The Federal Food Stamp Program requires an overhaul.  What a waste of my tax money!! 

this is thanks to the belief its alright to steal other people money, if we just label theft as law.

the fact of matter is,  the govt should not  be in charity world of human affair, it "money" needs to take form someone else and play robin hood with it , its just wrong.

the sad fact is its musty state level funded, at lest in tn, i pay a freaking high % of tax, its so high on food, i see stories like this

x amount of people  drive 15 miles to Georgia to avoid paying the nation's highest average tax on food: 8.4 percent in Tennessee.

also the lastest data form my state even sader

. 19.8% in Tennessee are on food stamps,also one of highest  in nation!

 i pay so much  tax's on food over the year , so nearly 1 out of 5 of my follow state people are leeching on the rest of us free food at this point.

its not free, am being black mailed , i have to eat!

I should have to pay 0 % tax and their a$% can go find a other way to feed them selfs

go to walmart at begining of the first day of the month in tennessee, and everones Food stamp debt cards get reloaded, and Lines are full of people paying with it

and their buying Junk, where talking Cookies, ice cream, 8 buck steaks.

and here i am, buying organic apples, paying a Over priced amount, and getting taxed to death for it

i coupon my butt off also  , why these beeps  spend like a rackless drunk on the road with their money on food

all to eat healthy food, while these Leech's, steal form my food budget via tax's

makes sense a lottery winner would stay on food stamps, these kinds of people are just Evil as they don't give a about you, only them self's and if it means stealing other's money to pay for their habits, its Aokay

, these worthless human beings  are making me  think of rest of humanity whoever supports the govt  as  a evil that needs to be wiped out off the face of the earth.

their this thing called Couponing, digging deep,   yet some people even have kids when their Dirt poor, and relay on the state to feed the kids,  and teach their kids , sense someone else is paying for it

 why do we even brother, we are rewarding Very bad habits,      and their no stop to this madness, its just spend spend spend, debt ,debt ,debt, tax  someone else for it

if your a leech of govt funds , your a theft form someone else is my min

d, hope this lottery winner and ever person who gets a penny of my money or yours who did not give it willing, to "help" themselfs to the loot while it last's, cease sooner or later, this sick joke of govt handouts has Got to come to a end, in a very Very bad way"debt"   but am sure they keep doing ever thing it takes to keep stealing form rest of working  folk who refuse to treat other humans like are own walking atm , that food stamp users treat me as in this state

I hope his audi gernades on him

WOW!!!!! this is 2 stories from my home State of Michigan that is making me look bad...  This Country needs to make some changes ASAP!!!!..... He should be required to pay back all the food stamps that he has gotten since he won........

I used to be on food stamps and for my family of 4, if I had $2000 or more in the bank (liquid assets) I wouldn't get the food stamps.  I don't understand this at all.

This is just another sad story.  For this jerk to place the blame on the state is ludicris.  Once he informed the state he was a millionaire, or whatever, after taxes, he should have just turned the card in at the same time.  Those food stamps/groceries are tax payer funded, and deserves to go to the most needy not the most greedy.

 Wait a minute, we get taxed on our income, if the government finds it, it taxes it (that includes lotto winnings) and, this man gets away with getting foodstamps for a whole year after winning the lotto? Okay, thanks government, thanks!

Exactly.....

OK I'm a bit confused on this:

"Eligibility for food stamps is based on gross income and follows federal guidelines; lottery winnings are considered liquid assets and don't count as income. As long as Fick's gross income stays below the eligibility requirement for food stamps, he can receive them, even if he has a million dollars in the bank."

Here in FL, we only file Federal taxes and anything over $5,000 a claim form has to be filled out and we are taxed by the FEDERAL GOV as income.

If this man won 11 months ago (2010), when he filed his taxes for the  2010 year, that should have counted as income & disqualified him for food stamps

I can see it not being counted as income from 2011 on and could technically qualify him for food stamps in following years since its only counted as income once, but how in the he!! is he getting food stamps this year? Did he not file his taxes yet for 2010????

Rergardless, it is unethical and he knows it & doesn't care.

That is Michigan for you.  That state has been brainwashed by the unions that they deserve to be spoon fed that the culture as a whole knows no other way.  This jerk is a poster child for everything that is wrong with America.

I work in a grocery store that specializes in food service, schools , hospitals restaurants , bars, business in general. we are open to the public, no membership fees at all.

The other day I witnessed an illegal transaction,a woman and her sister shopping, the one sister paid for everything in Food stamps and her sister forked over some cash, thats a no no. the bill was almost $600.00 dollars, I looked at her receipt and what I saw floored me, I made copies of that receipt, she still has a balance of $4300.00 in food and a cash balance of $20.00,

I proceed to call the state attorney generals office, how in the <snip> does someone get almost $5000.00 in food. They referred me to the department of human resources after years of dealing with this agency , I knew it was a lost cause, so I did some research and found out Michigan now has a special unit, called the Public Integrity unit, they couldn't help me, they directed me to Criminal justice in Detroit, they couldn't help me they directed me to the department of human resources.

I will find someone to look in to this, what I have personally witnessed over the years would turn your stomach,

The newest scam involving food stamps, are people using food stamps to run catering business, illegal businesses. They are not licensed or insured, they are using tax payer money to rake it in.

Hot dog stands, door to door candy sales, they put their kids in front of shops and businesses to sell candy or they just send them to school to sell the candy.

I had a kid come to my door in his designer shoes and coat, told me he was a boy scout, he was selling butterfingers, I asked him is pack number, he had no clue what I was talking about, I asked him if he was a wolf or a bear, still no clue, I have a boy scout, we sell popcorn, not candy.

I had a woman come through my line a couple weeks ago, said her arm hurt from lifting her baby carrier in the shopping cart, cause she just got a new unicorn tattoo, she was throwing a birthday party for her boyfriend, part of her purchase was 5 gallons of margarita mix, her bill was over $300.00 , she paid in food stamps. Her loser boyfriend was in line behind her to get the rest of the stuff, he also paid in food stamps, when it came time to pay for the non food items he peeled of a hundred dollar bill from a nice size roll.

I had a man come through and he bought 7 cases of red bull, at $35.00 plus $2.40 in deposit, thats $245.00 plus another $16.80 in deposit that the tax payers shelled out for.

I had a Detroit police officer come through and wanted his 5% dicount, even showed me his shield, He had $80.00 in purchases in food stamps, I wouldn't let him have the discount, his card wouldn't swipe, the name on the card said Betty, so he was trying to get a discount for a relative.

I had another woman come through, shes a dealer at a casino, she was complaining that she wasn't getting very good tips, only $400.00 last night, she said, paid for her $608.00 dollar purchase with food stamps.

I have people coming through that collect from several states, They come through at the beginning with Michigan stamps then later they come back with stamps from another state.

I have people coming through that can't even speak english, they bring lists with them, 32 2 liters of coke, 32 2 liters of pepsi, combos, candy bars ( mind you we sell candy by the box -35 count, , they were clearly buying for a relative who owns a gas station or party store.

The list goes on and on, what I see is theft and greed at epic levels.

The attitude of some of these people would shock you, they have no sense of gratitude, they leave messes in their wake all over the store, no respect for themselves or others,

I am saddened , I am now looking for a new job, because I can't bear to go through this month after month, I am losing faith in humanity, and am becoming indifferent to others and thats not who I want to be.

