My Thoughts On... Food Stamps

     I worked at one particular grocery store for 6 years where I witnessed first hand how much food stamps are used and abused. I have no problem whatsoever with using food stamps, no problem at all,but I do have a problem with people abusing them, especially when there are people out there who really do need every penny.

     You can find on the Food and Nutrition Services website that the "food stamp program was designed to help struggling families put food on the table" and that they "put healthy food on the tables of 46 million people a month"

     It's not even called the Food Stamp Program any more; it's the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Supplemental, doesn't that mean to furnish what is lacking or missing ? Lacking or missing

     Here's what you can buy with food stamps:
Breads, cereals, fruits and veggies, poultry, meats, fish and dairy products. Also seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat. Normal healthy sounding foods right? How about soda, cookies, ice cream and birthday cakes? Yup! Even candy and certain energy drinks are allowed! Click here to see for yourself if you don't believe me :)

     Here's what you cannot buy with food stamps:
Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco. Any nonfood items like soaps, paper products, pet foods and household supplies. Hot foods and foods that are to be eaten in store are also on list.

     Here's what I've personally seen bought at the grocery store that I worked at:
Starbucks, lobster, filet mignon, specialty  birthday cakes and yes even wedding cakes! (More then one in the last year alone!!)
     Those things are lacking and missing from my diet ...

     Why aren't there better regulations for this!? Well that would be "administratively costly and burdensome". Wait isn't that someones job?? We wouldn't want any to like, actually have to work now would we? In case you haven't noticed people need jobs around here!

     WIC, if you don't know is like food stamps but only for pregnant women and their kids up to age 5. You receive a check or vouchers to purchase specific foods and they are specific! They tell you excatly what you can or can't get with it. It gets broken down from the flavor of apple juice, to how many ounces of milk or Cheerios you can buy.

     Now why are there such strict limits on little babies and growing pregnant bellies but not on grown ass adults who know damn well what is good for them or not?

Like I said before I am definitely not against food stamp users, just the abusers and you should be to!  In some areas people even trade food stamps for money so they can buy drugs or alcohol- what the hell!? Is that how you want your tax dollars spent?