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

No kidding. That is more than many people make in one month.

Like another poster said, catastrophic insurance is the way to go for most people but it can still be pricey. People are going to need to take care of themselves and forget running to the doctor anymore unless they have something life threatening. Health insurance really is a scam. And it really sucks for those who can't get it at all being of pre-existing conditions.

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 worked out the numbers.

The average cost of a pack of cigarettes across america right now is $5.65

if you smoke a pack a day that's $150.00 a month you spend on something that can kill you. The case of bud light at the store I worked at was about $14.00 for a 12 pack. If you buy even two a week thats around another $100.00 a month. Lottery and megabucks is unpredictable, but if your gambling with your cash you have a serious problem anyway.

anyway my point, is that it's not that prices are high or that the rich are greedy, it's that the poor are more often than not STUPID 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, the best health insurance money can buy 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!

It's not a matter of the rich keeping poor people down, it's the poor needing to 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 so dam much you wouldn't have to complain about the cost of health care because you'd be a whole lot healthier. Not to mention if you're going to buy food with my taxes can you at least buy healthy food? Salads, fruits, vegetables etc? Instead of potato chips and donuts?

My two cents.

fuck you shill, the majority of people use their cash benefits in a responsible manner.
just because the filthy few abuse the program it should not disparage the character of those using it appropriately.
they only let you have it for 5 years now anyway
so fuck off

I see it in the stores all the time (I usually end up behind them in line). They have two seperate orders. One is paid for with food stamps and and the other with cash. They have plenty of money but have to use up the food stamps. What a waste for people who truly need the food stamps!

A sin is a sin, but these poor people rubbing two nickles together, trying to find advantages with what they've got to work with, makes for the lesser of two evils compared with their rich counterparts that pull off multi-million/billion dollar white collar crimes.

A sin is a sin, but these poor people rubbing two nickles together, trying to find advantages with what they've got to work with, makes for the lesser of two evils compared with their rich counterparts that pull off multi-million/billion dollar white collar crimes.

I'm sick of this. I see people doing this shit everyday and pisses me off!

The point may be that the true poor should be treated with some compassion and the false poor or the intentionally poor should be realigned closer to their capabilities and responsibilities to fend for themselves.
There are too many playing the system and in exhausting it, they bring it down for all. In truth, THEY are the looters and destroyers of a compassionate, charitable society, moreso than any few zillionaires you can point to. You seem to think there is an acceptable level of fraud and waste extant in the system that should be left unmolested, I and others more realistic and honest than yourself, do not

It's no longer THEIR business when it's our money.

No.. it will NOT be the poor and downtrodden held responsible for anything occuring in todays finanacial world!

Save yourself the time it would take to try to convince me otherwise.

No, I've never been on the dole, or taken part of any governmental assistance program, but I understand the poor and the role that they play.

well, some may use their cash assistance to hire a hit man; imagine if they used it to shut YOU up - that would be a funny karmic situation, would that it not?!

that is nothing op.Here in Indiana the illegals have it even better.See they do not need to show ID here(only applies to illegals).

This is there scam.There are groups of 20 or so illegals and they take a day to go around to various counties applying for food stamps(and get them). Each now has 5-10 cards.They go out and spend all there food stamp money on food.They then take all this food to THERE grocery store.As in one they opened in little Mexico(Indianapolis). They charge normal retail unless you are Mexican(1/2 off). They pocket the cash,and the next month repeat.

They get to own a VERY profitable grocery store with nearly 100 over head.At a minimum they are making 50% profit off of tax payer funded food stamps.

Yes I have called/emailed the state attorney generals office.No they do not care as there is nothing they can do unless the law is changed to require illegals to have id for food stamps(better yet how about we do not give illegals food stamps!!).

The point may be that the true poor should be treated with some compassion and the false poor or the intentionally poor should be realigned closer to their capabilities and responsibilities to fend for themselves.
There are too many playing the system and in exhausting it, they bring it down for all. In truth, THEY are the looters and destroyers of a compassionate, charitable society, moreso than any few zillionaires you can point to. You seem to think there is an acceptable level of fraud and waste extant in the system that should be left unmolested, I and others more realistic and honest than yourself, do not

Another blame-game-rat-in-a-maze type of post. It's the same old tired perspective based on the fallacy that you somehow understand why people do what they do in sufficient detail. Gas station workers generally do NOT - compared to tptb!

What you describe is part of running this type of civilisation. I assure you that if tptb wanted this behaviour stopped - it would stop. It may well do so soon!

Also remember that you only have a job, because tptb allow you to have a job.

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 worked out the numbers.

The average cost of a pack of cigarettes across america right now is $5.65

if you smoke a pack a day that's $150.00 a month you spend on something that can kill you. The case of bud light at the store I worked at was about $14.00 for a 12 pack. If you buy even two a week thats around another $100.00 a month. Lottery and megabucks is unpredictable, but if your gambling with your cash you have a serious problem anyway.

anyway my point, is that it's not that prices are high or that the rich are greedy, it's that the poor are more often than not STUPID 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, the best health insurance money can buy 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!

It's not a matter of the rich keeping poor people down, it's the poor needing to 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 so dam much you wouldn't have to complain about the cost of health care because you'd be a whole lot healthier. Not to mention if you're going to buy food with my taxes can you at least buy healthy food? Salads, fruits, vegetables etc? Instead of potato chips and donuts?

My two cents.