Personal Responsibility & Groceries **UPDATED**

Great points, Denise. You are right, this is a very complex issue. I don't know about anyone else, but I think groceries (healthy foods) are astronomical in costs. Things just keep going up. I just bought eggs this morning at Aldi and they were $1.55--Aldi used to carry eggs for $.99. I keep thinking, if America keeps losing jobs and more people end up needing assistance, this will be a sad place to live. I hope things get better...soon.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/politics&am...

This is the problem that I have with the welfare system (which I consider food stamps to be a part of). I think that the system is broken, but I really have no good way to fix it. :0( what to do, what to do???

I believe nutritional education would be a good thing for all young parents, because the things I see going into shopping carts for little kids, frankly, shocks me. Families lined up at McDonald's drive-thoughs also shock me. It is what it is, I guess.

And I also agree with Ronnie J. I needed assistance from food stamps O. summer when I was working for the school system, and fortunately I did have access to fresh food and a good working knowledge of nutrition. But the tax-paying public should know a few things about moms who depend on government assistance:

1. They are seldom in that situation by choice, but rather because family income crashed, the family provider got sick or left, or some other unforseen crisis occurred (recently, many families have lost jobs, homes, and more because of the economic crisis);

2. They are as concerned about their children as the average American mom, and just as likely (or unlikely) to give their children processed foods, snacks, soda, etc. They are not some special class of citizens that should be held to a more rigid set of standards. And a child who's being supplemented by food stamps still has a sweet tooth;

3. Moms who need assistance are often living in poorer neighborhoods that are considered "food deserts," where only convenience stores are within walking distance – few or no fresh foods are available. They often don't have their own cars that allow them to drive to a distant supermarket. They often work and have long daily commutes on public transportation which eats up much of their available time to prepare meals from scratch.

4. If the average, privileged American mother were to walk a mile in the shoes of the average mother on food stamps, she'd learn a lot about judgment and condemnation, and possible come away a more compassionate person.

I think that food stamps should be set up just like WIC. Instead of 'here's 800.00 a month-have at it', I think it should be 'Here's a coupon for free Milk, eggs, peanut butter, fresh produce, chicken, ect.' The point of WIC is to make sure women, infant and children get the nutrition they need to thrive when they are down on their luck or need a little help. Food stamps should help the same way. Foods to help a down on their luck family get the nutritional requirements they need.

And, before I get bashed for feeling that way, I must say I feel this way because my SIL takes her food stamps and 'sells' them to have cash for alcohol and cigerettes. I know the process is changing to help avoid it but for now, I think she would have a much harder time if a coupon said 'O. package of carrots' instead of handing over a debit card for cash.

Whoever pays, makes the rules. If government aid is responsible for your well being, they dictate how much healthy food you eat or not eat, based on how much assistance you get or they allow you to have!

Actually people are required to attend an informational session prior to receiving WIC or food stamps (at least in CO).

I do know that "healthy" foods cost more than processed foods. I also know that I've been on food stamps ($127 month for 3 people) and I know it doesn't go far. When folks are deprived of 'goodies' sometimes they need a splurge.

Who are we to stand in judgment?

You are using aid because you need it. Therefore, it should only be used to buy thing NEEDED for literal survival. Do you need Cheetos, Pop Tarts, soda, steak, etc. for survival? No. Would I put frozen pizza into a category of "food" or "junk". That gets a little more gray. Then I would start saying "yes" to Jack's Pizza but "no" to D'Giornos. Another example, would be filet mignon being on the "no" list but other less expensive cuts being "yes".

Aid dollars need to be stretched to their limit. Just like anyone on a tight budget does. Just because an aid user might not view it as "their money" doesn't mean the obligation to be responsible is lessened.

