Food Stamps and the $41 Cake (1 Viewer)

[DA RAIDERS]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

These are the two best posts in this thread. It is a shame that the ignorant people will never appreciate them.

i am equally incensed by both. both "situations" are extremely ####ed up.

 

[Clifford]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

These are the two best posts in this thread. It is a shame that the ignorant people will never appreciate them.

Food stamps cost the U.S. roughly $100 billion per year. Comparing a $41 cake to multi-million dollar salaries is not a good post for this or any thread.

And no one here is saying to ignore corporate fraud and only go after waste in the food stamp system. HTH

Are we not also talking about subsidies? Cause that's welfare, just to different folks.

 

[IC FBGCav]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

These are the two best posts in this thread. It is a shame that the ignorant people will never appreciate them.

Food stamps cost the U.S. roughly $100 billion per year. Comparing a $41 cake to multi-million dollar salaries is not a good post for this or any thread.

And no one here is saying to ignore corporate fraud and only go after waste in the food stamp system. HTH

Now let me blow your mind. Who makes the profit off that 100 billion? The poor people or the rich corporations?

 

[Henry Ford]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

These are the two best posts in this thread. It is a shame that the ignorant people will never appreciate them.

Food stamps cost the U.S. roughly $100 billion per year. Comparing a $41 cake to multi-million dollar salaries is not a good post for this or any thread.

And no one here is saying to ignore corporate fraud and only go after waste in the food stamp system. HTH

In the sense that 75 is roughly 100, "per year" means "last year" and with the understanding that the total benefits in 2002 were about 20% of that and as recently as 2008 were less than half of the current number, this is a great statistic.

 

[Gr00vus]

Have there been any studies done to determine how many welfare recipients are using the system as intended, and how many are lazy parasites?

I'd like to think there have been some studies done about the effects of subsidies and tax loopholes, yes. Don't have any links at my fingertips though.

 

[Loan Sharks]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

These are the two best posts in this thread. It is a shame that the ignorant people will never appreciate them.

Yes, and no. The point that corruption is everywhere is true, but to claim that you can/are only pissed about one of them is dumb.

Yes and equally dumb to equate the two. Apples and oranges. Because government preserving jobs and an industry is exactly the same as a welfare.

 

[Loan Sharks]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

These are the two best posts in this thread. It is a shame that the ignorant people will never appreciate them.

Food stamps cost the U.S. roughly $100 billion per year. Comparing a $41 cake to multi-million dollar salaries is not a good post for this or any thread.

And no one here is saying to ignore corporate fraud and only go after waste in the food stamp system. HTH

Now let me blow your mind. Who makes the profit off that 100 billion? The poor people or the rich corporations?

No government option?

 

[Hot Diggity Dog]

Consider myself pretty far to the right but don't have a problem with this. Lots of reasons getting the cake doesn't represent her being irresponsible. The kid being shocked probably means she isn't being irresponsible and this isn't a normal event.

The bigger issue is all our politicians don't have the nation's health as a top priority. They just don't. I would bet I could pick ten people off this board, five from the left and five from the right give them a year and come out with a way to balance the budget. And still keep something close to our current level of services. Unfortunately not enough of these type of people run for office.

 

[Sarnoff]

$41 for a pre-made ice cream cake? Waste of money. For just a few bucks more they coulda had a couple of strippers buy ice cream and a sheet cake separately and then instruct them over the phone how to combine them into a single bigger ice cream cake.

 

[Clifford]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

These are the two best posts in this thread. It is a shame that the ignorant people will never appreciate them.

Yes, and no. The point that corruption is everywhere is true, but to claim that you can/are only pissed about one of them is dumb.

Yes and equally dumb to equate the two. Apples and oranges. Because government preserving jobs and an industry is exactly the same as a welfare.

So the government should spend billions of dollars propping up jobs that would not exist without the government handouts? Is that what you're saying when you say "preserve jobs"? Or are you just in favor of the government intervening in the free market and preventing self-correcting mechanisms?

 

[DA RAIDERS]

$41 for a pre-made ice cream cake? Waste of money. For just a few bucks more they coulda had a couple of strippers buy ice cream and a sheet cake separately and then instruct them over the phone how to combine them into a single bigger ice cream cake.

but in the end.....no one wins here. We've seen this movie before.

