing else was purchased so it was easy to determine the amount). They must have been primo cuts of beef as there were only 5-6 packages. She used her food stamp card as a debt card & asked for $200 back in cash. When the teller asked if there was enough on the card, the lady said proudly, "Oh, I get over $700 a month." 

I checked out with my measly 2 gals of vinegar (so I could put up the last of the green tomatoes before the frost...nothing goes to waste) & was putting my bag of 'groceries' in my 10 yr old vehicle just in time to see her come out of the liquor store (one door down from the grocery store) & get in her brand new Escalade. Guess she needed a nice bottle of wine to go with that steak.

Not saying everyone is like that. I just get tired of breaking my backside working anywhere from 1-3 jobs at a time plus taking care of the gardens & critters, then having the goberment take my money & give it to someone else who gets to live high on the hog while I pinch pennies to make ends meat. It just ain't right...


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Cowboy Joe, either she was dishonest or a fool who is harrassed by bill collectors. Either way, you do better than she does and you lead a better life than she does.

She is beneath you. And, not because she is on food stamps.


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

~Many food stamp recipients live in apartments or in houses where the landlord will not allow gardening.

~Many who receive food stamps live in apartments with no facilities to butcher. 

~Farmer's markets don't take food stamps

~No one that I know who is selling extra produce from their garden will take food stamps

~Hot Dogs, PBJ, Balogna, fruit juice and Chef-Boyardee are all junk foods

~You can make a loaf of ww bread for around 50 cents per loaf......or you can buy day old at the supermarket for 42 cents per loaf (in my area)

~In order to have refrigeration and electricity/gas to cook with you have to be able to pay those bills.........sometimes a food stamp recipient will have utilities cut off for non-payment. The amount of money available for utilities assistance is usually not enough to cover the need. It is hard to cook beans and rice and oats when you have no working stove. It is hard to store milk when you have no working refrigerator. 

~ Maybe it is easy to scam the food stamp system. I've never used food stamps so I do not know all of the ins and outs of EBT cards. One thing I do know is that you should always walk a mile in someone else's shoes before you judge. 

Maybe that 'able bodied' young lady you see buying soda and steaks and cookies in the grocery store is going to trade them for cash so she can pay bus fare to get to school so she can make a better life for herself and her kids........then _she_ can pay taxes and (edited out the respresentation of cussing) about 'welfare Moms' someday.


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2010)

coalroadcabin said:


> ~Farmer's markets don't take food stamps


The ones here do. Though it would be a waste to use them there, as the prices are completely outrageous.


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

coalroadcabin said:


> ~Hot Dogs, PBJ, Balogna, fruit juice and Chef-Boyardee are all junk foods


That's pushing it a bit far. Juice is an okay sub for fruit and is available free from WIC. I eat reduced sugar pb on whole wheat crackers or bread every day of my life, sometimes with jelly. Other than the occasional small amount of jelly I'd love to hear what is unhealthy about it.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

JanS said:


> That's pushing it a bit far. Juice is an okay sub for fruit and is available free from WIC. I eat reduced sugar pb on whole wheat crackers or bread every day of my life, sometimes with jelly. Other than the occasional small amount of jelly I'd love to hear what is unhealthy about it.


That's good that juice is free on WIC. Juice as a substitute for whole fruit is not as healthy as the whole fruit. When a whole fruit is pressed or squeezed to make juice many of the nutrients, most notably fiber and the water-soluble vitamins, are lost in the process, while high calories are retained in the juice. A glass of less expensive juice has only a small percentage of real fruit juice and vitamins, plus it has added citric acid and sweeteners (sucrose or high fructose corn syrup). Check the labels and watch out for the fat and sugar content, (all those extra calories) to avoid obesity.

I didn't know that peanut butter had any sugars added to it - or maybe it just does in the States? Many bulk food stores provide whole peanuts that you can put into the grinder right there at the store to fill a container the size of your choosing with pure peanut butter with nothing else added. Grinding your own peanuts at the store that way is also less expensive than buying already processed peanut butter that has additives in it.