Michigan ?!

I've noticed many people buying bulk items just in grocery stores like soft drinks, candy, chips, etc. using EBT cards but nothing even close to what you witnessed! If Congress and State Legislators are serious about cutting spending as they claim to be, this should be fully investigated; I won't hold my breath.

You got the bureaucrat run-around because the people you spoke with are part of the problem. They know people are getting $5000 in food stamps and they know $2 million lottery winners are still getting them too but won't do anything about it. When a Detroit police officer is part of the problem, who can you call?

A lot of us are looking at it the wrong way and i agree with everyones arguement, its the government to blame not him..some countries winnings are not taxed. and im sure out of his 2million he paid over $500,000 in taxes so he will never get that much of foodstamps for the remainder of his life..No point of complaining here, contact your state representative!!!!

"[H]e informed the state, and the state said he could keep using the card. The problem is with the state."

Why all the kvetching? Looks like he's not breaking any laws [and we know how important what de law say is to some people]

Unless the money is federal-tax-free, he will be paying far more in taxes than he will be getting in "food stamps".

Sounds like people are bad at math ... or MYOB. There are far worse things tax money is being "wasted" on -- in far larger amounts.

No food stamp program = no food stamp fraud. If the governor of a state declines federal money, the state can run the program (or get rid of it) as they see fit. But anyone running on a platform threatening .. er .. promising to cut "spending" and then *gasp* actually naming what they would cut is immediately demonized as hating the (insert group here), and can be assured of not being elected.

So, the article states that Lottery winnings are considered liquid assets & don't count as income.....but the 1st thing they do before you see a dime is take a 3rd of it in TAX  as if it IS income????

Since nothing this guy is doing is illegal what difference does it make how much he has in the bank? AIG, took federal money plus insurance money after 9-11 for damages, in fact several companies double dipped even if there offices weren't damaged they still claimed federal monies that they were entitled too.  ConAgra takes government checks every year to not grow corn or to grow corn, etc, Corporate welfare is alive and well and we are talking about companies that make upwards of 500 million a year that take government handouts.

Rich people don't waste money or ignore potential loopholes or they would poor like the complainers who are commenting.

Michigan again??   I hope that a LP winner wins in Michigan sometime so they can show how a lottery winner is supposed to act! 

I live in Pennsylvania. I lost my last full time job in 2001. Our combined INCOME has always been too high for food stamps. Believe me, it is pretty low considering the cost of living!

Something is very wrong in Michigan !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A little off subject isn't this???????????

But at least corporations employ people!

FDR started the "paying people to not grow corn" ................ not new behavior!!!!!!!!!!

The way I see it is the guy paid taxes on what was left after the Gov took its share and, what the hell, he's only going to spend the food stamps locally so it's helping his local economy. It's not that he's taking it away from anyone else and not salting it away so nobody benefits.

Come on people you're going to ruin this world more with all this "Politically Correct" garbage going on. Get a life and don't judge how people live. I think people are just pissed off that they haven't won big and need to vent their feelings and need a scape goat to do that.

Personally, I don't blame the guy. Now if he won a few million that would be a different story.

Its an interesting story. I wonder how many people out there have over a million dollars in real estate(not liquid)but are using food stamps. I wouldn't doubt it if this guy is being used by the state/feds to close said loop holes. There is always more to a story. Imagine the death threats this guy is going to get.

This guy Leroy is a perfect example of the entitlement mentality so ingrained in society by liberal government. He's a welfare hog, system manipulator and common, despicable cheat. The liberal government, naturally, will say (as they are) that it's perfectly legal and he has every right to do what he's doing and that's the way the system is set up. It doesn't matter that we're broke and on the verge of bankruptcy, poor Mr Fick is entitled to free food even though he's now a millionaire. So it's a Catch 22 and "oh well" we'll just have to live with it.

No, uh-uh. It's waaay past time for a wake-up call to liberal legislators that this sh*t has done got outta hand.

We're running out of people to tax enough to feed all these lazy bums, malcontents, ne'er-do-wells and parasites who think they're entitled to feed at the public trough for their entire lives.

Welfare, food stamps and other social service assistance programs were designed to be an emergency safety net, not a lifetime hammock.

You can see the lack of concern from government sully is running into. That's because the whole system is corrupt. Why? Because those entrenched in power have the votes of everybody they put on the gravy train keeping them and their destructive policies in power and not enough decent people with common sense have woken up to the realities and stood up for what is right.

And if that doesn't happen, and soon, this whole country could end up like Detroit.

I actually had a co-worker explain to me why he hates Senator Rand Paul, after I asked because Rand has put forth solutions for pretty much every problem.  Budgets that cut 200 billion this year, 500 billion this year (without touching enitilements that libbies love so much), legislation to stop the government from shutting down, legislation to bring us into surplus, etc.

He basically said that he doesn't like him because his solutions won't pass.  So basically, "I don't like the guy putting forth solutions, because Democrats vote against solutions, so I support the Democrats" - complete circular logic.

It's perplexing how deep people get into Republican vs. Democrat.  They don't care if they know that someone who's "on the right" has a perfect plan, they'll simply dismiss it because it originiated in the right, and has to do with budgets.

Sully, keep you faith in God. There's still is a few good men & women in the world. I know it seems hard when you have people that are trying to do right; but it appears that those that do wrong profit. I pray God will bless you with a new job.

Send a copy of this email to your state representatives and then send it to CNN, ABC, CBS,  well you get the point.

"Welfare, food stamps and other social service assistance programs were designed to be an emergency safety net, not a lifetime hammock."

This creates a captive constituency!

I am sure that I wouldn't need food stamps after winning that much money!

Just me ................

Thank you Dallas, your a sweetheart,

It is in the works, The fraud has got to stop, I do see people who are truly needy, they have that ' WHAT HAPPENED TO MY LIFE LOOK, those are the people I feel for, you can spot them a mile away, but, the takers have taken to much.

Hang in there Sully!Dont give up!

It sounds like, from the end of the video article, that there will be a follow up (if there hasnt been already). I'd love to hear that response (from the State that is).

I see what people mean that Fick isnt breaking the law. But he knows ethically it is not right.

And from what sully describes...well I am not surprised. And I am sure it happens in every single state.

It truly pisses me off especially when I sit and think that I have graduated from school, served in the Army, done my best to get by and even have a great job but I still struggle sometimes and feel like I live f#$kin hand to mouth sometimes. I swear all I would need is a fraction of that money and I would be set, yet this clown just continues to steal from the system.

Rdgrnr summed it up best:

"Welfare, food stamps and other social service assistance programs were designed to be an emergency safety net, not a lifetime hammock."

Dont get me started on the trash I see come into stores with plenty o money for scratch offs, lottery, cigs, and crap yet they pay for junk food with their EBT (ie. Bridge) cards

Makes me want to apply for the dam thing! Hey I am paying for it anyway, right?

Shame on you Leroy shame on you.

Bad karma

 Ridge..."Welfare, food stamps and other social service assistance programs were designed to be an emergency safety net, not a lifetime hammock."

Greed is a cancer on the species.  We begin healing the species by making sure our cell is cancer-free.

This is a hot mess, and they want to take my bridge card because

I got a tax refund? it was not 2 million dollars....heck it wasn't even 500.00 shame

How do you do your job with a nice smile as you're s'pposed to when you have to deal with stuff like these?

