People use FOOD STAMP CARDS for food & their cash for CIGARETTES, ALCOHOL & LOTTERY

I used to work at a gas station when I just moved back to the east coast from California. I lived in a lower/middle class neighborhood. Nearly EVERY customer who came in to buy junk food (honey buns, doritos, donuts, etc) would drop a &20 or a $50 and in one case I remember a &100 dollar bill, and purchase Lottery tickets, cigarettes & cases of beer.

I began wondering...why the hell are these people using my tax money to buy unhealthy junk food and using their cash to buy what I would consider privileges?

People would come in and complain about the price of gas and health insurance. If you didn't spend your money on cigarettes, lottery, scratch tickets and alcohol you'd HAVE money for gas and health insurance. I'm not saying that it's poor peoples fault why they're poor. I've been poor for a very long time. I grew up homeless on the streets with a drug addicted mother my whole childhood. I'm saying that making a conscious effort to not spend your money frivilously on things that corporate america use to kill you will probably help you provide yourself with more important things you need.

anyway my point, is that it's not just that prices are too high or that the rich are greedy, it's that the I see a lot of the poor, more often than not doing STUPID things with their money. With $300-$400 a months you'd save by not drinking, smoking & gambling you would have plenty of money for a gym membership, a decent health insurance and still have some left over to put towards other bills.

I'm sick of this. I see people doing this shit everyday and pisses me off! They are abusing the system, and though there are tons of more important things going on in the world then this issue it is still something people should address. Welfare assistance should be better monitored.

It would also help if the poor could sacrifice their addictions & cravings of luxury consumption. You can't afford it don't buy it.

Not to mention if you didn't drink and smoke you wouldn't have to complain about the cost of health care because you'd be a whole lot healthier. Also if you're going to buy food with tax money can you at least buy healthier food? Salads, fruits, vegetables etc? Instead of potato chips and donuts? It would better for you nutritionally and help things out.

My two cents.

DISCLAIMER:

This is NOT an attack on ALL people who use food stamps, just quite a few who do that take advantage of the system. It is neither fair for the tax payer or the impoverished needy who use the system that this stuff goes on. This is more of an attack on welfare because this should seriously be monitored much more closely. Hopefully the good people out there receiving assistance who read this now will stop attacking me. I advocate helping the poor, just sick an tired of helping those who abuse it. There is Nothing wrong with general assistance just a bit of advice for those who receive it. There are ways you can better help yourself and the country by not spending the money you do have on frivolous things. It would also help if they ate healthier with it. For them and the system because there would be less people needing medical care they cant afford.

Last Edited by Apotheosis on 07/30/2011 07:24 PM