what do you think about the reduction in the snap progam/food stamps

[moonangel]

  I have worked hard all my life ten years or so from retirement they took away most of my accrued pernsion and put it in the stock market and we all know how well that's been going!

The stock market is doing great.

I had more in my pension than I have in stock but stock goes up and down  not the most perfect system if you are doing that good with the stock markets perhaps you could help me out because I don't have any real idea on how it works

[amahomes]

You are so right the price of food is way up. a 1lb of bacon $4.00 up eggs almost $2.00 a dozen depend on the size. I pray we all be taking care of.

[premar16]

People keep mentioning that people should work for thier food stamps I don't think they realize that a lot of these people do actually have jobs but with the cost of food the decrease in pay and housing going to crap its getting harder and harder to feed our families.Yes churches can help but they can only help so much

[paints]

People keep mentioning that people should work for thier food stamps I don't think they realize that a lot of these people do actually have jobs but with the cost of food the decrease in pay and housing going to crap its getting harder and harder to feed our families.Yes churches can help but they can only help so much

And if the churches had been doing such a great job, food stamps would not have been needed.

[moonangel]

This is what I know ...Everyone I know is working their a**es off welfare or not we are all struggling to make ends meet

[countrygirl12]

I think it will help weed out the ones who are abusing the system but I feel terrible for the ones that truly need it. I know a lady who is old retired and is disabled.  she says that she only got 30 dollars this month. with her being on a really strict budget she has only eaten one meal a day for quite a while well plus a small snack she says she just will eat one meal a day  and just half  of that and save the other half for tomorrow.  she doesn't have any family to help her out.

How will it help weed out the ones abusing the system.  They cut everyone drawing by a certain amount.  A family of ONE was cut only $11 and a family of 4 was cut around $36.  I am not calling you a liar but I kind of doubt what she is saying.  I guess I have just seen too many liars lately.  I don't believe anybody and their sob stories.  I am having a really hard time but yet I manage.  Ramen Noodle soup is only 12 cents a package.  You can eat that every day for one meal if you have to.  Eat peanut butter or cheese sandwiches.  People can eat for a lot less.  May not be what they want to eat but it is something to eat.

[countrygirl12]

I don't know much about it but I think in general a lot of people live beyond their means.  You have to really look at what's a want and what's a need and plan your expenses accordingly.  I agree the ones who abuse the system must be punished hopefully not at the expense of those who really need the assistance. I hope those who really need the assistance can find a way to make it work and not suffer too much.

This wasn't done as a punishment.  I don't remember what it was called but there was a bill or something giving extra to the food stamp program voted in a while back that expired.  So it went back down to what it was before.

[countrygirl12]

I wish only the one who needs it  will get it the rest should work and just don't take advantage of it.

I wish people would work too.  But I am thinking some of the ones you and others think deserve it I would think didn't.  I know people who have been out of work for a long time because they can't find the job they want or they are as a exfriend said to me "being picky" about what job they take.  I wasn't able to do that.  I had to take whatever I could get.  If there are fast food jobs available and you are drawing unemployment and food stamps then you should be forced to take the job that is there.  Work there til you can find something better instead of being a leach.  Yes, it makes me a little angry. lol

[countrygirl12]

  It is too bad that a big majority on the food stamps really need them and so what do they do the last week of the month?  Just not eat?    It is the children and the  elderly who get the shaft when they decide to lower it.  I think they need to prove every 3 months that they still need it.  They are also very strict in my state on what you can and cannot get with food stamps.  You cannot pay for junk food, sodas, most pre-made foods, no candy etc.  In our area one of the things that is making it hard it so many companies now are having you work part time, so you get no benefits and low  wages.     I think we should drop the percentage of money we are sending to other countries.   I think we should allow line item veto so that so much waste does not get through just to make a Senator look like he is helping his state.  All while he is saying the budget needs lowered.               

They didn't just decide to lower it.  It was only raised for a certain amount of time and Bush done it not obamer.  And you are re-evaluated every 6 months.  They wouldn't have time to do everyone every 3 months.  I have never heard of EBT cards not paying for junk food. In my area expensive steaks and junk food are the norm.  I don't have a problem with say one box of cookies.  Idk.   

[countrygirl12]

Food Stamps for those in need,,,  ( really needy)  is great.  But then you get those people who abuse the system and makes its bad for the other families. We were at the store awhile back and standing in line to check out .  Couple with 4 kids in front of us with 2-carts of food,,,  or should i say   "Junk Food".  I never seen any meat or vegetables or milk.  All we seen was chips, cookies, candy,  soda, all junk in them carts. 

Then we noticed that : the Dad had an IPhone,,,,,   The Mom had an I Phone,,,,,,  and the 2-oldest Kids had IPhones !!!!!!!!!!!!

Please tell me what was wrong with that Picture ??    Am I wrong to think something was wrong with that Picture ?

I can't afford an IPhone,,,,,,,  and I qualify to get food stamps if I would do it.  ( I lost my job because they closed the store I worked at ) I'm on unemployment right
now.  It really erks me to see people like this abusing the food stamp program 

OK I have griped enough  LOL

I've seen similar situations. They need to revise the rules, so that junk food of any kind can't be purchased with food stamps. And they can go through the records and cut back everyone that has been buying junk food instead of real, healthy food. That would cut their budget down by a lot, and hopefully discourage some of the abusers.

