NY food stamp recipients are shipping welfare-funded groceries to relatives in Jamaica, Dominican Re

Originally posted by jude11
While I see your point that it's fraud, I have to see the other side as well.

People in Haiti are much more in need in many cases. I have to say that if I were in their shoes and found a way to feed my family like this I would do it.

A decision to feed family is a no-brainer.

Peace

Breaking the rules, the law, cheating the system and lying may be typical liberal methods of getting their way, but it is still wrong. Your desired outcome DOES NOT justify the means. All of you bleeding-hearts need to realize that there is such a thing as right and wrong. Lying, cheating and stealing is wrong. Regardless of the end result.

The worst type of people in this world are the liars.

reply to post by NOTurTypical


Right. It's also welfare fraud for food stamp participants to share in a multi-family meal at Christmas, Thanksgiving or the sharing of a birthday cake purchased with food stamp.

Geez, go ahead and have a fit about people sharing food stamp food with the hungry. You go ahead and do your part and report it when you see it. I'm sure there's a special place in heaven for people that do.

Originally posted by windword
reply to post by NOTurTypical

 

Right. It's also welfare fraud for food stamp participants to share in a multi-family meal at Christmas, Thanksgiving or the sharing of a birthday cake purchased with food stamp.

Geez, go ahead and have a fit about people sharing food stamp food with the hungry. You go ahead and do your part and report it when you see it. I'm sure there's a special place in heaven for people that do.

I'm not going to apologize for taking a stand against fraud. And I don't have a problem with a family doing a chip in a couple times a year for the holidays. I have a problem with a person applying for assistance that they say they need to survive and not using that assistance for the pretense the said when applying. That is theft and deceit.

reply to post by NOTurTypical


Yep. That is. But we don't know that is case with the barrels of rice and beans that were collected over months, to be sent to Jamaica. It could easily be a cooperative action of families accumulating small bags of rice and beans month by month, until they had enough to make a difference.

reply to post by NOTurTypical


There's a big difference between this entitlement program in particular which is funded by the people to be used by the people when needed, and useless foreign wars that are funded by creating debt. Almost every dollar provided by food benefit programs goes back into our economy. Buy food with the money, the store makes money from the sale, the store buys more food, the company sells more food and makes money from the sale, the company delivers more food, etc. Do you also want me to go into how it creates jobs? It's simple to understand. Train soldiers to kill and send them away, buy bullets, have them kill someone, make nothing back, buy more bullets, kill more people, get nothing back, buy bombs, destroy cities, get nothing back, rebuild those destroyed cities, get nothing back.

You continuously get nothing in return for these wars while food benefit programs keep 10's of billions of dollars moving throughout the economy. Entitlement programs like Food Stamps are great for the economy and the country regardless of whether or not the food is going into the belly of the person being provided the benefits.

reply to post by windword


And I don't have any problem with people doing that on their own dime. I don't agree with it being done fraudulently when and where it is being done in that manner.

reply to post by FidelityMusic


Careful. You can apply the same logic to companies like Boeing, Lockheed, and General Dynamics and the civilian contractors who go in after a war for rebuilding efforts. The same argument could be applied to the military industrial complex and the families of the people employed therein. I wouldn't make that argument.

reply to post by NOTurTypical


Please apply it for me. I'd love to know how they play out identical to each other.

reply to post by neo96


this is absolutely true. I currently work in the heart of it in NYC. This has been going on for some time now. mostly its hatians and dominicans that do this.

the EBT cards are the biggest scam too. Everyone has one here.....its like a right of passage. Everyone just puts their hand out and gets it regardless of their need for it or not. then they spend 100 dollars a week on lotto or 200 on booze and parties.......sick.

Originally posted by NavyDoc

Originally posted by KnowledgeSeeker81

Originally posted by NavyDoc

Originally posted by KnowledgeSeeker81
reply to post by GrantedBail

 

Actually quite to the contrary I am one that can speak volumes on this. Currently I am starting my own business, as a direct competitor to a nation-wide large company. I'm doing this on a fast-food managers salary. I'm taking business from this large company, soon I will start employing people myself. Why? Because I am giving everything to this.