I feel your pain and frustration at seeing all that when you probably know people who genuinely deserve help but cant get any due to technicalities.

Now I hate politics but when I hear things like these I want to spit at any liberal democrat omg!

I always knew there was something about you that I liked!   

It must be the shoes..but since you cant see them then it must be that I dont fall for everyone who claims to be helping me hahaha

W O W !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a bummer

The guy probably gets no more than $200 per month in food assistance. I don't hear anyone complaining about the $18 billion in oil subsidies the taxpayers give to the 5 US big oil companies. They made $1 trillion over the last ten years and the American taxpayer is giving them money. That money is not going for R&D of new oil but is instead going straight into the pockets of big investors.

The guy is wrong to keep getting assistance, but he isn't breaking any laws, which is what Wall St always says about it's dealings. 

Get mad at the right people. The little guys like this one can't hurt you. $200 a month is not a big deal but $18 billion per year to people who are already rolling in money isn't sensible.

Oil Companies employ people ........... this guy just takes !

Would anyone be upset with me if I win Powerball tonite & still stay on Social Security Disability??? I'll still be disabled .........

Let me know ...........

I have several tranches of oil related stocks in my portfolio.  By your way of "feeling," if the oil subsidies are taken away then I should recieve an equal amount of EBT money for the corresponding loss in returns on my investments.  BTW, define "big investor" for me.  A question: Did you vote for Paris Glendenning for governor?

I agree I am surprise someone would go through all that to try to burst some one for a bridge card live and let live please! I must say the 2mill winner is a surprise too.

He's only doing what most big businesses do, in fact what they pay lawyers and accountants big money for - to use every loophole and letter of the law and any way to game the system to save or make a buck. Good for him.

You sooo right tg636,I was going say the same thing but hadn't gotten through the thread. Iwill go back to Ross Perot that how him and his family living high on the hog with taxpayer money , where is the outrage where is it! Even Donald Trump and all his govt's help.Ask about Michigan what about Blackwater with Prince and all the taxpayers money paid over the top payment to him with no bid defense contract. We concern with food stamps please!

You Sir need to get  a life and maybe a heart!

I don't hear anyone complaining about the $18 billion in oil subsidies the taxpayers give to the 5 US big oil companies. They made $1 trillion over the last ten years and the American taxpayer is giving them money.

No one is complaining about the oil subsidies because this is a lottery story in a lottery forum about a lottery winner and oil subsidies doesn't doesn't seem to fit in with the subject of lotteries.

And little guys like this can hurt us when there are millions of little guys through this country who are collecting freebies and scamming the country. The US is country is soaked with entitlement minded people who all are fighting to keep their cut from the government, and that is one of the reasons why this country is going downhill at an accelerated rate. He's a millionaire, there is no reason for him to be collecting from hard working taxpayers.

As for oil, when an oil exec wins the lottery, then we can complain about the oil subsidies.

Stick within the realm of the article. Some folks seem to consider this a platform to air other government matters. THe issue is the Food stamps being collected by a wealthy man who found a loophole that will soon be reviewed. End of story.

I do not agree with this mans antics , nor the government so called qualifications. IN PA they DO HAVE harder qualifications, so I doubt this is coming from the federal LEVEL so much as the state levels. Each state regulates and manages its own "welfare" system.  I do not consider the people of Michigan accountable for this loophole, it came from higher up by the less thinkers of the state. I doubt that the citizens of Michigan got to personally vote on this regulation....yet they get to pay the price of this mans antics.

I've never played Bridge before and I don't understand why they'd take your Bridge Cards.

Do they take Pinochle Cards away from people too? I don't play that either.

I do play Poker once in a while though.

Morally, the man should not be accepting the assistance. Legally, he can. So fix it Michigan, like you fixed the college kids from collecting their measly $250 per month in food stamps. I have a kid in college in Michigan. There are very few jobs to be found and you have to know someone to get those. Luckily in the past he's been able to find some summer work, including babysitting his girlfriend's little brother. That little bit he earned over the summer does not last through the winter when the heat bills on a 2 bdrm apt are over $100. He and his roommate decided shut off their heat last February (set to 40 to keep the pipes from freezing). This summer he's found a job that may carry over parttime when he heads back to school in the fall.

LOL, life is tuff for college kids, but mine's making it even without the grocery money from the state. I think this lottery winner could try the same.

And no fair bashing the oil company profits unless you are going to also bash GE profits. What's left of my retirement 401k has energy stocks. I guess that must make me a big investor.  Yeah right. 

Good point Piaceri,

GE is a supporter of our President and major contributor to his campaign fund.

They pay zero taxes.     ZIP, ZERO, ZILCH, NADA, NOTHING, NOT A PENNY IN TAXES. 

Not a word is said about this by the libs.

They also don't talk about gas prices anymore since they have more than doubled since Bush left office.

GAS PRICES. MORE THAN DOUBLED.

Not a word.

WOW! I usually skip over messages if they look long, but I couldn't help but keep reading this! This is SNIP (I'll edit it myself lol) RIDICULOUS!!! To add to your story, my friend plays Division 1 college football in Michigan (I won't say which team) and he has teamates who only use their food stamps for protein shakes, protein bars, and other supplements like that. This is insane...

The newest trend here, college kids getting food stamps, an even bigger trend is how to get your kids put on Section 8 when they turn 18. You quite simply change your address, claim your paying rent and enroll in at least one class and ta da, the tax-payers foot the bill.

Leroy Fick will be on Fox & Friends on Fox News Channel tomorrow morning to defend his actions.

That oughta be good. You'd think he'd be too ashamed.

Nope.

Maybe I should send the receipt to Fox and friends.

Probably get more attention there than from the people who are supposed to be looking out for the peoples' interest.

The newly elected governor in Mich got protested, chewed up and spit out for working on bringing financial reform to the state. It's up to the people of the state to support financial responsibility.
Things are not going to change until the people support change.

I now see how you have accumulated nearly 5,000 posts in 2 years. Very insightful.

Hey little mario,

Put your little arrow over my name and mash down on it.

Then when the drop down screen comes down put your little arrow over "Add rdgrnr to my block list" and mash down on that.

All your need and necessity for whining and obsessing over me will then be allayed.

Then get out in the yard and clean the beaver crap off the trampoline, little mister man.

Apparently, Leroy Fick netted approximately $1.2 million dollars after taxes subtracted.  Leroy  probably deduced that if he lived until 100 years old (which we each could do), that smaller amount received from the lottery would allow him to spend $28,857 annually (unfortunately, the amount was too small for one to simply live off of the safely invested fund's interest earned from the principal amount).  That isn't a lot of money to a 58 year old head of household person, let alone a solo person to thrive on.

Consequently, it is possible that Leroy decided to keep using the card, after contacting the State of Michigan DoHS Department and being instructed that he was still eligible to [he's possibly only charging apx. $360/month on the card], so that he wouldn't have to work a job (maybe he isn't able, and the tv news forgot/failed to mention that key point), and instead could have extra monies saved to go towards annual: dental, vacation, prescription medications, medical expenses, etc.  Thus, it is possible that Leroy was, fortunately, able to rationally, quickly use his calculator and brain before releasing his bridge card.

LOL rdgrnr!

