Reply #47: Well, to be fair [View All]

The economy right now is so bad that some folks who never thought they would need assistance are on it, and they are trying to get back to the middle of the middle class like they used to be. There were a series of articles a couple of years ago about how many people who lived fast and furious during the Clinton years are discovering that they aren't able to get the salaries they used to get, and many are having to give up their expensive homes, cars, and other luxuries just to survive.

For some of us, who are pretty poor to begin with, it can be infuriating to see these people, who always thought they were better than us, having to struggle even more and try to make ends meet. In a way, it's a bit of a "triumphant" moment, sort of like saying, "nyah, nyah" but in truth, it means that the rumors are true: the middle class is collapsing into thr "haves" and "have-nots." Pretty soon, only the rich and the poor will exist, and there will be no middle class at all. At least that's the future under a Republican regime, such as they criminals there now.

In my own case, I was getting food stamps for the past three years, while I was waiting for my disability to be approved. I was getting $149 of them, which, for a single like me, was good for the most part, and I could stock up on non-perishables and staples. However, when my disability went through, they reduced my amount to $49. And more recently, it was reduced to $29!!!! That's for the month! And I'm bringing in under $13000 a year for my disability! Of course, the amount of food stamps goes up for families greater than one, so if this woman were feeding a family of four--herself, spouse and two children, she might be taking in about $200 for stamps.

Trust me, the states look recipients over very carefully, providing they provide the honest answers, and her car might be the last vestige of a lifestyle above poverty. They don't force you to give up a home or a car when you get stamps, and they're not counted as part of income.