Disgusting situation at the grocery store today

[poohluvrs]

, Why should my tax dollars pay for somebody's bad choices?

ITA!!!

Just because I disagree w/ people taking advantage of the system & blowing my tax dollars doesnt mean Im without compassion.

 

[hentob]

And for the record--The above posters HAD savings. I am NOT talking about people like them. They had NO choice. Their savings were used to take care of their families. Their savings ran out. They worked their butts off to stay off assistance. They tried.

So many people do not try. So many people are comfortable living "off the system". We all know generations of welfare users. I see it all the time in our small town. Am I the only one

The system MUST be changed.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Just because I disagree w/ people taking advantage of the system & blowing my tax dollars doesnt mean Im without compassion.

ITA

Those who tell me that I have no compassion do not know how much of our income DH and I give away. Maybe they would like to enlighten us with how much money they back up their "compassion" with. Running around claiming to be compassionate and not actuall doing anthing is just hot air. I love to help people but hate to get used. The first is compassion and the second is realistic. And the best help in annonymous.

 

[SillyMe]

That is why one should save and plan for the "rainy day" before they build the McMansion and drive that new car

Choices, people. It's all about choices.

I have walked a mile. I have watched people have babies when they couldn't afford them. All the while, we worked, scrimped and saved to have children. Those buggers are expensive

Same with my friends that have brand new homes and drive new cars. We chose to pay off our house and cars and save for the future.

Choices.

Of course I understand what you are saying, but my point is that when people see other people using food stamps or WIC, they automatically judge. The fact is that while you are judging those people and assuming they are abusing the situation or used poor planning, you really don't know if maybe they did have savings and depleted it and this is their last resort. You just don't know their situation by standing behind them in line. You don't know that maybe the 2 or 3 kids they are feeding, they were able to afford to feed them well when those children were born and some unknown circumstance led them to where they are at now.

 

[hentob]

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1095167

This thread is currently on the Budget Board.

If many of these posters would lose their job tomorrow and couldn't find another one for awhile--and then had to go on welfare, I would think I was paying for their poor judgment.

We could all be paying for that "You only live once, I'm going to WDW whether I am in debt or not" mentality.

Choices, people

 

[JoyG]

I haven't read all the reponses, but my first though reading that story is I would have just offered to buy the few items she had to put back...it wouldn't have been that much skin off my nose and hopefully she could "pay it forward" one day.

The other thought I had was the soda must have been for something specific b/c most people who are just buying soda to drink at home would have bought two or three liters not cans. I think maybe it was for work or for a birthday party or something...probably not to just be sitting around and drinking at home.

 

[L107ANGEL]

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1095167

This thread is currently on the Budget Board.

If many of these posters would lose their job tomorrow and couldn't find another one for awhile--and then had to go on welfare, I would think I was paying for their poor judgment.

We could all be paying for that "You only live once, I'm going to WDW whether I am in debt or not" mentality.

Choices, people

So we should all have our houses paid for, cars paid for, no debt, and then consider having children. Got it.
What if you or your spouse suffers a terrible health issue causing financial hardship.
How is that poor planning?

 

[mickeyfan2]

The other thought I had was the soda must have been for something specific b/c most people who are just buying soda to drink at home would have bought two or three liters not cans.

Now you are making an assumption here . DH and I never buy the two or three liter bottles for home. We always use cans or the 16 or 24oz bottles. We only buy the two or three liters for a party. We must have out soda rules mixed up!

 

[Darth Cupcake]

I think maybe it was for work or for a birthday party or something...probably not to just be sitting around and drinking at home.

I thought to myself, perhaps it was for a school party potluck and they really wanted to participate with one of their kids. Perhaps they had a birthday party to attend and couldn't afford a present. To save themselves some embarrassment, they suggested that they bring soda. We just don't know.

My point in my earlier post was that we don't know their situation. We can only guess. But we do know they have at least one child and that there is a good chance that the child may benefit from us putting aside our judgments and buying some milk and eggs.

I'm not saying that some of you are compassionless. I'm just saying that in situations where we don't know the situation, a little compassion really goes a long way for everyone.

 

[LoraJ]

So we should all have our houses paid for, cars paid for, no debt, and then consider having children. Got it.
What if you or your spouse suffers a terrible health issue causing financial hardship.
How is that poor planning?

No kidding!
My boyfriend's entire monthly salary is going to support his dad who has cancer. It's eating his savings away. And he had a very nice savings. I can totally understand how these things could happen to a family. Maybe some day we'll have to buy his dad food with food stamps. I can only imagine what the Hentobs in line behind me woulld be thinking. They just have no clue.

 

[hentob]

So we should all have our houses paid for, cars paid for, no debt, and then consider having children. Got it.

Sorry--On this post, I was talking about the people with credit card debt "living for the moment" with no consideration for the future.

Really, I don't care. That is a choice. We are free to make our own choices.

I _will_ care if you "live it up" when you really can't afford to do so and then lose it all one day and expect the government to bail you out.

I don't want to seem crazy Or mean. I am afraid I am coming across as both. I just think many people make poor choices and see welafare as a "back up". Or sometimes even a "start up".

I am not saying that ALL people make poor choices. Some people plan and think out life changing decisions such as children and major purchases. Some people don't. I am speaking of those who don't.

 

[hentob]

No kidding!
My boyfriend's entire monthly salary is going to support his dad who has cancer. It's eating his savings away. And he had a very nice savings. .

