I want food stamps

[Soul Crusher]

Government jobs should not count since they cost the taxpayer money.

[Hereford]

Government jobs should not count since they cost the taxpayer money.

Thats what I'm sayin too.

[shootfighter1]

The stimulus has to go primarily to the whole middle class and businesses.  If you give the majority of stimulus to the poor it will definitely not stimulate the economy significantly and certainly not create many jobs.  However, giving the majority to the wealthy may not work well either.  You have to create the climate for jobs to be created...but gov can only do so much.  Thats why spending to this degree is unwise IMO.  The gov can only affect the economy so much.  The best idea is to cut spending and put $ in people's pockets by reducing taxation across the board and pick definite items that will create jobs (ie the infrastructure spending).

 A great idea was to reduce or eliminate the payroll tax for a period of time.  That puts $ in people's pockets (that would normally be taken out of each check) and helps businesses, who pay half the employee tax.

[glen13]

Food stamps, can you use stamps at the botty clubs, poker house, or at the  get high spot. If not I don't need them.

[Hereford]

The stimulus has to go primarily to the whole middle class and businesses.  If you give the majority of stimulus to the poor it will definitely not stimulate the economy significantly and certainly not create many jobs.  However, giving the majority to the wealthy may not work either.

Thats why there should be tax cuts across the board.  A great idea was to reduce or eliminate the payroll tax for a period of time.  That puts $ in people's pockets (that would normally be taken out of each check) and helps businesses, who pay half the employee tax.

An excellent idea! However this recent stimulus package the Dems put out is a thinly vailed public handout. They do want to give the majority of the funds to the poor and irrelevant in the US. Perhaps as a little 'Thank You" for the election?

How does dumping money into inner-city schools, unemployment and food stamps stimulate anything? "We are going to pay you not not work as a way of making you more productive"

Only in liberal America is this logic not questioned....

[Soul Crusher]

This money is all going to democrat voters.  The poor welfare cases, the beauracrats, the charities, the schools, etc.

the people who ACTUALLY PAY THE TAXES ARE NOT GOING TO GET SQUAT!

[liberalismo]

I USED TO WORK IN A GROCERY STORE NOT TOO LONG AGO.

There are 2 general types of "food stamps", though neither are stamps. Those old "Food stamps" of fake looking bills are no longer used.

Type 1- Woman/Infant/Children (WIC) are specialized food programs for women parenting infants or young children. They go in with a list that has all of the food items on it that they must get and it pays for that. Generally only certain brands of cheese, powder milk, cereal, etc.


Type 2- EBT card. It's a little card that looks like a credit card that they swipe and it pays for the food. It pays for EVERYTHING except prepared food. I think that people who use it are given a certain amount of $$$ each month for it and they have to use it at the grocery store.



I think that there are 2 problems with these programs.

1st problem--People abuse it. People who don't need it use it for free food. People who come into stores with Ipods or expensive cell phones using food cards, obviously cheating the system.

2nd problem--I've heard stories that it is especially difficult for non-minorities (non Caucasians) to get on these programs.


The system needs a total overhaul. It needs to prevent people taking advantage of the system and it needs to avoid racism.

[gordiano]

I USED TO WORK IN A GROCERY STORE NOT TOO LONG AGO.

There are 2 general types of "food stamps", though neither are stamps. Those old "Food stamps" of fake looking bills are no longer used.

Type 1- Woman/Infant/Children (WIC) are specialized food programs for women parenting infants or young children. They go in with a list that has all of the food items on it that they must get and it pays for that. Generally only certain brands of cheese, powder milk, cereal, etc.


Type 2- EBT card. It's a little card that looks like a credit card that they swipe and it pays for the food. It pays for EVERYTHING except prepared food. I think that people who use it are given a certain amount of $$$ each month for it and they have to use it at the grocery store.



I think that there are 2 problems with these programs.

1st problem--People abuse it. People who don't need it use it for free food. People who come into stores with Ipods or expensive cell phones using food cards, obviously cheating the system.

2nd problem--I've heard stories that it is especially difficult for non-minorities (non Caucasians) to get on these programs.


The system needs a total overhaul. It needs to prevent people taking advantage of the system and it needs to avoid racism.

Man, my old gym used to be next door to the Welfare office (industrial part of town). You should have seen the scumbags, who pulled up in their fancy cars to sign up and abuse the system.....

Funny how things work....I  drove a junker (to work), and these fuckers drove nice ass cars while on welfare....

[Soul Crusher]

I USED TO WORK IN A GROCERY STORE NOT TOO LONG AGO.

There are 2 general types of "food stamps", though neither are stamps. Those old "Food stamps" of fake looking bills are no longer used.

Type 1- Woman/Infant/Children (WIC) are specialized food programs for women parenting infants or young children. They go in with a list that has all of the food items on it that they must get and it pays for that. Generally only certain brands of cheese, powder milk, cereal, etc.


Type 2- EBT card. It's a little card that looks like a credit card that they swipe and it pays for the food. It pays for EVERYTHING except prepared food. I think that people who use it are given a certain amount of $$$ each month for it and they have to use it at the grocery store.


Good post.  I dont understand why they cant have food centers or something like a red cross station where these people have to show up and get their food rations as part of this.
I think that there are 2 problems with these programs.

1st problem--People abuse it. People who don't need it use it for free food. People who come into stores with Ipods or expensive cell phones using food cards, obviously cheating the system.

2nd problem--I've heard stories that it is especially difficult for non-minorities (non Caucasians) to get on these programs.


The system needs a total overhaul. It needs to prevent people taking advantage of the system and it needs to avoid racism.

[shootfighter1]

Good info liberalismo.

I heard this AM that there are billions of dollars in the stimulus package going to schools for education...again, what the hell does that have to do with economic stimulus.  This was discussed and criticized by the former secretary of education. 

