CX500T

I lived in poor areas for over half my life. Grew up lower class. Ended up living on my own from 15 on.

It's a sport among those that qualify to scam more stuff.

I say go back to actual coupons that are only redeemable by you for only govt approved generic food.

You won't starve to death. People won't be scamming for government cheese either.

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NERD

Same here, but at a Safeway( now a Kroger 1985-1986). Come through the line and buy a loaf of bread for .50, get change and come right back through with a carton of cigarettes and a case of beer. ****ed me off then and now.

flyingmau5

Well that really simplifies things.

Thanks!

GogglesPisano

Let’s not forget there is a lot of welfare at the other end too. Farm subsidies for millionaires, corporations that pay zero income tax, oil companies that pay zero in drilling royalties.

People will scam wherever they can.

TED74

There's a good chance that person wasn't the intended recipient of the snap card, and rather they bought it from someone who needed money more than they needed credit toward a limited selection of groceries. Snap cards are one method of assisting the least fortunate among us; other forms of aid (cash) are extremely difficult to qualify for, despite the necessity of cash in our daily lives.

Some things snap cards can't pay for: doctor's/dentist visit for yourself or your children, clothing for yourself or your children, rent, electric bill, gas bill, school supplies, appliance repair, cleaning supplies, bus tickets, tail light repair, gas to drive to work, a bike to ride to work, tubes for your bike, a bike lock, etc...

There are numerous abusers of "the system"...but I don't know any system that isn't abused by someone. Unfortunately, this causes many to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

There are millions of good people who need help. If you want to understand welfare as it exists in our country today, I recommend "$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America." It's an enlightening read for anyone like me who hasn't had to live in or climb out of poverty.

notEnuf

When I was a kid mom smoked, just like every other adult. I think she even had a beer or wine occasionally. She got some sort of assistance when she was going to nursing school. We were on food stamps for a while when she lost her job. After my parents divorced dad worked and paid his child support. Mom raised us though during the preschool and elementary years. The assistance she recieved was never a source of pride, in fact it was humbling and embarrassing for her.

Thankfully she did all she could for us kids. Now I’m a Delta pilot and my sister is self employed with her own business employing others. I am very thankful I grew up in this country where fortunately this type of story isn’t that uncommon. “Those people” are a lot closer than we think. I remember garage sales and thrift stores being normal shopping spots. Cousins and neighbors used to give us “hand me downs.” As a child I was oblivious to the struggles and had a normal happy childhood. I never had the new shoes or designer jeans but for some reason I didn’t think much about it. I knew others were better off financially but I didn’t starve or go without clothes or a roof.

Frankly, the welfare kids had more in common with everyone else than the Kochs, Buffets, Zuckerbergs and Trumps of the world. We all went to public school together and somehow made lives for ourselves. Other than not being able to afford some sports and not playing early enough to be good when the high school teams were a big part of school, I don’t think I missed much. I moved out at 17 to lighten the burden because like everyone at that age, I had it all figured out and didn’t require more parenting. I chose to enlist in the Army and served my country as a way to pay it back and pay it forward, at least in my mind I was contributing to what I had benefited from. I’ll probably be labeled a socialist but I still think this is the way it’s supposed to work. Help others help themselves and have compassion for all because we all have our burdens.

LumberJack

Thanks for your story and service. I especially love the last statement.

sailingfun

If you want to make interest free loans I would not mind borrowing a bit from you!

notEnuf

More like a balloon loan, pay 0 all year by keeping the withholding at 0. This refund/no refund argument is hilarious because the no refund crowd only has a slight advantage by being brake even but they were still without their money all year making 0 interest and 0 gains. It's a tax bill not an installment plan. The only reason its done this way is because we'd all spend it and no be able to afford our taxes.

Sputnik

I don't really understand the question. Are you trying to change your withholding so as to have a lower refund?