Jelly is almost all sugar with no fiber. Sugar reduced jam with a high pectin content has fiber in it and is healthier.

.


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

JanS said:


> That's pushing it a bit far. Juice is an okay sub for fruit and is available free from WIC. I eat reduced sugar pb on whole wheat crackers or bread every day of my life, sometimes with jelly. Other than the occasional small amount of jelly I'd love to hear what is unhealthy about it.


Okay, low fat & reduced sugar pb on whole wheat with low sugar jelly.......I'll give you that is healthy. I was thinking of the classic from my childhood....fatty salty Jiff on Wonderbread with a big ole glob of Welch's Grape Jelly (washed down with cherry Kool Aid, of course!)

6 oz of apple juice has 100 calories, 23 gr sugars and 0 fiber. An apple has 65 calories, 13 gr of sugars and 3 grams of fiber. 6 oz of Mountain Dew has 85 calories, 23 gr of sugars and 0 fiber. Juice is certainly better than soft drinks because it does have some vitamins but for everyday drinking for kids? I'd stick with milk and water. (Just my opinion though-and I'm not a nutritionist)


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

I am aware of the nutritional value of different foods. My point was that people can get fruit juice with WIC and a cup a day will provide vitamins that kool-aid won't. If I needed help with groceries I wouldn't turn down juice. It's all well and good to say fruit is better but you can't get it through WIC....or rather, you can get farmer's market coupons but around here farmer's markets are only held in the summer and there isn't one on a bus line.

I don't like the low-fat peanut butter and don't use it. I'd rather cut out fat in other areas which is easy enough. Low sugar jelly, fine but it's more expensive, doubt too many poor people are buying it. Same with whole wheat bread. It's way more expensive where I live. It's true that you can buy inexpensive brown "wheat bread" but the main ingredient is still enriched flour.

I make mostly healthy choices but I can afford to....and I know what's healthy. I know how to bake whole wheat bread. I think a lot of you who are complaining about hot dogs and m&c don't get that a lot of poor people don't know what we know. They eat what they were raised on. They don't know how to cook from scratch. They grab the cheapest thing off the shelf. They either can't be picky or don't know that they should.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Do your self and your kids a favor....save on milk and juice by doubling the quantity purchased by adding and equal amount of water...

When I used to buy milk I would add 1 gallon of water to 1 gallon of whole milk=2%
Less sugars and better for teeth if you add water too

And here's some good info. on cooking in a thermos (its possible to make one if you have some ingenuity)
http://www.thermoscooking.com/
And here's some electric usage info.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071023062908AANU9pA

And I get the whole quality of food entering my body thing but there are adjustments that can be made so that....you have enough food for the month, you are not getting fat, and you might be able to store a little for a rainy day....

Check out Tracy Rimmer's website too
http://www.newcenturyhomestead.com/documentcategory?category=Food Planning


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

CrashTestRanch said:


> if the mega corps would STOP lobbying to get their products listed for acceptable purchase with "*FOOD*" stamps this would be a NON ISSUE ... their products are NOT FOOD, they are food substitutes ...


Agree with you whole heartedly!


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

mpillow said:


> When I used to buy milk I would add 1 gallon of water to 1 gallon of whole milk=2%
> Less sugars and better for teeth if you add water too


Not so sure about that one. You'd be cutting the fat in half but wouldn't you be cutting the nutrients in half too? I'd want to be sure we were getting enough calcium and protein from other sources before doing that. Either way, you get the same effect by serving milk half the time and water half the time.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2010)

JanS said:


> Not so sure about that one. You'd be cutting the fat in half but wouldn't you be cutting the nutrients in half too? I'd want to be sure we were getting enough calcium and protein from other sources before doing that. Either way, you get the same effect by serving milk half the time and water half the time.


True.

2% milk is NOT diluted milk. It's milk that has had part of the butterfat removed. The milk itself is still intact.


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

Unless it has changed, farmer market sellers who take food stamps had to have access to a telephone. They would call in purchase amount into someplace and get an authorization number back. Once back home they could then run these through the EBT machine.

I remember several years in which we had to mix regular milk and powderer milk together. Beyond that Kool-Ade was a special occasion treat.


