[Rashputin]

Times change.

I've watched people count out change to pay for the cleaning products Foodstamps doesn't cover and who had nothing even bordering on fast food in their groceries. I also see people who buy large bags of rice and dried beans then count out small change to buy needles, thread, and fabric.

I'm sure there are far too many folks like the one you describe and I know for a fact you can buy dope with Foodstamps, but that doesn't mean everyone who is forced into using that alternative deserves to be put in the same category as the scum who shouldn't be helped and should probably be arrested for fraud to boot.

Things are worse in this country than a lot of people realize or want to admit and the scum abusing the system make it that much harder to fix the systems that help people because it's easy to dismiss people with no alternative as being just like the cheats and frauds who would be scamming the system even if the economy was booming.

JMHo

[miss marmelstein]

I agree with you. Yes, there are a tremendous amount of people who abuse American generosity but this country is economically in the toilette. Why are there so many Dollar Tree stores in even wealthy areas? In my day, they were consigned to poor neighborhoods. Something is very wrong here.

[LostInBayport]

Things are worse in this country than a lot of people realize or want to admit and the scum abusing the system make it that much harder to fix the systems that help people because it's easy to dismiss people with no alternative as being just like the cheats and frauds who would be scamming the system even if the economy was booming.

Well said. I'm one of those who needed to hear it. I am still fuming from last month, when my checking account went from nice 'n' healthy to spare change after I paid my taxes. I get so mad that I have to struggle when frauds live the high life, but not all welfare recipients are frauds. I'm happy to help the legitimate, I just wish the frauds would get revealed and punished. Harshly. But I won't hold my breath on that ever happening.