As to "who are we to judge"? I would phrase this differently. It is not about judgment as much as it is about STEWARDSHIP. Our tax dolalrs fund aid programs. We are obligated to be good stewards of the programs we fund. Finally -- As to the notion that a splurge helps those using aid maintain their dignity? My great grandparents and grandparents survived the depression and would have scoffed at the notion that a treat bought with aid had any impact on their dignity. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Personally, since I started shopping on the outskirts of the store, without going up and down the aisles, I have saved hundreds in our grocery bill. I spend less, AND I have a 14 year old boy living with us that used to not. So, yes, I do think there should be restrictions. I would rather know my tax dollars are going toward starting a healthy lifestyle for a child than giving a child diabetes and costing us more in tax dollars with medical bills. I keep our pantries stocked for homemade meals and healthy snacks of apples and other fruits. The only aisles I go down are the baking aisles, and I get jugs of WATER. If we do 'splurge' it is with a HOMEMADE pan of brownies or cookies, forget little debbie! No sodas or chips in our house. Oh, and we get whole wheat breads and tortillas. So, it would not be too hard to put some sort of restrictions. It is an education and lifestyle change. To give you an idea, I spend about $140 every two weeks, and that includes household items also. Now, how much would a family of six get on food stamps? I KNOW more than $280 a month! So, enough with the freaking excuses for teaching kids unhealthy eating habits! Seriously, our tax dollars could be better spent! (And yes, I did use WIC for six months and worked my tail off to make sure I would not have to rely on handouts my whole life. It is just assistance, not a commitment for help for a lifetime!)

I think there should be some restrictions yes. Like obviously the no beer or alchohol or cigarettes thing is good cause really if you are buying those things instead of food, do you really need help? Probably not.
But I think it should be okay if they want to buy a pizza or two for their family, what person doesnt like pizza? Especially kids. It is healthy, got meat, cheese etc on it. Chicken nuggets the same thing. Its easy and healthy too.
Now you can definatly get more for your money if you buy stuff to make it yourself but I dont think it shouldnt be allowed to buy it if you want.
They shouldnt buy all junk food, like a whole bunch of stuff that isnt nutritionally sound but I dont think a pizza or a candy once in awhile should be considered a bad thing. Everyone deserves a treat now and then, especially our children.
People need help evey once in awhile, and they shouldnt be looked down upon for needing it.

I saw an article where they had chefs try to put together a healthy shopping cart full of food on a food stamps allowance. Even these pros had a really hard time finding enough low-cost healthy and hearty (protein rich) food to help a family get by for a week. Some went over their allowances. I wouldn't judge people by what they're buying. (Would you want the same of your cart? I know I wouldn't. My oldest hates to eat and his doctors have him on a high-fat diet to gain weight. Bet I'd get a thumbs-down from many who didn't know the situation.)

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All these gov't programs are supposed to be to help people survive, not have fun. I don't think people need candy, chips or soda etc to survive so I do think those items should not be eligible. Pizza and chicken nuggets are actual food vs total empty calories or indulgences so I think it gets too complicated to regulate those items. But if people think it's unfair or don't want to be judged, then don't rely on other taxpayers. I don't want to see anyone starving but since people are literally paying for other people's groceries, I think the people paying are entitled to say no soda, candy etc. And I don't think people really need to be further educated that soda is bad for you. I'm sure they've heard it somewhere along the line and if not, the food stamps eligibility directions can include a brief explanation.

Updated: I don't understand why this question was posted unless it was to provide a platform to then go on and condem some people's views. Judgemental goes both ways. I didn't see many, if any, criticisms of the actual people receiving aid versus how some may spend money. I'd bet many people, myself included, criticize how people not on aid spend money too. And many people don't like to see ANYONE eat junk. This seems to be a very political post that was just looking to start an argument. Comparing people who want control over how their tax dollars are spent to Hitler is absurd.

I agree with MK that it would be great if vouchers were labeled to be used for meat, dairy, produce and distributed in a way that makes would allow snacky and less nutritional foods, but in a way which is proportionate and healthier than this program is currently designed. I would prefer that food stamps would not cover things like soda pop and candy, but that's just my personal preference.