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

JanS said:


> I am aware of the nutritional value of different foods. My point was that people can get fruit juice with WIC and a cup a day will provide vitamins that kool-aid won't.



And MY point was that some folks here were making assumptions about food stamp recipients (not WIC, by the way) being too stupid to know what is healthy ~or~ to lazy to cook ~or~ criminals who just want to cheat the system. I certainly did not intend for anyone to take this thread off on a drift about the merits of fresh fruit versus fruit juice!


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

Um, you did that in your post above comparing apples to apple juice.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2010)

coalroadcabin said:


> And MY point was that some folks here were making assumptions about food stamp recipients (not WIC, by the way) being too stupid to know what is healthy ~or~ to lazy to cook ~or~ criminals who just want to cheat the system.


Maybe because that describes many fs recipients.

For that matter it describes many people who _don't_ get welfare.


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

JanS said:


> Um, you did that in your post above comparing apples to apple juice.


Yep, I responded to your post regarding WIC and the healthfulness of pbj's and juice. 



> That's pushing it a bit far. Juice is an okay sub for fruit and is available free from WIC. I eat reduced sugar pb on whole wheat crackers or bread every day of my life, sometimes with jelly. Other than the occasional small amount of jelly I'd love to hear what is unhealthy about it.



I shouldn't have done that because it just drifted the thread away from the OP. My apologies to everyone for allowing a thread drift to continue.


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

ladycat said:


> Maybe because that describes many fs recipients.
> 
> For that matter it describes many people who _don't_ get welfare.


I agree, my personal opinion is that the percentage of food stamp recipients who are too stupid to make good choices or too lazy to cook is probably about the same as the percentage of the general population that is too stupid to make good choices or too lazy to cook.

I just get peeved that folks make assumptions about people just based on the fact that they receive food stamps. I've known a couple of single mom's over the years who had to take food stamps to put food on the table and none of the ones I knew were stupid or lazy (or scamming the gov't for that matter)


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Honest to God...some of you people kill me...

so given that diluted milk is not 2% is the "nutritional sense"...by diluting it you can have 2 glasses a day....instead of one....but maybe that's just a frugal way of thinking for people who are spending money they actually earned...I've tried the powdered milk method (my mom swore by it) but YUCK! just water for me and mine....and to further consider on wic one can by calcium fortified OJ so really there is plenty of calcium etc....wic also provides cereal most of which are further "fortified" with vitamins....So you can play the "I need the nutrition to be intact card" but if you were truly looking at your diet as a whole and truly eating well and keeping track you'd likely find that you were deficient in fiber (25g a day) and Vit. D, possibly iron for young kids who have trouble chewing meat but kidney beans are a wonderful replacement.

The gov't says your entitled to welfare just like the mortgage companies said you were entitled to the big mortgage....just like the credit card companies that gave you too much of a credit limit....in the end our country will suffer because tough sacrifices and personal responsibility were not exercised by enough of the people. Just be sure to understand your role in America's demise (or rebirth).

I think of the people of the Mayflower, the Pioneers heading West...and think how tough they were....and how so many died and others persevered. Our forefathers would be ashamed....


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

i do 50/50 on juice but doing it to milk is NOT healthy. 2% milk still has ALL the nutrients whole milk does just less fat you are cutting the nutrients in half also. I know in my area only 1 farmersmarket take fs. and they are expensive. also juice as a substitue fior fruit isa not good especially if you have wic you can get $6 voucher for FRESH fruits and veggies. As for drinking 2 glasses yes you could BUT you are still using the same amount every day. And i have NO mortgage (dh inherited house when his mom died) and NO credit line.


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

mpillow said:


> Honest to God...some of you people kill me...
> 
> so given that diluted milk is not 2% is the "nutritional sense"...by diluting it you can have 2 glasses a day....instead of one....but maybe that's just a frugal way of thinking for people who are spending money they actually earned........


I've never in my adult life spent money I didn't earn, I am frugal and I can say with out a doubt I have never, ever, ever diluted milk with water for my kids.