When I wrote my senator, he (or an aid, of course) replied that part of the stimulus needs to be saftey net provisions, ie...food assistance programs, energy assistance, health care, and nutrition, as well as providing states with the help they need to continue providing necessary services.  I appreciate his responce but the democrats have turned this bill into an agenda package.

This is not a stimulus package anymore, anyone that says so is lying to the American people.

[240 is Back]

I heard this AM that there are billions of dollars in the stimulus package going to schools for education...again, what the hell does that have to do with economic stimulus. 

8 to 10% of our nation's teachers are out of work.
School budgets via federal $ have been slashed bigtime by Mr Bush.

Obama's undoing that.  The economy will be stim in the short-term when these teachers go back to work, and in the long-term when these kids stop having 1 teacher covering 32 firstgraders, and they get a little better education and begin reversing our dismal nat'l performance.

So on this one point - I think if the $ is going to hire teachers, then it's a good thing.  Obama's creating jobs here.  bush's stimulus created $18 billion in wall street bonuses last year along with a whole lotta missing money.  They're all gonan spend the $.. .i'd rather it be spent on teacher salary.

[Soul Crusher]

Are you still hung over??

Did you watch the Stosell video??

Money is not the problem in our schools. 

Accountability, discilpline, and longer hours are required.

I am tired of teachers complaining about their pay.  They work 1/2 the year and work 8 hours a day and get a good pension after 20-25 years.. 

[240 is Back]

I am tired of teachers complaining about their pay.  They work 1/2 the year and work 8 hours a day and get a good pension after 20-25 years.. 

7.5 hours per day plus 1 hour planning.
They work 10 months per year.
They work 30 years for a pension.
Right now, in FL, you can teach 30 years and your annual salary is a whopping $55k.

I worked as a teacher from 98 until 2003 or so.  It's one of the worst jobs around.

[Soul Crusher]

7.5 hours per day plus 1 hour planning.
They work 10 months per year.
They work 30 years for a pension.
Right now, in FL, you can teach 30 years and your annual salary is a whopping $55k.

I worked as a teacher from 98 until 2003 or so.  It's one of the worst jobs around.

NONSENSE.

Christmas break, Easter break, every federal holiday, weekends, summer break, etc etc.

Everyone knows the salaries going into teaching so they should not complain about it. 

If you tally the value of the time off, pension, etc, it is a very good salary for the actual time spent "working".

 

[shootfighter1]

240, you had to listen to the program.  This was the former secretary of education and another guy who was an education guru as well.  They said overall spending by the schools has gone way up since 2002.  I do not believe Bush made huge cuts, I think your wrong on that one.  I agree that starting teacher salaries suck ass, but teachers that have been there for years get plush treatments and protection against firing for lagging performance under tenured status.

We've been throwing $ at schools for 25 yrs and the quality of education has been decreasing.  $ is not the solution.  Much of that $ find its way into the teacher's union.  I think tenured teachers are a horrible thing.  They should drop that and push pay for performance, as Obama and McCain both supported.  Tenured teachers make a lot of $, have great benefits compared to the rest of us, and get 3 months off per year (total).  I believe many teachers are eligible for significant pay raises and benefits at (or before) 10 years (tenure)

On that note, why do kids & teachers get 3 months off school?  Thats stupid when you look at the system as an adult.  Give the kids 4-6 weeks off during summer and a couple single weeks off during breaks.  That long break is not productive.  Do the asian countries do that?

This article states that tenure can be offered earlier than 10 yrs

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-05-06-teachers-tenure_n.htm   

[Soul Crusher]

Summer break is a relic of the past that needs to go.

[shootfighter1]

Dude, when I was a kid, I would have shot you and I both...but looking at it as an adult, that 2 and a half month break is excessive, not to mention its tough for parents.

[Soul Crusher]

Dude, when I was a kid, I would have shot you and I both...but looking at it as an adult, that 2 and a half month break is excessive, not to mention its tough for parents.

It is such a farce.  These kids need to be pushed, not coddled.   

[shootfighter1]

I ok with not pushing longer hours.  With athletics and homework I remember not much freetime, but there is no good reason for these long ass breaks.  You get out of the rhythm of school in that time anyway, I knew that even back then.

[240 is Back]

i am not on a machine with video yet.

'no child left behind', or 'no child left untested', and the huge emphasis upon testing in the last 8 years, has been a huge problem.  I taught in 98 when you taught the cirriculum - it was nice.  Today?  They spend an hour a day working on 'test taking skills'.

And they cheat.  Oh god, they cheat so bad.  The teachers read the grade 1-2 kids the test.  They change the answers.  They give hints.  Why?  Because they get a big bonus if they're in the top 25%.  The scores are up but the kids are down.  Hell, 1/3 of them are on adderol or ritalin.

Admin ignores the cheating, as they get a 10k check if their school performs well, along with a bunch of "A" school money.

It's a shit mess.  I'll check the video out later.

[Soul Crusher]

Watch the video in its entirety.   Its a good one.

[shootfighter1]

I don't think no child left behind is a great idea either 240.  Though you probably know more about it than I do.  All that testing is overkill IMO.

[240 is Back]

they actually moved the start of school so they'd have more days in before test day.  Hell, last year, they got out of school on May 25th!   I used to go to school well into june!  Hell, first day of school was aug 11th!

That changed this year.  it was getting silly.

And, once the testing is done in march, the quality of everything just plummets.  Apeil and may are completely wasted.  They did their job, they say, the kids passed.

[Soul Crusher]

Its a disgrace.  We are doing everything bass ackwards in this country. 

[gordiano]

Its a disgrace.  We are doing everything bass ackwards in this country. 

Sadly......you are right.