I stopped by a local store to pick up dinner for work.

This woman in line--who was proudly stating to anyone who would listen--that she was on Public Assistance had 3 cases of beer, 2 cartons of cigarettes and a can of Skoal Chewing Tobacco in her cart with 3 little kids in tow who ranged in ages from 4 to 9 and who were (sadly) obviously overweight.

Not Milk...not fruit or veggies or something healthy for the kids but garbage food!!

Another woman in line suggested politely that there was a sale on some fruit in a certain aisle. This woman launched into her saying how she can buy what she wants, when she wants, blah blah blah....and then after ringing it up turned to to the woman and said "Thank you for buying my beer with your taxes." and left.

The audacity of this woman left 4 of us (including the Cashier) in absolute drop-jawed amazement.

If you're on Public Assistance the food stamps or what not should NOT be allowed to buy adult luxuries. It should be (IMHO) for healthy food...not garbage.

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I stopped by a local store to pick up dinner for work.

This woman in line--who was proudly stating to anyone who would listen--that she was on Public Assistance had 3 cases of beer, 2 cartons of cigarettes and a can of Skoal Chewing Tobacco in her cart with 3 little kids in tow who ranged in ages from 4 to 9 and who were (sadly) obviously overweight.

Not Milk...not fruit or veggies or something healthy for the kids but garbage food!!

Another woman in line suggested politely that there was a sale on some fruit in a certain aisle. This woman launched into her saying how she can buy what she wants, when she wants, blah blah blah....and then after ringing it up turned to to the woman and said "Thank you for buying my beer with your taxes." and left.

The outright attitude of this woman left 4 of us (including the Cashier) in absolute drop-jawed amazement.

If you're on Public Assistance the food stamps or what not should NOT be allowed to buy adult luxuries. It should be (IMHO) for healthy food...not garbage.

Been there, seen that and the best thing I have heard is
"The best way to help the poor is to make them uncomfortable in their poverty"
Thomas Jefferson

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i was at the evil empire last night....
and i saw a young girl gazing rather intently into one of the cases
that frozen foods are stored.

i thought that she really wants some ice cream badly...until i saw
the object of her gaze.

a tv dinner.

its the fall of civilization.
parents too busy or lazy to cook decent meals
for their children.

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Blurf, what did she pay with?
cash?

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True I cant imagine that the foodstamp program has beer on its list of legit food stuff.

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

Blurf, what did she pay with?
cash?

Not Cash and not a credit card (the other woman was close enough to see and asked the cashier afterwards)...it was a card of some type but due to policy the cashier obviously wouldn't tell us. The other woman said it looked "government-issued"....

I don't know for sure.

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yeah there is some fraud going on for sure.

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In order to maintain the dignity of the people receiving Public Assistance, they now issue them a ATM/Cash card so they don't have to walk in with a hand full of food stamps. The first time I seen this done was during Katrina when they were trying to assist people after the Hurricane. It was a big problem then and I suspect they may not have got all the problems worked out yet.

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All I can say is make the stores report back to the welfare agencies with all the data that their store loyalty cards collect for each person. That way when they are buying tons of not WIC (women infants children) items some how or another the agency can re-asses their ability to earn a living and adjust their benefits accordingly. Now if the store was selling non-WIC items on WIC money, that is a much more serious issue. A quick read however indicates that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program money can be used for junk.

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Can't get our elected officials to do right by us, why would I care how someone getting assistance spends the money.

The top of the food chain(elected officials) do as they please-not as voted for-and I'm supposed to care about what happens at a register?

Sure, it's another Life Annoyance, as is the pothole that rattles our sorry bones on the way to the food store, but is it worth a rise in blood pressure?

Who am I to preach? I hate it all just like you do.

iWorm 'em.

p.s. I love The Change I can't Believe in.

I actually agree with you in most points.

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Pluto will always be a planet to me.

Seti Ambassador
Not to late to order an Anni Shirt

Been there, seen that and the best thing I have heard is
"The best way to help the poor is to make them uncomfortable in their poverty"
Thomas Jefferson

Be careful who you quote. For all of his pearls of wisdom, Thomas Jefferson died in 1826 over $100,000 in debt. That would be almost $1.9 Million in today's dollars. His family had to sell off many of his slaves, his possessions, and Monticello in order to settle his estate.

A financial genius he was not.

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Join the PACK!

I actually agree with you in most points.

Really--cool. Based on our previous dicussions I thought we'd see alike on this.

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Been there, seen that and the best thing I have heard is
"The best way to help the poor is to make them uncomfortable in their poverty"
Thomas Jefferson

Be careful who you quote. For all of his pearls of wisdom, Thomas Jefferson died in 1826 over $100,000 in debt. That would be almost $1.9 Million in today's dollars. His family had to sell off many of his slaves, his possessions, and Monticello in order to settle his estate.

A financial genius he was not.

Jefferson got himself into that fix by trying to covering his father in laws debt. I was very much aware of that he was not a perfect person, but then none of us are. Also who better to give that bit of advice than a person who spent much of his life trying to get out of debt?

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I opened this thread to see what "Fraud" was being perpetrated only to find the usual Reaganist hate mongering of those at the bottom end of society.

No evidence of fraud is offered, just personal opinions about the purchacing choices made in the store, opinions about her fat kids and wedged in there was some crap about this person spouting off to anyone in range that she was on the public cheese.

Did you follow her around that day Blurf? Do you know for a fact that she didn't already have the healthy choices of food in the fridge at home?