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

mpillow said:


> Honest to God...some of you people kill me...
> 
> so given that diluted milk is not 2% is the "nutritional sense"...by diluting it you can have 2 glasses a day....instead of one....but maybe that's just a frugal way of thinking for people who are spending money they actually earned.


I wasn't criticizing you. However, you are NOT having two glasses of milk, you're having one glass of milk and one of water. If you prefer having two glasses of watered-down milk, great. I prefer water, in fact I'd probably gulp the milk down quick to get it over with because I don't like it much. But this was never a criticism of you, just pointing out the nutritional difference for those of us who are trying to get in enough calcium, protein, etc.

I have watered down milk a few times to make it stretch for breakfast. My mom, feeding five kids, ALWAYS mixed fresh milk half and half with powdered milk. When things were tight I did the same or served powdered milk. Sometimes we do what we have to do. Right now I can afford to buy fresh milk and I do, since my female teen athlete loves it and needs her calcium.

By the way, you don't have to worry about your tax dollars going toward feeding us. They aren't.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

So let's beat the dead horse...I was just at the local Walmart and it being welfare week...I saw a bunch of FAT STINKY NASTY women with their bodies falling out of their clothing. And I saw slimey men that obviously smoked their breakfast....most late 20's...with carts full of soda, snacks...and they all had cell phones! And some made it look like it was a holiday or something...had their school age kids with them! You know they aren't home schoolers....and you also know that it sends a bad signal to allow kids to miss out on their education unless there's a darn good reason....but who cares, I'll just suck off the welfare system like mom does when I get out of high school (or flunk out)....the gov't will feed me and I'll have a kid to stay on it longer!

Then I saw some elderly people that were tidy, slim and trying to avoid the smelly ones....the only safe place was the soap aisle!

So though you might be the exception...I think watered down what have you would be a grand idea for the 300-400# women (I counted 27 fatties and 2 thin ones). Even if they got a job it is likely that if it required more than a walk thru of the grocery they'd be too unfit and unhealthy to do it....

If we cut off the obese ones and the drug addicts...we could save a ton of money and maybe even help someone to not be so nasty fat. Tough Love has its' place....parasites will kill you given the opportunity.

Yep we diluted milk...'cause it beat stealing from someone we didn't know...and a little water never hurt anyone.


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

excuse me? where do you get off saying that? how many of those "fatties" as you insulted them have a medical condition that makes losing weight impossible? think thyroid issues? I am sorry to say insulting people who may or may not have weight issues to defend yourself because you don't like what someone else say is wrong


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

No one cares if you water it down. We're just astounded that you keep telling us you're getting two cups of milk out of the deal. If you drink two glasses per day and I drink one, we're getting the same amount of milk at the same cost.

So...you stood there watching 29 people check out so you could find out which ones paid with EBT? And that was just the women....you must have been watching the guys, and the tidy slim elderly folks too, since you know which were on welfare.

I find that hard to believe. And if it's not true, you make a lot of assumptions about people - which are on welfare, which use drugs, who home schools and for those who don't, why their children aren't in school that day. I am actually glad you made that post because now I'll know not to take anything you say seriously in the future.


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

P.S., benefits were available electronically starting on the 1st and today is the 13th. Don't know why things were crazy busy at your Walmart but it wasn't because of "welfare week".


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

Just a general question. How do drinks like Gatoraid compare to actual fruit juices.


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

ken i hae no idea they are not fruit juices they are sport drinks. meant for rehydration. I personally find them nasty but hey i dont try to tell people whatthey can buy


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2010)

Ken Scharabok said:


> Just a general question. How do drinks like Gatoraid compare to actual fruit juices.


Sports drinks are little better than salty koolaid. Athletes would be better off taking salt tablets and washing them down with apple juice and orange juice. Juice is packed with electrolytes.


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## dragonjaze (Sep 8, 2010)

ladycat said:


> salty koolaid.


ha! that's just about the best description of gatorade i've ever seen


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

ladycat said:


> Sports drinks are little better than salty koolaid. Athletes would be better off taking salt tablets and washing them down with apple juice and orange juice. Juice is packed with electrolytes.