I also have been near homeless, and myself applied for government benefits years ago. I got approved the same week I got a job, yea a fast-food mcdonalds type job. I bought myself one weeks worth of groceries, called the welfare department and told them I'm employed now and don't need help. I stuck with my crappy job and was the best and most motivated employee I could be. My crappy fast-food job promoted me.

Now years later through hard work and dedication I am becoming my own boss. The entire time I was struggling, I was paying for others struggling who didn't try. I had/have the determination to SURVIVE in general, and the yearn to always pursue greater things. It's not my fault nor burden to support those not willing to try.

And, if your hard work and wise decisions make you successful, you will transform into the "evil, underserving, selfish, exploitive, wealthy."

You have no idea who I am or the kind of person I am, or what success will or will not make me. Think about that before passing premature judgement.

I apologize if you misunderstood. What I said was a bit of sarcasm directed at those who want to tax and penalize success...the type of people who think that you don't deserve your success and should be taxed more. I thought putting those comments in parenthesis would get that point across, but alas, sometimes things don't translate well on an internet forum.

IMHO, it seems that you worked your ass off and deserve any and all your success and no one has the right to say you don't deserve it.

Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it I sincerely apologize too, I didn't catch the sarcasm and became a bit defensive. Normally that's not my nature, so very sorry for that.

Here's what I've gathered so far from this thread, not A SINGLE person yet has stated they are against helping those in need. However, it's the means of helping some people are against, and rightfully so. I'm seeing a common thing from people saying it's ok, it's not a big deal, it's small potatoes, then they reference our tax dollars used wrongfully in global warfare. You all have a point there, but you ALL are missing the bigger picture.

This IS small potatoes, along with SEVERAL other issues. How many small potatoes until it becomes a sack of potatoes. These "small potatoes" "no big deal" issues BUY votes. How can we as a country EVER make a change when so many people have the it's not a big deal mentality? It IS a big deal, it's these things that keep the people making those global wars in power. People receiving and ABUSING these programs are in fact the ones voting in these corrupt politicians. They fear of losing these benefits by voting outside the box, for a greater change. Do you think for a second that if the next president elected was an independent party these benefits would disappear? No way, they unfortunately are vital to our countries infrastructure.

Here's the thing though, many minorities and immigrants receiving these benefits believe whole-heartedly these benefits would have disappeared had they not voted for Obama. See how it's not such a small issue now?

Here is a specific case of that which still burns me to this day,
A couple years or so ago a sweet middle aged Mexican lady worked at my job. She was not here illegally, she applied for working rights here and was approved, beyond which she got them extended, and was actively seeking full citizenship. She spoke fluent English, and was vocal about not liking illegal immigrants and what they do here. She was your ideal Mexican-American immigrant. She even had a second job to support her family, ideal!!! Though as some time went by she was let go from her other job due to downsizing. This is where this story takes a turn, for a very ugly worse. Within a weeks time frame 3 things happened that completely changed my opinion of her, she asked if she could use me as a reference when looking for a new job, I said of course, she was an ideal employee. She said, ok but they will ask about Maria instead of Lupe. I asked why, she told me it's because she works under a different identity at that job so she can keep her benefits. WHAT! I had no idea she was even receiving benefits. Later that week she called me and asked if I could lie and tell her caseworker she was working less hours at this job, again in fear of losing part/all benefits.

Later, I asked her why she was doing this, and after a bit of conversation we ended up on the election and Obama. She told me directly that she was afraid that if Obama didn't win, the government would take all benefits away from everyone. She told me everyone she knows on benefits (largely immigrants) feared the same. She then told me that she actually voted for Obama under BOTH identities! She voted TWICE. All in fear of losing these precious benefits.

So think when you say that these things are not a big deal, they help someone in need. They ARE a big deal. Corruption in these programs keeps those votes coming in for all those corrupt politicians. Again, not one single person in this thread has been against foreign aid, but it seems only a few truly understand what these things do o us all. Wake up, smell the coffee and see the bigger picture.

Originally posted by windword

UPDATED: Nevada Health Dept Raids Private Organic Picnic: Cited "Food a Biohazard"

A private picnic was raided. Veggies grown on an organic farm and organic meat certified in Utah, had to be thrown away and covered with bleach to prevent it from being fed to pigs.

