I'm pretty friendly with the folks at my regular supermarket....they're good people and I enjoy our little comic banter we share on my weekly visits; they always seem happy to see me, which is really a morale-booster.
One day, about a day before the new month was set to arrive, I was kidding around with the dude in the cold cuts/cheese/bacon aisle about all the boxes crowding it and saying he needed to speed it up a bit so I could get through. He said, 'I'm just getting it all stocked up, cuz the first 3 days are the busiest days of the month here'. I asked him why that was....he said 'Because of the food stamp folks'. Turns out that their 'food cards' get replenished at the beginning of every month (something I was unaware of, as the only time I ever had assistance from the state was back when they were still issuing 'food STAMPS'). Thesedays, it's a 'debit card' situation. A bit less humiliating, I'll agree.
After he informed me of the 3 magic days....I made sure to pay attention the next time I was in the store during that time. Sure as shit, everyone who was on assistance had their carts full of big family-packs of meats, huge blocks of cheeses, 4 or 5 gallons of milk, loaves and loaves of bread and all the other things you might consider 'staples'. The carts were filled to the rim and I noticed a lot of the meat wasn't ground beef, but more like steaks, chops, ribs and roasts. Must be nice.
Now, I can't get too judgemental here (but, I will anyway), because I've been on state food assistance before when my first child was just tiny and then again when my 2nd child came around. I'll tell you the difference between my usage of the 'system' and what I see going on all around me when it comes to things like that:
Here in Nevada, your child is eligible for WIC until they are 5. I did take advantage of that with my first child (using it from age 3 to age 5), as I was going through a divorce and my support hadn't been established yet from my ex. Once I informed the state of my impending child support order, they adjusted my 'benefits' accordingly (i.e. - lowered them). With my second child, which was also my 2nd marriage, we were hitting hard times and needed the help once more. However, when my husband's job picked up and we were in a better financial situation, I opted out of WIC permanently; our son was only 5 months old. It just didn't feel right accepting those vouchers when I knew I could afford the groceries ....and knowing there were other families out there that needed the help more than I did at the time.
Here's where my exception roles in: THESEDAYS, when I see people using their state benefits (the actual regular food card, not WIC) to buy groceries, there's usually at least 3 kids in tow and one 'in the oven' of the women/families in line to swipe their benefits card. This is where I have the problem. Now, if they've recently come into hard times and need the state's help, I'm FINE with that. However, this is not usually the case. People who can't support the kids they ALREADY have are going ahead and popping more out, with the knowledge that the state will adjust their benefits (raise them) accordingly for each new mouth. That's just flat-out bullshit.
I don't care what your beliefs are regarding 'being fruitful and multiplying' if you can support your own offspring. But if you're gonna 'get busy' and spit kids out like Pez dispensers, knowing that the rest of us are picking up the tab, you're a fucking criminal (in my eyes).
In a perfect world (yeah, right) benefits would DECREASE with the birth of a new child if you're currently on assitance. Let's go a step further and make birth-control mandatory if you are not able to support the kids you've already got and are being supported by the state. This world isn't in danger of the human population dying out from lack of reproduction, so the 'be fruitful and multiply thing is (as are all other bible suggestions) useless, ignorant, dangerous and selfish.
Those of us who are working and paying into the system that these other folks abuse quite readily are fortunate if we are able to put ribs and steaks and roasts into our carts. I don't know about you, but I have to find new and interesting ways to use ground beef half the fucking time. Everything else is a perk!
By the way, I'm not speaking from any political view or racial bias here. I see the abuses going on in ALL parties and by ALL races. I'm not willing to feed your children when you're not willing to STOP HAVING THEM.