He should turn his card in and remove himself from the program. If and when he falls on hard times again,

he can reapply..that would be the right thing to do. This story and this man's actions do relate to what is

wrong with government. It was said they can't do a thing about it...well, maybe they don't want to do any

thing about it. Why should they? Where do you think the me mentality came from? Why do you think some

people just hold their hands out and take whatever they are given or think they are*entitled* to? Because

they have the biggest example of system use and abuse by the agencies they are using and abusing.

Reports of mutimillion dollar salaries and billion dollar profits by big business only adds to the determination

of some people to get theirs, no matter where or who it comes from. There are no values, no virtue, no

morals and no guilt associated with accepting handouts - (that's what they are called when people who do

not need them, take them) - when they are viewed as something someone deserves rather than needs.

A $2M win would make most people want to break free of reliance on programs and aid, not this bottom

feeder/skimmer/slouch. Somewhere along the way he must have felt burned, jilted or let down in life

in general and has adopted the idea someone owes him something and he's going to take it. 'What's

yours is mine and what's mine is my own' comes to mind. I'm not going to say: How can you blame him?

He is to blame...but he learned that even if you have enough, it's never enough especially when a money

making monster government says it isn't. One of the reasons they throw crumbs to programs and don't

close loopholes is to make the bitter pill they pass off on everyone else easier to swallow. If they had a

backbone and stood up instead of slithered around like a snake, we wouldn't be reading a story like this

right now because Mr System Siphon would have been stripped of his Bridge card shortly after he claimed

his winnings. Instead he just becomes another example of how some rich get richer in America...a small

example but nonetheless an example.

I think that Mr SS will be needing the card very soon anyway. He seems to be making no excuses for

getting free food while having paid in cash (??) for his new convertible. I also noticed his crisp, white,

new lounge clothes and what looks like a new house or at least some things that can now be completed.

Somehow, the excuse of: Well, they said I could still use it just doesn't quite cut it.

Good points, dr65, thank you.  Therefore, I have decided to reverse my thoughts to agree.  After all, even if someone is only allotted $5000 a year for a bridge card or whatever aid ... $5000 multiplied by hundreds of people in a state who didn't actually NEED those monies adds up to millions of debt in a state annually; let alone huge debt/bankruptcy over a decade. 

It makes sense, once someone receives $2+ million dollars GROSS in lottery winnings, that a bridge card and/or any other county, state, and federal aids and services (except, of course, receiving social security payments if they are a senior citizen), should also be ceased once the lottery headquarters notifies the person's county, state, and federal governments of the win.

So ........... when I win the Powerball ...............should I give up my Social Security Disability benefits ?

Once one wins millions of dollars net via a lottery prize, I would hope that they would contact their county, state, or federal office to stop receiving DIASABILITY AID payments ... even if they are elegable to continue receiving.

In regards to SOCIAL SECURITY payments.  I think the net multi-million dollar lottery winning person should be allowed to cease them.  Since winner, by now, has realized that the U.S.A. country's  current youngest workers that are paying towards this will not be receiving even ONE PENNY of these monies deducted from their checks once they are the same 62-70 years of age (PLUS, these kind young adults don't even get to deduct it as a "charity" donation annually, and no collecting senior citizen is taking the time to thank them every day).  However, because the now senior citizen recipient ALREADY PAID several thousands of dollars into the fund during their decades of earlier employment paycheck deductions, I don't think the now senior citizen should cease the payments UNTIL they've paid themselves back with 3.5% APY interest compounded over years they were paying into the fund.  Never be hasty though, wait at least 18 months before taking any action towards ceasing receival of Social Security payments.

You'll here me complaining about both.

It's not the government's job to give anyone - or any group - money.  The only way the government should intervene in the economy is trust busting.

Sorry louise not buying your argument!   The people you mention do get tax breaks from the Gov't.  However UNLIKE the lotto millioniare using food stamps, Ross Perot, Donald Trump, and Blackwater CREATE JOBS!  Unlike the lotto mooch who create's nothing.   Also did you know that Entitlements take up more money than the defense budget?   The 10% of Earners in this country pay for 60% of taxes!  The bottom 20-30% pay NOTHING or get refunds from the gov't because of special tax credits.  When these entitlements reach more than 1/2 the population then we are in trouble.  Why should a small percentage of the population have to pay for people who pay no taxes and can vote for people who will give them more benefits?   But try and reform the system and people like you will scream bloody murder that gov't is trying to starve the poor and elderly!   That's the campaign for Democrats for the last 25 years, Republicans are going to cut Social Security and Medicare and the Elderly are going to be eating dog food.   So sick of hearing these lies 

Good for him..They took half his money , maybe he can get alittle of it back thru the food stamp program.. People want to condemn the little man and the government can use your money for all kinds of things that make no sense...  Get over it people.!!!

Sure, they took half his money. Why? Because we're feeding people who won't or don't work, supporting people who won't or don't work, paying for this paying for that, subsidizing corporations, giving foreign aid to other countries, etc etc etc and so on. He's part of that cycle.

Perhaps if our government wasn't in the hand-out business, they wouldn't have to take half his money in the first place (and ours). It's people and companies like that who have that 'they took it from me so I'll take it from them' attitude that have helped whore this country into this disgusting near bankrupt situation we're in right now.

It all means that the rest of who who DIDN'T win the lottery have the tax burden of paying for these losers...we'll get over it when we don't have to pay for him and everyone else anymore.

Wrong. They took the food stamp (bridge card) option away from the college kids. I know this from experience. My son and his roommate used their heat money for groceries this past winter. They kept their apartment at 40 from mid Jan on. It was eat and bundle up (lots of hours at the library), or stay warm and starve. Neither could find steady work, and both were living off student loans and what was left of rapidly depleting college savings.

As to the other (Section 8), yeah, I can believe that and probably know people who have done, or are planning on doing this. Sucking off the government teet is an art form to many people I came across in my 22 years in MI. Being a Texas gal, I was stunned beyond belief at the attitudes in MI. 

Your story about the groceries made me want to puke. I hope you find some sort of recourse. I'd definitely encourage you to send your story to Fox News, especially in light of them having Leroy Fick on their show tomorrow. I'm bummed that I'm going to miss it.

I have been in contact, with several people today, one a state rep, not all forms of the bridge card are the same, not every one qualifies for the same thing, there are thousands of college kids still getting food assistance, the Rep in this very article is working on legislation to stop it.

I myself worked my way through college and I know how tough it is, Good luck to your son and I'll keep you posted, what I have learned in the course of 2 days of talking to people, it much worse than some of these careless thoughtless shoppers.

Some people I talked to believe welfare and the dumbing down of America has been done on purpose.

"Some people I talked to believe welfare and the dumbing down of America has been done on purpose."

The "enemy within".

You know the job market is bad when a 21 yr old young man resorts to babysitting for college money. Luckily a friend came through with a bank teller job for the summer that may continue through when he goes back to school in the fall. He's living in his Dad's basement for the summer to save rent $. There is a way to work things out. God helps those who help themselves.

"Some people I talked to believe welfare and the dumbing down of America has been done on purpose."