I wouldn't know what to do to help people use their food stamp funds more wisely, but I don't think we have the structure to create a program that directs food buying and is also sensitive to cooking/food preferences across the many cultures ( and I don't just mean ethnic cultures, either) that make up the United States, so this will always be problematic. Me personally, I would love to see more support for families in regard to nutrition and menu planning, but this ultimately has to be the choice of those receiving benefits to put that knowledge into play and to replace any poor eating choices.

O. more thing to consider: when I was on food stamps, years ago, I would sometimes use them to buy a sweet treat to take to a party. Part of giving people this temporary hand-up is so that they can participate in society and so they are relieved from some of the impact of poverty. Being able to save face with your friends or peers *is* a big deal, sometimes. That's why offering people freedom and flexibility is important, too. So often, at that point, having some sense of dignity about O.'s circumstances can feel important.

Thank you Denise P and other like-minded folks who are educated on this topic. It breaks my heart to hear judgments and those who would rather view foodstamp recipients as inmates than human beings who fell on hard times. The occassional story of someone selling foodstamps for cash for smokes and booze...come on already! So we should punish and demean the vast majority of people because a few addicts use the system to feed their addictions?

I grew up in poverty with a single mother who was too proud to accempt food stamps or unemployment benefits. We never had food or heat. O. day she finally accepted help for 3 months and the looks we got at the grocery store...I'll never forget the silent disapproving looks, shaming us for eating. And I'll never forget having my mother decide to stop taking assistance because of the shame and all the untreated medical problems resulting from lack of food.

Sometimes I think humanity sucks and people should be ashamed of their selfish and damaging judgments. But then I read Denises and other folks words and I realize there are good people out there who strive to build people up during tough times. It's not about 'personal opinions' on this topic...you are either a kind person or you are not.

Thank you Denise and others for being kind and SMART about why it is reasonable to be kind. The rest of you...well, good luck carrying all that judgment. I will hope fate and karma isn't as harsh to you as you are to others...because I am kind too. A little sad and hurt by misinformed and cruel judgments, but hopeful no O. experiences hunger the way I did growing up. If letting O. person get away with selling foodstamps to feed their non-food addictions affords the thousands of good people legitimately trying to eat on very little assistance to maintain their dignity...I for O. am ok with that.

Part of receiving assistance is realizing that there are guidelines or rules for that assistance. I think it's a good thing when there are guidelines and rules for getting the help you need. I was on wic for a while with our first kids- we needed the help. It was a pain to have to go to all the classes lugging around 2 babies and a toddler, and yeah, sometimes is was a pain to have to find exact brands and even more of a pain to have the cashier check off my coupons- but I am very grateful for the help we received. We couldn't have made it without it- and that is what it is there for. I have never used food stamp but I do think they should have more rules on what you can and can't buy. They are meant to help you and your family get through hard time and make sure you are fed- they are not there to give you a quick and easy option for dinner. And if they are going to limit the types of food you are able to buy- having classes on how to prepare your meals for your family would be a great idea also.
Right now as it is, there isn't much incentive to get off of food stamps. I think having a voucher for some non healthy stuff like the candy, ice cream and frozen pizza would be fine- but I think most of it should be for beans, rice, bread, veggies and fruits and milk and cheeses.
I don't have a problem with people spending their own money on what ever they want to eat- that's fine- it's their money. But I do think that when you are on assistance, you should be limited to what you can buy being only healthy- and if you don't like it- do something about your situation and work to get off the assistance.

~C.

I don't think they should restrict to only healthy foods. likeRonnie J said maybe their little O. is picky. Should being on assistance forbid them the same opportunities we all have?

The issue I see with foodstamp cards from the experience our friends had is that it is a good amount of money but only good for "FOOD" items. You can not use it for basics such as toilet paper, diapers etc. I mean if a family qualifies for the food stamp program they are below a poverty level and those are some basic needs.

