Taxes, Food Stamps, and Racism

[mattm04]

No I don't pretend to know all the tax laws in my state, nor do I really care. Al i know is some items are taxed while others are not. Also, our store just had a surprise inspection to make sure we are following the rules, and we passed with flying colors.

Also the states food stamp program is only for essential (non-taxed) items. Coffee in a can is fine, but a cup of coffee is not, etc.

A white SC approaches register: Hellllloo!
CW: Yes.
SC: I want to pay for this coffee. *i ring up coffee*
SC: Food Stamps!
Me: Sir, you have to pay cash for the coffee, the food stamp program will not pay for it.
SC: It will let me!!! Run it!
CW: I will try. *of course it fails* Sir it will not work.
SC: Then call a manager.

I page the MOD, the MOD comes down.

MOD: How can i help you sir?
SC: Let me pay for this coffee using food stamps.
MOD: Sir, the food stamp program will not allow that.
SC: Then make it.
MOD: I can not sir. (well in theory we can override tax on it, but that is audited along with payment and then we get in trouble.)
SC: It's because of my race, you idiot. Right?
MOD; sir, you are white, I am white. It is the law. I will nto break the law for you.
SC: Well I guess I will just steal it then, since you won;t let me pay.
MOD: If you steal that I will call the police. if they catch you we will press charges, if not we will have you trespassed from the store.
SC: The charge me for something of similar value.
MOD: No. You can pay cash or leave the coffee behind and continue wht your shopping.
SC: Well I will steal something else.
MOD: Okay sir, I will ask you to leave the store now.

The SC stomps off. Only to return the next day and try the same thing, except he was not asked to leave.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

What an idiot. Why should the government have to support these morons?

EDIT: Clarification- Why should the govt have to support morons, not the only ppl the govt supports are morons. Just wanted to make that clear.

[Gurndigarn]

What an idiot. Why should the government have to support these morons?

Because it's hard for them to tell who the morons are and who aren't from an application.

[bainsidhe]

SCs can be found anywhere you go regardless of income. This guy became an asshole when he refused to listen to reality and tried to force it to suit his wishes. My guess is he's gotten his way at other establishments because it wasn't worth the hassle to argue. Good job standing your ground.

[TTAZ]

You know, nobody (normal) LIKES being on food stamps, and usually want to get through the process of using them with as little fuss and retaining as much dignity as possible. A good way to achieve this goal is to.....I don't know...maybe....

KEEP YOUR FUCKING TRAP SHUT AND FOLLOW THE RULES!

The government won't pay for your mocha crappucino, so sad. They WILL pay for a can of folgers and a bottle of hershey's syrup. MAKE IT YOURSELF! The government WILL pay for steak, fresh fish, organic produce, spices, herbs, and Haagen-Dasz. Most of these things are not affordable by those paying for their own food, so SUCK IT UP, and try being GRATEFUL for the fact that you can get help with paying for your food AT ALL, instead of causing innocent people headaches because you seem to forget that you are a grown-up and supposedly above that kind of monkey shines.

My $0.02, y'all.

[Akasa]

When I was on food stamps a couple years ago I still couldn't afford to feed myself.($50 a month!)
Fortunately there was a number I could call and get address and phone number of food banks in my area, and never did I even think about fussing about what I got from these places. I just made what I could with what they gave me.
The audacity of some of these people!

[corporateslave]

OP, You sound so racist! (jk)

When I was on food stamps a couple years ago I still couldn't afford to feed myself.($50 a month!)
Fortunately there was a number I could call and get address and phone number of food banks in my area, and never did I even think about fussing about what I got from these places. I just made what I could with what they gave me.
The audacity of some of these people!

Wow, that's not very much to live off of. I'm sorry. But you sound like you handled it well.
My SO was at a small yuppie supermarket recently (it's just the closest to where we live, part of which became inhabited by yuppies, unfortunately, so much of the forest is vanishing and we see bears on occasion, that are being robbed of their natural habitats) and told me this story; an elderly woman in front of him was paying in food stamps, so it was taking some time. A heartless b$%ch was behind him sighing loudly and doing the exasperated SC dance. The elderly foodstamp lady needed another dollar, and was having trouble finding one, so my SO started digging in his wallet to try to slip one to the cashier without the elderly lady noticing, but she found one. He was just so disgusted by the heartless b$%ch behind him..and all I could think of were stories from this site. I really hope the elderly lady didn't notice the heartless b$%ch. I still wonder if she'd said something nasty to the cashier when she was rung up. I hate people.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

This reminded me of something else. My last roomie, who I call the "tumor", was so stingy that he wanted to go on food stamps just to save money!

He could afford his food! Hell, his parents who still give him money to this day, live on a golf course and are way upper-middle class!

He's even somehow collecting unemployment even though he quit his job! He doesn't need unemployment!!!

I swear he's so infuriating.

[blas]

You think that's bad? Granted a lot of college kids are poor, around here, most of them are spoiled brats who are getting a free ride from mom and dad (and if they aren't in the dorms, their parents are paying their rent and bought them their cars and we're lucky if they even work part time)....and I went out with one once. He said that he didn't want to buy groceries one week because him and his room mates wanted to party instead. So they went to the food pantry to get free food.

That's disgusting.

[smileyeagle1021]

universities suck.

edited for conciseness and ease of reading... seriously, having done both university and community college... I much prefer the CC because the students here mostly aren't spoiled little brats, most are paying their own way through, and most actually care.

Anyone I've met here that is on food stamps needs them.

[taxguykarl]

In an earlier incarnation, this board had a section called Fun with Food Stamps which detailed the abuses--attempted and completed--with food stamps.

My ex-girlfriends real boyfriend (long story--way off topic) offered to buy my grocery list with his food stamps, if I would give him cash for a fraction of the amount (anywhere from 1/2 to 2/3). I always refused because: 1) I pay taxes and this is not what the purpose of the program 2) I knew that they cash would quickly get blown on crack--understand he already owed me (and still does, come to think of it) $300 that I know I will never see.

[blas]

Oh I hear you there.....I had a coworker at the gas station who was on food stamps, and she tried to talk me into a deal. If I gave her money for pot, she would let me use her food stamp card to buy that same amount of money in food at the store.

At the time, I was living with my parents and didn't need to worry about that....and it was wrong, on top of that.

[pyxee]

I am so glad that my current gas station does not take Food stamps. It doesn't stop people from trying, though. Our store is actually on the outside part of the parking lot for a grocery store for pete's sake. The worst are the ones that know we don't take them but still try, hoping that the clerk will just let them have to coffee or soda since it has to be thrown away anyways.

[smileyeagle1021]

Oh I hear you there.....I had a coworker at the gas station who was on food stamps, and she tried to talk me into a deal. If I gave her money for pot, she would let me use her food stamp card to buy that same amount of money in food at the store.

At the time, I was living with my parents and didn't need to worry about that....and it was wrong, on top of that.

i'll admit that I've done a similar deal to that once... except it was a little bit more legit... a friend offered to let me use food stamps to buy food if I'd pay the copay on one of his medications... so still illegal, but not really that wrong.

[Evil Queen]

Imagine if Hotels took food stamps.

*shutter*