Oh, you got that right Sully. Keeping people on the gov't spicket keeps them voting a particular way. We've got so many people and entities in the country who are getting some kind of benefit or payment from the government, be it welfare, food stamps, SS, medicare/caid, tax breaks, subsidies, etc etc etc that no matter what they try to cut, someone is going to get pissed because they might lose their freebie.  Makes for good politics when one party says 'look at the evil other party who is trying to take your candy away from you'. Oh...and the 'children'. 'They're going to kill all the poor poor children they cut this or that.'

Yes, I agree, it's all done on purpose.

That's right.

Get as many people as you can working for the government and give them better pay and benefits than the private sector and then put everybody else you can on welfare and food stamps.

That's a captive voting block.

Only problem is that the whole house of cards eventually collapses under it's own weight.

It's unsustainable.

And it's all collapsing as we speak.

Shows you the basic "morality" of the public -- the gov't takes three-quarters-plus of a million out of your front pocket and lets you use a card for a few hundred bucks a month for food .... and people complain about you having the food card.

Between the top federal and (Michigan) state rates, he'd have paid (or will owe) about $800,000 in taxes on $2 million.
Any county and city taxes are extra. If his food card gave him the [highly unlikely] sum of $1,000 a month it would take 66 YEARS for him to get back that $800 GRAND.

In other words, he ain't spending anyone's money but his own -- and only a fraction of that.

I lived in Auburn for a short time, interesting little place... Haven't been through it really in awhile though. But there are a lot of people there that are a bit funny in the head so to speak. That area (well, more Midland) is just lucky Dow Chemical was founded there and hasn't moved out, if they did there would be a lot more people on financial assistance. Either way, I don't care, he paid his taxes on his winnings, he's pretty much just a little of it back. 

I feel like taking a trip and seeing how that area has changed since the last time I was there.

Get over it.

There is FAR more waste going on than simpletons with foods stamps running petty schemes. No wonder the world is amok, look at the silly crap we get angry at while *real* greed trashes the world...

The math skills on display here are equally as atrocious....especially for a lottery forum....oh wait, it isn't math is it? Its emotional pettiness. We spent 50 billion on food stamps last year......

How many trillions have we spent on goverment bailouts? Some people need to get thier heads out of thier a-s-s's and get thier priorities straight. YOU'RE THE PROBLEM.

Ha Ha! Look what was posted just as I was going to
post?

Good point about the gas prices Ridge, but what about Bush’s
midterm record hikes on oil and gas prices? The Arabs saud we can have all the
oil we could buy and there was no shortage. Then all across the nation what was
once disposable income and savings for things like autos went south. In the
summer of 2008 the news was a flash but it was there: Auto sales were down. The
writing was on the wall bud and the big three were in DC the day following the
election. Now, are you going to tell me the President elect had that all worked
out on the side? McCain said there was no problem with the economy in like
September and the shills for big oil were yelling Drill Baby Drill at the RNC. You
should really get informed on Alaska’s oil industry and history in manipulated
politics. Alaska has to be right there with the early Texas oil boom years in
graft. We lower 48’rs have no idea what has been going on and how much winning
an election is to the point of offshore funds and hidden advertisers buying
your vote. There were tankers BTW in the Columbia river, loaded with fuel at
the peak of the gas price surge in the 70’s. And,.. in 2006 the oil companies
posted record profits in the tens of BILLIONS.

I would think for a man of yur background you could see that
neither party can force the price of oil up or down. It was just good timing to
snatch up the last of the common clay’s disposable income because the
DEREGULATION paved the way for a global economic collapse. Only the grace of
God is keeping things tempered and the real economic collapse is postponed. Be thankful
the price of gas is going down and polish up that ticket for the ride on the
gospel ship.

Any kind of worldly political perfection idealism is for the
nearsighted naïve. We are way long in the tooth as a Democracy from a Republic we
were intended. Next step is chaos and Oligarchy. The political perfection
everyone craves is on the way but if you think Der homeland security and the
patriot act are radical violations of freedom to secure freedom, you ain’t seen
noth’n yet. We still are under the Crown.

All the environmental and economic and food and war
disasters AND the 2012 dateline are pre-tensions. The solution will be accepted
universally by every nation. World Peace, food for all, order –all, everyone
will be saving the planet! Political perfection in sheep’s clothing. This article
is just another tease to get you wound up for new order. When it is personal
and hits home the solution will be something no one in their right mind would
accept under normal standards. It is going to get real bad, worse than the GREAT
depression (You did know about the lesser ones, yes?).

The guy has a problem and if he wants to live like Rockefeller
and Hughes then there is nothing much to reform because greed cannot be
outlawed. If he reads this he should get a grip on what is really worth much
gold and that is ,…

ROMANS chapter 10, Verses 9 and 10

…otherwise stock up to the gills on everything you might want to eat until the neighbors find out you have food!

 DD

I agree, lottery winners should keep all the winnings, but that food stamp money, thats my money, 45 million Americans on food stamps, a few hundred dollars, no way, maybe mister Fick is only getting a couple hundred, I will be more than happy to send you the receipt showing $5000 IN FOOD, THE WOMAN WHO USED THIS CARD, DROVE OFF IN A MERCEDES,

It is not okay for the government to take my money away from me and give it to someone else, either through entitlements, bailouts, foreign aid, I am sick of it all,

2 billion of our money went to Brazil, so they could drill for oil to meet Chinas growing needs.

It is not okay to use welfare money to buy lottery tickets, beer, cigarettes, or as a small business venture, so you can have your hair and fingernails done.

No, you cannot continue to send your kids to private school, and have them take Karate lessons or dance lessons while the tax payers fill your belly. this poor woman, is a NICU Nurse, oh poor divorced woman.

This is the crap I am talking about.

I have no problem donating to food banks, I give new coats, hats and mittens to charity in the winter, not last years crap I dug out of a closet, I give to toys for tots, because I can't bear for any child to not have a Christmas.

My main charities are Childrens hospitals of Michigan and St Judes. A sick child and a struggling family will always be a priority for me.

I do have a problem with people who continue to have kids they can't feed or clothe, and expect and demand my pity, I only feel sorry for the kids.

We hire people on welfare and they don't last long, all we hear is I ain't doing that , I ain't doing this. It is beneath them to put in an honests days work, because the work sucks, but I do it. It is not fun standing at a slicer for hours on end dealing with customers. We pay well, have benefits 401k-profit sharing, and still they can't hack it.

I am 49 years old, and if I can go in the cooler, unload 6 pallets of meat and milk, then Dammit someone half my age should be able to do it with ease, I hear well, I got kids, so do I, figure it out. I can't work I got kids, what a bunch of crap.

Oh but you can sit in a bingo hall or casino all day, while mom or grandma watches the kids,

I am not rich, but that still doens't make it okay to take Donny Trumps money from him to give to me, the people who complain the loudest about the rich don't pay taxes at all.

If we want something we save up for it, thats mean we don't piss away our money the minute it comes in.

We have a friend who is an electrician, he has not worked in 9 years, if He can't have the HIGH PAYING UNION JOB HE WANTS, Then he ain't working, he has blown through years of unemployment, filed for bankruptcy to save his house and is now on welfare, yet he is sitting on a 401k and his pension. I have no pity for him, he spends his days drinking and watching sports, must be nice.

Sully, you are magnificent!

We cannot proceed on the basis of "Well, the government steals and the rich steal so it's ok for us to steal too."

No, we have to stand against corruption from all quarters until we eliminate it.

We have to stop eating the crumbs from the table of corruption thrown our way to shut us up and divert our gaze from the big picture.

