It never fails.....I am in the grocery store trying to budget every penny and revolving our weekly menu around what is on sale and when I get in line,the lady in front of me has on a leather coat with a fur collar and Ugg boots and is jabbering away on a video cellphone,and she reaches into her Coach purse and whips out the "golden ticket"to pay for her purchases.No,not a ticket from Willy Wonka,but one of those bright orange Maryland Food Stamp program "Independence" cards.While the cashier is bagging up that ladys's sodas,junk food,steaks and other goodies,I am looking at my imminent purchases and everything is either store brand or on sale-the only red meat in my cart is hamburger and if I am lucky,a round roast.Inevitably,the lady with the "golden ticket" is going to be loading her purchases into a fairly late model car as opposed to my 10 yr old barely paid for beater.This happens more often than not and I am fed up!Does anyone at the Department of Social Services do their homework and follow up on these "poor" people who receive all this bounty from the taxpayers?When my husband was laid off 2 winters ago,we had maybe 800 a month coming in and we had 1800 in bills,and that was just the basics-rent,food,car note,electric.When I inquired about getting temporary assistance,I was informed that we "made too much" and that as long as we made $500 a month or more,we were not considered "eligible".WTF?Who lives on 500 a month?Nobody I know!Furthermore,the people receiving assistance usually are also fishing other ponds,for example,they have subsidized housing,electric bills paid by Shore Up,and medical cards so they have no REAL expenses unless they have cars and car insurance,and quite a few of them do!Not just any old cars either,but nice late model rides.It is evident that they can afford to pay for their own food,they just don't want to.An overhaul of all these government grab-bag goodies is sorely needed.If you and your children can wear Uggs,Hillfiger,and all the other designer duds and you can get your hair done more than twice a month,and you have expanded cable TV in your house you aren't poor,you are just lazy and you should have to pay your own way like everyone else.A recent report on government waste found that thousands of dollars a year is pissed away giving Medicaid and Food Stamp benefits to people who should not be receiving them.Many more who are actually eligible are overpaid.Why isn't the government doing more?It has jaded me to a point where I do not donate money to United Way or Salvation Army,or any of the other social service charities because there are just too many scammers and slicksters milking them for all they can get.It's bad enough they get tax dollars that I have no control over,but they will not get anything above that as far as I am concerned.The current eligibility requirements encourage people to do as little as possible to earn money and discourages independence and family values.When they consider if one is eligible,they also need to take into account how much your expenses are.They say 800 a month is too much-but if your rent is 700 that leaves 100 for everything else,yet they still will deny assistance.Make sense?Didnt think so!800 a month is only alot of money if you do not have to pay rent or any other major bills,which,like I said,alot of the welfare chiselers don't have hanging over their heads because its all provided for them by taxpayers.I know there are people put there who truly need assistance,but they are getting lost in the shuffle.As far as the state goes,I think they need to make sure their eligible "poor" people are living within their means and being truthful about their situation before giving them another handout.We need to demand accountability and stop subsidizing laziness!
23 comments:
There are local seafood stores that sell seafood to Independance Card holders. The law states that IC users cannot purchase pre-cooked food, so the stores sell these people bushels of crabs, pounds of jumbo shrimp, and snowcrab legs RAW (or frozen) and then charge 1 dollar cash to have the food steamed! They get 4 pounds of snow crab legs for a dollar! Completely true story, just call any local seafood place to verify.
WAY TO GO GIRL!!!!! I can tell in your tone - your pissed off. Tell 'em like it is.
Totmom, If you were to look into this situation further, you would truely be disgusted. The Department of Social Services has what they call "Client Appreciation Day". This is where the welfare receipients are rewarded for being "clients" and are treated to food and "prizes" at the DSS building. So, in other words, we are so happy that you are on welfare that we are going to have a party for you! Also...look into what they call "spend down". That is when a "client" receives money from the government. If all of the money is not spent by a certain time, the government reduces the amount that the person is given. (In hopes that the person is either working or becoming thrifty). Well, in order to prevent this, a "spend down" is conducted and the money quickly spent on just about anything....and this is just the "tip of the iceberg"..... Remember...keeping people on welfare provides a lot of jobs.
Nothing you guys are telling me is shocking-I can believe it all!And yes Average Girl-I am VERY pissed off especially considering that this week we had some unexpected expenses,which left 60 bucks for gas and groceries and every time I am in a grocery store lately it seems that I get behind one of these cretins.I have even been accosted outside stores by grown men trying to "sell" me the use of their card so they can buy dope or booze.