 

[Joe T]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

These are the two best posts in this thread. It is a shame that the ignorant people will never appreciate them.

Food stamps cost the U.S. roughly $100 billion per year. Comparing a $41 cake to multi-million dollar salaries is not a good post for this or any thread.

And no one here is saying to ignore corporate fraud and only go after waste in the food stamp system. HTH

Now let me blow your mind. Who makes the profit off that 100 billion? The poor people or the rich corporations?

Well, pretty simply the poor people are given the 100 billion (or 75 billion whatever) which I assume are tax free. So the poor people profit by +$100B (or +$75B according to Henry Ford). What you call "rich corporations" then sell goods and services including ice cream cakes and Funyons like they do to everyone. Profit varies by corporation, but let's assume after taxes around 8% of revenue or roughly $8B.

"Poor people" +$100B

"Rich corporations" +$8B

Is there something else I'm missing that will blow my mind or is this a big lead up to nothing as usual?

 

[meatwad1]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

Dude...this thread is about lazy welfare fraudsters who scam the system. We are going to need another thread for the executive graft you speak of.

 

[Clifford]

I'm talking about corporate welfare. Not just graft. IIRC the corporate bailout for banks totaled something around $700 billion, right?

Anyway, if you want to make an argument against the entire welfare system I won't argue. It prevents large scale rioting but other than that it keeps people alive that nature would not. If we are going to be Darwinists there is no argument for it.

 

[tonydead]

I've been eating chocolate cake everyday this week from my old lady's birthday last weekend. It is delicious, could always use more frosting though. I had them frost "Happy Birthday Old Lady" on it.

It only cost me $7.99.

 

[Gr00vus]

I think we could solve the whole world hunger thing if we just met this thread up with EvilGrin72's thread about the eating habits of his office pals. Seems like they might have extra there that would eliminate the need for foodstamps for stuff like this at least.

 

[DiStefano]

I find it funny that so many hard core conservatives want to tell people what they should and should not be able to purchase.

The reason we do is because they are using our money.

 

[Loan Sharks]

Replace "birthday cake" with "executive bonuses" and "food stamps" with "government bailout funds" and "$41" with "several tens of millions of dollars" and no one gives a ####.

In terms of basic street smarts I really do think American is the dumbest 1st world country on earth.

So many folks worry about lazy people taking advantage of welfare but don't bat on eye that so many executives game the system in this country to pull in multi, multi million dollar salaries. These folks have rubber stamp Boards of peers and way too much influence in government. But that's all ok because it's under the guise of capitalism.

Let's focus on someone who gets a couple of hundred bucks a month and not the folks with the $25M golden parachutes.

These are the two best posts in this thread. It is a shame that the ignorant people will never appreciate them.

Yes, and no. The point that corruption is everywhere is true, but to claim that you can/are only pissed about one of them is dumb.

Yes and equally dumb to equate the two. Apples and oranges. Because government preserving jobs and an industry is exactly the same as a welfare.

So the government should spend billions of dollars propping up jobs that would not exist without the government handouts? Is that what you're saying when you say "preserve jobs"? Or are you just in favor of the government intervening in the free market and preventing self-correcting mechanisms?

That is exactly what I am saying. I have no problem with the government creating jobs. To me the benefit of creating a useless job like working for the post office for example supporting a family with employment is far greater than firing everyone in the post office and simply sending them checks.

At least we get the latest pizza coupons delivered that way.

 

[Henry Ford]

I find it funny that so many hard core conservatives want to tell people what they should and should not be able to purchase.

The reason we do is because they are using our money.

You should stop giving them your PIN.

 

[Chaka]

I find it funny that so many hard core conservatives want to tell people what they should and should not be able to purchase.

The reason we do is because they are using our money.

 

[Freelove]

I find it funny that so many hard core conservatives want to tell people what they should and should not be able to purchase.

The reason we do is because they are using our money.

 

[17seconds]

I find it funny that so many hard core conservatives want to tell people what they should and should not be able to purchase.

The reason we do is because they are using our money.

That's pretty much how I read the article.

We used to have common sense in this country but this "urban single mom" is wasting my hard earned money. These idiots even caused the national debt!

I'm gonna stick to Costco where people are more like me and make $96K a year! Those are good people. Man I wish it was 1955.

 

[parasaurolophus]

Well, one gets talked about constantly by people on the right, the other hardly ever gets discussed at all in comparison.

