Yeah, when we pay for it. I’m open to the argument that we shouldn’t pay for it. But, once we do, I don’t think we need to monitor exactly what people are eating.
If they have $200 in welfare, it doesn’t matter to me if they buy all junk food, or lobster, or bare essentials — $200 is $200 is $200. Costs me the same either way. Let ‘em starve because they spent their whole check on one meal, or get fat because they bought a bunch of sugary junk, or whatever. I just don’t care if welfare queens eat healthy. Cut benefits to $100, or $0, if you want ... but using the manpower to police people’s diet is just a waste of time.
Make sure they’re using it on food — not strippers, or drugs, or cigarettes, or booze, or whatever — and let ‘em be. We can monitor diet. We have the right to monitor diet. I just don’t think its worth the time or energy.
SnakeDoc
They need to buy flour, lard, salt -- baking supplies and fruit (canned or fresh) and learn how to make their own desserts. Perhaps they will learn a skill or trade -- experience the wonderful pride and satisfaction that comes from producing something with their own hands that is good and that their family enjoys.
You might consider that, if we were more strict about what they could purchase with those cards, the people who didn’t really need the assistance would be a lot less likely to abuse to the system.
When I give my children money to spend, I continue to monitor how they spend it.
People on welfare are more like children than free citizens.
I also would not allow them to vote. If you cannot govern your own affairs, you have no business governing others.
First, their EBT amount is in excess of what my family spends on groceries, so they won't starve.
Second, most don't rely on EBT to eat. Its gravy on top of their undeclared income. People in "poverty" have a nack for spending 150-200% their reported income.
Third, many sell EBT cards for cash at a discount. This allows the buyer to purchase $600 of lobster/steaks at a cost of $300. The black market EBT for cash would dry up a bit if you could only purchase staples.
Fourth, attaching a stigma to being on the dole is a good thing. Only being able to purchase certain cheap foods would serve that purpose well.
Fifth, people working hard to purchase hamburger get pissed when the EBT buyer in front of them loads up on expensive foods that they can't buy. It makes them feel like chumps and has the opposite effect as #4.