I kind of DO think there should be food education for all, including food stamp recipients. However, the cost of implementing such a program would probably be far higher than the cost of the food stamp program is in the first place. I think it would be more successful if we held the corporations making these terribly unhealthy foods somewhat accountable. If the corporations had to pay a percentage of the nations health care costs out of pocket, they would surely do something about their unhealthy products...it's all about the bottom line for them.

Side note, I find it strange that tobacco companies are being forced to put photos on their packs of cigarettes but unhealthy food companies are not forced to put photos on their packaging...not saying cigarettes are good for you in any sense of the word, but suggesting that maybe all companies producing harmful (or even less than healthful) products be expected to take the same amount of responsibility for their products and informing the public about the health NON benefits.

My perspective on this is probably very different than most. When I was a child, my mom shared with me a letter a woman wrote to Dear Abby about the dirty looks she received at the grocery store when she bought cookies for her kids with food stamps.

What she wrote the details of how she ended up on welfare (married out of HS, husband abandoned her and 2 kids, no job skills, etc.). But what she said was that she was able and willing to work, but if she went to work, she would lose the health insurance for her kids, and insuring them through a job would eat away so much of her paycheck she wouldn't be able to afford to support them. So she stayed on welfare and food stamps.

She wrote that she didn't think her kids should suffer because of the poor choices made by there parents. I don't disagree.

While it irks me to see someone on assistance sporting salon nails with artwork, I generally don't begrudge what is in their carts. How many of us mothers have small kids who only eat chicken nuggets? How many working mothers live for pizza night to have a break from cooking.

Until the system is fixed so that people who can work are required to do so without losing critical other benefits, and until the system provides for other important things like soap and laundry detergent, we have no business taking away the small things that are making life tolerable for a lot of people. Particularly when many people on assistance today were middle class just 5 years ago and are victims of a brutal economy.

JMO,

C.

Denise I could not possibly agree with you more.

I think foodstamps should be regulated. The whole point of them is to feed people in need. I would say that they should only pay for healthier foods. If you buy a case of top ramen and a case of mac and cheese, isn't that cheaper than buying fresh veggies and fresh fruit? The bread with no preservatives is more expensive than the ones full of high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. Poor people should not be neglected. They should be fed. But why else can't you buy alcohol and cigarettes on food stamps?

If someone is on foodstamps, they are very likely also on Medicaid. Then we have to pay for their obesity related illnesses. You could fix food stamps by making it have the same type of restrictions as WIC.

Freedom isn't free. You don't have as much freedom when the government is paying your bills. It's life. If you want more freedom and choices, try and find a way to get out of dependency on the government.

*Denise, I disagree with your "so what happened?" I understand your logic. I totally do. The "haves" can sound really judgmental and rude as we are sitting around eating our potato chips and drinking pop, telling the foodstampers to not eat that. However, my political opinion, is that whenever the government is paying for something, the government controls part of your freedoms anyway. If you expect the government to provide food stamps, and Medicaid, then logically speaking, the government has the right to demand healthier eating so that they are not paying a medical bill. Now on a PRIVATE level, if I give money to a poor family for food, I don't care how they spend it. Our area churches here all take turns providing dinners at a local homeless shelter. We always try to have yummy food that is healthy but also a nice cake and/or other desserts. I am all for giving people treats. I am against food stamps because it causes bad feelings on both sides. I am all for private charities and ending the welfare program. Because privately giving makes both the giver and the receiver better people. I think if I am privately giving, I am much more generous and happy to do it and if I am a receiver getting things from a kind person, I am more grateful, humbled, and touched by their kindness and want to give to someone else. In my experience, I have been poor and middle class. When poor, we received anonymous gifts, probably from family or church members, in a big box on our front porch at Christmas. That has always made me want to give more to others. Do you see what I mean? I think the mamas that disagree with you are not mean. I totally believe that everyone is mostly good, but different opinions make people look mean when they just think differently.

As long as the recipients are purchasing food, they should get what ever they choose. Just because they need some financial help doesn't mean they should lose the right to decide what to eat. Doesn't seem like a topic to debate in my opinion.

