quote:

ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

Being homeless is no barrier whatsoever to getting food stamps. What can be a barrier is that homeless people don't typically have pantries or freezers to keep the food in, or a place to cook it. Here in California, there is even a hot meals program, that allows the homeless to sign up to use their SNAP benefits on the EBT at participating restaurants.

What time of month was it? The old man may have just exhausted what was on his card, or, and this happens a lot, the conversation you overheard between a couple homeless guys was being held completely for your benefit, in the hope you'd do the good samaritan thing, and open up your wallet.

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

We agree that WalMart made a decision and should have to accept the consequences of that action. I don't care if they do so willingly or fight with Xerox over it. I truly don't give a fuck. I don't think WalMart has any standing to come after those that abused the situation, either.

quote:

yes, I get that many in America would prefer to see the poor, elderly, etc starve instead..

Yeah, complete and utter bullshit.

There weren't thousands of people abusing the situation. Anyone who knowingly spent more than their allotment broke the rules of the program. Breaking the rules usually results in your not being allowed to participate anymore, or to a reduced level. We both agree that cutting people off would be a bad thing for those on the program. Your distaste for WalMart is shading your views that the relative few that broke the law shouldn't have to live with the consequences of their actions.

Distilled down, the people who spent more than they were allotted made a conscious decision to do so. Not enforcing the rules means the rules no longer matter. Not a good thing, imo.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

You do know the shutdown ended, right, TJ?

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

We agree that WalMart made a decision and should have to accept the consequences of that action. I don't care if they do so willingly or fight with Xerox over it. I truly don't give a fuck. I don't think WalMart has any standing to come after those that abused the situation, either.

quote:

yes, I get that many in America would prefer to see the poor, elderly, etc starve instead..

Yeah, complete and utter bullshit.

There weren't thousands of people abusing the situation. Anyone who knowingly spent more than their allotment broke the rules of the program. Breaking the rules usually results in your not being allowed to participate anymore, or to a reduced level. We both agree that cutting people off would be a bad thing for those on the program. Your distaste for WalMart is shading your views that the relative few that broke the law shouldn't have to live with the consequences of their actions.

Distilled down, the people who spent more than they were allotted made a conscious decision to do so. Not enforcing the rules means the rules no longer matter. Not a good thing, imo.

I actually don't have a distaste for Walmart, I just don't think they should have attempted to get the govt and/or Xerox to pay for a decision they alone made.. and I don't think they should attempt to go after the people that they allowed to charge more than $50 on their ebt card.. I think they should just take the high road and eat the overcharges cuz what they are trying/tried to do makes them look very petty & greedy.. not that its the worst thing they have done, of course..

And as far as people that knowingly spent more than their allotment, that tells me most or all were desperate cuz they risk getting cut off and that would be a greater risk for most people, which is why thousands weren't in those lines.. for that reason and that it was so short a time frame I doubt many people even knew about it until after the fact.. I have read that snap benefits will be cut Nov 1 for snap & that if the shutdown continued past Oct that no one would be getting snap at all.. so, how would you feel knowing that you possibly would be without food for a good part of the next month & what would you do to survive? I know as you have already said rules are rules, blah, blah, blah...

"We have just learned that if the federal government shutdown continues beyond October, the SNAP program will end, and there will be no SNAP benefits issued in November.
SNAP benefits Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) benefits will see a 5- to 6-percent cut to their benefits next month."
http://www.theshriverbrief.org/2013/10/articles/economic-security-and-opportun/major-cut-in-snap-benefits-will-take-effect-on-november-1-2013/

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri
We agree that WalMart made a decision and should have to accept the consequences of that action. I don't care if they do so willingly or fight with Xerox over it. I truly don't give a fuck. I don't think WalMart has any standing to come after those that abused the situation, either.

quote:

yes, I get that many in America would prefer to see the poor, elderly, etc starve instead..

Yeah, complete and utter bullshit.
There weren't thousands of people abusing the situation. Anyone who knowingly spent more than their allotment broke the rules of the program. Breaking the rules usually results in your not being allowed to participate anymore, or to a reduced level. We both agree that cutting people off would be a bad thing for those on the program. Your distaste for WalMart is shading your views that the relative few that broke the law shouldn't have to live with the consequences of their actions.
Distilled down, the people who spent more than they were allotted made a conscious decision to do so. Not enforcing the rules means the rules no longer matter. Not a good thing, imo.

