Yote- around here that is affectionately referred to as "guvment cheese" and there was a thriving black market for it. Many, many people loved that cheese and were sad to see it go.
The old system provided basic foods that were nutritious and filling and inexpensive. For X amount of money the gov't could provide food for a larger portion of the population than the current system that allows people to spend the money willy nilly. Just buying items in bulk would save the system money. Some of the money saved could be used to teach people better ways to cook nutritiously, how to do urban gardening so they could eat fresh fruits and veggies, how to be a little more self sufficient. The current system helps to propogate the spread of obesity and ill health among our nation's poorest people. It isn't working.
Clucky- those making the money have every right to decide what the money can be spent on (and in this case the gov't is standing in for those making the money). If you want something other than what those providing the money feel is healthy, then make the money yourself. No one is entitled to charity. No one is entitled to public housing. No one is entitled to food stamps. It is theoretically a gift to individuals from other individuals (through the medium of taxes) to help them out of a bad situation. When you are begging for help you cannot be choosy about what you get. You should just be happy to have food in your belly.
It is not a lack of compassion. It is wanting MY hard earned money to be used wisely. I cannot afford to waste my money. I have to carefully consider whether I can treat myself to special foods based on what my budget is like at the moment. Why on earth would I not demand that sort of accountability from someone else using MY MONEY?! Because that is the kicker- public assistance is not privately earned personal money. It is my money that I have earned that the gov't has taken from ME to give to someone else. I have every right to demand that my money is being used wisely.
And to clarify, I am not well off. I struggle financially, like many people on here. I just found out that my job is going away and I am frantically looking around everywhere for more work. I work every single day with serious physical disabilities. I could sit on my butt all day long and yet do not because I CAN work. I have spent the last six years working 60-70 hour work weeks making less than public school teachers despite hurting physically every single day. Yes. I get to decide that someone else taking my money should not get to spend it frivolously when I am living on beans and rice and bread and cheese. If those getting it are not grateful then they should pay for their own food. It is not a lack of compassion. It is called being fed up with the current attitude of entitlement.
The old system provided basic foods that were nutritious and filling and inexpensive. For X amount of money the gov't could provide food for a larger portion of the population than the current system that allows people to spend the money willy nilly. Just buying items in bulk would save the system money. Some of the money saved could be used to teach people better ways to cook nutritiously, how to do urban gardening so they could eat fresh fruits and veggies, how to be a little more self sufficient. The current system helps to propogate the spread of obesity and ill health among our nation's poorest people. It isn't working.
Clucky- those making the money have every right to decide what the money can be spent on (and in this case the gov't is standing in for those making the money). If you want something other than what those providing the money feel is healthy, then make the money yourself. No one is entitled to charity. No one is entitled to public housing. No one is entitled to food stamps. It is theoretically a gift to individuals from other individuals (through the medium of taxes) to help them out of a bad situation. When you are begging for help you cannot be choosy about what you get. You should just be happy to have food in your belly.
It is not a lack of compassion. It is wanting MY hard earned money to be used wisely. I cannot afford to waste my money. I have to carefully consider whether I can treat myself to special foods based on what my budget is like at the moment. Why on earth would I not demand that sort of accountability from someone else using MY MONEY?! Because that is the kicker- public assistance is not privately earned personal money. It is my money that I have earned that the gov't has taken from ME to give to someone else. I have every right to demand that my money is being used wisely.
And to clarify, I am not well off. I struggle financially, like many people on here. I just found out that my job is going away and I am frantically looking around everywhere for more work. I work every single day with serious physical disabilities. I could sit on my butt all day long and yet do not because I CAN work. I have spent the last six years working 60-70 hour work weeks making less than public school teachers despite hurting physically every single day. Yes. I get to decide that someone else taking my money should not get to spend it frivolously when I am living on beans and rice and bread and cheese. If those getting it are not grateful then they should pay for their own food. It is not a lack of compassion. It is called being fed up with the current attitude of entitlement.