A friend of my husbands owns and operates a local seafood business and he stopped accepting food stamps at his retail counter because of all the moochers buying premium seafood with the cards.The other seafood places,like in salisbury are too damn greedy to change their practices.Food stamps are meant to be supplemental.Steamed crabs and shrimp are luxury food items in my opinion.
Yes. Tot.....I feel your pain. Now let me tell you things that will piss you off to no end. Several years ago when Glendening was in office. he began this new initiative called "welfare to work". a couple facets to this "program" were as follows:
First, they had this thing they called "purchase of care" which would pay for child day care so that the "I can't work because I have no one to care for my kids" excuse. Problem is that there were "grandparents" and "friends" taking this money and providing daycare....not just licensed daycare providers. In many cases the grandparents are already raising the children because the parents of the children aren't capable, so the parents aren't going to work anyway.
Second....The state would actually repair your car so that you could make it back and forth to work...all you needed was an estimate. Problem is that some of these cars had so many miles on them that the money the state gave away was like putting a band-aid on an arterial bleed. No sooner was the car fixed...it was broken down again. AND the state would only fix it once. Can you say colossal waste of money?
Third....are you ready for this? This will really put your panties in a knot! Friggin taxi cab vouchers! Once your kids are cared for and your broken car has been fixed and it breaks down again - no worries! We'll give you vouchers to pay for you to take taxi cabs to work. That should solve you all the obstacles ....right? Wrong! They welfare moms give the vouchers to their kids so that they can take a taxi to school! You go out there and watch all the kids get out of cabs. There was no mechanism in place to make sure the money was being used as it was intended....more democrap waste.
This may sound stupid to some but I would like to be given the dollar amount that those "independance" cards are worth and then given the family that the card belongs to to feed. You had best bet that that family would learn to cook from scratch, the old fashoned way, would learn what good nutritional food is, how to stretch the food dollars 'till Washington has tears in his eyes. I could feed that family and my family on what they get for just the one family for a month. It gripes my katookas to be filling my cart with store brands and whatever is on sale and to see them eating high on the hog, steer or seafood, knowing that I work my butt off at a decent paying job and they are sitting home on their katookas or "profiling" and not turning their hands a lick.
Wow-I hit a nerve with this post huh?Ironically,my family actually does qualify for WIC which is tempting with the price of milk so high but I got sick of all the BS involved.Like showing up on time for my appt and being forced to wait over an hour because the person in front of me didn't speak a lick of English and they had to find a translator-no joke!Then again,I felt out of place as I was clearly the only mother in the waiting room with ONE child and a wedding band.I walked out after that language barrier incident and haven't been back since.I don't need anything that bad.
Grandad-a friend of a friend had an 18 yr old daughter who got pregnant and she was told by DSS that if she wanted to move out of her parents,they would help her find a place and get her a car!
Bunkerbritches-I have said that very same thing many times!You would be surprised at how well my family eats on very little money-because I bargain shop,buy sales in bulk and cook from scratch as much as possible.I may not need a particular item that week but if it is advertised at buy one-get one I get the limit!If DSS REALLY wants to help people,teach them to stick to a budget!!!!!
The whole "Independence" thing is a friggin' joke. Don't get me wrong...we, as a society, cannot let a family who has fallen on hard times starve to death, but there must be a limit. We're looking at 2nd and 3rd generation recipients here folks, not getting some help for a few months till you get back on your feet. I'm talking about the family elders TEACHING thier young adult/children to go and get on welfare if you get pregnant. Hey...get a friggin' job and learn to manage your money so I don't have to pay for the results of your sexual indescretions!
You would be even more shocked of how many CDS possession arrests and CDS distribution arrests I have made in which I retrieved one of those "independence" cards from their pocket with the crack or pot. That gets me even more upset.
Lets make it even better...
Visit your local school about 1/2 hour prior to classes starting. Watch the kids walk in the door decked out in gold, designeer clothes and sneakers, cell phones, etc... to get their 'free' breakfast... because they are poor. Then, watch them throw it around, and bad mouth the 'quality' of it. but you can't deny them it because they 'have a right to it'. (You know, instead of it being a privlege, or even worse... a SHAME!)