It's impossible to complain about foxes in the hen house when we have a mouth full of feathers.

Well put Sully!! RR, you have the right idea, no corruption period, from no one!! When I was around 10 years old, my mom had a big fight with her only sister, because her sister was on welfare. She and her husband had 6 kids and her husband was a drunk and couldn't keep a job. My father was a farmer, my mom worked in the textile plant from 11pm to 8am, 5 days a week. She figured if she could work , her sister should work.

This man is simply RIDICULOUS!!!  I'm going to try and find hisFOX News interview that he gave.

Wow...This guys gotta lotta nerve -

100% ,First of all correct me if I am wrong but, I think not isn't it against the law to take other people credit cards number or may I say their any card number and put it out there like that invasion of privacy.You are violating their civil rights.All of you who are not bias look into it I am sure ,I am right.

And what is your point proffessor...?

  Uh, we didn' t spend a dime on bailouts, YOUR GOVERNMENT did and how much did You say about that on your way to this forum.

  Geez maybe all of us should be exactly like you, and start dusting the "  Dung  "

out of our eye's and ears.

NO we may add to the problem, but it's sissy la la's like you that are the problem.

If you want to soapbox it, go to Washington D.C. and start your crusade. 

                                                          See yah on the corner of Penn and Pauper..!

P.S.  Maybe we could add a Blowhard forum for Political analylist such as ***.

nobody is posting anyones fricken numbers off their cards, they don't even show up on receipts anymore. Time for a beer.

The beer is for me.

Hey if ya think about it hes just gettin some of the (overpaid) taxes the federal government took from his winnings back, plus he cant be gettin that much a month. Let's worry about the corporations that are getting big tax breaks and making record profits. And more Michigan news, I heard Meijers let go of all their in store repair people, I believe it was around 150 of them (1 or 2 per store) a month or so ago. They claim they needed to cut costs yet they posted their biggest profit ever last year. Crazy

Yeah, profits, watch them profits.

Evil corporations, wanting to make profits.

Who do they think they are?

They should give those evil profits to us!

And who does that food store think they are getting rid of people?

Do they think they own the place?

We should be able to work there as long as we want to and get whatever salary and pension and benefits we demand even if they don't need us!

And they made too much profit  last year!

Hi amerikan:  I don't know.  Maybe some of it was done on purpose.  But it was a huge, complex country the last half of the 20th Century and sticking fingers in dikes just wasn't able to change the directions of the tides.  I count myself as having been part of the problem, along with everyone else living in this country at the time.  But I don't know what I'd do different, and I don't know what any or all of us could have done differently to make things different now.

I voted for Barry Goldwater in 1964.  He seemed a visionary to me at the time, but he got romped and stomped on by the scare tactics that were already going by then.  On the one hand [he wanted to take a hard line with the USSR] they portrayed him as a maniac who'd start a nuclear war, but he was one of the few major politicians of the time who vowed he'd not allow the Vietnam War to proceed if he were elected.  He said it would bleed us to death as Korea had threatened to do.

I think by the 1964 election it might already have been too late to turn the tide.

As for SS, I can only tell you I paid into it more than 55 years.  Today I get bits of it back every month and if I live to be 80 maybe I'll get back the amount I paid in minus interest.  I don't think of it as welfare.

I don't think what's happened was planned, isn't a conspiracy.  At a voter level all of us knew what we thought needed doing and we were frequently wrong.  We were stupid in a lot of ways, looked for simplistic solutions to complex problems and frequently let our prides, egos, self-interest and, yes, often greed, stand in the way of what might have been good sense.

It's not obvious to me the population of today has improved much over my generation, is wiser, more capable of finding the right directions.  Mine did a lousy job when it was our watch, and the ones coming behind might well trump what we did.

Oh! rdgrnnr tell me it isn't so you don't mind those people losing their jobs, that mean they may have to be on the Bridge card.Meijer should be hiring since their making a profit.That's what the trigger down effect is suppose to do "Right  Rdgrnr".

Go to Washington and start a crusade? 

No wonder the goverment (democrate and republican) get away with what they do. People like you think we need to go all the way to Washington and start a crusade to get anything done! 

How old are you? Wait, don't tell us. Your statement has already embarrased you enough. In case you haven't realized it yet, "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" is a movie. We're not actors in a soap opera on Fox news. The is not an episode of the West Wing. This is real life. Grow up.

You know what people do in the real world? They vote. And I'm not just talking about at voting booths. You vote every day with every dicision you make. You vote with every dollar you spend. You vote with the friends you choose, the way you raise your family, the opinions you put out on public forums, etc etc.

So while you spend your energy attacking me on a forum (sissy la la?) other, productive members of society, are getting mad, mobilizing and taking action. 

Smoke on THAT, dog....

I'll leave with my favorite quote in the world, taken from the Berlin Wall....

"Many small people who in many small places do many small things can alter the face of the world"

"Well, the government steals and the rich steal so it's OK for us to steal too."

Seems like some of us graduated from straw man college. First of all, this man isn't breaking the law, so he isn't stealing. Second of all, nobody here is condoning stealing as far as I've read. The main point is the irrelevance and the disproportionate amount of anger and vigilance this guy and others get in light of much larger and more harmful problems. What fraction of a percent of the 50 to 60 billion we spend on food stamps is unlawfully obtained? A few million? Boo hoo. 

I think this sheds light on a much larger problem. The propensity of people to blame those that are truly at the bottom rung on the ladder for exploiting loopholes in a system that rich elitist set in place, enforce, and benefit the most from!

Blame the slaves? Magnificent reasoning indeed. 

Louise, back in the old steam engine days of the railroad they had to shovel coal into the boiler of the locomotive to make steam to make the engines go. The guy who did that job was called a "fireman."

After they went from steam engines to diesel and electric they still had a fireman in the engine. Do you know why? Because the unions wouldn't let them get rid of that job position. Do you know what he did for his pay? Nothing, he just sat there because there was no more coal to shovel. The railroad had to pay a fireman on every train to sit there and do nothing because the unions said so. That went on for decades and it may still be going on, I don't know.

I don't know how you feel about that kind of thing but I think it's wrong.

If that store feels that they are needlessly paying somebody for a service they no longer need or could farm out the work a lot cheaper, then it's their right to do so.

And it just might be reflected on the prices of food on the shelves.

I remember way back when Sears Roebuck used to have a lab where they would test every product that they sold and they employed a lot of people doing that. But when the market became more competitive they had to let all those people go. That's the way the business world operates and it works well that way. There are no guarantees in our way of life but usually when one door closes, another one opens and everything works out.

Anyone who is willing to work hard and is not a quitter can do very well in this country.

Ah jeeeze, another Marxist/socialist/anarchist.

Shouldn't you be breaking windows in downtown Seattle or something?

Your class warfare hysteria is old, tedious and boring. Put a lid on it.

Or try HuffandPuffington Post.

They love old and boring.

Try this hip zinger over there: Bush Lied - People Died.

Or: Where's the WMD's?

They're gonna love you.

Grow up?

Christ your still wet behind the ears son..!

My statement embarrased me enough, now if that ain't the pot calling the kettle black..!

I've been out of Vietnam longer than you've been born, cricket.

You lala, don't know what REAL life is. Besides You still being wet behind the ears  you might want to check that spot on the front of your pants also.

