Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel , "Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the Promised Land."

Nearly 75 years ago, (when Welfare was introduced) Roosevelt said, "Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the Promised Land."

Today, Congress has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels and mortgaged the Promised Land!

I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc .... I called a Suicide Hotline.

I had to press 1 for English.

I was connected to a call center in Pakistan . I told them I was suicidal.

They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck......

Folks, we are so screwed.

It will be all better in twelve days.

Gosh, Forrest. Does this mean you're not reaping the rewards of Supply-Side Economics?

Two great posts back to back.

Why is it that some people get so excited about the few who get money they maybe should not from welfare but say NOTHING about the hypre rich who earn 400 to 700 times what they do but pay little to no taxes because they pay those writing the laws to leave giant loop holes for them to jump through. The robber barons of the 20s & 30s earned 50 to 70 times what their employees earned. Now it is common for corporate executives to earn 400 to 700 times what they pay their employees. Wake up these are the people killing the economy by keeping the money to themselves and doing everything they can to hold down the average man so they have cheep labor and stand that much taller them you.

Wasn't it Jon Stewart who asked, "Why is it when corporations and banks get money from the government, it's call 'good business', and when any one else gets government help, it's called "mooching"?

I absolutely have no problem helping people that need help. I live in Columbus Ohio now which is a very large city And I see people on a daily basis that are gaming the system. I have personally been offered to buy food stamps The going rate is 50 cents on the dollar My neighbors are on every government program available No 1 in the house works They have offered their food stamps to me for money And I see rent A Center delivering a 65 inch TV They sell some drugs or something on the side for cash 1 of the woman that lives there just had another child so she gets another 360 a month in food stamps WIC rent assistance utility assistance a free government cell phone they are all able to work they just choose not to and I get to pay for it all

Last month I was shopping in the local grocery store in the store made an announcement at the ebt/ food stamp program computers were down. the store almost emptied out the people just abandoned their carts right in the aisle so I walked aground as I was shopping and I looked at what was in those carts crab legs Premium meat all organic vegetables while I'm buying manager special meat noodles and beans as soon as I figure out how to post pictures on the site I'll be more than happy to post pictures of what I saw.

If your neighbors are drug dealing welfare cheats we can assume anyone on welfare is a drug dealer. We can also assume the neighbors of anyone on welfare are complete procreateing morons.

Forrest, please tell me how much SNAP recipients receive in monthly benefits.

When Florida blew thousands of dollars on drug testing welfare recipients, they found the percentage of drug users among welfare recipients was LOWER than among the general population. The program was supposed to save the state a fortune by kicking all the druggies off welfare. It cost the state a fortune because there were so few druggies on welfare.

Why do people assume everyone who needs aid at some point is a cheat and liar and a lawbreaker while we let the military-industrial complex rob the American people blind? Want to clean up the system? Start with the big boys, the military contractors. Once you have them cleaned up, then go after the little old lady with supplemental nutrition.

So everyone should be drawing government benefits. No one is cheating the system. When the government runs out of rich peoples money they will come for yours. Maybe Greece will bail us out. The status quo icannot be sustained its simple budgeting. If you spend more than you earn eventually it all comes apart. If you took All of the money from Everyone earning over 250k you could run the government for 88 days at current spending levels.

Forrest....draw a deep breath, relax, and stop watching FOX "News" RTFN.

Forrest apparently does not want to answer how much a person eligible for benefits receives in SNAP funds per month.

I do not know and fail to see why the snap amount is relavant.If the benefit is receivayed due to fraud or laziness I don't want to pay for it. Im somewhat confused about the attacks. As I stated earlier I have no problem helping the truely needy. I would suggest getting the people who aren't truely needy out of the program so the truely needy can get more. The country is in trouble and some of the people riding on the wagon need to get off and help push

Latest statistics from the USDA show SNAP fraud at under 2%. So, yes, any program that involves human beings will involve fraud. However, the amount is a small fraction of the overall program. Clearing out all the fraud will have as little effect as cutting NPR and PBS.