If we want to cut entitlements, let's cut them to everyone and get serious about saving money. No more entitlement programs for the poor or corporations or tax loopholes protecting the rich. No more farm subsidies. No more "too big to fail" bailouts. No more foreign aid. No more automatic deals to MIC.

But when you start talking about that people start to pull away from the table.

I love how you get so angry because somebody pays only 100k in taxes instead of 200k.

 

[Henry Ford]

Well, one gets talked about constantly by people on the right, the other hardly ever gets discussed at all in comparison.

If we want to cut entitlements, let's cut them to everyone and get serious about saving money. No more entitlement programs for the poor or corporations or tax loopholes protecting the rich. No more farm subsidies. No more "too big to fail" bailouts. No more foreign aid. No more automatic deals to MIC.

But when you start talking about that people start to pull away from the table.

I love how you get so angry because somebody pays only 100k in taxes instead of 200k.

Relax. He's not talking about you.

 

[Henry Ford]

Reasonable read

Much funnier

 

[drummer]

I find it funny that so many hard core conservatives want to tell people what they should and should not be able to purchase.

The reason we do is because they are using our money.

 

[Sabertooth]

Yeah it's the welfare moms who are bankrupting this country. Not the trillion dollar wars and corporation paying no taxes.

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

99% that story in the OP never happened.

 

[(HULK)]

Yeah it's the welfare moms who are bankrupting this country. Not the trillion dollar wars and corporation paying no taxes.

They're all stealing from the public.

 

[Cjw_55106]

Yeah it's the welfare moms who are bankrupting this country. Not the trillion dollar wars and corporation paying no taxes.

Thanks for the bump, a year and a half later, on a worthless topic that's already gone on too long.

 

[Joe T]

Yeah it's the welfare moms who are bankrupting this country. Not the trillion dollar wars and corporation paying no taxes.

 

[kentric]

Yeah it's the welfare moms who are bankrupting this country. Not the trillion dollar wars and corporation paying no taxes.

The 'welfare moms' may not be ruining the country, but it sure used to piss me off when I worked in a supermarket and saw someone buying a high-end item with food stamps, paying $15.00 for that item when they could have paid $5.00 for a comparable item.

 

[Chaka]

Yeah it's the welfare moms who are bankrupting this country. Not the trillion dollar wars and corporation paying no taxes.

The 'welfare moms' may not be ruining the country, but it sure used to piss me off when I worked in a supermarket and saw someone buying a high-end item with food stamps, paying $15.00 for that item when they could have paid $5.00 for a comparable item.

I'll take that bait.

What someone chooses to spend their food stamps on is none of your business.

 

[Joe T]

45.3% of all immigrant heads of household with children use some sort of food assistance

 

[Homer J Simpson]

45.3% of all immigrant heads of household with children use some sort of food assistance

Raise the minimum wage, problem solved.

 

[IC FBGCav]

You would think by now people would grasp the concept of you either give or you don't.   But once you decided to give something away you should lose all rights to how it is used. 

 

[Sabertooth]

You would think by now people would grasp the concept of you either give or you don't.   But once you decided to give something away you should lose all rights to how it is used. 

I tried this with my wife.  She gave me her hand in marriage.  She is most certainly not ok with how I choose to use it sometimes.   

 

[IC FBGCav]

Well, pretty simply the poor people are given the 100 billion (or 75 billion whatever) which I assume are tax free. So the poor people profit by +$100B (or +$75B according to Henry Ford). What you call "rich corporations" then sell goods and services including ice cream cakes and Funyons like they do to everyone. Profit varies by corporation, but let's assume after taxes around 8% of revenue or roughly $8B.

"Poor people" +$100B

"Rich corporations" +$8B

Is there something else I'm missing that will blow my mind or is this a big lead up to nothing as usual?

As I am just reading this for the first time now, I must say unfortunately, nothing as usual.  I think a reply after 2.5 years might not give the sting that I was looking for. 

 

[Jayrod]

You would think by now people would grasp the concept of you either give or you don't.   But once you decided to give something away you should lose all rights to how it is used. 

Is this a joke?  You are joking, right?

Ever heard of designated giving?  Food stamps themselves are limited as to use.  This posts makes basically no sense.  I agree we don't need to tell food stamp recipients exactly what foods to buy, but there is and always will be (should be) stipulations on funds given from the government since that money comes from every single taxpayer.

