Clarification Re: Things That Piss Me Off!
Some of you have disagreed with my post about food stamp recipients and that’s totally fine. But I feel that some of you may be taking it in the spirit that I am sitting on a high horse looking down on food stamp recipients. Let me clarify a few things.
1. My issues lies with people who look to the government to supplement their entire budget while making a living off receiving checks from Uncle Sam. Food stamps are supposed to be a supplement, not your entire budget.
2. I realize that some people make bad decisions but I will not further enable them especially when the tools and resources are within their reach and they choose not to utilize them. I worked as a case manager with women who would go out and buy crab meat, shrimp, t-bone steak with their food stamps and then complain they had nothing left until the first of the month. Then further go on to complain that Uncle Sam needs to give them more money. Im sorry, I can’t and will not get with that mentality. Perhaps, I should have clarified that point within the post but this is where my issues lies, with people who have no ambition or desire to get off government assistance but will make every effort to remain on it.
3. I don’t have to lead a check to check life to understand their plight. As a case manager I created budgets, taught women how to shop and use coupons while saving money so the food stamps would last through the next month. These were women receiving food stamps, TANF and in some cases SSDI. They were not working and were living on a fixed income and their budget was TIGHT. My point is that if they can learn how to do this, so can others. I am not in the business of enabling anyone. If this sounds elitist then *shrug* that’s really how the cookie crumbles in my world. As a child of a mom who was on food stamps who hustled to make things stretch, I understand, but I shouldn’t have to qualify myself as such in order to be received as someone who understands their plight.
Hope that clears things up. If not, we will have to agree to disagree.
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Mimi (1 comments.) | May 31, 2008 | Reply
I can totally agree. Everyone with any debt or money issues, whether they have financial assistance or not, should take a cold hard look in the mirror and realize that they need to make changes in their life if they want to get ahead. Doing the same stuff, eating the same expensive dishes, keeping unhealthy or expensive habits will all work to keep people back. There is absolutely no shame in accepting assistance when people need it - I did…but it wasn’t going to be my new way of life, and that’s what it’s meant to be - a help, but not something to enable people to continue in a downward pattern.
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Rory | Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
I agree with you 100% Ginger! and I get just as fired up talking about it.
Meg (13 comments.) | Jun 2, 2008 | Reply
Rock on! I got a LOT of flak for my food stamps post as well; some people just insist on calling you a poor-basher despite your efforts to clarify to the contrary. Don’t let it get you down.
It’s tough because I usually end up explaining that I DO have family members who live and/or have lived in poverty and I HAVE worked with people on food stamps or in Section 8 housing or what have you that I respect. For some reason this sometimes pacifies people, as though I should have to have that experience to justify my point of view.
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Brooke | Jun 5, 2008 | Reply
Loves it! You say it so well.