We need to talk about the BIG STUFF to solve the BIG PROBLEMS and that includes RAISING REVENUE, especially from those who have been coasting for several years, profiting from Wall Street shenanigans while the poor and middle class bear the burden. And cutting the outrageous amounts spent on "defense."

Why if you are so concerned with the possibility of some fraud or laziness taking some of your money, why are you not ranting hysterically about how the hyper rich are stealing thousands of time more of your money. Why, because they are the ones stirring the pot about the posable fraud and laziness to distract you. The more you look for and complain about these things allows them to continue their stealing ways and pass more laws and regulations so they can steal even more. My mother use to say 'always look at the person pointing the finger at someone else, they are also pointing three at themselves'.

Forrest
I would like to know your definition of "truly needy"?

I do not know and fail to see why the snap amount is relavant.

It is relevant because...

the store almost emptied out the people just abandoned their carts right in the aisle so I walked aground as I was shopping and I looked at what was in those carts crab legs Premium meat all organic vegetables

Also, per the Montana DPHHS,

The program is an economic stimulus - every $5 in new SNAP benefits generates nearly twice as much ($9.20) in total community spending.

I thought Republicans just loved economic stimulus.

If you want to be outraged about something, why not corporate welfare:

Peabody Energy(BTU), a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, recently bought additional coal reserves known as the North Porcupine Tract paying $1.10/minable ton. The 721.1 million tons in this tract is supposedly headed to China where coal is selling 75-80/ton FOB. In past BLM coal sales, BTU has paid roughly $.80-some cents, selling that coal domestically in the 10-12 dollar per ton range.

Keeping the same proportion, if they are buying coal at $0.80/minable ton and selling at $12.00 FOB at US powerplants, then they should have payed $5.00/minable ton for coal they are selling at $75.00/ton FOB China. Again, they paid $1.10/ minable ton (and screamed like a herd of stuck hogs).

The $3.90/minable ton ($5.00-$1.10) CORPORATE WELFARE CHECK given to BTU is worth 2.8 BILLION dollars in revenue to BTU that the American treasury that we will never see.

With that perspective, do you still want to get pissed off about someone with a SNAP card buying shellfish?


http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/...lsale.html

And really, who gives a poop if someone on SNAP spends it on shellfish or "premium meat" - Do I come to your house and tell you how to spend the money you make off of the mortgage interest deduction on your house? That would be pretty rude, wouldn't it? But it costs the american taxpayer more than SNAP does, yet somehow THOSE PEOPLE need your approbation and contempt?

Procreate you, you weaselly busy-body prick.

The myth of the "welfare queen" is being debunked left and right.

Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker just finished up his week of the #SNAPchallenge: living on food stamps, in response to a challenge from one of his townspeople.

Original challenge: http://abcnews.go.com/blo...challenge/

Since the above article, he has successfully completed the challenge, and documents how difficult it is to live on $30 of food per week. Criticism, response, and details post-challenge: http://twitchy.com/2012/1...um=twitter

Other elected officials are trying the "challenge"; to walk in the footsteps of those less fortunate, and to truly understand how much SNAP and other programs LIFT UP families (children, veterans, even active duty military families) out of poverty. America, for all its wealth and affluence, has an extremely high number of "working poor" in the population.

NFL Commentator Michael Strahan is currently taking the challenge.

Do you have the guts to try how LITTLE many families in America live on? I see a lot of criticism from "Forrest Lab" and others; but not a lot of guts to walk a mile in another's shoes. Or the guts that if you DO see that 2% abusing the system: REPORT THEM, you cowards.

And Richard, leave us not forget the 1872 Hard Rock Mining Law. Don't even get me started on that!

Thank you, Hannah. I am not certain when the notion of balancing the budget on the backs of those making minimum wage became de rigueur.

I also like the idea that poor people must eat crappy food. If you buy organic produce because you care about the health of your family, you are greedy. If you are obese because you can only afford crapy food, you are lazy.

Better to die and decrease the surplus population, I guess.

Forrest? Hello....Forrest? Response?
I guess the facts and evidence got to be to much for him.

Food stamps actualy being a STIMULUS to the economy?
That idea would short circut a Republicans brain.

Trickle UP economics.

Go figure.

[This message has been edited by rg (12/12/2012)]