When I was growing up we did not have all the educational programs and guidelines about food and there wasn't a tv in every house - also there were not as many junk food options. That being said, I grew up in the UK and was the equivalent of a welfare kid. My dad (uneducated) had full custody of me and my sister and we lived on a staple of baked beans on toast, spaghetti O's on toast, egg on toast, cheese on toast, baked potato w/cheese/beans, soup. There was always fruit in the bowl and we were allowed to snack on that to our hearts content and on Sunday we always had a big roast dinner (chicken, beef pork - whatever was on sale). He worked full time. We got free school meals.

This may not appear to be a very exciting menu, but we never saw any problem with it. Quick and easy to make. Cheap and the nutritional value was not bad.

I have a problem with hearing that if we do not have meat in every meal that we are missing out and I'm sick of hearing that food stamps only provide enough money to buy junk food.

We can blame tv but we are responsible for the way we interpret it, my daughter will not get a 'tricked out ride' and a huge party for her 16th, we would never spend thousand's of $ on a wedding dress, shopping for clothes daily, partying like LiLo and living like a movie star is not on the agenda and neither is eating junk food or eating out at restaurants on a daily basis.

It doesn't matter whether you have food stamps or cash, you have the responsiblity to make good decisions for your family. That being said I am fully supportive of increasing the tax on luxury items like pop and other junk food - I don't see that as regulating/restricting these items because you can still make a choice (good or bad) to buy them (my husband is addicted to Mountain Dew, so it will affect us financially unless he decides to improve his drinking habits.)

Just my experience and 2 cents.

Well receiving food stamps myself for my kids, I can tell you up front, we never have enough. Before I was in this situation, I was vegetarian and I ate only organic foods if possible. I was extremely health conscience but now that i am in this situation if we ate like that we could eat probably two meals and use our entire allotment of food stamps. And having nothing for the rest of them month. You really don't get much in food stamps even if you truly need it. I get Wic for my 3 yo(boost supplement due to dropping too much weight) and a few other items from them, nothing healthy or organic is allowed on WIC, but 5 yo old no longer gets WIC. I can only get $6 of non-organic veggies a month, this is a big improvement though since previously I only was allowed non-organic milk and cheese on WIC. They did not veggies at all until this year. They make you get things like tuna and peanut butter, which we couldn't have due to my daughter allergy. Eggs, and milk. Now they finally bread on WIC but only their brands, which are somewhat okay in my opinion, but there are much healthier bread choices. We get O. loaf a month. As for Food stamps, it is hard to buy much of anything with them. I buy fresh fruits and veggies, but for meat, I tend toward more unhealthy choices because I can't afford the more expensive ones, so I buy fish sticks. I do only buy organic chicken nuggets but that is a treat once in a while. But I tend to buy the cheapest meats which is the unhealthiest or we wouldn't get any at all. I buy pasta, since it is cheap and we have that often. This is not how I would choose to eat, so if they actually said how I have to spend my food stamps, I fear it would be more like WIC which really is not healthy at all and you can only get what WIC says or nothing at all. Before they made the recent change, all I got for my kids on WIC, was milk, cheese and cereal(the cereal choices are not all that healthy either) and eggs. And nothing is organic and a diet of milk, cheese, eggs and cereal is not healthy IMO. But we didn't have a choice. Now we get few veggies and bread, better but not what I would call great. i could probably spend the amount they give on healthier choices,if we were allowed to choose what to buy. Honestly I would buy lots of fruits and veggies if I had the choice, but I have to get the milk and cheese and cereal, i would rather use the money so my kids got fresh veggies nd fruit more often. But WIC says I need to feed my kids cereal and cheese and they give plenty of that. I really wish they would allow more fruit/veggies. So no I do not think it would be or helpful to have a program say what we should and should not buy with food stamps. My kids do get processed foods, mostly meat, but always get freash fruits and veggies, which is what I spend my food stamps on. I would hate to lose that. As it is, we are almost out of food stamps($6 left) and we don't get more until mid-January. So I have to stretch the pre-packaged food I bought, and try to find money to buy the fresh I will need for the remaining weeks. So no after my long rant in the end I have to say no I do not think there should be restrictions on what you can buy with food stamps. Oh and as someone said you cannot buy non-food items on food stamps, and you can also not buy pre-cooked foods, such as a rotisserie chicken or soup, so there are some restrictions already.

