Food Stamp Abuse

So this time around, I want to talk about Government Welfare, and more specifically, the Food Stamp program.  Now-a-days, our American Politicians have invented new language to describe these programs...SNAP...LINK...WIC...etc, etc, but it all boils down to FOOD STAMPS.  Through and through, but now we're not supposed to use those 2 words, apparently because they have a "negative vibe" to them.  They have a negative vibe for a REASON.  They are bad for the country and they are bad for you!

Americans don't like honest language...if it makes us feel uncomfortable, we want a soft, fruity word to replace it.  If you've known me any amount of time, you're probably aware of how big of a Carlin fan I am, and I often reference his material to help better articulate a point I'm trying to make...after all..."Someone else has already said it best so if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong" (See what I did there?  With that American History X quote?)

So there we have it...soft, fruity language.  FOOD STAMPS...not LINK...not SNAP...not WIC...we went from two syllables to one...now it's even easier to pronounce...it's just amazing.  Anyways...let's continue...

This conversation can rarely be had in a civil matter, as it usually devolves into a shouting match that is derived from hurt feelings and a defensive posture from someone who is either currently on, or once was on, food stamps...it can't be avoided, especially these days, when we realize that there are 46,496,788 people in the country, right now, currently collecting food stamps  (That number is according to the USDA in May 2012...I don't have any more recent figures than that, but the program is ever expanding, and when you consider that our President, Barack Hussein Obama (Mmm, Mmm, Mmm) is even handing out PRIZES to the State in the union that can get the most people signed up on Government Food Stamps. 

My mental image of you at this very moment after reading the above

I know, I did the same thing!  I couldn't believe it either, like I really couldn't believe it, I figured it was some ploy put forth by some right wing "News" machine that was manipulating some information...NOPE!

If you follow the link titled "PRIZES" above, you'll see that the State of Oregon is actually proud of this fact...so proud that they put it up on their website.  Someone should tell the State of Oregon that this is not now how you prevent someone from dying of Dysentery. 

As stated earlier, the USDA says that there are 46,496,788 individuals on Food Stamps.  In May of 2011, there were 45,410,683... that's a difference of 1,086,105 people in 12 months or a 2.3% increase in one year.  Holy Shit...That's 90,508 people a month, 20,866 people a week, 18,101 people a day, or 2.5 people every minute of every hour of every day...that get added to the Government Food Stamp program.  Think about that for a moment...2.5 people a minute, and growing.

Now, with those raw numbers, lets do some calculation...

Let's take the number of people that the USDA claims receive food stamps, 46,496,788 and cut it in half...we get 23,248,394.  Now, let's take the price of something simple that is food stamp eligible...we can pick from a variety of different "Foods" that food stamps can DIRECTLY purchase :

I know, I know, I know...some of you reading this probably scrolled down to the comments section to tell me how WRONG I AM because "You can't use food stamps at a Pizzeria"  ...but guess what?  You can.  In fact, until just a few months ago, you could use FOOD stamps at places like Strip clubs and tattoo parlors.......

Yes, Frank, Holy CRAP that's insane.  That's a lot of junk food, too, but pay attention next time you're at the super market...there are AISLES dedicated to snack cakes, ice cream, candy bars, and soda...with dozens upon dozens of choices in each aisle.  Now, don't get me wrong, i'm not some health food expert that says "DONT EAT THAT!"  You can eat whatever you want.  As long as YOU are paying for it.

The idea of the Food Stamp program was to provide temporary  relief to those in need to get their DAILY NEEDS of healthy, life sustaining food.  Not Ice Cream and Root Beer for some Root Beer floats.  But it gets even better, the further down you go...

Let's pick one item...let's say a candy bar.  Those are, what, $1.00 at a supermarket (give or take...rounded for simplicity) ...and on that note, did you know that Food Stamp recipients don't pay taxes on their Food Stamp purchases?  That's right.  100% Tax Free.

By federal law, sales tax may not be charged on food purchased with food benefits. If your household purchases food with a combination of food benefits and cash, sales tax may only be charged for taxable items paid with cash.

