Anonymous wrote:I went to Golden Corral last night. This lady had an Virginia EBT Card, she also had IPHONE. This is what wrong with America. This is What Mr. Trump will fix if his elected president. Why does she have an Iphone? Why is she eating out when she has food stamps?

jsteele wrote:It is entirely likely that the iPhone is the woman's sole method of using the Internet. She probably doesn't have a computer at home or a FIOs connection. The ability to use email and the web is almost as important as being able to use a telephone these days. Older iPhones can be obtained free-of-charge or for a very low fee. I wouldn't necessarily assume that it is an extravagance.

Anonymous wrote:You should have called her on it OP and then slapped the crap out of her. Snatched the iphne away from her and took the ebt card. Your tax dollars are paying for them anyway, right? Why wait for Trump? Poor people certainly don't deserve nice things/delicious food at Golden Corral.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's ebt and how would you even know she had it?

It stands for electronic benefits transfer - and it's in the form of a card. I believe this is how food stamps are delivered, partially because it is more efficient and partially so those on public assistance aren't embarrassed in public. (Other cash benefits are delivered through the EBT card, as well.)

Well EBT is cheap and somewhat healthier than fast food places. At least she is using it for food.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's ebt and how would you even know she had it?

It stands for electronic benefits transfer - and it's in the form of a card. I believe this is how food stamps are delivered, partially because it is more efficient and partially so those on public assistance aren't embarrassed in public. (Other cash benefits are delivered through the EBT card, as well.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's ebt and how would you even know she had it?

It stands for electronic benefits transfer - and it's in the form of a card. I believe this is how food stamps are delivered, partially because it is more efficient and partially so those on public assistance aren't embarrassed in public. (Other cash benefits are delivered through the EBT card, as well.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should have called her on it OP and then slapped the crap out of her. Snatched the iphne away from her and took the ebt card. Your tax dollars are paying for them anyway, right? Why wait for Trump? Poor people certainly don't deserve nice things/delicious food at Golden Corral.

People who consume goods and services courtesy of the American taxpayers should indeed have restrictions on how they spend our money. The Golden Corral isn't horrible, but really....does she need an IPhone? I myself have to watch my spending and am doing just fine with a lesser brand.

I recently read in the Wash Post of a shelter in DC, and it was following the situation of a young mother with three young children. (No husband.) All meals were provided, although her two older kids got free breakfast and free lunch at school. But the mother said she didn't like the quality of the free meals at the shelter, so she took her food stamp money and bought groceries. Plus, the article said that many in the shelter not only didn't like the meals served there, they didn't want to buy groceries, so they took their welfare money and ate two or three times a week at a Chinese restaurant across the street.

So let's look at this double and triple cost to taxpayers. We provided food at a shelter. But, we simultaneously provide food stamps for the grocery? And we then, on top of that, provide enough money to eat at a restaurant 3x a week? Look at all the waste. If someone moves into a shelter that provides all meals free, why isn't the food stamp allowance lowered to reflect that?

The above story shows how our tax dollars are wasted, providing all meals at a shelter while at the same time providing food stamps and enough money to eat out in restaurants. I say when you move to a shelter where all meals are provided, you should be given the option of either having your food stamp allowance cut by 75% (for the time you are in the shelter) OR continuing with your food stamp allotment and foregoing the provided meals. Not both.

Stop being a judgemental a-hole. Despite her circumstances resulting from some unfortunate choices, that mom got her kids to school every day by bus and purchased decent quality food for her kids, including fresh fruit and yogurt. Why don't you try feeding your kids what DC serves to families at homeless shelters? You don't get much nutritional value from hot dogs and pasta. So, unless you're prepared to go volunteer at DC General or a school serving a large homeless population try to STFU.

Another "nice" non-judgmental liberal! My point was we are wasting taxpayer money providing free shelter meals, free school meals, moeny to buy groceries, AND money to eat out - ALL at the same time to the same person. And you're calling me an a-hole and to STFU? And I'm the judgmental one? We have a $20 trillion debt and cannot afford to waste taxpayer money like that. Maybe a little fiscal responsibility is in order.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's ebt and how would you even know she had it?

It stands for electronic benefits transfer - and it's in the form of a card. I believe this is how food stamps are delivered, partially because it is more efficient and partially so those on public assistance aren't embarrassed in public. (Other cash benefits are delivered through the EBT card, as well.)

Anonymous wrote:What's ebt and how would you even know she had it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should have called her on it OP and then slapped the crap out of her. Snatched the iphne away from her and took the ebt card. Your tax dollars are paying for them anyway, right? Why wait for Trump? Poor people certainly don't deserve nice things/delicious food at Golden Corral.