As far as voting, thats also happened longer than you were even thought of  by your parents.

I don't know who " we " is supposed to be, but the bull your trying to spread would win by a lanslide in D.C.

My energy is not being wasted by attacking you on a forum son, I'm mearly pointing out to the folks on this forum about wasting tax dollars by people like you, by coming on the forum and blasting everyone by saying it's THEIR fault is nothing but BULL, no matter how you spread it...!

And its also a shame that "QOUTE" wasn't written with you in mind.

Have you tried out for the comedy club where you live..?  I'd bet you make a good one..!   

                                                                                          Thanks for the laughs...!

Now, Ill leave you with a Question, taken from my book of plenty.!

 Can you tell what the difference between a "LEMON" and a "JACKASS" is..?

What? Years ago one of my elderly relatives applied for food stamps. His income was low enough alright but they said because he lived on almost 10 acres he could grow his own food and therefor couldn't get any food stamps.

I wonder what he was suppose to eat while waiting for that first crop to grow?

Why wouldn't his family give him any food?

Not if he was related to a Republican that saw socialism in the act.

DD

Why didn't he just sell a couple acres.?

I used to work interviewing applicants for Food Stamps 20 years ago and that is how it was then.  They also included other assets like vehicles, investments, etc.  I once had to turn down a single mother who had worked as a registered nurse, but had developed a condition in which she could no longer stand for long periods of time like the job required, so she was forced out of it.  She didn't get any support from her ex husband and was behind on many of her bills.  The reason I had to turn her down was she had a vehicle that was worth over $10,000.  Since I couldn't classify her as disabled, I had to count that vehicle in her resources, and reject her application.

I can't see how this man can stay on food stamps if he has that much money in the bank.  The only way I could see it not happening is if he burned through all of the money or he was getting it in installments but even in that case, it would still probably place him over the income limits.  It makes no sense at all.

Rdgrnnr, I agree with part of what you say ,when one door close another open very true it's happen to me.I just hate hearing about anyone losing a job, since their so hard to come by in this economy.

This dude should have just done the right thing and returned the food stamp card once he became a millionaire.  Blaming the state or federal government is misguided...he knows the food stamps helped him survive when things were tough, so now he should just turn the card in so that the food stamps can be used to help someone else who needs the assistance.

Eggs, maybe.  I've got 5 Americauna and 3 Austrorp hens lay enough eggs every day to force me to give half of them away.  And a 20x20 garden turned out enough produce so's I could have gone all winter without buying veggies if my electricity hadn't gone out during a storm and ruined it all.

I don't know anything about food stamps, but I know anyone living on 10 acres of land ought not be going hungry unless he/she is physically incapacitated. 

A 25 pound sack of pinto beans will last a person a long time and 25 pounds of corn meal alongside it won't thrill the taste buds but it is cheap and will keep a person from going hungry no matter where he/she lives.

I think the whole issue of food stamps doesn't amount to enough money for anyone to be whining about when compared to, say, the cost of the gas to run all those government automobiles around, air condition the government buildings, buying the government fleets new models constantly, providing competitive wages for government employees. 

But I do think it's a crying shame people have forgotten how to take care of themselves.  Most people under 40, I read somewhere, have never seen anything they've eaten when it was alive.  Have no idea what colar hair anything they ever ate wore when it was alive.  Never planted a seed, nurtured it, harvested the produce from it.  Never killed anything and made food of it.

Something fundamentally sick and ugly about all that and it doesn't have anything to do with food stamps.

I'm with you Sully let's make it Margaritas too

I'll take a few of them Margaritas too if you don't mind.   

We got a partyMargaritas are my favorites Dallas.

Maybe he will choke on a food stamp donut while not having a will and the state will get the money. 

I think it's called poetic justice.  People like this make me sick....

RL

Sully

These people should be placed against a wall and shot dead. 

RL

"If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their own work quietly and to earn their own living."

If I was this guy, I woudln't be talking to the press, because he apparently is keeping all the money stashed in his home. I mean, come on- the lowest of morons would earn enough interest income to lose their eligibilty for food stamps.

Now! I hope this kind of none sense will end you people  range of talk about the poor and bottom of the ladder people flight with food stamps use, you see you get into this fringe group ,who think people should put to death for food. Even Christ fed the hungry. I hope this end the conversation on the food stamps 2mill  winner.

Not to get off the subject,

....... But I remember when the "chinese" restaurants would take the "old" paper foodstamps for payment, then go to the supermarket and buy numerous 2-liter soda  with like 100-200 used, crumbled, and dirty $1 foodstamps (since they weren't required to be attached in a book), then when you go back into the restaurant, they were offering  FREE 2 Liter PEPSI With $10 Purchase.....Lol

@Sully16

....Don't you EVER leave that JOB, we the public appreciate and need someone like you, You are an important instrument in getting the truth out about this DEPLORABLE ENTITLEMENT system. Your observant detection is what history's greatest detectives & private eye's were made of, you given us a real "birds-eye" view of what a hard working cashier is dealing with on a regular basis and just how much it takes to LOOK THE OTHER WAY........

Ridge,   Sully & I know a Party is not a Party with out The Ridgster....LOL.... just make sure you brink some of Tennesse finest!!!!!

No, thats extreme, they are not evil, in fact some are very nice people, just mis-guided and greedy, self serving, and they are not entirely to blame, the system has helped to put the notions in their heads.

I have a problem with the fraud, I don't have a problem with someone who has been hit hard and needs a little help, I am following 3 cases where the Department of human resources has fired 3 employees for mis-use of stamps, by putting friends and family on the plan.

Polititions are most certainly to blame, they want class warfare, if they get the votes, they keep their goodies,

Big corporations, the one the governments will tell you are bad and greedy, well, the ones that manufacture , distribute , retail, wholesale, anything to do with food and beverage that is allowed on food stamps are also raking it in., Ironically these corporations that the government wants you to hate, is supported by the people via foodstamps, HELLO, IS ANYONE LISTENING, '...IMAGINE THIS CONVERSATION, " I hate big greedy corporations they should pay more in taxes, now lets go but a case of chocolate chip cookies., people unknowingly continue to support the big corps, they all love to hate.

I believe in capitolism, I believe you should be able to make as much as you can, but I also believe there has been a twisted sinister twist put on our way of life, I won't name this company, starts with a W, they love the part time employee, they invented it, hire someone for 9 dollars a hour , only have them work for 15 hours, help to put them on welfare, TA, DA, THE TAX PAYERS SUPPORT THEIR WORKFORCE. PONZI !!!!!!not the only offenders mind you.

We need full time jobs, If you go into any second grade classroom in America, and talk to those kids, they have dreams, they have wonderful ideas and will tell you all that they hope for, sadly somewhere along the line, those dreams  disappear, nobody says they want to grow up to go on welfare, 

The woman running a catering business, I asked her , why don't you become a real business, she said she's afraid she won't know how to run or operate a business. Fear of failure is holding her back, from having maybe a very successful business. she know how to cook and she knows how to get contacts, its all the licensing , laws, permits, simple stuff., stuff that should have been learned in High School.

Just today I had my Romanians come in, 3 guys who like to talk and joke, nice guys, came to America for the food, I see people from all the world, dining at out tables.

