Foodstamps and High Dollar Items

[SteverinoNY!]

I didn't know where to put this, so I decided on Off Topic)

At my place of work (a supermarket rhyming with Rice Popper), we are having a sale on Crab Legs and Lobster (normally $10.99 a pound), they are on sale for $7.99 a pound thru Saturday. The problem is not that they are on sale, but all of the people on foodstamps who were buying $50 bucks of lobster or crab. Wouldn't you think that those things should be on a restricted list (you know, not able to purchase it with foodstamps). I understand a lot of our members are receiving some sort of assistance and do enjoy a nice meal sometimes, but they aren't wiping out their monthly balances on such luxury items. Their priority is feeding the children and themselves so that they are strong and healthy to go to work and school. The people I am talking about sit at home watching television all day and then get off into a brand new Mercedes. I am tired of the abuse of the foodstamp system. I'm a college student and I survive a whole semester on horrific cafeteria food, whatever prepared meals (aka frozen pizza), taco bell, and a shitload of ramen I can afford. I apologize if anyone may be offended, but this seems like a fundamental abuse of a government assistance program.

[Kiwi]

Have you written to your government representative about this? Alot of people seem to be really genuinely upset about it, but dont seem to take any action.

For every letter sent, they assume a certain number of people feel the same way and havent written in.

Find out thier address and write write write, takes 2 minutes on the computer and less than a buck to send. Well worth it, thats your taxes paying for those crab legs.

[Ree]

Just wondering how many more "foodstamp" and abuse of the system threads we really need around here.

I understand that abuse does go on, but since I don't actually follow all of these people home and know every detail of their lives, I think I'll reserve judgment on whether someone is actually deserving of the program.

I find it strange that all these Mercedes-driving people with wads of bills in their pockets can get on these programs, when I hear so often of others having a really hard time proving they need them and getting a run-around.

Something's wrong somewhere.

[Banrion]

I find it strange that all these Mercedes-driving people with wads of bills in their pockets can get on these programs, when I hear so often of others having a really hard time proving they need them and getting a run-around.

Something's wrong somewhere.


There is alot wrong with the system, but probably the most dominant form of abuse is when you have a Female A, she has children B, C, D, & E. Maybe from the same father, maybe not. She goes on assistance as a single unmarried mother of 4. With a P O Box mailing address. Waiting in the wings she has Male F who has a good paying job. ALL assetts of the couple go in his name and his name alone. So the half a million dollar house, the mercedes and the BMW, the boat cannot be attached to Female A.

Admittedly, if Male F just decided to up and leave, kick her out of the house take the car etc, she would NEED the assistance, but as the situation is she doesn't.

Unfortunately there are so many people in the system, there is no way to monitor who's living with who, for how long etc. Most states will investigate specific reports, and MA has recently taken to actually prosecuting welfare fraud, but they haven't been collecting.

[Sunsetsky]

I have a friend who can barely afford to buy food. She's helping her mother out of a tight situation. They keep getting denied food stamps. Yet...I have a former friend who is allowed wic and was encouraged by her own mother to pretend that she didn't know who the babies dad was so she can get more insurance benefits (medicaid). But...I don't know how the medicaid works and if it works like that. But I find it wrong to encourage someone to cheat the system.