Probably because Gov. Corebutt is cutting the state budget like a blind monkey with anger management issues and a machete.

Poor people are poor because they lack the force of will to make themselves un-poor. The Rich are a different kind of people. They have the inherit ability to make themselves rich. They are better at being productive members of society. Now I'm not saying poor people are useless, they have their place in America, there will always be a need for house servants and land workers. Personally, I blame the public school system and their unions for the status of the Poor. What we need to do to is break up the unions, and open the public school system to the free market. This will allow the Poor to get the education they require. They need to be stripped of the liberal idea that they can be anything if they work hard enough at it and replace it with more economy-friendly "To Serve is To Live" mentality. Only then can we do away with the welfare state so every American can prosper!

Sounds good in theory, but would be bad in practice.

This sounds like it will be even less effective then drug testing welfare recipients...

SilentStrider: If you want food stamps, better not have a fridge.

Or a tardis.

And not a single fark was given.

I a pennsylvanian with a full time job I would like to say..

I'm OK with this.


Nah just kidding Corbett is an a$$hole and I'm sorry more people did not follow my lead and vote Demo.

If we are going to cut costs I say we start at the top with the Gov. and the legislature. If texas can have a part time legislature so can we.

$2,000 is a crappy car, some hand me down furniture and basic appliances.

Way to go after the most vulnerable people in society. Maybe after this you can go find a box of kittens and take a dump on them.

The federal food assistance program should be run like the WIC program - you can only buy certain things. You can't buy pre-packaged, processed foods and KC strips, but you can buy lentils, beans, chicken, and whole fruits and vegetables.

What a horrible idea.

What happens when these people have a further crisis after they've been forced to shed most all of their assets in order to be able to get assistance?

What happens to that single parent working a low paying job who need food stamps to help feed the kid when their shiatty old car that the need to get to that job gives out?

My state already does house inspections before they issue food assistance. Nothing new here.

moops: The federal food assistance program should be run like the WIC program - you can only buy certain things. You can't buy pre-packaged, processed foods and KC strips, but you can buy lentils, beans, chicken, and whole fruits and vegetables.

Your jib; I like the cut of it.
/been saying THIS for years

oblig



/couldn't find the tardis photoshop

GAT_00: That house you own is underwater? Don't have a job? Too bad.

This must be that compassionate conservatism I've heard about.

Houses are exempt, as is your car (though second autos worth over $4600 aren't). But you read TFA, of course.

what_now: My biggest concern will be for people who have a home that is valued higher than they could EVER sell it for, even if they wanted to sell.

Like I said... see above.

What gets me is that, according to TFA this fraud-prevention effort is aimed at a program that is a model for clean operation... less than 0.1% fraud rate! This reminds me of the "photo ID for voting" measure pushed through by the South Carolina GOP last year... chasing a fraud problem that really doesn't exist.

This sounds like a great way to push people who have lost jobs (or the working poor, for that matter) from "on the brink" to "over the brink." Why help keep people out of total destitution when you can force them into total destitution and then give them just enough to survive there?

moops: The federal food assistance program should be run like the WIC program - you can only buy certain things. You can't buy pre-packaged, processed foods and KC strips, but you can buy lentils, beans, chicken, and whole fruits and vegetables.

Agree. I watched a lady (maybe man, I couldn't tell) buy a single mountain dew with food stamps yesterday. I just don't know...

America, the fattest and laziest "poverty" stricken in the world.

If you are getting something for free, it should be nothing more than the bare necessities to live.

And the struggle to create a permanent underclass continues...

RedPhoenix122: Even sounds bad in theory. All they're saying is that if you lost your job, you'd better not have bought anything while you had a job.

They aren't doing asset inspections, according to TFA, just a bank-account check. The Playstation thing is all Subby.

Also, anyone that thinks this $2000 in savings ceiling is going to cut off most of needy folks are ignorant (not insulting anyone, just saying) of just how bad we, as a country, are at saving money. TFA says this measure would affect 2% of potential applicants. According to DoC's Bureau of Econ Analysis, the overall savings rate in this country is ~3.5% of post-tax income. You've got to figure that for a lot of folks that's a zero or negative number for the nationwide average to be so low.

I kind of struggle on this issue. On one hand I know a young woman whose father is paying for college and yet she is on food stamps. Her excuse is that she had a child out of wedlock (which was since adopted by her parents). So in reality she's no less worse off than most college kids (actually better since her parents pull in 300k or so).