Hello I am not talking about people like your boyfriend's father.

Is there ANYONE out there that understands what I am saying?

Maybe I am a loon and I don't know it

 

[cardaway]

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1095167

This thread is currently on the Budget Board.

If many of these posters would lose their job tomorrow and couldn't find another one for awhile--and then had to go on welfare, I would think I was paying for their poor judgment.

We could all be paying for that "You only live once, I'm going to WDW whether I am in debt or not" mentality.

Choices, people

I totally agree.

 

[cardaway]

Is there ANYONE out there that understands what I am saying?

Yes. I think you're right on the money. Many of the people who cry foul are taking offense instead of thinking of the people you are describing. Two totally different types of scenarios.

 

[LoraJ]

Hello I am not talking about people like your boyfriend's father.

Is there ANYONE out there that understands what I am saying?

Maybe I am a loon and I don't know it

I think we can all agree that we can't stand when people abuse the system. If I knew of someone who was, I would take action and report them.

But I think whta is bothering people in this thread are assumptions being made in general about using WIC, food stamps, etc. Say if my boyfriend's dad did have to go on food stamps and we were picking up the food for him, and buying our stuff at the same time, you wouled definitely think we were cheating the system. That is what I am saying. You just can't assume without knowing the whole story.

 

[Southern4sure]

I think we can all agree that we can't stand when people abuse the system. If I knew of someone who was, I would take action and report them.

But I think whta is bothering people in this thread are assumptions being made in general about using WIC, food stamps, etc. Say if my boyfriend's dad did have to go on food stamps and we were picking up the food for him, and buying our stuff at the same time, you wouled definitely think we were cheating the system. That is what I am saying. You just can't assume without knowing the whole story.

Earlier in this thread, I made mentioned that I did report a family member who abused the system. Shame on me for not having compassion, I thought I did because I was thinking that maybe those foodstamps should have gone to someone who actually needed them.

 

[SillyMe]

I think we can all agree that we can't stand when people abuse the system. If I knew of someone who was, I would take action and report them.

But I think whta is bothering people in this thread are assumptions being made in general about using WIC, food stamps, etc. Say if my boyfriend's dad did have to go on food stamps and we were picking up the food for him, and buying our stuff at the same time, you wouled definitely think we were cheating the system. That is what I am saying. You just can't assume without knowing the whole story.

That's exactly it. We all get pissed at those people who abuse the system, and they are the ones who cloud most people's judgement on welfare. They are the ones who ruin it for the people who really need it. I only take offense when people judge someone who is using food stamps not knowing their position and what led them to that place.

 

[bananiem]

That's the exception, not the norm. I am willing to bet a huge amount of bucks that freebie recipients wound up that way because they did not plan well. Especially in the case of a 20 something couple. Are you telling me that neither one can work and pay for their kid's food- without Uncle Sam's (aka MY taxes) help?

Amazing how people get so defensive and hostile at the suggestion of procreating responsibly.

Yes, I saw many couples where both of them worked at this plant and made decent moneyto allow for a comfortable living in this small town. However, when the plant closed and all they knew how to do was that one job they jumped at the offer of the company paying their schooling to learn a new trade. They'd be in school for 12-24 months. Many had savings to continue to pay the mortgage but food stamps became a new part of their lives for that 12-24 month period.

 

[Jennasis]

No goofygirl, I am not "offended" at the idea of procreating responsibly...just the way you put it so unbelievably insensitively. Sometimes shtuff happens (birth control failed on my Mom when she got pregnant with my older sister, condom broke on my aunt and now I have a cousin, somebody gets raped etc..it happens). You have no idea what people go through, and for you to pass judgement on people for having children is insensitive to the Nth degree. Have I known someone who had more kids then they could afford, SURE. But for heaven's sake these are children, not a new pair of Manolo Blahniks somebody bought and couldn't afford. Your bumper sticker comment was just awfully insensitive (to say the very least) IMHO.

Shtuff happens.

It does suck that there are people out there truely abusing the system. However, I will not pass judgement on this couple (or ANYONE) using foodstamps or WIC based on this "snapshot" moment. Is it a little suspect...yeah a bit, but ultimately I don't know what their situation is and like I said, I'll give people the benefit fo the doubt.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Yeah WIC checks are fun. I get tired of explaining that they can't certain types of cereal, that they have to get all the items, even if they don't want them, etc. We now get WIC checks that are good for $5.00 worth of feesh, frozen or canned veggies or fruits. I had a woman flipping our because she couldn't get the frozen veggies with cheese sauce on them...I just follow the rules, I don't make them. I had a man yelling at me because he couldn't get farmers cheese and he gets it "all the time" with his checks. Farmers cheese is NOT in the list of allowable cheese. I told him my job is to folllow the correct procedures and policies. He told me that my job must be to make Wegmans rich. How me not allowing him his free food makes the store rich I still haven't figured out.

Food stamps don't bother me all that much, but I wish they could get personal care items (shampoo, soap, deoderant) instead of junk food with them...things that are the basic necessities of life. Gum is not a food, but they can buy it with foodstamps. At least in NY State they can not get hot foods or eat in rest. food with the foodstamp card.

I didnt read the whole thread but recently stopped working at a grocery store and dealt with this ona daily basis
for every person following the rules there are 4 breaking them