Its big business, it will have to up to each individual to say, no I deserve more than having food thrown at me.  I want my kids to see there dreams fulfilled.

I get frustrated, because I see the waste and stupity everyday, one bad decision maker after another, and I wouldn't really care until I see whats left of our paychecks, it's middle class america thats paying for this non-sense.

It's not really right though. Not everyone getting food stamps are just being greedy. I myself have food stamps. I don't even qualify for much help at all (40.00 a month), and what I do get, I am humiliated to use, but greatful that I get any help at all. I don't want to be on food stamps, if I could make it on my own without them I would. 

Not all of us are unemployed or not trying to better ourselves as you say. As a matter of fact, the majority of people I know on them ARE employed, and/or ARE trying to better themselves.

I personally have 2 college degrees, almost a third (thank god for federal grants), and can't find a job that makes me enough to live on. Jobs are hard to come by, at least where I live in Ohio I have to live at home with my parents cause I don't even make enough to pay rent for my own place. Did you know 80-something percent of recent college graduates live at home? 

As for living at home, my parents barely scrape by because of me living at home and my brother who is struggling too (they support him and his two boys). But you know what? I love them so much and I'm eternally greatful for not just what they do for us, but for the help I recieve each month which also helps them. I don't hog it, I don't get much, but what I get I hand to them to buy with cause they are nice enough to help me out.

Also I work, it took me 6 months to find an entry level job, even with my two degrees and I have an excellent work record. I'm a full time student, and I'm trying hard. If I won the lottery like he did I would have turned in my card, even if they said I could keep it. Why? Cause I want to be independant, I want to support myself. Unfortunately, I can't right now. 

And as for mooching, if I was like that, then I wouldn't work. I could be getting disability because of my mental health problems. I'm bipolar I, borderline personality disorder (which I only qualify as because I don't relate well to others and I'm a cutter, mainly the cutting), I have anxiety disorder, and just got diagnosed with Post traumatic stress disorder a few months ago because of an incident that occurred earlier this year. My issues make it hard to keep a job because of hospital stays, and psychiatrist (every other week) and counseling (every week) appointments (which I pay for out of my own pocket with my little part time job, no help with insurance). 

Also, my psychiatric bills mean nothing, they don't count for getting help, cause all they go on here is household bills, and they use your gross income, not what you actually take home.

As for an example of someone abusing the system, I know a man that brings home 2000.00 a WEEK, and still gets 400.00 in food stamps a month. Explain that one to me...cause that's b.s. to me. So yes, there are some people out there, and they make me very mad. They make the rest of us look bad cause that select few are greedy.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that not ALL are trying to abuse the system, matter of fact a good portion of us ARE trying to be productive members of society and get to where we don't need the food stamps anymore. 

Please don't judge us all on what some people do...we're not all like you say....SOME are yes, but not all.                                                     

I just want to put my two cents in..... I know everyone that receives food stamps is not trying to cheat the system but I know quite a few people that receive food stamps and have several kids so they can literally sell a good portion for cash and still have enough left over to buy food. They need to completely overhaul the welfare program. You have people receiving section 8 but should not qualify. This one person I know bought a brand new car last year, receives Section 8, foodstamps, medicaid and has gone on trips all over the country. How is this even possible ? It's off-topic I know but abuse of the system needs to stop.

Not talking about the poor who need the help, takling about the people who abuse the system and live

high on the hog so to speak.  These people are stealing from me the way I see it.  I am paying for them

to do nothing.  I would give the shirt off my back to help someone who really needed it but if I found out

they were getting shirts from everyone and then selling them that's another story.  I know people who

worked hard everyday of there lives and had to do without at times just to get by.  Then there are people

who have never worked a day in there lives and want me to support them.  Maybe they are the smart ones,

I think I will stop working, go on public assistance, have a dozen kids, but do a few drugs first hoping that

one or more of them will be disabled, "they pay more money for a disabled child or maybe even draw SS" 

Just let the rest run loose in the back yard without dippers and just hose them off a couple times a day.  Save

all that dipper money.  Take the kids dumster diving when they get low on food,  trade in my food stamps for

money which I could use to play the lottery.   Sounds like a plan.             

      SOMETHING IS BAD WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE AND I HOPE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES IT.

RL

sully

I agree and have no problem with anyone that truly needs help, I wish I had more to give.  The ones I am

talking about don't need the help and are making it harder on the ones who do.  I think of it this way, what

if you were with a band of others in the old days going accross the desert by wagon.  There is enough water

to make the trip if everyone agrees to not waste any.  You wake up in the middle of the night and see someone

taking a bath, soaking in a tub filled to the brim then to top it off they dump it out when they are done.  Now

the lives of everyone is at stake.  Too many people don't care about anyone else except for themselves and 

don't care if you have to work two jobs to get by.  You mentioned a lady who received $400.00 in tips for one

night and still was using food stamps.  BAM! BAM! BAM! Give that job to another.

RL

PS. I am not harping on only those who are abusing food stamps but all the people who are raping this country

to make a quick buck, selling the rest of us out.

  WOW !!! How sad we as a nation have become. This is America ? Freedom comes at a price and that includes the sacrifice we must all make to better our nation.

 I too see the raping and pillaging of "the system" everyday, yet I will continue to support the sacrifices needed to help those truly in need. Everyone of us, regardless of our circumstances, must make some sacrifice to better our country and ourselves. To some a conscience is an annoyance.

"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." JFK

I don't think anyone here would deny you aid with your situation. That's what it's designed for - to help people who really need it.

It's the ones that scam the system because "they can" or because "everybody else is doing it anyway" or "the rich do it" or "the government bailed out (fill in the blank)" that some of us object to.

It's easy to come up with an excuse to be corrupt.

To our shame, what's becoming increasingly uncommon is "doing the right thing".

You won't have to tell me twice about that, Dallas.

Tennessee may have one of the worst lotteries in the country but we dang sure got the best whiskey!

My friend Jack, 32 oz's of courage and pride..Brownsville station.

Thats very nice, but I don't want to be the food stamp police, I will exercise my voting rights and vote for common sense, I don't want people telling me what I can or cannot eat, wear, drive, set my thermostat, watch on tv, etc.

I know this is off topic, but in my son's school, any kid who doesn't recycle their foam lunch tray , gets detention,.....inducing fear to get people to bend to your will is another problem we face.

I recycle because I believe its the right thing to do, not because I am afraid of what will happen if I don't.

The we will fine you ,if you don't recycle rumor is going around the city. I already have identity thieves going through the garbage, do I really need recycling police?

I won't look the other way on crime, but I don't want to spend my time trying to find it either.

I do not like the fact that this man is getting food stamps either,but our gov gives all of our money away to bankers(RICH  ELITES) ,other countries,non citizens etc..This man is right to say that if it is legal,it is legal..The gov pushes these programs on the American  public in order for us to be dumb slaves that takes handouts from them,it makes us dependant on them so they have more control.It steals our freedom and our free thinking when we take things from them on an every day basis.. In the 1990s another man from Michigan won about 14 mill and he had been  getting welfare checks.The state wanted him to pay the money back and he said no,he did not have to and he was right,there was no law that stated he should give it back if he wins the lottery ..The gov gives this stuff out ,they start this give away mentality,so if they would just quit it,there would be no more problems with people taking it and we all would be better off for it and we could have more of the money that we work for instead of it being funneled through a government office....