 But that's for a different day.  So lets get back to our experiment...let's say that just 1/2 of those people buy 1 candy bar a week for an entire year.

23,248,394 (half the people on Food Stamps according to the USDA)
x $1.00 for a candy bar
x 52 (the number of weeks in a year)
_________________________________

$1,208,916,488.00 a year

1.2 BILLION Dollars

Seriously?  1.2 BILLION?  Yes.  That's for ONE half of the people to buy ONE candy bar ONCE a week for ONE year...and this happens all of the time...in fact it happens much more often than you'd think, or wish to believe.  Food Stamps are not buying life sustaining staples any more...they're buying MILK but it's CHOCOLATE milk...food stamps are now being used to buy high fructose corn syrup induced over priced junk food by the CART FULLS

So now that we have a foundation for our experiment...the bottom of the barrel example of 1.2 billion a year, let's take a closer look at the numbers given to us by the USDA....

The AVERAGE Food Stamp recipient gets $132.95 a month (yes, a month)...that's the AVERAGE...not the maximum, no no, the AVERAGE PER PERSON in Food Stamp "benefits", as of May 2012.

So
46,496,788 (the full number of people on food stamps)
x 132.95 (average monthly amount given)
_______________________________________________
6,181,747,964.60 a MONTH

Now, we'll take that times 12 (For a whole year) and get
$74,180,975,575.20 a year!

So lets just round that and call it 74.2 billion dollars...every year.  Now how about comparing that to a few other programs?

Department of Homeland Security - 46.3 billion
Department of Energy - 42.5 billion
N.A.S.A. - 18.2 billion
National Science Foundation - 7.6 Billion
Department of Transportation (Roads..) - 27.0 Billion
Department of Justice - 24.1 Billion

Those are just to name a few...in fact, there is only TWO categories in the federal budget that spend more money than the 74.2 BILLION we spent on FOOD STAMPS ALONE, and those are The Department of Defense and (by the skin of their teeth) the Department of Education.

Government has become Nanny and is giving someone a fish, instead of creating a stable environment in which they can be taught to fish and take care of themselves for the rest of their lives...the worst part is, Government didn't earn the fish that they're giving away for free - no no - Government is STEALING those fish from you and me, and giving it to anyone who says they can't earn it themselves.

What happened?  Why has our nation DOUBLED the Food Stamp program since 2008?  Why has our nation QUADRUPLED the food stamp program since 2000?  I don't know about you, but i'm constantly seeing "Help Wanted" signs in local businesses...from Fast Food to small shops, there ARE people hiring...one just need apply.

Why does the #3 Spending Category in our Federal Budget apply ONLY TO PEOPLE who claim they can't afford to live on their own?  (Now, mind you, there ARE people out there who need this program, but those people, namely the very old or the very disabled, are few and far between compared to the 46 million that currently receive benefits)

Let's not even talk about the other programs that *MOST* Food Stamp Recipients are a part of (Housing "assistance", free internet, free computers, free gasoline, free dress suits, free cell phones, free schooling, free health care (oh, and soon to be, free health INSURANCE unless something drastic happens this November)

If you add all of that up, it's not difficult to imagine exactly why our country is BROKE.  People bitched and complained so much about the big bank bailout...and yes, while that was total horse crap and never should have happened, it PALES in comparison to the government Food Stamp program.  This country is flat broke not because Wal-Mart got a tax break for HIRING MORE PEOPLE.

Not because some wealthy business owner got a tax write off for donating a million dollars to various charities (side note:  Tax write offs are not direct reimbursements!!  Even though many argue that they are)

NO!  Our country is broke because of BAD SPENDING POLICIES from our elected officials, and one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, is the American Food Stamp Program.  It's coddled in soft, fruity language for a reason, because it stinks, and Americans have a hard time swallowing it.

Well...not ALL Americans...

But before I continue, think about this for one second...if you're single with no kids, what would you do if someone GAVE you an extra $130.00 a month?  Or, how about if you're married with no kids...what would you do with an extra $260.00 a month?

Or even better, what if it was you, your spouse, and a child...and you got an extra $390.00 a month in your pocket, every month, for LITERALLY doing NOTHING.  I'll tell ya what you'd do - buy stuff.  Hell, that's what I'd do...or save it to buy something bigger...maybe a new "scary assault rifle" before our President takes them away.

