(04-10-2015 09:06 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  So beef and seafood is now a luxury item. I thought it was just food.

"This is the way I want to live and I don’t really see anything changing," Jason Greenslate explained to Fox. “It’s free food; it’s awesome."

That story fit a longtime conservative suspicion that poor people use food stamps to purchase luxury items. Now, a Republican state lawmaker in Missouri is pushing for legislation that would stop people like Greenslate and severely limit what food stamp recipients can buy. The bill being proposed would ban the purchase with food stamps of "cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood or steak."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/03/missouri-republicans-are-trying-to-ban-food-stamp-recipients-from-buying-steak-and-seafood/

(04-10-2015 09:36 AM)NewJersey GATA Wrote:  

(04-10-2015 09:06 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  So beef and seafood is now a luxury item. I thought it was just food.

"This is the way I want to live and I don’t really see anything changing," Jason Greenslate explained to Fox. “It’s free food; it’s awesome."

That story fit a longtime conservative suspicion that poor people use food stamps to purchase luxury items. Now, a Republican state lawmaker in Missouri is pushing for legislation that would stop people like Greenslate and severely limit what food stamp recipients can buy. The bill being proposed would ban the purchase with food stamps of "cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood or steak."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/03/missouri-republicans-are-trying-to-ban-food-stamp-recipients-from-buying-steak-and-seafood/

Last week when I was at the counter (just coming home from work) with my items of chicken thighs, baby formula, diapers, bananas, milk, frozen carrots, eggs ....... I noticed a woman (still in pajamas with 4 kids with brand new shoes and smart phones. 1 baby) in front of me with 5 Digorno Pizza, 3lbs of fresh tiger shrimp 14.99 lb, chicken breast, rack of ribs, 5 bags of chips, pudding cups, 10 one lb bags of fresh cold cuts, fresh pineapple and assorted fresh produce, etc etc whip out her NJ EBT card.

I never purchased tiger shrimp, only had them at a wedding.

Well as I throw my groceries in my vehicle with 322,000 miles on it, I depart the parking lot and notice that same woman lighting up a cigarette with her children jumping into a Cadillac Escalade.

SMH ....... American Dream

(04-10-2015 09:06 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  So beef and seafood is now a luxury item. I thought it was just food.

"This is the way I want to live and I don’t really see anything changing," Jason Greenslate explained to Fox. “It’s free food; it’s awesome."

That story fit a longtime conservative suspicion that poor people use food stamps to purchase luxury items. Now, a Republican state lawmaker in Missouri is pushing for legislation that would stop people like Greenslate and severely limit what food stamp recipients can buy. The bill being proposed would ban the purchase with food stamps of "cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood or steak."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/03/missouri-republicans-are-trying-to-ban-food-stamp-recipients-from-buying-steak-and-seafood/

(04-10-2015 09:06 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  So beef and seafood is now a luxury item. I thought it was just food.

"This is the way I want to live and I don’t really see anything changing," Jason Greenslate explained to Fox. “It’s free food; it’s awesome."

That story fit a longtime conservative suspicion that poor people use food stamps to purchase luxury items. Now, a Republican state lawmaker in Missouri is pushing for legislation that would stop people like Greenslate and severely limit what food stamp recipients can buy. The bill being proposed would ban the purchase with food stamps of "cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood or steak."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/03/missouri-republicans-are-trying-to-ban-food-stamp-recipients-from-buying-steak-and-seafood/

(04-10-2015 09:45 AM)QuestionSocratic Wrote:  I think there should be reasonable limits on the use of food stamps. Certainly no lottery tickets, cigarettes or alcohol, and I can't really think why bottled water and sports drinks should not be on an exclusion list.

That said, some sea food can be healthy and relatively inexpensive. And there is nothing wrong with round steak. It's the details that make this problematic.

If you check at any grocery store, you'll find that a half dozen apples or oranges cost less than a bag of Tostitos. Common sense doesn't come naturally to people.

(04-10-2015 09:50 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  I don't consider buying lesser cuts of beef and seafood to be an abuse of the food stamp system. People need a realistic diet to stay healthy and avoid excessive hospital bills.

This is a classic example of how conservatives make a very good point - but then execute a "solution" to the problem in such a way that completely alienates most of the moderates (and therefore loses them an election).

A lighter hand would bring in more moderates to the Republican voting block and would ultimately allow you to have about 70-80% of what you want - which is all you can really expect in our political system, anyhow.

(04-10-2015 09:52 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-10-2015 09:50 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  I don't consider buying lesser cuts of beef and seafood to be an abuse of the food stamp system. People need a realistic diet to stay healthy and avoid excessive hospital bills.

This is a classic example of how conservatives make a very good point - but then execute a "solution" to the problem in such a way that completely alienates most of the moderates (and therefore loses them an election).

A lighter hand would bring in more moderates to the Republican voting block and would ultimately allow you to have about 70-80% of what you want - which is all you can really expect in our political system, anyhow.

This wasn't a mistep to try and educate poor people to make better choices. This is a prime example of how some in the party despise poor people using tax payer monety to survive.

(04-10-2015 09:52 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  If you live on a small fixed income and a food stamp supplement every month, yet spend that money on steak and seafood....then that already explains a lot.

I don't see any pragmatism in spending a SUPPLEMENTAL allowance on anything other than NEEDS. SNAP is in place for folks who NEED it. No one NEEDS steak and seafood. Hell, I'm not on assistance and can't even afford that ****.

(04-10-2015 09:41 AM)Machiavelli Wrote:  I got my titty in a wringer this week over something kind of like this. My Sister in law is up and she bought some snacks for the kids. She had Great Value cheese crackers and I like Cheez Its. I thought my wife bought them so when I reached into the pantry I yelled who in the heck bought the cheapo crackers. Not realizing it was just my in laws trying to help out. Felt bad. Beggars shouldn't be choosers but I can see both sides of it. Who are you to tell me what i can buy. Either we have food stamps or we don't. You let the recipients choose or priortize. I can honestly see both sides of this.

(04-10-2015 09:52 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-10-2015 09:50 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  I don't consider buying lesser cuts of beef and seafood to be an abuse of the food stamp system. People need a realistic diet to stay healthy and avoid excessive hospital bills.

This is a classic example of how conservatives make a very good point - but then execute a "solution" to the problem in such a way that completely alienates most of the moderates (and therefore loses them an election).

A lighter hand would bring in more moderates to the Republican voting block and would ultimately allow you to have about 70-80% of what you want - which is all you can really expect in our political system, anyhow.

This wasn't a mistep to try and educate poor people to make better choices. This is a prime example of how some in the party despise poor people using tax payer monety to survive.

(04-10-2015 09:55 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  

(04-10-2015 09:52 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  If you live on a small fixed income and a food stamp supplement every month, yet spend that money on steak and seafood....then that already explains a lot.

I don't see any pragmatism in spending a SUPPLEMENTAL allowance on anything other than NEEDS. SNAP is in place for folks who NEED it. No one NEEDS steak and seafood. Hell, I'm not on assistance and can't even afford that ****.

Steak can be ground to make hamburgers, meatloaf, tacos, soups etc. etc.

Seafood is sometimes necessary for religious purposes during lent.

Are republicans actually going to deny Catholics on food stamps from purchasing fish during lent?

(04-10-2015 09:41 AM)Machiavelli Wrote:  Who are you to tell me what i can buy.