So for the last few weeks on the radio I've been hearing commercials hailing how great food stamps are, and how you can qualify even if you have a car, a full time job, a big screen tv, ect. They talk about how discretely you can use your food stamp debit cards. Then at the end, there is a "paid for by NC Agriculture Committee".

I tried to Google this to find out how exactly the Agriculture Committee profits from this to no luck. While it's great to give food stamps to those who truly need them, publicizing and encouraging everyone to apply appalls me. While we shouldn't look down on those who really need them, do we really need to make going on food stamps an appealing idea? When I was a child it was shameful to use them... now its "cool"? What are your thoughts? Do you think the Agriculture Committe gets a kick back for every food stamp person approved? Or do you think that they just want to up overall Agriculture consumption?

2/28/2008 3:33:59 PM

Great. More of my tax money going to people who don't need/deserve it.

2/28/2008 3:35:59 PM

Anyone remember that MTV News thing a long time ago where ODB rode to the welfare office in a limo to pick up his food stamps?

2/28/2008 4:00:52 PM

I had to pass a drug test to get my job. Once I got my job a nice chunk of my money goes to taxes to cover, food stamps, section 8, welfare, etc....

So they should have to pass a drug test to receive these free handouts.

2/28/2008 4:02:27 PM

I absolutely agree

2/28/2008 4:16:06 PM

I remember that ODB thing. But I thought he was picking up welfare checks, and multiple ones at that. Haha..

2/28/2008 4:16:36 PM

cut food stamps, welfare, and section 8 altogether

2/28/2008 4:20:04 PM

Is it true you can't get food stamps if you're a student? That might only apply to full-time students, I'm not really sure, but we shouldn't be punishing the people who are trying to better themselves by refusing them the benefits someone with no job and a litter of kids can get.

2/28/2008 4:22:32 PM

Quote :

"I had to pass a drug test to get my job. Once I got my job a nice chunk of my money goes to taxes to cover, food stamps, section 8, welfare, etc.... So they should have to pass a drug test to receive these free handouts."

that is a damn fine idea. Companies that have fed. goverment contracts are required to drug test as well....this is sort of a government contract.

2/28/2008 4:24:05 PM

People on eligible for food stamps shouldn't have TVs, so this campaign should be ineffective.

2/28/2008 4:26:14 PM

Sure they do. They just put it on a credit card with 29.99% interest.

2/28/2008 4:28:27 PM

thats why they are on food stamps, they spend all their money on tvs, rims and gold teeth

2/28/2008 4:29:30 PM

Damn, I'm gonna go apply for some food stamps. that will free up alot of money I could spend on drugs.

[Edited on February 28, 2008 at 4:48 PM. Reason : free food, more drugs.]

2/28/2008 4:47:17 PM

Welcome to conservatism.

2/28/2008 4:57:37 PM

Quote :

"Damn, I'm gonna go apply for some food stamps. that will free up alot of money I could spend on drugs."

2/28/2008 5:18:07 PM

The problem I have with food stamps is that establishments in poorer neighborhoods that accept food stamps jack their prices up. They're ripping off the government and us, the tax-payers, in a pretty big way. But that's just good business apparently...

I'm not sure how I feel about food stamp commercials. I think there are people out there who qualify for food stamps but don't know it, and some of those people may be in a tough spot racking up credit card debt when they could be getting a little extra help.

Poor people who work lousy jobs, aren't particularly motivated, and collect food stamps don't really bother me. It's just food, and we have so much food in this country...it's like if somebody asked me for a paper clip, it's no big deal. But some fucker comes up to my desk and swipes my three-hole puncher...that pisses me off.


Anyway, sorry, I neglected to address the original post. I think it's neither shameful nor cool to use food stamps. I think it's shameful to fake or exaggerate a disability. I think it's shameful to overbill the government for some service. I think it's shameful to sell your food stamps to buy drugs. I'm not concerned that there is some trend to more and more people relying on the government. And I have no idea what's up with the DoA.

[Edited on February 28, 2008 at 8:33 PM. Reason : sss]

2/28/2008 8:18:58 PM

Quote :

"While it's great to give food stamps to those who truly need them, publicizing and encouraging everyone to apply appalls me."

me too

that shit is fucking crazy stupid

2/28/2008 8:30:23 PM

^Yeah, I'm against encouraging everyone to apply. Not because more people might be receiving food stamps, but because of the paperwork and needless man hours that would go into all those applications that may or may not be fruitful.

2/28/2008 8:35:39 PM

The Food Stamp people have to advertise, to keep the market for hand-outs high enough to justify their budget.

The last thing they want is people fending for themselves.