AMEN that is exactly what they taste like!


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

Sports drinks are just about a complete waste of money. No one needs extra salt unless they work really hard on a really hot day. Think full equipment football practice in August. Most of the time water works perfectly well. I don't even consider it unless I run 10 miles or more in hot weather. Even then I make a homemade version from water, juice, lemon juice and sea salt which cuts out artificial colors and sweeteners.


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

mpillow said:


> So let's beat the dead horse...I was just at the local Walmart ..... blah blah blah


they have walmarts in CHINA


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

THEY DO! There is a site called People of Walmart which features pictures and stories of the crazy things people see happening at Walmarts. They've had a few pics from China. But I'm pretty sure they don't take American food stamps there.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Whatever suits your fancy....I do know how to count, I know what EBT looks like, I know when someone is stoned, and I home school my kids and yes the older group of mostly French folks that I knew when I used to work at the grocery store...and they do get a small amount of FS....they are "Nasty NEAT" (I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday, I'm old enough to drive it!)

Tattoos were also popular....on both the men and women...Where do they find the money for the Tattoos?

Oh and feel free to press the ignore button....personally I don't use it but that's because I believe that everyone has a right to speak their mind and present observations...and if you choose to question my integrity go right ahead...I'll give you my address and offer you a job cleaning the manure out of my barn and pay you with home grown food and raw goats milk if you're game. I've got 14 roosters that need butchering and my husband and son are moose hunting...and 2 cord of wood to split. I've adopted a kid out of the "system" and been a foster mom to several others...but of course actions speak louder than words...and one thing I knew to teach these kids I fostered is that as a victim you can make choices to better your life....don't whine and cry for very long or spend time justifying a life "less" than you really want....I actually feel bad for those on welfare whose parents didn't teach them any better. (My brothers on welfare grew up with their dad....my parents were relatives to the nasty neat French folks I spoke of)

And here's some proof of who and what I am about....

My garden and bull early this Summer
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/mpillow/?action=view&current=100_0416.jpg
My adopted kiddo and the babies born at -17 Jan.30 2010
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/mpillow/?action=view&current=100_0400.jpg
Thomas and goat in the pasture barn in distance
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/mpillow/?action=view&current=100_0100.jpg
Bantam hen and her babies
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/mpillow/?action=view&current=100_0080.jpg
The last moose hunt
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/mpillow/?action=view&current=PB070032.jpg
The woodshed we built and filled
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/mpillow/?action=view&current=woodshed.jpg
My kids when little in sweaters I made for them
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/mpillow/?action=view&current=PSsweaters.jpg

Enjoy!


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## JanS (Jul 28, 2002)

Thanks for the job offer but, again, we're not on public assistance.


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

mpillow said:


> So let's beat the dead horse...I was just at the local Walmart and it being welfare week...I saw a bunch of FAT STINKY NASTY women with their bodies falling out of their clothing. And I saw slimey men that obviously smoked their breakfast....most late 20's...with carts full of soda, snacks...and they all had cell phones! And some made it look like it was a holiday or something...had their school age kids with them! You know they aren't home schoolers....and you also know that it sends a bad signal to allow kids to miss out on their education unless there's a darn good reason....but who cares, I'll just suck off the welfare system like mom does when I get out of high school (or flunk out)....the gov't will feed me and I'll have a kid to stay on it longer!
> 
> Then I saw some elderly people that were tidy, slim and trying to avoid the smelly ones....the only safe place was the soap aisle!
> 
> ...


:bdh::bdh::bdh:

Kokey Doke!!


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

CrashTestRanch said:


> they have walmarts in CHINA


Yes, and apparently they hunt moose there too. Who Knew? :shrug:


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## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

In the ER I work at I hear stories of liquor stores that also sell food, letting the recipients buy booze with the food stamp cards - I don't know any names or I would report them.

I have undressed a drunk (what a pleasure) that said to me "Don't take those food stamp cards from me, I paid for them!", I just turned them and the problem over to my department manager - I wanted to call the police but got flack for it.