However she shows no assets since her parents provide the apartment, the car, etc. Yet she is on food stamps and also uses her single parent status for other government benefits as well. I'd love to see her get busted as she's basically claiming the kid as a dependent even though her parents care for the child.

On the other hand, rules as punitive as PA's just plain suck.

Tex Avery shows you how to beat the system (new window)

distopianDream: moops: The federal food assistance program should be run like the WIC program - you can only buy certain things. You can't buy pre-packaged, processed foods and KC strips, but you can buy lentils, beans, chicken, and whole fruits and vegetables.

Agree. I watched a lady (maybe man, I couldn't tell) buy a single mountain dew with food stamps yesterday. I just don't know...

Um, food stamps aren't used anymore - it's electronic now.

RedPhoenix122: Used to cashier, would see people pay for stuff with food stamps, then ring up a separate transaction for a shaitload of beer.

Nothing erodes empathy like actually dealing with people.

Sin_City_Superhero: I know how to relieve this problem we've been having with these people that choose to be poor. What we should do is cut ALL federal and state aid for poor people. They'll either die of starvation and exposure, or they'll get bootstrappy, and stop being poor. Either way, problem solved!*


*This is what the GOP actually believes.

^

That is what stupid liberals and democrats actually believe.

To get a job (and quit being poor) a computer and cell phone are almost essential anymore.

I hate welfare moms as much as the next person, but the working poor should be able to enjoy life some. That includes TV, and other forms of entertainment. Many of us (myself included) have been in survival mode, where merely paying food and gas was a challenge, but I wouldn't want that to be permanent.

Wow, morons abound in this thread.

Personal possessions are NOT resources (clothes, fridges, playstations, etc). Neither is your house (RTFA folks), or your first car.

Sin_City_Superhero: I know how to relieve this problem we've been having with these people that choose to be poor. What we should do is cut ALL federal and state aid for poor people. They'll either die of starvation and exposure, or they'll get bootstrappy, and stop being poor. Either way, problem solved!*


*This is what the GOP actually believes.

or more likely this (new window)

You pay them food stamps so they don't mug and rob you, sunny. Get a clue

ha-ha-guy: I kind of struggle on this issue. On one hand I know a young woman whose father is paying for college and yet she is on food stamps. Her excuse is that she had a child out of wedlock (which was since adopted by her parents). So in reality she's no less worse off than most college kids (actually better since her parents pull in 300k or so).

However she shows no assets since her parents provide the apartment, the car, etc. Yet she is on food stamps and also uses her single parent status for other government benefits as well. I'd love to see her get busted as she's basically claiming the kid as a dependent even though her parents care for the child.

On the other hand, rules as punitive as PA's just plain suck.

This "girl you know" is committing fraud. No sane person condones that.

How does that result in you "struggling about this issue?"

moops: The federal food assistance program should be run like the WIC program - you can only buy certain things. You can't buy pre-packaged, processed foods and KC strips, but you can buy lentils, beans, chicken, and whole fruits and vegetables.

But how are Kraft and Conagra supposed to make money that way?

RedPhoenix122: Still, that doesn't even give you enough money to save for 2 month's rent in some places, which means you can't move.

I do wonder how they arrived at the $2000 cut-off; there must have been some expenditure model it was based on. It also has got to be based on a running average, not instantaneous savings picture. Seems complicated for an acknowledged non-problem, according to TFA.

I was behind a gentleman the other day and he was complaining about Corbet cutting his medical benefits. All he bought was 50 dollars of lottery tickets. I really wanted to choke him.

Don't blame me, I didn't vote for Corbett. Dan Onorato couldn't even carry his home county of Allegheny.

// Corbett seems to like telling the universities how they should operate, maybe he should become President of Penn State when his term is up.

moops: distopianDream: moops: The federal food assistance program should be run like the WIC program - you can only buy certain things. You can't buy pre-packaged, processed foods and KC strips, but you can buy lentils, beans, chicken, and whole fruits and vegetables.

Agree. I watched a lady (maybe man, I couldn't tell) buy a single mountain dew with food stamps yesterday. I just don't know...

Um, food stamps aren't used anymore - it's electronic now.

Ok, how is this, I saw her swipe her access card to buy a mountain dew. Does that make you feel better?