Thank you for saying what needs to be said. I have a job, you can have one too. I believe that anyone on gov't assistance should be drug/alcohol/nicotine testes each and every month. Any positive = loss of benefits. You are not smoking two packs a week, while I BUY YOUR DINNER.
STOP the madness.
You go girl!! I have worked in an industry that supplied home heat. They would call up and want to know where their "free oil" was.
I had about enough of that crap and would tell them it wasn't "free". My a** got up every morning and went to work so their lazy a** didn't have to".
They might work for what they want, but they won't work for what they need.
I too was in the grocery store about a month ago. This "sista" was standing in line. 350 lbs. couldn't have possibly come close. She had on a pair of jeans that were so tight she couldn't hardly walk. Had 3!! cell phones clipped onto something under a roll of fat. And had fingernails about 3" long. In her cart was steak, shrimp, sodas-the best of everything and yes indeed, she whipped out that orange card. And I don't mean PNC bank either. And went outside and drove away in a new Envoy!
It has always slayed me that you couldn't buy things you need w/the card like toilet paper, laundry detergent, soap, etc. but you can buy all the junk food and sodas you want.
If you find out how to change it, please post-I would like to get on the bandwagon.
If you get up every day and go to work and dont have enough to make ends meet, you should be eligible for some help.
Don't thank me LOL-I am just saying what alot of hard working Americans think.
And Outta Here-nothing shocks me anymore when it comes to freeloaders and crimes-I totally believe you-the Crisfield PD just broke up a drug ring operating out of the local Housing Authority projects for the poor,yet these "poor" people were arrested with 14 THOUSAND dollars in their posession!My husband works 60 hours a week to keep a roof on our heads and our taxes are housing criminals!
As far as free meals in schools,the only kids embarassed are the ones who really need it-the ones who "dis" the food have been raised to believe they "deserve" it and they are proud of it!
I would LOVE for our voices to be heard by someone who can change things but I honestly do not know where to start!Federal or state level?If anyone of you is smarter than I and knows who to write or send a petition to,I am totally game(but don't shoot me lol)I write Gilchrest so much on issues his staff probably thinks I am a wingnut-but I am not sure what level of government would be in a position to hear these issues.Help me out readers!!!!
Outtahere....Your absolutely right. I've made CDS arrests and found independence cards that didn't belong to the person who had it. Crack whores get the cards and trade the card AND the PIN for crack at the rate of 50 cents on the dollar. If the card can buy $100 worth of food they'll trade the card and PIN for $50 worth of crack. There is no way to stop them from scamming the system except to cut it off completely.
Totmom, call your local Social Servies places, even the one you went to. If they can't do anything atleast they can point you in the right direction. About the Purchase of Care some recieve, it makes me sick. I pay over $500.00 a month for child care b/c we make too much money. For some people, that is a mortgage / rent payment. I am going to look into the contact person myself, if I find them, I will let you know.
how about if once a month the recipients had to be subjected to a mouth swab, like insurance companies do. Everyone in the house that is listed as part of the dependant.
If they test positive for drugs and alcohol WHAM Take the Independence Card! Period!
Additionally items over a certian amount per volume should be allowed. This will keep the gourmet foods out of the loop.
I agree if your broke your broke how do buy TP and dish soap?
Those are things you gotta have, but no paper plates, no microwave foods, just basics.
Rice (no uncle bens) beans (dried)
four sugar peanut butter chicken, hamburger, pasta, vegetables cheese fresh fruit. Yeast to make bread at $2.50 a loaf you can make a lotta home made bread.
You should also have to show picture ID to use it.
This would at least be a start.
I TOTALLY agree with the drug testing idea-millions of Americans who work are subject to random tox screens,so why not welfare recipients?But it will never happen because some civil rights or human rights group will intervene,saying its an invasion of privacy or some crap like that.The same way we cannot tell "clients" to stop having so many children they cannot care for.
And the government has no interest in reducing the number of people on the dole-because alot of government jobs would be eliminated if people actually stopped being dependent on the government for support!
I agree with you completely!!! There is a case I know where a woman doesn't work, her husband makes 75,000 a year and she receives child support. To top it all off they have a brand new car, an older car, a plasma tv....i could keep going. What gets me is how she doesn't have to work but can get food stamps. Her husband makes at least bring home 900 min. weekly. What kinda of world do we live in when people can just get away with taking from the people who are truely in need. Must be nice to sit at home watching that big TV all day while her husband works and her ex husband, who doesn't make much at all, pays her child support. Such a wonderful world.
Anon Feb 3rd
Alot of people "double dip" like that-she probably tells Social services that they are seperated so they will force the husband to pay support let the wife collect services and no is the wiser that they are not "seperated" at all,just scamming-I have seen people do it before.
I collect food stamps!! I am a 34 year old single mother who lost my job. I had no way to feed my daughter and I couldn't find a job. I have always made excellent money and AWAYS taken care of myself. But, I was sinking. I couldn't pay my rent, utilities, or my car insurance. So, I put my tail between my legs and went and applied. Well, I got it, and I am using it. I never thought this would happen to me, but it has! I just wanted you all to know that there are people out there that don't take advantage of it and use the service because they need it.
If you truly need them then I am glad you got approved.Theres too many out there getting them that can afford food they just dont want to spend THEIR money on it.Emergencies such as yours when a job is lost is the whole reason for the program but they discriminate against some families too.Try applying for help when you have a husband-they all but come right out and tell you to leave him.I am glad things are working out for you-its uplifting to hear they are still at least helping people who really need it.
I work for Depart of Social Services and I can tell you that the ones who need it are denied and ones who don't gets approved. I have one lady who pays only $1.98 a month for rent; Yes you heard me not $198.00 but $1.98. The late fee is $22.00 and she's 3 months behond; True Story... Then she has energy assistance and food stamps and all the goodies. During the holidays they receive the biggest basket filled with Turkey, Ham, Stuffing, and much more. On Christmas they receive toys and clothes for their kids. Then they go on job interviews and sabatoge them on purpose so that they can remain on welfare. You see, if the job developer send you to a job and you turn it down your check get cuts but if you don't get the job then you remain on WELFARE! I can go on and on and on but it is sick! They come to see me wearing the latest designer clothes and hair be done and lets not talk about the cell phones with all the latest ringtones! I tell you, I can go on and on forever!
I do agree with most of your post but I wanted to throw in my two cents.
My situation:
Been with my boyfriend for 3 years now and he's had the same job for about 3 and a half. He recently hurt his knee (tore ACL) and required surgery. His job is somewhat physical so he is not allowed to return until about November-December (this happened the end of June) when it should be fully healed. He receives health insurance but no disability benefits from work. This leaves him with $0 income.
Myself, I recently lost my job (in July, no less) of 8 months and receive no unemployment as it was "independant contractor" work. This left us with about $600 in savings. To make matters worse, both of his roommates (boyfriend and girlfriend of 4 years, broke up in June) move out about three weeks prior to all this happening with no notice to us. No luck finding replacement roommates.
In this area, if you don't have a job, you are basically screwed. Good luck getting anything unless you have a degree of some sort or marketable skills. While I have some very useful skills, the market for them here is nill.
This left us roughly $600 to pay rent($650), electric($100), gas for heat($40), groceries($100 if we're lucky that month), and gas to get back and forth to doctor visits or anywhere we had to be. Tack on the cost he had to pay up front for his surgery ($300)...I can't begin to tell you how shitty things got. While we got some payments deferred and managed to make some money on the side(ebay, yard sale), it was not nearly enough for everything.
We applied for foodstamps at the end of July. I do not know how some of these people manage to get foodstamps because we had to send SO much paperwork just to verify we had no income and all the bills we had to pay. It is now September and they have finally told us we can eat again! That said, we will receive $298 in foodstamps a month. We did not request this amount or anything but this is what we were approved for. Let me tell you, if I want to eat a steak one night, I am going to damn well eat a steak. They give us that much allowance in food and there are only two of us. We can stock up our entire kitchen with that amount and still have money left over. I do a lot of cooking from scratch so that helps to stretch it. My only complaint with your post is some of these people really do have a shitty time going on for them. I believe I'm one of those people. This is not a permamant fixture for us; we will be off by the time he goes back to work. I've also started my own business (no money from me, I've managed to find investors) so it may be even sooner. I hope this guarantees us to never ever be in this situation again. I do drive a fairly nice late model car and have relatively nice clothes because I haven't always been in this situation. That's all I'm saying; don't be too judgemental. You never know what exactly the other person is going through. Also, the entire system could definitely use a reform...there are WAY too many leeches!!
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