Wisconsin GOP limits bulk food purchases on food stamps.

33055

Wed, May 06 2015, 12:18 am

MagentaYenta wrote:

Shell fish is only a luxury item depending on where you shop. You can go into any major Vietnamese grocery story on the west coast and shrimp will be cheaper than Empire chicken.

Since I don't eat empire chicken, nor do I buy shellfish, nor do I shop in any major Vietnamese grocery stores on the west coast, I will defer to you on this. By the same token, most SNAP recipients in WI aren't shopping at major Vietnamese grocery stores either.

Another quick Google shows lobster is $9.99 a lb while chicken is $1.50 a lb. The price of kosher chicken is irrelevant in this discussion.

bluebird

Wed, May 06 2015, 1:28 am

Does anyone really think people on food stamps are living it up on lobster and other fancy/expensive foods? Give me a break.

In find the idea of an international bulk but smuggling ring hilarious.

Sure, there's always one or two people who commit welfare fraud, or at least there are one or two people that everyone claims to know of.

33055

Wed, May 06 2015, 2:18 am

bluebird wrote:

OK, it's wrong but I have to give this a big So What? Babies need diapers. Obviously the moms can't afford them. Maybe the solution here is to help them buy diapers.

How do you know they can't afford diapers? They have cleaning ladies and fancy strollers. The husbands work off the books. I am not so sure they are desperate for diapers but rather think they are clever for beating the system.

bluebird

Wed, May 06 2015, 10:16 am

Squishy wrote:

You've written about fraud in your community before. The vast majority of Americans do not behave like that and find it morally wrong, including people on welfare. Those I know would be very mad if they knew because they are the ones being punished for others' deception.

Google "working poor."

leah233

Wed, May 06 2015, 10:32 am

I apologize to all who are trying to make ends meet but need food stamps to do so but from the way most of the posters are commenting here you would think the government made some of law about what poor people have to eat.

Haven't you all heard of "beggars can't be choosy"?If you asking other people to pay for your food yes they do have a right to some sort of input.And if they feel that they are encouraging your dependency by being too lenient on what food they will buy for you I guarantee theywon't complain if you stop taking food stamps.

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, May 06 2015, 10:42 am

leah233 wrote:

It's not about being choosy. They're not complaining they can't get takeout.
The problem is the restrictions are seemingly ARBITRARY making it impossible to remember what is allowed vs not, when it's all normal FOOD. A single mom working 3 jobs to try to pay rent and childcare doesn't have time to spend an hour in the store putting back the cut green beans in lieu of the whole green beans when she gets up to the counter and finds out they are not food stamp eligible. There is no difference in price. They are not a luxury.

(I don't buy canned green beans, but I buy frozen, and I actually consider the whole ones fancier and use them on Shabbos vs cut ones for weekdays...go figure.)

We're not talking about limiting chocolate cakes you buy in the store, or making sure freshly rolled out noodles are off the list because they are a high end item.

We're talking about beans and spices and potatoes. Staples. To make normal, regular meals. With no rhyme or reason behind such restrictions.

sourstix

Wed, May 06 2015, 10:43 am

someone here posted that pp buy pampers in exchange for formula. yes I know someone who does this. it was so frustrating cause I know her very well. I was in a grocery store getting my formula from wic. and the grocery guy asked dh if we are using it. and dh looked at him so not understanding him. why else would I bother go to wic and come to the grocery and not use the formula? and when I told him what pp do. he was like ok now I understand why he asked. but seriously I was hurt. just casue there are fraudsters out there makes it everyone? its too bad that some pp stoop so low. and they know better. what example are they giving their kids. what are they thinking when they tell their kiids not to lie. I hope she raises good erlich kids. cause this aint the way. I was so humiliated. that this is going on between us. okay nuf said.

sourstix

Wed, May 06 2015, 10:45 am

[quote="leah233"]I apologize to all who are trying to make ends meet but need food stamps to do so but from the way most of the posters are commenting here you would think the government made some of law about what poor people have to eat.

Haven't you all heard of "beggars can't be choosy"?If you asking other people to pay for your food yes they do have a right to some sort of input.And if they feel that they are encouraging your dependency by being too lenient on what food they will buy for you I guarantee <I>they</I>won't complain if you stop taking food stamps.[/quote]

that wasnt nice. do you know what it feels like to have to be on foodstamps? think before you speak. especially as jews.

Barbara

Wed, May 06 2015, 10:56 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

I see what they're trying to do, even if I'm clearly opposed to it. It's "we'll make sure you don't starve, if we have to, but darned if you're going to eat anything but the lowest version of anything." So you don't get spices that make meals more palatable. You don't get shellfish, which is considered a higher-end food; you don't even get albacore or white tuna; you get the cheap, less tasty dark stuff. And the same seems to be true in every category.

It's not about money, IMNSHO. It's about shaming people. You're not good enough for .... What possible purpose does it serve?