But seriously, think about it for a few seconds, then continue reading, I'll wait.....
...
.....
.......
.........
Done?  Okay, let's continue.

Now let's talk about the indirect purchases that people are making with Food Stamps...and then I believe we'll be getting to the very source of the problem...

Haircuts, Manicures, Pedicures, Vehicles, Name Brand Clothing, Smart Phones, Beer, Liquor, Cigarettes, Weed, (other) Drugs, Xbox, Playstation 3, BluRays, DvDs, Tattoos, iPods, iPads, Computers, Internet (provided the government does already give it to them for free), watches, jewelry, gold "teef" etc...this IS the list that does not end...yes it goes on and on my friend.

And this is the part that gets me the most.  These people are able to afford many of the very things that I CANNOT, yet it is because of my hard work, and yours, that they're able to afford them in the first place.  Let's get one thing out of the way...and when I say "you" it's an understood "you" (I am not talking about YOU, necessarily, the person reading this now)

YOU do NOT have a right to an iPhone
YOU do NOT have a right to get your "hair did"
YOU do NOT have a right to MY MONEY.  Period.  End of discussion.

And this isn't about compassion either.  I consider myself a compassionate person to those in need.  If I want to help out, that's my decision.  But to steal another quote from another one of my favorite entertainers:

Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller

 Food Stamps are NOT compassion.  Food Stamps create dependency on the Government.  End of story.  They're used by politicians on both sides of the aisle to stir the shit pot every 4 years and drive people to the polls to vote in their favor.  Food Stamps aren't going any where...they're going to continue to increase, because what was once Big Brother, has turned into Nanny State, and they're here to tell YOU what is best for YOUR life...after all, they're the Government, they know better than YOU!

And NO, I'm not suggesting that people starve, I'm suggesting that people be put in a situation where they must earn for themselves.  The Elderly and physically/mentally disabled should be the only recipients of something like Food Stamps.  There is simply no checks & balances in our system today, people are allowed to do whatever they want, and when they screw up, they don't have to live with the consequences, because our Government moves in and FORCES us to pay for them.  That is NOT a free society...in fact, while we're on that subject, let's talk about the 10 principals of a FREE society, as stated by the greatest politician of our time, Ron Paul:

1. Rights belong to individuals, not groups; they derive from our nature and can neither be granted nor taken away by government.
2. All peaceful, voluntary economic and social associations are permitted; consent is the basis of the social and economic order.
3. Justly acquired property is privately owned by individuals and voluntary groups, and this ownership cannot be arbitrarily voided by governments.
4. Government may not redistribute private wealth or grant special privileges to any individual or group.
5. Individuals are responsible for their own actions; government cannot and should not protect us from ourselves.
6. Government may not claim the monopoly over a people's money and governments must never engage in official counterfeiting, even in the name of macroeconomic stability.
7. Aggressive wars, even when called preventative, and even when they pertain only to trade relations, are forbidden.
8. Jury nullification, that is, the right of jurors to judge the law as well as the facts, is a right of the people and the courtroom norm.
9. All forms of involuntary servitude are prohibited, not only slavery but also conscription, forced association, and forced welfare distribution.
10. Government must obey the law that it expects other people to obey and thereby must never use force to mold behavior, manipulate social outcomes, manage the economy, or tell other countries how to behave.

And in the end, this is how Food Stamps hurt people.  It reminds me of a little joke:

The food stamp program, part of the Department of Agriculture, is pleased to be distributing the greatest amount of food stamps ever.

Meanwhile, the Park Service, also part of the Department of Agriculture,
asks us to "Please Do Not Feed the Animals" because the animals may grow dependent and not learn to take care of themselves.

 It gives people the option to do nothing, and after a few generations of this mentality, we are gifted with a nation where 76,000,000 people pay NOTHING in taxes, and have the attitude of "Give me Give me Give me" and with that being said, we arrive at the conclusion of this post, and a posterchild example of the only thing that Government Food Stamps can create..  Enjoy.