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quaker bill

(8,244 posts)

82. Sure, a scattered few abuse the system

Tue Apr 5, 2016, 04:54 AM

Apr 2016

First there is simply not enough money involved for this to amount to much.

That said the big data powered by the use of the EBT system makes for easy reporting of "scandal". It is the low hanging fruit of government "waste, fraud, and abuse", and there is an industry in the media for this sort of reporting. This industrial reportage relies on simple storylines that are easy to uncover and document, and can be explained in few words. "Poor person buying $100 of lobster" is way easier to document and report than "defense contractor wasting $100 million on defective..."

I would wager and easily win a bet that the dollars being flushed in waste at DOD every year vastly exceeds the entire budget for social benefits for the poor, nearly all of which is properly used.

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The double-standard of making the poor prove they’re worthy of government benefits [View all] gollygee Apr 2016 OP

k and r dembotoz Apr 2016 #1

Do not tell me Bernie's candidacy has no impact on the discussion du jur angstlessk Apr 2016 #2

WaPO,is the Paper of the 1%ers. Wellstone ruled Apr 2016 #3

I did not know so I checked and it's actually not a rare topic gollygee Apr 2016 #4

The WP is an excellent newspaper that has long covered topics such as poverty, Nitram Apr 2016 #9

I now have to agree... angstlessk Apr 2016 #10

I think they get confused sometimes around here... Wounded Bear Apr 2016 #25

Agreed, Washington Times and the New York Post angstlessk Apr 2016 #26

K&R silvershadow Apr 2016 #5

I asked an agent about this at our local public assistance office Orrex Apr 2016 #6

i hope there were others hopemountain Apr 2016 #13

We need to drug-test the people who approve the forms ... eppur_se_muova Apr 2016 #17

+1 n/t warrprayer Apr 2016 #71

Getting the middle class to attack the poor instead of the rich is a winning strategy Major Nikon Apr 2016 #7

+1 daleanime Apr 2016 #20

+2 classykaren Apr 2016 #40

+1 n/t Nevernose Apr 2016 #44

The small number that abuse the system get the press and encourage more restrictions. FLPanhandle Apr 2016 #8

This is a well established MSM propaganda tactic. Dustlawyer Apr 2016 #45

I "love" the hot coffee lawsuit logic of tort reformers. "but she spilled coffee" - "yes but it was MillennialDem Apr 2016 #50

^^^This^^^n/t Gormy Cuss Apr 2016 #64

It's not as if right wing hatred of the poor is rooted in any sort of common sense... MrScorpio Apr 2016 #11

It makes sens to the Right Wingers Algernon Moncrieff Apr 2016 #66

"jump thru hoops" redruddyred Apr 2016 #75

A divisive tactic used to take even more away from the poor...feeds into stereotypes as well. Jefferson23 Apr 2016 #12

K&R Solly Mack Apr 2016 #14

If Ms Badger Needs to Invoke Masalow's Hierarchy: On the Road Apr 2016 #15

No, sounds like she's working hard.... daleanime Apr 2016 #21

K&R Paka Apr 2016 #16

Regarding the first ... eppur_se_muova Apr 2016 #18

Every white suburbanite has an anecdote Algernon Moncrieff Apr 2016 #19

Sorry, this is as offensive as anything. Socal31 Apr 2016 #27

YMMV Algernon Moncrieff Apr 2016 #28

Blanket an entire race of people... Socal31 Apr 2016 #29

I have no idea where you normally see anything Algernon Moncrieff Apr 2016 #31

You know exactly what I mean. Socal31 Apr 2016 #32

"Good Day?" It's between 8:30 and 12:30. The continental US is covered in darkness. Algernon Moncrieff Apr 2016 #33

If it helps I've seen Suburbanites of color that are just as bad, I've lived poor Dragonfli Apr 2016 #55

As a white suburbanite ProfessorPlum Apr 2016 #43

By "every" I really meant "a large majority" Algernon Moncrieff Apr 2016 #56

I knew exactly what you meant ProfessorPlum Apr 2016 #58

And the point was that these legends play direcly to what the OP is saying Algernon Moncrieff Apr 2016 #62

Stop trying to quantify it based on anecdotes. Gormy Cuss Apr 2016 #67

"Every" seemed simpler than the more accurate "disturbingly pervasive" Algernon Moncrieff Apr 2016 #70

Yep, I've heard that stuff for years treestar Apr 2016 #79

I'd pretend it's offensive too if my agenda required as much LanternWaste Apr 2016 #61

Sorry, it's way less offensive. Gormy Cuss Apr 2016 #65

I just regard them as Republican Anecdotal Conveniences: HughBeaumont Apr 2016 #46

Yes, I've heard all of them Algernon Moncrieff Apr 2016 #51

OH THAT too!! HughBeaumont Apr 2016 #63

this list is perfect and very familiar ProfessorPlum Apr 2016 #57

Which was never... scscholar Apr 2016 #77

My point, exactly ProfessorPlum Apr 2016 #78

this should be its own OP, by the way ProfessorPlum Apr 2016 #59

K&R rpannier Apr 2016 #22

I say we subject CEOs to drug screenings before they get our money. Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2016 #23

HELL, every congressman who serves at the state or fed level should be drug tested FlatBaroque Apr 2016 #53

Lots of straw men and red herrings. Igel Apr 2016 #24

So if a poor person gets a gift and pays rent with that gift and then uses his food card JDPriestly Apr 2016 #37

this is equally stupid redruddyred Apr 2016 #76

Turns out the guy who used food stamps to buy lobster... Human101948 Apr 2016 #41

I can guarantee this CA lobster guy was a James O'Keefe type plant... Human101948 Apr 2016 #42

Hmm. davidthegnome Apr 2016 #69

One of the best posts I've ever read on DU in all my 15 years. Avalon Sparks Apr 2016 #80

Sure, a scattered few abuse the system quaker bill Apr 2016 #82

K&R... spanone Apr 2016 #30

Tax breaks need to be replaced with subsidies and grants. It would be more honest and simpler Bernardo de La Paz Apr 2016 #34

K&R. JDPriestly Apr 2016 #35

Wherever homeless are giving FREE HOUSING, overall costs go down a lot. Bernardo de La Paz Apr 2016 #36

Thank you. There are no hard and fast rules, but simply giving housing to the homeless JDPriestly Apr 2016 #38

Drug testing is a scam. blackspade Apr 2016 #39

I would say it's a scam at work and should be illegal as well. I don't use drugs, so the only MillennialDem Apr 2016 #49

Line of "what we don't do" is more blurred than you think? lostnfound Apr 2016 #47

Interesting. So when the economy tanks and there is a huge recession, ProfessorPlum Apr 2016 #60

Because if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes true. The poor are spending their MillennialDem Apr 2016 #48

Most poor people cannabis_flower Apr 2016 #52

PAY PEOPLE ENOUGH SO THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR BENEFITS hollowdweller Apr 2016 #54

Like Skeletor's drug testing in FL Doctor_J Apr 2016 #68

Teachings of Christianity. If someone is a victim, they are somehow at fault for their own Amimnoch Apr 2016 #72

The rich get more welfare dollarwise, they need daily drug testing. Dont call me Shirley Apr 2016 #73

surprised to see this from WaPo redruddyred Apr 2016 #74

Excellent Liberal_in_LA Apr 2016 #81