So after a little looking into this, it wasn't a private event, but in fact a public pay to attend event, in other words...a restaurant. Looking into everything yes I agree that the health department was completely out of line and "Susan" the supervisor was being irrational, especially considering she was not even there to witness it. However, food safety standards really must be met in this kind of occurrence. These events happen all the time, and you never hear about the downside because the people follow food safety standards. The reason the health department would inspect and "shut down" such an event is because the food was deemed unsafe for public consumption. If they don't inspect and act like this they open themselves up to a law suit if even one person were to get sick from the food.

What is a nice read is the fact that the police came and kicked the health department out.

reply to post by KnowledgeSeeker81


That wasn't an isolated event. It's a trend.

Raids Against America's Small Farms

reply to post by windword


I didn't look further than the link you originally provided. That specific event was not a group of farmers getting together sharing their food, it was an open to the public, pay to attend event, although they call it a "picnic". I've never paid to attend a picnic. There's almost always 2 sides to a story, don't believe the first information you read about things. Look further into them, there is always more.

We are getting off topic though, if you want to discuss that make a thread and I'll gladly participate.


To stay on topic, what is your opinion about these assistance programs buying votes for these corrupt officials in office? Should we look the other way in the means of humanity? Even if it means keeping corrupt politicians in office?

i have a question for all those who think there is nothing wrong with the fraud perpetrated as these people send food stamp food to other countries, as they are "only doing it to help their needy families abroad".

this is a situation that happened at the store i used to work at. one of my co-worker's wives was caught shoplifting one night. when the police entered their home they found one SKID of goods ready to be shipped back to their family in their native country, while another SKID was about half full. ALL of this was STOLEN PRODUCTS, food, clothing, baby needs etc. it was claimed that it was for their "poor" family back home to help support, cloth and FEED them. so i take it you think that not ONLY that they should not have been sent to jail, but that they should be CONGRATULATED for finding a clever way to "help" out their poor family back home? that because their stated cause was full of GOOD INTENTIONS and was to HELP "struggling" family overseas that what they did should not ONLY be EXCUSED but APPLAUDED as well? and that the stores they STOLE from should have just let them continue doing it?

IT IS THE SAME THING. theft is theft. except when it comes to food stamps it is STEALING from EVERYONE ELSE, it is taking money that could be used to help others within the country. is it right that someone in the US should go without so that a "family member" in another country with it's OWN government that should be helping them out can live better?

i was once in a position where i NEEDED ASSISTANCE, but i didn't qualify due to the fact i had some luck and was able to have free lodging due to "house sitting" for an extended time while my parents were out of the country. and due to my "lodging" being worth more than they would give me (this counted as income to them), i was out of luck, soon to be out of food, soon to have my power cut off. when i inquired as to WHY i could NOT BE HELPED i was told that there is only so much money and as sorry as they were other people needed it more than me. so you ARE SAYING THAT IT IS FINE FOR THESE PEOPLE TO SEND THE MONEY TO THEIR FAMILIES IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY WHILE LEAVING THEIR OWN PEOPLE TO STARVE BECAUSE THEIR FAMILIES ARE MORE IMPORTANT? this is what you are indeed saying when you find no problem with this THEFT of money meant to buy food for needy people in one country and send that food to another country. you people are truly sick i would love to see how you feel if you were made to do without food because of the rampant fraud like this there was NO MONEY TO HELP YOU IN A TIME OF NEED.

NYC welfare food is shipped in barrels to the Dominican Republic - then sold on the black market

Food-stamp fraud in New York has turned into foreign aid — to black-market profiteers in the Dominican Republic.
www.nypost.com...
Last week, The Post revealed how New Yorkers on welfare are buying food with their benefit cards and shipping it in blue barrels to poor relatives in the Caribbean.

But not everyone is giving the taxpayer-funded fare to starving children abroad. The Post last week found two people hawking barrels of American products for a profit on the streets of Santiago.

And the food-stamp fraud doesn’t stop there. She said her sister has Bronx grocers ring up bogus $250 transactions with her EBT card.

In exchange, the stores hand her $200 cash and pocket the rest. No goods are exchanged. Instead, Maria-Teresa’s sister sends the money to Santiago — when she’s not spending it on liquor or other nonfood items.

“We do it all the time, and a lot of people do this,” Maria-Teresa said. “It’s a way of laundering money, but it’s easier because it’s free.”