What is your idea of REAL healthy food?  A lot of people want to ban the frozen meals also.  If you can get a frozen meal for $1 and you get $30 then that is 30 meals.  As opposed to only a couple if you can only buy fresh fruits and veggies.

[countrygirl12]

People can always get food from their local church or food bank.

This is not so.  The church I use to attend and pretty much all the churches in my area do no hand out food to people.  Although there is a food bank in the area it is usually nasty expired food that nobody will eat and thus the reason it is at the food pantry.

[countrygirl12]

People keep mentioning that people should work for thier food stamps I don't think they realize that a lot of these people do actually have jobs but with the cost of food the decrease in pay and housing going to crap its getting harder and harder to feed our families.Yes churches can help but they can only help so much

This is true.  A lot of my co workers making min wage getting 25 hours a week get a little help with food stamps.

And if the churches had been doing such a great job, food stamps would not have been needed.
[/quote]

It's not the place of the churches to provide food for every dead beat who will not work.  I know way too many people who have went into a church and told a lie to get money that was used for drugs not food.  Thus the reason churches quit helping when people randomly asked.  I am not defending the churches or attacking them.  It just irritates me when people (most of which don't even believe in God) want to blame the churches for people being hungry and homeless and not putting the blame on the person who will not work.  I seen 4 different people outside my workplace Saturday holding various signs about hungry, will work for food, need money anything helps.  Yet NONE of the dead beats holding a sign will go into where I work and fill out an application.  And yes we are hiring.

This is what I know ...Everyone I know is working their a**es off welfare or not we are all struggling to make ends meet

I know a few people who are working and they struggle.  I see more people who are lazy and cry and complain because they are struggling but yet they don't work and get money deposited into a checking account every month.  They have fancy phones, satellite tv, go to the movies all the time and even though they cry about struggling manage to have steak every night for supper.  To me that ain't struggling.   Some of the people who THINK they are having a tough time need to really struggle so they can know what it feels like.

[Mikena]

People keep mentioning that people should work for thier food stamps I don't think they realize that a lot of these people do actually have jobs but with the cost of food the decrease in pay and housing going to crap its getting harder and harder to feed our families.Yes churches can help but they can only help so much

I feel sorry for the people that actually need SNAP. The economy is getting really hard on everyone. People who may make 1 dollar too much  can't qualify for help are probably hit the hardest. I know alot of people who need help and can't get it just for that reason; as it was posted it is hard on everyone. I really do believe that there should be a better way to monitor Snap though. There are people I know that abuse the system and then there are those that really need the help can't get it. Sometimes,I think we are all on a slow sinking ship and I pray that there will be enough life rafts to go around.

[moonangel]

I think it will help weed out the ones who are abusing the system but I feel terrible for the ones that truly need it. I know a lady who is old retired and is disabled.  she says that she only got 30 dollars this month. with her being on a really strict budget she has only eaten one meal a day for quite a while well plus a small snack she says she just will eat one meal a day  and just half  of that and save the other half for tomorrow.  she doesn't have any family to help her out.

How will it help weed out the ones abusing the system.  They cut everyone drawing by a certain amount.  A family of ONE was cut only $11 and a family of 4 was cut around $36.  I am not calling you a liar but I kind of doubt what she is saying.  I guess I have just seen too many liars lately.  I don't believe anybody and their sob stories.  I am having a really hard time but yet I manage.  Ramen Noodle soup is only 12 cents a package.  You can eat that every day for one meal if you have to.  Eat peanut butter or cheese sandwiches.  People can eat for a lot less.  May not be what they want to eat but it is something to eat.

The person that I was referring to is also on a special diet  everything is not always cut an dried there are other facts that I did not give but I guess I wrongly assumed that by giving a description of old retired and disabled that most people would be able to put 2+2 together.  There is no way that this person would be able to hold a job she doesn't own a computer and at this point in her life she never will and has never owned one. 
I don't know about other food banks and churches but my local ones are very low on food and are begging for donations. 

[countrygirl12]

People keep mentioning that people should work for thier food stamps I don't think they realize that a lot of these people do actually have jobs but with the cost of food the decrease in pay and housing going to crap its getting harder and harder to feed our families.Yes churches can help but they can only help so much

I feel sorry for the people that actually need SNAP. The economy is getting really hard on everyone. People who may make 1 dollar too much  can't qualify for help are probably hit the hardest. I know alot of people who need help and can't get it just for that reason; as it was posted it is hard on everyone. I really do believe that there should be a better way to monitor Snap though. There are people I know that abuse the system and then there are those that really need the help can't get it. Sometimes,I think we are all on a slow sinking ship and I pray that there will be enough life rafts to go around.

I hear this a lot.  But there has to be a cut off.  If you give it to the one who make $1 too much then the person who makes $2 too much will say well then I should get it.  I only make $2 too much.  If you don't meet the requirements then you don't meet them.