People who consume goods and services courtesy of the American taxpayers should indeed have restrictions on how they spend our money. The Golden Corral isn't horrible, but really....does she need an IPhone? I myself have to watch my spending and am doing just fine with a lesser brand.

I recently read in the Wash Post of a shelter in DC, and it was following the situation of a young mother with three young children. (No husband.) All meals were provided, although her two older kids got free breakfast and free lunch at school. But the mother said she didn't like the quality of the free meals at the shelter, so she took her food stamp money and bought groceries. Plus, the article said that many in the shelter not only didn't like the meals served there, they didn't want to buy groceries, so they took their welfare money and ate two or three times a week at a Chinese restaurant across the street.

So let's look at this double and triple cost to taxpayers. We provided food at a shelter. But, we simultaneously provide food stamps for the grocery? And we then, on top of that, provide enough money to eat at a restaurant 3x a week? Look at all the waste. If someone moves into a shelter that provides all meals free, why isn't the food stamp allowance lowered to reflect that?

The above story shows how our tax dollars are wasted, providing all meals at a shelter while at the same time providing food stamps and enough money to eat out in restaurants. I say when you move to a shelter where all meals are provided, you should be given the option of either having your food stamp allowance cut by 75% (for the time you are in the shelter) OR continuing with your food stamp allotment and foregoing the provided meals. Not both.

Stop being a judgemental a-hole. Despite her circumstances resulting from some unfortunate choices, that mom got her kids to school every day by bus and purchased decent quality food for her kids, including fresh fruit and yogurt. Why don't you try feeding your kids what DC serves to families at homeless shelters? You don't get much nutritional value from hot dogs and pasta. So, unless you're prepared to go volunteer at DC General or a school serving a large homeless population try to STFU.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many people on welfare and other public assistance programs live better than a young college graduate, working an entry-leve professional job. When I was in my 20s - before Internet and cell phones - I remember comparing phone plans carefully before deciding I would buy the LIMITED phone plan rather than unlimited, saving 30% off my bill. It was what I could afford at the time.

In the meantime, I rented an apartment in a dumpy building where I was afraid to come home after 10 pm. At the same time, a 19-year-old with a baby was living in a government-subsidized 3-bedroom apartment for $87 a month, and renting out the other two bedrooms for cash, under the table. She had money to spare, and was always dressed in nice clothes and fancy hats. (Yes, I remember the hats in particular. People didn't even wear them and she had one for every day of the week!) In the meantime, I did all my shopping at JCPenney and Sears. Something is very wrong when a teenager living on government assistance programs has a higher lifestyle than a college graduate in her 20s.

I am not on public assistance and I shop at Sears and Penney's. no shame in that

Me too. Sears is the best. Many people don't buy those designer looking clothes/hats/purses...we make them.

No shame at all. I shop at WalMart and I live in McLean. I hate wasting money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should have called her on it OP and then slapped the crap out of her. Snatched the iphne away from her and took the ebt card. Your tax dollars are paying for them anyway, right? Why wait for Trump? Poor people certainly don't deserve nice things/delicious food at Golden Corral.

People who consume goods and services courtesy of the American taxpayers should indeed have restrictions on how they spend our money. The Golden Corral isn't horrible, but really....does she need an IPhone? I myself have to watch my spending and am doing just fine with a lesser brand.

I recently read in the Wash Post of a shelter in DC, and it was following the situation of a young mother with three young children. (No husband.) All meals were provided, although her two older kids got free breakfast and free lunch at school. But the mother said she didn't like the quality of the free meals at the shelter, so she took her food stamp money and bought groceries. Plus, the article said that many in the shelter not only didn't like the meals served there, they didn't want to buy groceries, so they took their welfare money and ate two or three times a week at a Chinese restaurant across the street.

So let's look at this double and triple cost to taxpayers. We provided food at a shelter. But, we simultaneously provide food stamps for the grocery? And we then, on top of that, provide enough money to eat at a restaurant 3x a week? Look at all the waste. If someone moves into a shelter that provides all meals free, why isn't the food stamp allowance lowered to reflect that?

The above story shows how our tax dollars are wasted, providing all meals at a shelter while at the same time providing food stamps and enough money to eat out in restaurants. I say when you move to a shelter where all meals are provided, you should be given the option of either having your food stamp allowance cut by 75% (for the time you are in the shelter) OR continuing with your food stamp allotment and foregoing the provided meals. Not both.