RRRR poor people RRRR let's hate them all RRRRR
The premise of this thread is so cliche I tend to not believe it from the start.

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

I opened this thread to see what "Fraud" was being perpetrated only to find the usual Reaganist hate mongering of those at the bottom end of society.

No evidence of fraud is offered, just personal opinions about the purchacing choices made in the store, opinions about her fat kids and wedged in there was some crap about this person spouting off to anyone in range that she was on the public cheese.

Of course Robert, living in the USA you are fully aware that the WIC assistance program [the most common one] strictly prohibits the purchases Blurf saw. As such if they were made under the WIC program, jail time is called for, both to the store and the person purchasing. I think that rises to the level of fraud! Not, Reaganist hate mongering of those at the bottom end of society.

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I opened this thread to see what "Fraud" was being perpetrated only to find the usual Reaganist hate mongering of those at the bottom end of society.

No evidence of fraud is offered, just personal opinions about the purchacing choices made in the store, opinions about her fat kids and wedged in there was some crap about this person spouting off to anyone in range that she was on the public cheese.

Of course Robert, living in the USA you are fully aware that the WIC assistance program [the most common one] strictly prohibits the purchases Blurf saw. As such if they were made under the WIC program, jail time is called for, both to the store and the person purchasing. I think that rises to the level of fraud! Not, Reaganist hate mongering of those at the bottom end of society.

Actually some I've read don't like people owning their own house or a car and think those that get government money should lose their right to vote too, These ideas are so wrong, After all everyone in the US Constitutions Bill of rights is guaranteed the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, It just doesn't say how to go about doing that. Me I don't participate in WIC or receive Food Stamps, Nor TANF. As to what I do with money in My checking account, I don't buy drugs, alcohol or cigarettes, But I do buy food, pay bills and rent, pay taxes, do repairs to My house & car, Buy PC or TV parts sometimes, etc, Just like anyone else, Just slower as I have no credit card as My Parents didn't have a credit card for most of their life, My Dad did in His 60's get one card, But that was It, So I buy items that others would charge the old fashioned way, I save My money up, I'm frugal and will put up with things I see as flawed and not something that needs immediate attention(like altering a bathroom or specifically replacing a worn sink and vanity and I've got two of them or repairing a seat back that normally faces the trunk that's cauterized already). I've admired Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt for a long time, He went after Big business and the Trusts, He'd have wailed against Too Big to Fail Mergers and was thought of as a Progressive, Today some would call Him worse, As He cared about the ordinary Person. Government should have enough Muscle to fight such Big Businesses as BP, Just as TR went after US Steel and the Big Trusts back in the 19th Century, So the current Republican mantra of small government doesn't seem right or make any sense to Me, As Government is there for the People, Of the People and By the People of the United States, Not for Big Businesses which often did act too big for their britches and usually as a Bully of great size all in the name of Profit at any cost, Today the idea is outsourcing jobs, Right Shoring jobs according to Carly Fiorina(Former CEO of HP Computers, Before She was fired).

Some want to cut the benefits of those that are Blind, disabled and the elderly who get SSI(Supplemental Security Income) or that need help to live as much as they can on their own(IHSS, In Home Supportive Services, Which helps those who need help with doing things most can do for themselves, Kind of like a Butler I think, It's helpful I've heard for those fresh out of the Hospital from surgery too, No I don't receive IHSS) which is less expensive than housing people in Institutions, Do the politicians have No Shame or Decency?

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

The situation has been on our minds so Suz and I stopped by the store yesterday and talked to the Manager. The woman is well known to Management as I guess she constantly b*tches about store policies all the time.

The cashier from the other day apparently did violate some rules regarding the Public Assistance programs and got suspended for a week (referring to Skil''s post). I guess she's very manipulative w/ cashier's and while he wouldn't day which program she's on (for confidentiality reasons and appropriately so) she seems to slip stuff by.

They're preparing to ban her from the store for these reasons but are trying to get a more solid case as she threatened to sue for racial discrimination the last time they asked her not to come into the store.

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I opened this thread to see what "Fraud" was being perpetrated only to find the usual Reaganist hate mongering of those at the bottom end of society.

No evidence of fraud is offered, just personal opinions about the purchacing choices made in the store, opinions about her fat kids and wedged in there was some crap about this person spouting off to anyone in range that she was on the public cheese.

Did you follow her around that day Blurf? Do you know for a fact that she didn't already have the healthy choices of food in the fridge at home?

RRRR poor people RRRR let's hate them all RRRRR
The premise of this thread is so cliche I tend to not believe it from the start.

Robert--of course I don't know what her home is like. Please don't twist the discussion. That is not at all what was intended and your attempts to turn this into a party-based-specific issue are completely off-base. If you don't believe it happened--you have that right. Please move to the next thread.

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The situation has been on our minds so Suz and I stopped by the store yesterday and talked to the Manager. The woman is well known to Management as I guess she constantly b*tches about store policies all the time.

The cashier from the other day apparently did violate some rules regarding the Public Assistance programs and got suspended for a week (referring to Skil''s post). I guess she's very manipulative w/ cashier's and while he wouldn't day which program she's on (for confidentiality reasons and appropriately so) she seems to slip stuff by.

They're preparing to ban her from the store for these reasons but are trying to get a more solid case as she threatened to sue for racial discrimination the last time they asked her not to come into the store.

Yeah, Naturally the person would try that tactic, When It's what comes out of the mouth people are objecting to, sigh, I wonder does this person even know that other people may be hurt Her words?

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's