 

[IC FBGCav]

Is this a joke?  You are joking, right?

Ever heard of designated giving?  Food stamps themselves are limited as to use.  This posts makes basically no sense.  I agree we don't need to tell food stamp recipients exactly what foods to buy, but there is and always will be (should be) stipulations on funds given from the government since that money comes from every single taxpayer.

Not really, if it is considered food then they should have the freedom to buy what they want.   Why is freedom bad in this case?

 

[Henry Ford]

Not really, if it is considered food then they should have the freedom to buy what they want.   Why is freedom bad in this case?

Freedom is for rich people, Jerry.  Poor people will eat what we tell them to.

 

[Jayrod]

Not really, if it is considered food then they should have the freedom to buy what they want.   Why is freedom bad in this case?

It's not, but you seemed to be saying that no one should tell anyone how to use welfare money.  I am fine with the freedom to buy any prepared food items, but I'd like to see some health and nutrition education done with it.  People could live really healthy lives for less if they stayed away from the processed crap and ate more fresh vegetables and fruits.

 

[Henry Ford]

It's not, but you seemed to be saying that no one should tell anyone how to use welfare money.  I am fine with the freedom to buy any prepared food items, but I'd like to see some health and nutrition education done with it.  People could live really healthy lives for less if they stayed away from the processed crap and ate more fresh vegetables and fruits.

True, but try getting a lot of fresh fruits and veggies in most inner cities without a car. 

 

[IC FBGCav]

It's not, but you seemed to be saying that no one should tell anyone how to use welfare money.  I am fine with the freedom to buy any prepared food items, but I'd like to see some health and nutrition education done with it.  People could live really healthy lives for less if they stayed away from the processed crap and ate more fresh vegetables and fruits.

They should be able to buy food with food stamps is what I am saying, without supervision.  Some will abuse it, some won't.  Why do I care on any level how they spend their money?  Seriously, of all the messed up things in the world, I should care about this?  If they are not feeding the kids well, we have CPS for that. 

 

[whiskey7]

They should be able to buy food with food stamps is what I am saying, without supervision.  Some will abuse it, some won't.  Why do I care on any level how they spend their money?  Seriously, of all the messed up things in the world, I should care about this?  If they are not feeding the kids well, we have CPS for that. 

wow

You absolutely should care how the money is being spent. We all should. I am not talking about nosing into someone's business to the tune of Skippy vs generic pb per se. But if we're going to say its none of our business and not look into how the money is being spent, how in the heck are we going to know if the program works or not? How do you know if there are adequate funds being allocated to something if you don't look at how those funds are spent?

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

99% that story in the OP never happened.

Just came in here to post that story in the OP is 99% BS. 

At least I'm consistently cynical across the years.

 

[whiskey7]

I cant vouch for a $41 ice cream cake story but I have absolutely seen the system being taken gross advantage of. One of my first jobs was stocking shelves/bagging groceries (this was still a thing at some stores back then) at a local super market.  Anyways, this was also back in the day food stamps were actual paper vouchers and the users got their change back in cash. Used to see all kinds of people come in and use their food stamps to buy a packet of Kool Aid (for however many cents they were back then) and then take the change over to the Service Counter and buy cigarettes, blunts, chew, etc. I believe the system is much better now that its electronic with the cards but I am sure there is still a way to exploit it and people doing it.

 

[IC FBGCav]

I cant vouch for a $41 ice cream cake story but I have absolutely seen the system being taken gross advantage of. One of my first jobs was stocking shelves/bagging groceries (this was still a thing at some stores back then) at a local super market.  Anyways, this was also back in the day food stamps were actual paper vouchers and the users got their change back in cash. Used to see all kinds of people come in and use their food stamps to buy a packet of Kool Aid (for however many cents they were back then) and then take the change over to the Service Counter and buy cigarettes, blunts, chew, etc. I believe the system is much better now that its electronic with the cards but I am sure there is still a way to exploit it and people doing it.

Oh, the horror.

 

[Jackstraw]

Freedom is for rich people, Jerry.  Poor people will eat what we tell them to.

How noble the law, in its majestic equality, that both the rich and poor are equally prohibited from peeing in the streets, sleeping under bridges, and stealing bread!

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Let them eat cake?