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, May 06 2015, 11:01 am

sourstix, can I please make a suggestion to you? Can you click on the link on the top header on the left, where it says "edit profile" and scroll down to Profile Information and make sure you turn BBCode to On? It will make your posts much easier to read when you quote people so we can enjoy what you have to say Very Happy

leah233

Wed, May 06 2015, 11:03 am

sourstix wrote:

that wasnt nice. do you know what it feels like to have to be on foodstamps? think before you speak. especially as jews.

I apologize once again.If you have a nicer way for me to get the point across I will edit the original comment.

Do you know what it is like to see all your neighbors who don't work buying all the luxuries you can't afford?Do you know how many times I've heard people say that they know they should find a job "but they can't afford too..."Do you know how many of those peoples children who grew up on food stamps laugh at the whole idea of honest work altogether?Do you know how many single mothers I heard say they had their multiple children to unknown fathers because of the lifetime government support it would give them?ETC.

Last edited by leah233 on Wed, May 06 2015, 11:08 am; edited 1 time in total

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, May 06 2015, 11:05 am

I have to say I understand the restrictions with WIC, because the way it works from what I understand is that a person gets coupons to redeem for certain items, and the store is paid back the value of what the person redeemed. Not only does the food have to be in what WIC deems a healthful category (whole grains, produce, dairy, etc) but WIC doesn't want to end up paying for a $5 loaf of bread when there is a similar item available for $2.50. Ok. That's a budget issue to make sure they have enough money to pay for the redeemed coupons.

But foodstamps money is already handed out to pay for food, and it only affects the user if it's not spent frugally. Not the government.

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, May 06 2015, 11:08 am

leah233 wrote:

How else was I supposed to bring the point across?

Do you know what it is like to see all your neighbors who don't work buying all the luxuries you can't afford?Do you know how many times I've heard people say that they know they should find a job "but they can't afford too..."Do you know how many of those peoples children who grew up on food stamps laugh at the whole idea of honest work altogether?Do you know how many single mothers I heard say they had their multiple children to unknown fathers because of the lifetime government support it would give them?ETC.

This may be a problem with America where being middle class is financially tighter than being poor and getting benefits (someone somewhere told me they figured they had 30K worth of benefits between medicaid, foodstamps, wic, HUD, maybe HEAP?, etc)

This is an ongoing issue on a societal level, but not necessarily on individuals (some yes, some no). But it doesn't make any difference to you how a recipient chooses to spend her foodstamps because it will run out if she doesn't use it smartly. If she buys white tuna and red potatoes on foodstamps, that won't make her also be buying a Bugaboo; it's completely irrelevant.

Whether she should be on FS or not is a completely separate issue.

Barbara

Wed, May 06 2015, 11:18 am

leah233 wrote:

Really?

I've never heard anyone said that, even when I was doing a very substantial amount of pro bono work for people living under the poverty line.

With respect to tuition? Yes. The so-called benefits cliff (which really, really needs to be reformed), yes.

But buying luxuries on food stamps and TANF? In NY, the maximum food stamp allotment for a family of 4 is $649 / month, or $149/week. Are people really eating high off the hog (or should I say brisket) on that? It's less than $2 per person per meal.

There's a 60 month lifetime limit on TANF, and doesn't that require you to work, at least in some states?

My BIL lives on government benefits, not because he wants to, but because he has to. He's in a virtually windowless basement apartment, and can't even afford to buy himself a new pair of shoes. Please, tell me how all these other people get their luxuries. He could really use some.

leah233

Wed, May 06 2015, 11:32 am

Barbara wrote:

Really?

I've never heard anyone said that, even when I was doing a very substantial amount of pro bono work for people living under the poverty line.

With respect to tuition? Yes. The so-called benefits cliff (which really, really needs to be reformed), yes.

My BIL lives on government benefits, not because he wants to, but because he has to. He's in a virtually windowless basement apartment, and can't even afford to buy himself a new pair of shoes. Please, tell me how all these other people get their luxuries. He could really use some.

I'm not sue which specific comment your are referring to.I heard them in my line of work as an accountant repeatedly. The comments about having children only for government support was one I heard frequently in my days of working in one of those national "get your tax refund firms" (The fraud rate there was also outrageous.)

If you BIL is living in a basement he clearly (1) has few dependent children (2)is NOT on all government programs.

This is my last comment on this thread

33055

Wed, May 06 2015, 2:23 pm

Barbara wrote:

They get their luxuries because the government pays for their necessities and their cash from their off the book jobs pays for the luxuries.

When your rent, health care, phone, food and utilities are paid by the government, that leaves you with discretionary income.

The is another thread going on now about $200 bows. I go to stores that are crowded selling $80 pants for babies flying off the shelves. These stores are packed before the yom tovim. The customers are not millionaires. I could name 30 people off the top of my head who are on medicaid and their children are dressed from these stores. You can DKLZ any individual you want, but I know most of their stories because there is no shame and no other explanations.

MagentaYenta

Wed, May 06 2015, 2:35 pm

Squishy wrote:

Seriously do you really think that the savings on my rent from HUD, utilities from Lheap and $16 worth of SNAP a month leave me with discretionary income? Tell me how that works, because I really would like to put $85 into bark dust for my yard but I've just eaten $1K in auto repair expenses this month.