I do understand it is only the few bad ones you hear about but the abuse is also rampant - who is suffering when people on food stamps don't make good decisions? The children, plain and simple, it is really a shame.


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## FlagWaver (Aug 30, 2009)

pastelsummer said:


> i put ads on craigslist and freecycle constanly! i work my ass off raising meat and kids. I have work ethic too. As for asking churches to do the AFM been there done that they say got to the catholic church they have thier own food ministry. yeah they take 4 people once a week just like community action. Honey i do NOT sit on my ass i may not work outside of the home but i work my ass off in it PLUS i am trying to get a WAH job to help out.


According to your blog (link in your sig line) your husband just QUIT his job. I read earlier that you sold a miniature horse do you eat those too? I understand that some people _need_ foodstamps but they were meant as a hand up not a hand out.


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## Bigkat80 (Jan 16, 2007)

pastelsummer said:


> i found out about afm a couple years ago and was super excited loaded up the web page got ready to buy some food for m y family and the closest place is a 60-90 minute drive from me.In my POS car that cost a tank of gas wich is 50 bucks! so you are talking 250 bucks to get that food.... And whay cant i just buy that much here and save the wear and tear on my car, AND they dont mail it out to you. SO yeah it is awesome for those that can get to it. I will admit i havent checked in in about a year so m,aybe they have one closer now but still when you add in the gas not worth it for me and mine
> 
> pyrodon is right man i get the foodstamps I have actually cut out any junkfood and candy that i buyt with them. if i cannot buy that with my own income i don't buy it. but look at the prices of the stuff you want people to buy then look at the nutritional content. would you prefer higher foodstamps and less medical or less food and higher medical?
> 
> You peoiple actually make me sick. You ***** and moan because you have to pay in to the taxes and it goes to foodstamps. And why should some one get it if you cant. You make me so sick. I truely pray you hoitey toitey people never have to get to the point you have to use foodstamps.


We would prefer you folks take care of yourselves from feeding to medical and not count on others to do so...I have a job that pays me well...your husband can find a job that pays him well if he is willing to move...willing to locate to the jobs.....


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

used2bcool13 said:


> In the ER I work at I hear stories of liquor stores that also sell food, letting the recipients buy booze with the food stamp cards - I don't know any names or I would report them.
> 
> I have undressed a drunk (what a pleasure) that said to me "Don't take those food stamp cards from me, I paid for them!", I just turned them and the problem over to my department manager - I wanted to call the police but got flack for it.
> 
> I do understand it is only the few bad ones you hear about but the abuse is also rampant - who is suffering when people on food stamps don't make good decisions? The children, plain and simple, it is really a shame.


First of all, you have a job that is vital - and is one I could never do - THANK YOU!

My question is: is it only a few bad ones or is abuse rampant? Can't be both, can it?

My Opinion: who suffers? Yes, the kids suffer. So do people who really need assistance and can't get it because the available resources are being wasted on junk.


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2010)

coalroadcabin said:


> My question is: is it only a few bad ones or is abuse rampant? Can't be both, can it?
> 
> My Opinion: who suffers? Yes, the kids suffer. So do people who really need assistance and can't get it because the available resources are being wasted on junk.


Depends. 

In the inner cities, welfare abuse is out of control (and the recipients waste their food stamps on junky diets).

In the suburbs and rural areas, people are more sensible, frugal, and proud, and try to get back off welfare as quickly as possible (and these people are more likely to stretch their food stamps by using beans, rice, etc).

There are exceptions in both cases, of course.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

And John Adams knew well what he spoke of concerning welfare...this thread exhibits it entirely:

*The nature of the encroachment upon American constitution is such, as to grow every day more and more encroaching. Like a cancer; it eats faster and faster every hour. The revenue creates pensioners, and the pensioners urge for more revenue. The people grow less steady, spirited and virtuous, the seekers more numerous and more corrupt, and every day increases the circles of their dependents and expectants, until virtue, integrity, public spirit, simplicity and frugality become the objects of ridicule and scorn, and vanity, luxury, foppery, selfishness, meanness, and downright venality swallow up the whole of society.*

As well as William Boetcker saying:

*You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.*


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

FlagWaver said:


> . I read earlier that you sold a miniature horse do you eat those too? .


Perhaps she sold her horse BECAUSE her husband was unemploed?


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2010)

mpillow said:


> And John Adams knew well what he spoke of concerning welfare...<snip>


No doubt he knew his history well.

As cultures have become prosperous and "civilized" over the millenia, many have implemented welfare systems, which have not always been successful. One of the most overwhelmingly unsuccessful ones was during the Roman Empire.

The Romans decided to help out the poor in the slum areas. They went in and built better housing. They set up free stores, where the poor could get allotments of free food. "Food banks", if you will. They even set up soup kitchens, where people could get a hot meal.

The poor no longer had to work and became lazy and alcoholic. Crime skyrocketed. The poor trashed their nice new dwellings. 

In a few generations it was totally out of control and became ever more expensive for the government to maintain.

Sound familiar?


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

ladycat said:


> Depends.
> 
> In the inner cities, welfare abuse is out of control (and the recipients waste their food stamps on junky diets).
> 
> ...


That might explain my view of foodstamps. I live in a rural area, the folks I have known over the years who have used foodstamps did so because they had no choice. They were all employed - and most were also enrolled in college/trade school so they could get a good paying job and get off charity as quickly as possible. 

I've encountered maybe half dozen people using foodstamps in grocery stores over the past +20 years that I thought looked like they were better off financially than I was and I got a bit griped by it - but I try not to judge based on appearance. 

Maybe if I had grown up in a big city I would have a different view of folks who use foodstamps.


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## FlagWaver (Aug 30, 2009)

Terri said:


> Perhaps she sold her horse BECAUSE her husband was unemploed?


Perhaps. I believe it was a foal she sold so I assume she still has it's dam. Really doesn't matter if you are on food stamps you can't afford miniature horses.


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2010)

coalroadcabin said:


> That might explain my view of foodstamps. I live in a rural area,


I can promise you that if you were to move to an inner city welfare neighborhood, your views would very drastically change.


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## coalroadcabin (Jun 16, 2004)

ladycat said:


> I can promise you that if you were to move to an inner city welfare neighborhood, your views would very drastically change.


I wonder what it is about big cities that attracts laggards, con artists and scammers?

Guess that's why I always have, and always will, live in the country. You may not like your neighbors but you can at least respect (most) of them.


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2010)

coalroadcabin said:


> I wonder what it is about big cities that attracts laggards, con artists and scammers?


It's been that way ever since big cities were invented.


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## seagullplayer (Nov 6, 2008)

I heard something on NPR this week about this issue.

One of the women on the show was talking about the stigmatism it would cause those receiving assistance if they couldn&#8217;t buy soft drinks. And that some might even stop using them.

First off I don&#8217;t see the problem, second I don&#8217;t believe that for one minute. I believe the woman to be completely out of touch with the majority of people on public assistance.

People learn when they suffer the consequences of their poor decisions; by interfering with this process we are impeding education. Hunger can be a great motivator, perhaps the only one some people will respond to and we are taking that opportunity away from too many.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

When did this country get so pathetic that people tollerate being badgered into supporting a bunch of people that don't have enough respect for themselves to take care of them selves and their own families. Any one that thinks it's Ok to suck off the system, needs to grow up. 
I am getting the feeling they better do it fast too, cause the system is gonna crash and they will finally find out what it's like to be with out. ..


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2010)

seagullplayer said:


> One of the women on the show was talking about the stigmatism it would cause those receiving assistance if they couldnât buy soft drinks. And that some might even stop using them.


Oh good grief. If someone stopped using food stamps just because they couldn't buy their Cokes or Dr. Peppers with them, then they didn't need the food stamps in the first place.


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## seagullplayer (Nov 6, 2008)

ladycat said:


> Oh good grief. If someone stopped using food stamps just because they couldn't buy their Cokes or Dr. Peppers with them, then they didn't need the food stamps in the first place.


BINGO! This thought was completely lost on this educated young woman.