2/28/2008 9:08:37 PM

Quote :

"Anyone remember that MTV News thing a long time ago where ODB rode to the welfare office in a limo to pick up his food stamps? "

i think i saw that - they were following him right after he got out of prison, right?
he has something like 13 kids from 10 women, and all he did was complain about how often the mothers called him and asked for his help and he would just yell and berate them.
truly, a disgusting person....

2/28/2008 9:27:44 PM

^^
wins

2/28/2008 9:51:16 PM

Quote :

"People on eligible for food stamps shouldn't have TVs, so this campaign should be ineffective."

reading comprehension ftl

2/28/2008 10:01:08 PM

i think some people should not be allowed to reproduce

2/28/2008 11:52:18 PM

Quote :

"i think some people should not be allowed to reproduce"

I agree, much less be PAID to reproduce over and over.....not paid to raise, just paid to have. Great system.

So keep raising taxes on people who are responsible and take more money from them which only encourages them to have less since they will have what they can afford. Then wonder why this country is going to shit and entitlements are growing rapidly, crime up, education down, etc.

2/29/2008 12:01:56 AM

Instead of the visigoths or other random tribes sacking rome; our low lifes got smart and are bleeding this country through entitlement instead of civil strife

2/29/2008 12:11:15 AM

I have been meaning to make this thread for about a week.

2/29/2008 12:17:37 AM

I think my favorite essay of all time relates well to this subject, and I encourage all of you with an attention span of more than 8 minutes to read it:

William Graham Sumner - "The Forgotten Man"

http://www.mises.org/story/2485

2/29/2008 12:49:53 AM

I'm wholeheartedly opposed to the advertisements. I think that public food assistance should be available, and I think the existence of such programs (and means for using them) should be public knowledge. Encouraging people, though? That's preposterous.

I don't even intend to listen to the Libertarians. Not because I make it a habit to ignore people, but because I already know precisely what they are going to say and because I'm really tired of hearing the racism of some and likewise of voicing my refusal to do all of the paying to avoid another round with madame guillotine.

2/29/2008 4:15:43 AM

I'm gonna get me some of them food stamps.

then i can have more cash for rims for my caddy.











and a new grill for my dog

2/29/2008 2:15:27 PM

woof

2/29/2008 2:26:09 PM

Quote :

"Instead of the visigoths or other random tribes sacking rome; our low lifes got smart and are bleeding this country through entitlement instead of civil strife"

Which costs more:

Defending freedom in Iraq

or

Social entitlement programs












Its a trick question.

2/29/2008 5:04:34 PM

^ One is now a necessity, the other is a luxury.

2/29/2008 5:44:12 PM

^^ Simple, social entitlement programs.

The war in Iraq can and will end. Social entitlement programs are self sustaining and breed more such programs.

2/29/2008 5:47:41 PM

entitlements cost 16x more a year than the Iraq war.

Thats before we get one of the dems to add more.

2/29/2008 6:45:53 PM

Quote :

"So they should have to pass a drug test to receive these free handouts."

damn... this is like the most i've ever agreed with something said in the Soap Box.

3/1/2008 12:31:14 PM

the Department of Agriculture handles the foodstamp program. Furthermore, it is necessary to advertise the program since many people do not think they are eligible for it. I see no problem with advertising it.

Food stamps are a stop gap measure. They only last a short time in order to help you free up money to get your feet back under you again. Drug testing for government help is an ignorant and stupid solution. It is based on the false premise that poor people are drug abusers. If we are to implement that type of regime into government help, the we need to start drug testing everyone that gets some sort of government help. Whether it is a college student getting a government backed loan, or a small business owner who gets an SBA loan. Everyone who gets some sort of government help would have to be drug tested. That would be a violation of everyone's civil rights and far to costly.

And can we stop with the racism towards those on government subsistence. People of all races get help with food, housing, and employment.

3/1/2008 4:29:12 PM

Quote :

"the Department of Agriculture handles the foodstamp program. Furthermore, it is necessary to advertise the program since many people do not think they are eligible for it. I see no problem with advertising it."

there's a difference between raising awareness via something like public service messages or simple advertisements that just give the facts and blatant and forceful marketing of how you can use use food stamps and spend the rest of your money on cars and TVs

3/1/2008 4:38:18 PM

It seems like if you are in bad enough financial shape to need food stamps, you would know you need them. As a disclaimer, I am not opposed to properly administered welfare programs as long as they are targeted at those truly in need and abuse is kept to a minimum.

3/1/2008 5:22:58 PM

nuts, I think the drug testing is a great idea.