I actually don't have a distaste for Walmart, I just don't think they should have attempted to get the govt and/or Xerox to pay for a decision they alone made.. and I don't think they should attempt to go after the people that they allowed to charge more than $50 on their ebt card.. I think they should just take the high road and eat the overcharges cuz what they are trying/tried to do makes them look very petty & greedy.. not that its the worst thing they have done, of course..

quote:

And as far as people that knowingly spent more than their allotment, that tells me most or all were desperate cuz they risk getting cut off and that would be a greater risk for most people, which is why thousands weren't in those lines.. for that reason and that it was so short a time frame I doubt many people even knew about it until after the fact.. I have read that snap benefits will be cut Nov 1 for snap & that if the shutdown continued past Oct that no one would be getting snap at all.. so, how would you feel knowing that you possibly would be without food for a good part of the next month & what would you do to survive? I know as you have already said rules are rules, blah, blah, blah...
"We have just learned that if the federal government shutdown continues beyond October, the SNAP program will end, and there will be no SNAP benefits issued in November.
SNAP benefits Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) benefits will see a 5- to 6-percent cut to their benefits next month."
http://www.theshriverbrief.org/2013/10/articles/economic-security-and-opportun/major-cut-in-snap-benefits-will-take-effect-on-november-1-2013/

• A Conservative interpretation of the US Constitution
  
• Personal Responsibility
  
• Help for the truly needy
  
• Limited Government
  
• Consumption Tax (non-profit charities and food exempt)
  

quote:

ORIGINAL: AdorkableAiley
You are making an awful lot of excuses for people that did the wrong thing.
I have sat back and watched this thread unsure where I stood on the entire thing. The more i think. though the more i feel that these people should get a free pass. (Assuming you meant they shouldn't get a free pass.) They did the wrong thing no matter what their reasons were for doing it. I feel for these people I really do, but that does not change the fact that they knew what they were doing. Loading up carts and carts of food. They know how much money they get and about how much it can buy them and they know its not several carts full of stuff.
Is the store to blame? Yeah they share the blame here, they should have stuck to the $50, but that doesn't mean the shoppers don't share in on the blame too.
Ailey

• A Conservative interpretation of the US Constitution
  
• Personal Responsibility
  
• Help for the truly needy
  
• Limited Government
  
• Consumption Tax (non-profit charities and food exempt)
  

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

When you are reliant on others, you have to accept that you no longer control that aspect. Just because WalMart made a decision to allow people to spend more than $50 doesn't mean it was right to spend more than your allotment. I prefer to think that the thousands who weren't in those lines weren't in them because they chose to not abuse the situation, but that's different. I've argued against those who posit that EBT beneficiaries, as a whole, are leeches and have that type of attitude. The only ones who "showed their true selves" (paraphrased from a poster) were the ones who abused the situation. That's it. Those are the ones that should have some sort of consequence, as they were the ones that chose that action.

Can you imagine what would happen to all SNAP beneficiaries if WalMart refused to accept EBT cards as a payment option? Every beneficiary would end up paying more for food, thus, getting less food.

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri
When you are reliant on others, you have to accept that you no longer control that aspect. Just because WalMart made a decision to allow people to spend more than $50 doesn't mean it was right to spend more than your allotment. I prefer to think that the thousands who weren't in those lines weren't in them because they chose to not abuse the situation, but that's different. I've argued against those who posit that EBT beneficiaries, as a whole, are leeches and have that type of attitude. The only ones who "showed their true selves" (paraphrased from a poster) were the ones who abused the situation. That's it. Those are the ones that should have some sort of consequence, as they were the ones that chose that action.
Can you imagine what would happen to all SNAP beneficiaries if WalMart refused to accept EBT cards as a payment option? Every beneficiary would end up paying more for food, thus, getting less food.

I know some people think they would never be in those people's position & be reliant on others.. and so they look at it from that viewpoint.. and of course its not my country so I merely observe as a (yappy?) outsider.. I don't like what I see and what I have experienced since coming here.. and coming to TX has shown me how badly the poor are treated (the poor in other cities I have spent time in are more "hidden", here in TX the poor are hard to miss).. I have my views but I am from what Americans consider a "socialist" country so that causes me to be surprised/shocked/saddened at what I see.. I think that has become my #1 reason why I won't live here permanently.. Sure there are some "liberals" in the US but there is a deadlock & battle politically that I don't see changing..

quote:

I expect those that badly abused the situation will at some point pay the price, maybe not today but I expect karma will get them at some point.. I don't think Walmart would even consider not accepting ebt, they aren't that stupid..

• A Conservative interpretation of the US Constitution
  
• Personal Responsibility
  
• Help for the truly needy
  
• Limited Government
  
• Consumption Tax (non-profit charities and food exempt)
  

quote:

ORIGINAL: AdorkableAiley

quote:

ORIGINAL: tj444

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

We agree that WalMart made a decision and should have to accept the consequences of that action. I don't care if they do so willingly or fight with Xerox over it. I truly don't give a fuck. I don't think WalMart has any standing to come after those that abused the situation, either.

quote:

yes, I get that many in America would prefer to see the poor, elderly, etc starve instead..

Yeah, complete and utter bullshit.

There weren't thousands of people abusing the situation. Anyone who knowingly spent more than their allotment broke the rules of the program. Breaking the rules usually results in your not being allowed to participate anymore, or to a reduced level. We both agree that cutting people off would be a bad thing for those on the program. Your distaste for WalMart is shading your views that the relative few that broke the law shouldn't have to live with the consequences of their actions.

Distilled down, the people who spent more than they were allotted made a conscious decision to do so. Not enforcing the rules means the rules no longer matter. Not a good thing, imo.

