Obama: Worst President Ever? Topic

burnsy483
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Posted by MikeT23 on 2/6/2015 3:58:00 PM (view original):
Story time.   I worked the midnight shift in a convenience store when I was 19-20.   People would come in with their food stamps and buy whatever.  I had no training but I knew they couldn't buy smokes/beer.   So they'd buy a pack of gum.   Get .40 in change.   Then a candy bar, .35 in change.  And so on until they had enough to buy a pack of smokes.   Eventually, I began to say "Are you going to buy one cheap item until you have enough change for a pack of smokes?"   If their answer was "yes", I'd just take the food stamps and sell them their smokes.    People find a way around the system.
Would your response to the government be "let them buy smokes and beer with the food stamps?"
2/6/2015 4:02 PM
bad_luck
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Posted by burnsy483 on 2/6/2015 3:59:00 PM (view original):
We created new jobs by hiring "life advisers!" I don't think it's the most expensive thing in the world to do. I think it saves us money in the long run, and shows an attitude that people need to find a way to contribute to society and live on their own means. There are many people who are poor who don't know how to manage money. This will only help.

That said, let's be clear - I'm absolutely in favor of helping people who need it. We, as a society should be sympathetic to those who worked just as hard as we do, but for whatever reason, haven't had the same results in their lives. But people need to actually reach out and take the hand that's reached out to them, rather than just laying on the floor for the rest of their lives.
I agree. But restricting what the poor can buy to a gray area between, "expensive, healthy, organic food," and "cheap, unhealthy crap," doesn't get us to the goal of your last sentence.
2/6/2015 4:03 PM
MikeT23
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My response is "If they want beer and cigarettes, they will get them."
2/6/2015 4:04 PM
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burnsy483
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If you consistently buy expensive, unnecessary things with your welfare money, you may not deserve getting the money in the first place. Again, I don't care if you spend $2 a day for lunch at McDonalds. It's cheap.
2/6/2015 4:06 PM
MikeT23
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Hmmmm....moy is talking about "lasting behavior change that will get people to a better place" while burnsy is advocating feeding your face with the most unhealthy food you can find.   As long as it's cheap. 
2/6/2015 4:08 PM
burnsy483
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Yea, that's what I said.
2/6/2015 4:09 PM
MikeT23
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Posted by burnsy483 on 2/6/2015 4:06:00 PM (view original):
If you consistently buy expensive, unnecessary things with your welfare money, you may not deserve getting the money in the first place. Again, I don't care if you spend $2 a day for lunch at McDonalds. It's cheap.
"Again, I don't care if you spend $2 a day for lunch at McDonalds. It's cheap."

Yep, you sure did.   Unless you're arguing that McD's lunch menu is healthy. 
2/6/2015 4:10 PM
burnsy483
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"I don't care if you spend money on McDonalds" = "I recommend spending money on McDonalds"?
2/6/2015 4:11 PM
MikeT23
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Point being, if you want people to change their lives, health is a part of it.    Spending inexpensively and eating crap isn't going to help anyone.
2/6/2015 4:11 PM
MikeT23
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You care if they smoke but don't care if they eat the worst meals possible as long as they're cheap?

Huh?
2/6/2015 4:12 PM
burnsy483
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I care if they smoke because it's pointless, and very expensive. And yes, unhealthy, but that's not really the point.

Moy may care deeply about the health of the person on welfare. I don't need you to be in the best shape possible, but you need to get off government assistance.
2/6/2015 4:14 PM
MikeT23
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Most poor people are extremely unhealthy.     Because they make a lot of bad decisions.   Including eating a $2 meal at McD's because it's cheap so they can afford a pack of smokes.   They're doubling down on bad health. 

A healthy nation is a wealthy nation!

I may patent that catchphrase.
2/6/2015 4:16 PM
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bad_luck
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Posted by moy23 on 2/6/2015 4:05:00 PM (view original):
Posted by bad_luck on 2/6/2015 3:54:00 PM (view original):
I just don't agree. I think life is hard enough when you are so poor that you qualify for welfare. Chasing down every dollar spent is a waste of our time and, in all likelihood, changes nothing. There are much bigger fish to fry.
You are missing the point. Its not about chasing down every last dollar. Its about creating a lasting behavior change that will get people to a better place and keep them there.
Burns literally said they have to bring in receipts to account for their spending.
2/6/2015 4:18 PM
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