James:
Here in Michigan Food Stamps are paid electronically to each person’s account. The recipients are then issued a card to pay for their purchases. The card has a picture of the Mackinac Bridge on the front so they are referred to as “Bridge Cards.”
The Mogambo Guru’s Stamp of Idiocy article states that over 40 million people receive Food Stamps. This is scary to think about. But a few of my observations makes one wonder how many people actually deserve the benefits.
When I picked my daughter up from school last month both my wife and I were appalled at the amount of food that was being thrown out. The dumpster was full of frozen food. When I asked my daughter about this she said many of the girls are very wasteful with food because they purchase the food with their “Bridge Card.” Our daughter said she was one of the few girls there who did not receive Food Stamps.
When I went to a local supermarket last week I noticed many people paying for their purchases with their “Bridge Cards” They were buying expensive processed food and even cases of bottled water. I have also seen people pay with their “Bridge Card” then pull out cash to pay for alcohol and cigarettes since these items cannot be purchased with the card. I was [in the queue] behind one person who paid with a “Bridge Card” and when I went to the parking lot I could not help but notice that they were driving a newer sport utility vehicle.
I also know friends whose children are receiving Food Stamp benefits, many of these children have not worked for years and are doing nothing to look for employment or acquire additional training or education. My cousin’s son has a “Bridge Card”. He dropped out of high school, is 35 years old, lives at [his parent’s] home, does not work, and has had two children with two different girlfriends.
Yes, the economy in Michigan is bad, but there sure is a lot of waste in the Food Stamp program and in my opinion many people are receiving the benefits that are not even making the slightest effort to take care of themselves. – Mark G.