I actually don't have a distaste for Walmart, I just don't think they should have attempted to get the govt and/or Xerox to pay for a decision they alone made.. and I don't think they should attempt to go after the people that they allowed to charge more than $50 on their ebt card.. I think they should just take the high road and eat the overcharges cuz what they are trying/tried to do makes them look very petty & greedy.. not that its the worst thing they have done, of course..

And as far as people that knowingly spent more than their allotment, that tells me most or all were desperate cuz they risk getting cut off and that would be a greater risk for most people, which is why thousands weren't in those lines.. for that reason and that it was so short a time frame I doubt many people even knew about it until after the fact.. I have read that snap benefits will be cut Nov 1 for snap & that if the shutdown continued past Oct that no one would be getting snap at all.. so, how would you feel knowing that you possibly would be without food for a good part of the next month & what would you do to survive? I know as you have already said rules are rules, blah, blah, blah...

"We have just learned that if the federal government shutdown continues beyond October, the SNAP program will end, and there will be no SNAP benefits issued in November.
SNAP benefits Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) benefits will see a 5- to 6-percent cut to their benefits next month."
http://www.theshriverbrief.org/2013/10/articles/economic-security-and-opportun/major-cut-in-snap-benefits-will-take-effect-on-november-1-2013/

You are making an awful lot of excuses for people that did the wrong thing.

I have sat back and watched this thread unsure where I stood on the entire thing. The more i think. though the more i feel that these people should get a free pass. They did the wrong thing no matter what their reasons were for doing it. I feel for these people I really do, but that does not change the fact that they knew what they were doing. Loading up carts and carts of food. They know how much money they get and about how much it can buy them and they know its not several carts full of stuff.

Is the store to blame? Yeah they share the blame here, they should have stuck to the $50, but that doesn't mean the shoppers don't share in on the blame too.


Ailey

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

quote:

ORIGINAL: AdorkableAiley
You are making an awful lot of excuses for people that did the wrong thing.
I have sat back and watched this thread unsure where I stood on the entire thing. The more i think. though the more i feel that these people should get a free pass. (Assuming you meant they shouldn't get a free pass.) They did the wrong thing no matter what their reasons were for doing it. I feel for these people I really do, but that does not change the fact that they knew what they were doing. Loading up carts and carts of food. They know how much money they get and about how much it can buy them and they know its not several carts full of stuff.
Is the store to blame? Yeah they share the blame here, they should have stuck to the $50, but that doesn't mean the shoppers don't share in on the blame too.
Ailey

What consequence, do you think, should be borne by the shoppers, what should be borne by WalMart, what should be borne by Xerox, and what should be borne by the local government program?

quote:

ORIGINAL: AdorkableAiley

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

quote:

ORIGINAL: AdorkableAiley
You are making an awful lot of excuses for people that did the wrong thing.
I have sat back and watched this thread unsure where I stood on the entire thing. The more i think. though the more i feel that these people should get a free pass. (Assuming you meant they shouldn't get a free pass.) They did the wrong thing no matter what their reasons were for doing it. I feel for these people I really do, but that does not change the fact that they knew what they were doing. Loading up carts and carts of food. They know how much money they get and about how much it can buy them and they know its not several carts full of stuff.
Is the store to blame? Yeah they share the blame here, they should have stuck to the $50, but that doesn't mean the shoppers don't share in on the blame too.
Ailey

What consequence, do you think, should be borne by the shoppers, what should be borne by WalMart, what should be borne by Xerox, and what should be borne by the local government program?

Yeah that should have read "shouldn't"
The government program did nothing wrong. They were down for a few hours but they had rules in place for when that happens, the rule being a $50 limit. WalMart chose to ignore that and whether it was for selfish or unselfish reasons no one but them really knows. I honestly think that the people who abused their benefits should have some form of consequence. I'm really not sure how this should be worked out to tell the truth. Both store and shopper were to blame here and no one should get off without some sort of consequence.
Ailey

• A Conservative interpretation of the US Constitution
  
• Personal Responsibility
  
• Help for the truly needy
  
• Limited Government
  
• Consumption Tax (non-profit charities and food exempt)
  

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

quote:

I expect those that badly abused the situation will at some point pay the price, maybe not today but I expect karma will get them at some point..

I would prefer to not leave things up to Karma. If Karma doesn't take it's "pound of flesh" (figuratively) in the "right" time frame, the connection between the action and consequence can be lost. That sort of thing doesn't really help shape future decisionmaking.

quote:

Recipients who walked away with groceries that exceeded their food stamp balances face losing their benefits for a year, two years or permanently depending on how many prior infractions they have.

....

“We must protect the program for those who receive and use their benefits appropriately according to the law. We are looking at each case individually, addressing those recipients who are suspected of misrepresenting their eligibility for benefits or defrauding the system,”

quote:

ORIGINAL: TreasureKY

An Update:

It appears that punishment may come to some of those who abused the system malfunction.

Jindal moves to strip food stamps from abusers

quote:

Recipients who walked away with groceries that exceeded their food stamp balances face losing their benefits for a year, two years or permanently depending on how many prior infractions they have.

....

“We must protect the program for those who receive and use their benefits appropriately according to the law. We are looking at each case individually, addressing those recipients who are suspected of misrepresenting their eligibility for benefits or defrauding the system,”