IMO it's too much to expect families to only buy healthy food on gov. aid, because the heavily govt subsidized corporations make unhealthy food which is cheapest due to having the longest shelf life due to unhealthy ingredients subsidized by other corporations and many other factors. See "Food Inc." and Omnivore's Dilemma. Thus the obesity and diabetes epidemic in low income areas.

I do think they should provide menus with the benefits with cheap and healthy options, like making a huge pot of rice with a few beans and veggies in it is actually comparable in price to bad food, feeds a big family and is healthier than a few hormone antibiotic feces ridden burgers and glo-brite popsicles with soda, but to expect them to shop healthfully in general is not realistic the way foods are priced today.

Plus many neighborhoods with the most recipients don't even have healthy stores to shop from. I do think stores should have "food stamp" friendly bags available with decent staples in them. Recently my local store had a food drive for the local food bank, and since on previous ones no O. knew what to buy, they pre-assembled the bags with the most important stuff people need. I think they should have those all the time.

You'd think they'd want to feed people healthy food since these same people can't afford private health insurance and cost billions in medical debt to state charity rograms or unpaid bills. But nooooooooo. Get it together, USA....

If we ALL stop buying the junk food (why should only well off people be allowed to feed their families harmful things?) then healthy options will become more prevalent and competitive in price for all, and the government will start subsidizing the healthier food companies and farmers more since that's where the $s will be.

I have been receiving food stamps for several years. I fell into the processed food trap after I gave birth for about a year. It was not pretty:) I bought a lot pf processed pizza and chicken patties...and gained a lot of weight.
For the past two years I have been really strict about what I bring into the house. I buy maybe O. or two processed food items a month, tops. And that is usually a small box of crackers or a loaf of bread.(yes bread is a processed food:) Instead I buy whole grains like steel cut oats and brown rice or quinoa. I buy a lot of vegetables. I would say that 70% of my daily meals are veggie-based. I do buy organic when possible. I buy two packages of skinless boneless frozen chicken breasts a month. I eat a lot of miso and nori too. I buy very little cheese, and if I do I get something like feta or gruyers so I won't eat a ton of it. I only buy pancake mix or pasta in the bulk section. I usually have a little left over at the end of the month. I have a strict food budget of 50 dollars a week. I spend the leftover for canned foods like beans and soups to go into our storage pantry.(I am O. of those people that is always prepared for a natural disaster:)

I also receive WIC...but I only use about 1 gallon of milk a month. We use the WIC for the veggies(you can use them for organic ones in OR), peanut butter, bread and cheese. We don't use the cereal or most of the milk. I buy coconut water with my food stamps instead.

It takes a lot of discipline to eat healthy foods. It also takes a lot of education on nutrition. I have been fortunate enough to have a broad education in child and adult nutrition...which helps me make good choices at the grocery store. I know that many families do not have a good understanding of nutritional health, and the food industry does not make it easy on the shopper. It is hard...but i can be done when families receive enough support and education on nutrition..

Also...I had to take a critical look at my wasteful habits to be successful. Americans really do waste a lot of food. How much food do you let spoil every month? What you throw in the trash is what could have been spent on a healthier choice. I have learned to make realistic portions when cooking...I rarely have leftovers anymore. I don't buy fresh veggies in bulk anymore...I get a little every day or two instead. It is now part of my routine to stop at the corner market for veggies for dinner on the way home. I let my daughter pick them out, as well as the breakfast fruit we will have for the next morning. I figured out about myself that I would let a lot go to waste when I bought them in bulk because I would get tired of eating the same thing everyday.

