wilkes

FortWorth, I agree with your comments 100%

By the way when I had my surgery for my cancer how was I suppose to get out of bed and cook a meal for my child?

Thank God for pizza!

Just think if it wasn't for the poors you would have no one to look down on. Their doing you a service.

I am not saying abuse the foodstamps, but having a treat for your child now and then is not a bad thing .

Can the child help that his or her parents are out of work?

I say mind your own buisness and stop worring that the foodstamps are not made of paper anymore so it`s harder for you to stick your nose out there to see who is getting them.

I did use them when I was sick and out of work and also used coupons with them so please mind your own when a mother is maybe just giving her child a treat.

Too bad conserves listen to a sputtering , spitting ,pill head pig.

Moving I have seen communities that have done exactly what you describe ... and it's successful. From seed to compost to preparing the food. Shared space and shared tools. Disabled seniors to young children participated.

A little creative thinking could go far.

Michelle Obama has been trying to get people to eat healthy for years. The Rush Limbaughs in the country will have none of it and have lashed out against her and her agenda with all their weight.

Cooking and gardening are great ideas, but, I know from experience that gardening is also, not cheap. They may have the time, but not the knowledge or tools/resources to garden. Even an apartment dweller could have a few plants in pots on a windowsill but the land for a real garden is another thing.

My elderly uncle used to live in Greensboro and he, along with several other seniors put out a "community garden" every year for several years. That big farmer's market allowed them to use extra land there on site and they all chipped in to buy the seeds, fertilizer, etc, and they all provided the labor equally. Maybe that's a way for the community to get more folks into gardening, eating healthier, and less food stamp dependence. And, at the same time, get them back into working and feeling good about themselves for accomplishing something with their own hands and sweat.

I have no problem with certain restrictions being placed on food stamp purchases...like soda and sweets. I wouldn't eliminate them completely, but they would not be able to live off them either. With the scanning system, it should be do-able to only permit food stamp users to purchase small amounts of junk food during the course of a month.

I know what you are trying to do. You are trying to make Mr. Romney look bad because his parents were on welfare when they moved here from Mexico.

FortWorth I do understand what you are saying. Your assumption is that people know how to garden. I am not down on anyone going thru a bad time. And just like someone else posted .... the jobs are not out there. But if someone wants to complain how the funds are used, I would suggest they just back up a bit and consider the fact that people may not have the ability to do what we think they should do.

Maybe the community should offer to show people how to plan, cook, can food, and garden.

I used to see signs for the WIC program that allowed certain types of food such as you could by Cheerios , but not captain crunch. Is this program in N C? It stood for women, infants and children. And to the people reading this taking away the idea I am " bashing" ebt recipients you are plain wrong.

Absolutely it would. The Sunday chicken dinner leftovers becomes Monday's chicken soup or quesadillas. The actual ability to create and plan meals is becoming a lost art.

I don't mean to lump everyone into the same catagories. I do think that people that eat with my and your dime should try and be more conservative. They don't know it but they have more money to buy food that I and many other people do and choose stuff that is low in nutrition that requires no effort. I would love to have 5 or 6 hundred to buy fresh fruit and vegatables for the table. We eat A LOT of pasta and beans. I also grow a garden. Why do people who are out of work not grow some of their own foods if they have enough space in their yards? I thnk that is all I'm going to say on the topic. It has been interesting hearing all of your opinions.

Plain and simple, there are not enough jobs for everyone to go to work. So that being the case. What are the people with out jobs suppose to do? Go hungry because you don't think they should be on welfare. Why don't you worry about your tax dollars going to the crooks in Washington Dc? Look how they spend your so called tax dollars.

Thank you Elmo,One of my points exactly. Would it not stretch the food dollar further, and be healthier in the long run?

I think what's both sad and wasteful is people don't know how to actually cook anymore. If they could learn to use this benefit by purchasing ingredients, fresh produce, and meats ... The money would go so much further. People using EBT cards and even the working population fill their carts with prepackaged foods.

To the OP...how do you feel about the First Lady's project to get school kids (and adults if they will listen) to eat healthier foods and get more exercise?

The reason I asked is, many Republicans on GW (not saying you, or that you are Republican..it doesn't matter) seem outraged and or make jokes about Mrs. Obama's attempt to help people overcome obesity. It takes eating healthier to achieve that goal. They say "this administration is now trying to tell us what we can and can not eat". Yet, you are doing pretty much the same thing with this thread...trying to tell others what they can and can not eat!

I get your point and I too have a problem with the abuse within the assistance programs, but, I also have a problem with Republicans that have their own laundry list of things that all citizens should/shouldn't do, yet, they are not willing to accept that not everyone sees life the same as they do, and, are they are entitled to their opinions and choices as much as the Pubs are. I understand your point about working and paying into the system vs. living off assistance and not working. But I believe we should all first examine the breakdown of thoses people that get food stamps, housing, etc. It's been said many times on here that 50% of people in the US are living off the other 50%. How many of that 1st 50% are elderly, disabled, the working poor vs how many just fall into that annoying category of lazy and won't work? Because just making that broad statement about the 50% that live off the others ends up lumping many people into an overall category that implies they are worth less and should be ashamed of their actions. I see that as very unfair to the seniors and truly disabled that did work and contribute to society until they reached the age or circumstance in life where they no longer can work. And, it's unfair to the working poor that are doing low paying jobs that someone has to do, yet they do them for little pay and gratitude, and them are treated as they are of less worth to society.

Who cares, go on with your life and eat your freakin' pizza. Sweet Jebus! EVERYONE pays taxes! Not only you or me or these fools bashing people on food stamps. Every time you pay for something you're paying taxes. When you work North Carolina and the Fed take out a large portion of your income out of your check. Move on. Idiots.

THBA, MY previous post was an experience I had in 1988, at that time it was paper vouchers from a booklet. And I was the cashier so I knew who used food stamps. The customer also was dripping in gold chains and driving a new Cadillac, I would have sold my jewelry ( and have) when the going got tough. I'm just sayin'