Page 1 of 13
1
2
3
11
... LastLast
  1. #1

    Welfare money being put to good use!

    http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/p...nvj2RwpsEDS7MN

    Sooooo...we just raised taxes, but are still twiddling our thumbs when it comes to reductions in spending.

    How about we track everytime someone uses EBT cards at strip clubs and bars and cut off the people doing so. It might be a drop in the bucket, but its a start.

  2. #2
    Deleted
    if they are looking for work then they should be able to spend the welfare on what ever helps them escape the monotony of being unemployed (within the law that is).
    However if they are not looking for work, and are simply living off the state, then yes something should be done.

  3. #3
    imo drug test them to, if u got money for drugs u got money for food. dont forget the awesome mini marts who take the ebt for cigarettes to. my 85yr godmother gets 16 bux a month barely enough for a week of food. and i know of druggies who get 300 and use it for drugs/cigs/alcohol etc.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Siggma View Post
    if they are looking for work then they should be able to spend the welfare on what ever helps them escape the monotony of being unemployed (within the law that is).
    However if they are not looking for work, and are simply living off the state, then yes something should be done.
    Welfare recipients receive food stamps and cash assistance under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Both benefits are accessed through an EBT card, but only cash assistance — meant for housing, utilities and household necessities — can be accessed at ATMs.

    The welfare is supposed to be used to pay for housing, food, and utilites. It is not supposed to be used for alcohol and strippers.

  5. #5
    This isnt new. Most people who are on welfare are not looking for a career. Welfare pays well enough (in most cases) that you would need a fairly good job (not mcdonalds or anything close to minimum wage) to do better financially. If you dont have a college degree that route is out, as if you go to school you lose welfare. It is a system that keeps people in it, because of the designed difficulty of leaving the program.

    In short, people on welfare dont have other options that pay better than welfare. Fix the system and you fix the little problems like this.

  6. #6
    Brewmaster Lovecrafts's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    South Dakota
    Posts
    1,345
    Drug test welfare recipients. If you test positive, no more hand-out for you.

    Also, the people on EBT should be forced to adhere for guidelines for what they can and cannot buy. I used to work for a nation-wide frozen food delivery service, it was disgusting how many of these "poor" people would waste their EBT on over-priced luxury food items.
    Let's make America GREAT again. Trump 2016.

    The community whined and bitched and cried, they stamped their little feet and demanded faster expansion releases. They don't get to complain now that expansions are shorter.

  7. #7
    The Insane Masark's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    17,969
    Quote Originally Posted by rikronster View Post
    imo drug test them to,
    Instead of spending money on drug tests, just shovel the bills into a furnace. The heat produced will be far more useful than the tests.

  8. #8
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Masark View Post
    Instead of spending money on drug tests, just shovel the bills into a furnace. The heat produced will be far more useful than the tests.
    Jesus, being a bit extremist here aren't we?

  9. #9
    The Lightbringer Deadvolcanoes's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Connecticut, USA
    Posts
    3,597
    A very small minority abuse the entitlement system we have put in place. It's unfortunate, and I'd love to find a cost effective way of stopping it. The fact remains, we help a shit ton of people who really need it with our social programs.
    It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Tomatketchup View Post
    Jesus, being a bit extremist here aren't we?
    He's right in the fact that drug testing produces no savings. But it really doesn't produce that much more costs either. Basically just allows people to feel better about it.

  11. #11
    High Overlord Grakey's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Bermidji Minnesnowta
    Posts
    187
    Quote Originally Posted by Deadvolcanoes View Post
    A very small minority abuse the entitlement system we have put in place. It's unfortunate, and I'd love to find a cost effective way of stopping it. The fact remains, we help a shit ton of people who really need it with our social programs.

    I'm afraid more than a very small minority abuse the entitlement system, and you're right, we do help a lot of people who don't abuse the system, but there is an incredibly large amount of people who do.

  12. #12
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Rukentuts View Post
    He's right in the fact that drug testing produces no savings. But it really doesn't produce that much more costs either. Basically just allows people to feel better about it.
    lol, this was embarrasing, I read it wrong and thought the guy said that instead of doing drug tests the people on welfare should be shoved into a furnace.

  13. #13
    The Lightbringer Deadvolcanoes's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Connecticut, USA
    Posts
    3,597
    Quote Originally Posted by Grakey View Post
    I'm afraid more than a very small minority abuse the entitlement system, and you're right, we do help a lot of people who don't abuse the system, but there is an incredibly large amount of people who do.
    What percentage do you think abuse the entitlement systems we have in place?
    It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.

  14. #14
    High Overlord Grakey's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Bermidji Minnesnowta
    Posts
    187
    Quote Originally Posted by Tomatketchup View Post
    lol, this was embarrasing, I read it wrong and thought the guy said that instead of doing drug tests the people on welfare should be shoved into a furnace.