I think most people get upset that these people need the help bc they dont have money, yet have money for drugs. So why tax me more when they COULD have enough money to provide for themselves if it wasnt for thier bad decisions.

Does anyone remember the Medicare drug plan commercials? I shit you not. One of the ladies actually says, "now I have more money to spend on my grandkids." Total horseshit. Why dont we just send taxpayer dollars to your grandkids directly?

[Edited on March 1, 2008 at 6:48 PM. Reason : .]

3/1/2008 6:46:15 PM

the drug testing idea is hard to argue against. like he said, you have to be drug tested for most jobs, especially the ones funded by tax money, so those who get gov't benefits should too. the only thing about it is that it would cost more money and add more red tape and inefficiency

3/1/2008 7:11:12 PM

I mean no matter how you look at it the radio ads are a horrible idea.

If someone or their kids are starving hopefully they would have enough sense to seek out a program like food stamps. There are plenty of places like the internet, human services offices, or schools with low income children that this information could be distributed.

Running advertisements as if it were a new and innovative product is absurd. Until somebody starts giving me gas stamps because I can hardly afford to drive to MY JOB I don't want to hear about food stamps while I am driving there.

I don't have any kids but I can tell you the cost of food is not nearly as burdensome to me as the fifty million ways the government nails you for the cost of owning a vehicle.

- Vehicle Property Taxes
- Inspection Fees
- Registration Fees
- The tax you pay with registration
- Driver License fees (recently have gone up, and the DMV says they need to hire more people for their new system )
- Gasoline Taxes
- Any bullshit traffic violation is $125 or more.

Of course all of that is in addition to things you pay for privately like insurance, repairs, the cost of the car, etc.

I am sure there are people with kids and a full time job who need food stamps despite trying their damnedest to make ends meet. Of course they are all getting raped in the process by the cost of owning a car and putting fuel in it. If that shit was not so expensive maybe there would be more money for milk and eggs.

3/1/2008 7:13:18 PM

Quote :

" GrumpyGOP ... I'm really tired of hearing the racism of some and likewise of voicing my refusal to do all of the paying to avoid another round with madame guillotine."

1.) You know what maybe I'm tired of honest criticism being demonized as racism. I don't care if the assistance is going to whites, blacks, Latinos, Eskimos, asians etc... the point is that the assistance is doing more damage than good. As is evidenced by the continued existence of said-subclasses as well as the general increasing sense of entitlement of the public at large.

2.) We are not the French. This guillotine excuse for pacifying the loser is sad. We ought rather to work towards shaming them into being self-reliant. Its better for them and us. No guillotine or immoral thieving goverment handout required.

3/1/2008 9:18:54 PM

^or if you could actually take home your paycheck, the price of gas wouldnt hurt so bad.

My experience with "poor" has more to do with bad decisions and lack of priorities. There was a study done recently that showed how the "poor" in this country have a car, cable tv, air conditioning, etc.

Dont get me wrong. I dont blame them. I blame a system that actually encourages more dependency and lack of responsible thinking...as evident by running commercials for food stamps.

3/1/2008 9:20:09 PM

At what threshold of income is it okay to have a car, cable tv, and air conditioning?

3/1/2008 9:56:21 PM

at any point AFTER you are able to pay for your own, food, water, shelter and means to get to a job, among other basic NECCESITIES (I would quantify AC as a neccesity, in some areas)

[Edited on March 1, 2008 at 11:31 PM. Reason : .]

3/1/2008 11:30:52 PM

so if AC is necessity, and I assume a car would be considered "means to get a job" then the only thing poor people shouldn't have is cable tv?

3/2/2008 12:03:00 AM

In most parts of NC no car=no job. There are ways around this in cities but in rural areas you can forget it.

3/2/2008 12:45:47 AM

yes, we should do free cars now.

Its one thing to have a clunker and be on food stamps. Its another to drive an Esclade or Bmw and be taking from taxpayers.

Anyone else notice the "free" scooters from medicare commercials and get pissed too?

3/2/2008 11:00:36 AM

Quote :

"Anyone else notice the "free" scooters from medicare commercials and get pissed too?"

wtf?

Those are for people that can hardly walk.

3/2/2008 12:18:48 PM

^I agree people do need them. However, they are emphasising the "free" part. So it implies all you need is medicare to get a free scooter. Its human nature to take anything thats free, whether you need it or not. Its just tax payers fund these.

Im not advocating against people needing help. There is no need for them to adverstise them. If someone needs one their doctor would have already wrote for one. With these commercials Im sure there are plenty that come in asking for one. which is the goal of the add.

3/2/2008 1:07:19 PM