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## pastelsummer (Jul 21, 2010)

coalroadcabin said:


> :bdh::bdh::bdh:
> 
> Kokey Doke!!


LoL



FlagWaver said:


> According to your blog (link in your sig line) your husband just QUIT his job. I read earlier that you sold a miniature horse do you eat those too? I understand that some people _need_ foodstamps but they were meant as a hand up not a hand out.


ok since you are stalking threads tell the rest of the story. My husband quit rather than be physically abused by his boss. But i guess acording to you he should just have let his boss continue the verbal abuse and start the physical right? Why dont you work like that then. And i sold the mini because i knew i could no longer care for him and the parents are up for sale also. Everything not relied upon for food is going. ok? 



Bigkat80 said:


> We would prefer you folks take care of yourselves from feeding to medical and not count on others to do so...I have a job that pays me well...your husband can find a job that pays him well if he is willing to move...willing to locate to the jobs.....


Help me find one then. We spent 6 months applying in every state for jobs he is qualified for and any willing to train. we got NOTHING in response. He has no formal training in anything he has farmed his entire life almost he can do concrete and some carpentry you would think with ll the jobs he applied for he would get one but we got nothing. So if you know of any dude let me know seriously.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Farming?!?!?

Then he should be able to cut lawns. In about 7 months or so when Idaho lawns start growing again. 

Stay on target: in perhaps 7 months he has a good shot at a job: anybody who can ride a tractor can ride a lawn mower, and he is no stranger to heat and long hours!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

You obviously didn't apply to any dairy barns in Maine...I'm thinking of the Flood Farm and Caverly Farm in Clinton and probably 2-3 others right here in China. But yeah if you don't do the job right you'll find your (butt) in your hand walking out the door...but you won't get rich working there either...maybe $10 an hour for shoveling sheet and cleaning teats. And you might get physically abused by a witchy cow now and again.

Better yet I know a young man who went to work for a retirement resort down in Florida as a grounds keeper fresh out of high school. 

Serious...my 16 yo son could work 40 hrs a week at $10 and hr between haying, grounds keeping and cutting firewood....my daughter makes good money cleaning houses and babysitting and selling butchered rabbits occasionally. They work hard and show up on time...and look forward to "working".


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## Bigkat80 (Jan 16, 2007)

pastelsummer said:


> LoL
> 
> 
> ok since you are stalking threads tell the rest of the story. My husband quit rather than be physically abused by his boss. But i guess acording to you he should just have let his boss continue the verbal abuse and start the physical right? Why dont you work like that then. And i sold the mini because i knew i could no longer care for him and the parents are up for sale also. Everything not relied upon for food is going. ok?
> ...


Just about any casino in the southern US is Hiring.....Security, Not much pay but it gets your feet in the door...Slots 8-12 bucks an hour...it aint great money but its not chicken feed you can buy groceries on it...Boomtown bossier city has a standing requisition for slot attendant....thereare jobs out there

Dont take What i am saying as critical its reality to me if you want work i think you can find it....it may not be what your used to or where your used to but get to work for me is better than getting a check....


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## FlagWaver (Aug 30, 2009)

pastelsummer said:


> LoL
> 
> ok since you are stalking threads tell the rest of the story. My husband quit rather than be physically abused by his boss. But i guess acording to you he should just have let his boss continue the verbal abuse and start the physical right? Why dont you work like that then. And i sold the mini because i knew i could no longer care for him and the parents are up for sale also. Everything not relied upon for food is going. ok?
> 
> Help me find one then. We spent 6 months applying in every state for jobs he is qualified for and any willing to train. we got NOTHING in response. He has no formal training in anything he has farmed his entire life almost he can do concrete and some carpentry you would think with ll the jobs he applied for he would get one but we got nothing. So if you know of any dude let me know seriously.


Stalking threads? Tell the rest of the story? How would I know the rest of the story I simply read what _you_ wrote. I've had jobs that were verbally and physically abusive and I kept them until I found another or reported the abuse. I had small children to care for and did what I had to do my partner did the same. It's just what you do when you won't use the government as a safety net. 

No one is going to find you or your husband a job that's _your_ responsibility.


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