    I forgot who tried it, but that method had proven to be unsuccessful in the late 30s and early 40s somewhere in europe.

    Quote Originally Posted by Deadvolcanoes View Post
    What percentage do you think abuse the entitlement systems we have in place?
    If I had to venture a guess I would say somewhere around 20-30%

  15. #15
    Deleted
    The amounts are probably very low in the overall picture. I think there's bigger fish to fry.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Deadvolcanoes View Post
    A very small minority abuse the entitlement system we have put in place. It's unfortunate, and I'd love to find a cost effective way of stopping it. The fact remains, we help a shit ton of people who really need it with our social programs.
    i am on ssi medicaide and food stamps. i am mentally ill and cant work. i stay in an appt on my parents property and use their internet and their computer. i have no social life outside of the net. i do not spend my money on luxuries only my basic needs. i am not allowed to own a car or have any insurance. i am grateful for the assistance i get. what some people do with the assistance they get really pisses me off and makes people like me who need the assistance look bad. just know that there are those of us who disagree with people who spend the money on drugs and what not.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Deadvolcanoes View Post
    A very small minority abuse the entitlement system we have put in place.
    Very well said. I'd also point out that the minority abusing the system cost their country far less than the corrupt politicians, bankers and other prominent individuals do when it comes to leading the country to lose money. That doesn't mean we should ignore cases of welfare being misused, but ultimately people on welfare seem to be turned into villains with stories such as this.

  18. #18
    And I would guess every war we ever were in we killed an innocent civilian child. Obviously we should never fight wars either.

    There are always extreme worst examples. But at the same time, I am sure Pres Obama could stroll out hundreds, or even thousands of single moms who put themselves through community college while collecting welfare, ending up with decent paying jobs and contributing taxes for 20 years after leaving welfare.

    Welfare has a very limited duration ( thanks to Clinton). I think most reciepeints realize it is a time to get their life on the right track. But you can always find bad examples of everything.

    For instance, I received a lot of federal aid to go to college ( pell grants). I graduated in 4 years, got a good job and pay taxes. I know many friends who got pell grants, partied themselves out of college, and probably never paid enough in taxes to cover their pell grants...

    Gov´t is at it´s worst when people use anecdotal evidence to create policy.

  19. #19
    Epic! Tribunal's Avatar
    15+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    notonthisplanetanymore.jpg
    Posts
    1,599
    This near-identical story runs every few months to years, depending on the requirements of certain elements of the political climate. Many states have already taken steps to stop such withdraws, the problem is it's more complicated than it seems for what is ultimately very very minuscule benefit. All this "abuse" is a portion of a drop in a very large bucket.

    Differentiating ATMs one by one as "ok" or "not ok" isn't really doable or a good solution, and it's not like there is "STRIP CLUB ATM CORP" where it can be done as a blanket block. Besides, what stops it from being the Seven-Eleven across the street from the Strip Club seeing the spike in withdraws?

    States have already blocked things like ATMs on cruise ships (much easier to block en-masse since it's a slightly different system), and some states have gone as far as blocking any out-of-state withdraws. Seems like a good idea to cut those off on vacation etc, but it also negatively affects legitimate users who live somewhere like Texarkana or Kansas City where half of town is "out of state", or those who get legitimate permission to go out of state (yes, some welfare programs require that) such as to visit a dying parent or interview for a job.

    Even if you go so far as having recipients designate a select number of ATMs, nothing's stopping someone from picking the strip club ATM. All the work that would go into figuring out if they need the singles or if they just legitimately live across the street really just isn't worth it. Waste/abuse sucks but a certain amount is unavoidable.
    Last edited by Tribunal; 2013-01-07 at 01:39 AM.

  20. #20
    The Lightbringer Deadvolcanoes's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Connecticut, USA
    Posts
    3,597
    Quote Originally Posted by Grakey View Post
    If I had to venture a guess I would say somewhere around 20-30%
    I don't blame you for thinking that way. Republican rhetoric labeling America as an entitlement society rings true with a lot of people. However, it simply isn't accurate.

    According to federal budget and census data: http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3677

    in 2010, 91 percent of the benefit dollars from entitlement and other mandatory programs went to the elderly (people 65 and over), the seriously disabled, and members of working households. People who are neither elderly nor disabled — and do not live in a working household — received only 9 percent of the benefits.
    And furthermore:

    the vast bulk of that 9 percent goes for medical care, unemployment insurance benefits (which individuals must have a significant work history to receive), Social Security survivor benefits for the children and spouses of deceased workers, and Social Security benefits for retirees between ages 62 and 64. Seven out of the 9 percentage points go for one of these four purposes.
    So we're down to 2%.

    Not 30%.
    It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •