Should people on welfare, be allowed to have a home computer and access the Internet, have pets, buy lottery,?

Question

alcohol, soda pop, potato chips, and other non essential items on the tax payer? Or is it their check their choice and it is us who are the dumb ones for working hard for what we have?

Answer 1

If you can afford a computer, the Internet, lottery tickets alcohol etc. why are you on welfare. Welfare should be for the essential things, roof over head, food, lights water heat alone. I know a lot of hard working Americans that can't afford to have a computer Internet or lottery tickets much less buy alcohol. So why should their tax dollars pay for people on welfare to have what they can't afford.

Answer 2

Because you cannot shut people off from the world. Doing such would be pure control by the government, and that is unacceptable. Some folks need help, but then they also need to pay back the government for the money they borrowed. I was on welfare once, years ago, because I left my abusive husband, and needed to support my child, until I could do it myself. I did that. I had a computer, previous to leaving my husband, so is it that you think the government should have confiscated it from me? Do you think I should have just not had it? I payed for it. I have known a few people with computers, who were on welfare, and none of them got the taxpayer to pay for it, they all already had them. A person on welfare can't afford to buy a computer.
The thing about the potato chips is really off-handed, don't you think? What is wrong with anyone getting a potato chip? I wouldn't call that a luxury.

I agree with another person who asked, "How far will you take it?"

Answer 3

here in FL there ARE limitations as to what can be purchased using an EBT card (Electronic Benefit Transfer...aka FoodStamps or Cash Assistance.)

As for your other views... during a short time when I was on assistance (following a messy divorce) I DID have a home computer and internet. I was using it to take college courses so i could have a better career and make the money i needed to. A friend of mine (who is currently getting assistance) has a computer and intenet also. She works nights, so having the ability to do things online (during hours when most places are closed), such as paying bills, buying kids the items they need, etc. is a HUGE help.

I guess my point is, don't assume that all people abuse the system. There are good reasons to have those things even if you are on gov't assitance.

As for the food regulations... you can't buy alchohol, tobacco, or already cooked items (liked the fried chicken form the deli, etc.). When I was on assistance i DID buy some things YOU would consider to be "non essential" but I had my reasons. I continued to get the kids the items they were used to, simply because i did not want them to feel that they had to suffer because of the divorce.

Just to note also. I think the system is quite flawed. All these illegal immigrants are mooching off of us taxpayers, and me... a citizen, who is a single mom working FT at $11/hr makes too much money to get any aide. My bring home is $365/wk and daycare alone is $165/wk. do the math- its not enough. I just dont see how thats right..... BUT... i make it work. i have to, right? :)

Answer 4

Good question, it all depends on each individual situation.

For example, if the person has had a bad run of luck, their spouse cheated on them or left them, they were in an abusive relationship, etc then I have no problem with helping them get back on their feet and rebuilding their life, provided they have a good history of working hard, keeping a job and being a reliable provider.

Now if they are amongst the many lazy people who use welfare as endless income, then of course not, that's an easy decision. Being from Massachusetts originally, I was around when that idiotic clown Michael dupukis screwed up out state into the abyss and economic oblivion and instituted welfare for the dregs of humanity and many illegals that were told when they got off the plane to come to Holyoke Mass, particularly hispanics.

It took the efforts and moxie of the great former Governor Bill Weld to cleanup our state and reduce or in some cases end welfare altogether. In a matter of a few years I witnessed the state and my area going from looking like an open air market in beirut to being restored to an area of respectability, resembling the great town I once knew as a child.

Welfare reform certainly needs to be enacted. We cannot afford as a nation to have this liberal open check policy for everyone, because too many people abuse it openly. The bleeding heart libs can adopt this mentality because they NEVER have to pay for it, but the rest of us who still care about what's left of our once great country do and we all lose when liberalism wins.

Answer 5

First of all, we need to remember that NOT ALL people on welfare are trying to work the system. With that said...

I say they should. The government may be helping them out but once the check is in their hands it's theirs. Welfare has actually split some things up - they now have a debit card for groceries which can't be used to buy tobacco or alcohol and it's a separate amount from the check they receive so not all of their money is spent one way or another.

People on welfare are still people too and should be allowed to spend their money as they see fit. Of course some don't spend it the way they should but that doesn't give us the right to judge all based on the few. People on welfare have children who may have school assignments that need to be done on the computer. Or it may be an older person that has a pet for companionship because they don't have anyone else. And shoot, if they win the lottery then they won't be on the governments payroll anymore anyway!

I grew up on welfare. My mom is disabled and got both medicaid and welfare for the 2 of us because my dad decided to dodge child support. You can't judge a book by it's cover.....

Answer 6

You know, I know a couple like that and it really annoys me.
First off, they bought a home, had four kids, because her comment was "hell, I don't have to pay a dime for them, so what the heck, I'm going to keep having them."

She works for her mom and gets paid cash.
He works for a construction company and gets paid half cash, half in a check.

They have three dogs which none of them have rabies tags or updated shots.
Fairly new cars that they bought from a buy here, pay here.
All updated electronics in their home.

They smoke pot, drink beer, have Internet, and go on vacation.

Here we work hard, pay our taxes, do the "right" thing, whatever that may be, buy our own homes, take care of our animals, and yet there are many people out there that abuse the system.

I think that Social Services should have a drug testing to all that are on welfare and to follow up unannounced periodically.

I am not saying that ALL people that are on welfare use drugs, but they should check their living arrangements, and what kind of alcohol and anything else they use.

My poor brother, 49 who was in an accident, could not return back to work, rents his home, had no medical insurance, because it was too high, asked for help and they turned him down because he had NO children, was NOT over 60, and was NOT an IMMIGRANT. How does one survive on just unemployment that was less than $200 a month? Rent, food, medical bills ect.

Answer 7

They should be able to have a computer and Internet access. This will help them increase their education, and find a job so they can get off of welfare and give back to the society that has taken care of them while on welfare. Welfare is meant to be a hand up not a hand out. Once welfare becomes a hand out it should be removed from available services.

While Bush was Governor of Texas he put a 5 year limit on welfare. I think that was a good thing. It ensured that welfare recipients went to college or got some kind of training to help them get off of the rolls.

Answer 8

In a free market economy there will always be unemployment and people can end up out of a job through no fault of their own. If a place closes down I believe that society has a duty to help people out while they are looking for a new job. What are you suggesting, that they should be allowed to starve? if that was the case then nearly 50 million Americans would have starved during the 1930's. Of course people on welfare should be allowed to have a comfortable life. However, I do believe that people who claim benefits and have no intention of finding employment should have their benefits stopped

Answer 9

I would have to say no to alcohol.As for the computer, i would be willing to allow thme to have one as long as they used it to either find a job, or get an online degree. But not to scew around on my space or downloading porn.

Of course if I had it my way, I'd have everyone on welfare drafted into the military. This would kill two birds with one stone. They would all have jobs and Bush can have his force increase in Iraq.

My idea may notbe fair, but it's not fair that I have to work two full time jobs to make ends meet, while some people sit on thier a s s e s all day getting a free hand out.

Answer 10

So now you are going to tell free people what they can and cannot do? That smacks of dictatorship. I don't like it any more than you do but they want a quality of life as good as possible and if that stuff gives them a sense of quality of life then they need that. Perhaps the answer is to set up commissaries for them. They get a card only good at the commissary which does not carry pet food, candy, gum, junk food, soda or anything that doesn't constitute quality food for actual meals. What they buy in that commisary is their business. There would also be no alcoholic beverages nor tobacco products of any kind sold in the commissary.

For those who have a supermarket on their block they could get free trasportation to the commissary once a week.

Other than the commissary method I don't see anything we can do. It is still a free country and we give them money to survive on. How they choose to spend it is their's to make.

Currently, by the way, they cannot buy alcohol with food stamps.

Answer 11

I don't think they are allowed to purchase some of the items with food stamps. If having a computer betters their skills and will help for future employment then I'm all for it. Concerning the lottery if they ever did win they would have to pay back the money they received for assistance in the past...