This is a very hot topic that needs a lot of compassion and less judgment. Instead of criticizing those who make unhealthy choices...that same energy could be spent on how to help those individuals make better choices.

Instead of criticizing the food stamp recipient......let us criticize the food industry. Instead of asking is it OK to buy frozen pizza, chicken nuggets and candy with food stamps.....I ask instead; IS IT OKAY FOR GROCERY STORES TO BE SELLING FROZEN PIZZA, CHICKEN NUGGETS AND CANDY THAT THE FOOD INDUSTRY PRODUCES?:)

"Be increasingly kind to all those you meet; for everyone is battling something."-unknown

In my opinion, the government should not have limitations on what foods families should buy. The government itself pays millions of dollars to farmers to grow excess corn and soybeans and companies to process these crops into processed foods. Just about every food item has some form of corn-based product that is supposed to enhance the food not in its nutritional value but in its ability to be made cheaply. So no, the government should not be allowed to make food choices because its thrrough their efforts that many of us our obese or undernurished. Having said that, I'm sympathize with families like yours who use food stamps because I know that it is hard to budget for fresh veggies and fruits. Just a suggestion: Is there a local farm near you? Perhaps you can reach out to its owners and see if they will share some of their vegetables with you.They may charge you but it'll be much less than store prices. Also, find out from your local health department about healthy food programs they may have. I know that in poorer communities near Philly there are farmers markets that are set up precisely so these communities can get fresh food items. In this way, you can save your food stamps for other essentials. Good luck and God bless!

For the most part I tend to agree with you. How any family eats and maintains their lifestyles has impacts on everyone, whether it is that they are using taxpayer dollars via food stamps, increases in healthcare costs because you refuse to eat differently with high blood pressure, potentially drinking to much. I don't care what anyone says, as a society, we pay for what anyone decides, so yes, before you yell at the person with food stamps for having chips and snack food in their cart, maybe consider what you have in your own cart or what the non-food stamp user behind you has. If your gonna discriminate against O., then you better do it against everyone, no matter who is helping pay their meals.

With that said, I wanted to make a note that several states have started very promising initiatives to encourage food stamp users to spend a portion of their allotment at farmer's markets and on more nutritional food. This is simply because obesity is a large problem among low-income families (I personally believe it is an American problem, but it's mainly for the cost reasons that it is a problem among this population). I worked in grad school for a center that studied obesity prevention and they were working on programs to help encourage this. Also, I encourage people to go to lower income communities and actually examine their supermarkets in comparison to your own neighborhoods. This was another area that we studied at the research center. You will find in low-income neighborhoods, there are lower qualities of nutritional foods and actual differences in prices, usually being more expensive for non-processed store brand foods. People should really study the geographic food discrimination that occurs and they may start to see where some of the problems start at.

I am on states assistance. I do get food stamps, Not a lot like I used to before I was luckily able to land my current job, but enough to buy the essentials.
I would love it if there was a way to restrict which foods I could and couldn't but. Maybe not as restricted as WIC but that is the way it is for a reason.
I do live with my parents and they would try and take advantage of my assistance. Always asking if I could get them chips for a party and such frivolous things. Then there were those times that while standing in line there was a certain candy bar that I have been craving for a week. I caved. I admit it.
I did spend it on food that is healthy, I did occasionally have the cracking moment, but I did try. Most of the food stamps went to cover formula that WIC didn't.
I say way to many people standing in line with me buying t-bone steaks and ding dongs. I was quiet mad. Especially when I saw them walking to their BMW's and Mercedes. Of course even the rich can fall into hard times. But seriously, get a cheaper car if you are on food assistance. Unless you full out own it. Then enjoy. Anywho off topic. I really, really, really do wish that they would restrict what we can and can't buy. I know they did in the past, because my sister couldn't buy certain things when she was on it.