Under Obama, 10.7 Million More Use Food Stamps—A 32 Percent Jump

a reply to: Aazadan

THANK-YOU very much for that thorough explanation of how "Food Stamps" work, Aazadan. It's interesting how it varies from state-to-state.

I remember Chicago hoochie-mamas moving to Milwaukee to get superior benefits up there. (About 2001) Then Scott Walker became governor of Wisconsin, changed some formula, which made them migrate back to Chicago.

a reply to: shooterbrody

This is the real rub.

Refinery capacity in the US is set up to refine sour crude from Mexico and Canada. Sweet Light Crude is what we produce in most of our country, in direct competition with OPEC. The refining capacity of OPEC customers is geared towards sweet light.

We cannot refine our own oil. Which is a ridiculous problem to have. Our local refinery had a propane explosion a few years ago, and it caused a near $1 spike in national gas prices.

Won't even get into the bottlenecks driven by us having so much oil refined in Oklahoma.

originally posted by: JimChino
If this doesn't make you sick and explain why the non ghetto electorate chose trump as their next president you might be a democrat.

How so?

Are you inferring that people on Food Stamps voted for Trump?

Or that people on Food Stamps voted Democrat?

What do you consider "non ghetto electorate"?

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

This is the real rub.

I agree.
With a new administration I expect to see new pipeline projects, refineries, and power production facilities. Those are actually "infrastructure projects" so recently popular to discuss.
Taking the old "dirty" ones offline and building replacements would provide a decent amount of energy jobs.

But hey who needs good jobs right?

a reply to: shooterbrody

my youngest son graduates trade school in may with some welding certs. It'll be a great time for him to enter the market as a welder.

originally posted by: DAVID64
a reply to: CB328

He had 8 years to create jobs and you guys still blame Bush. He crushed business and no amount of "blame Bush" is going to excuse that.

Yes it does, partially. But it's neither here nor there now. Let's play a game called President David. This is now YOUR problem, buster. Fix this economy, we need jobs! How do you create jobs now to replace everything that's been shipped overseas and run into the annals of history due to tech advances? Hold a gun to CEOs' heads and demand they make new US-only positions? Sure, that might work in some screwed up alternate universe, but what could possibly be enough of an incentive in this one for them do actually do so?

Regardless of what people think, no, the president doesn't have this kind of power. He can't snap his fingers and make jobs appear on a whim. He can't make companies do what he wants on a dime. You're looking at the House & Senate for that. THEY work with the special interest groups that hammer out these deals that make it hand-rubbingly good to go overseas on the cheap. The pre-existing loopholes were cooked up by people you aren't acknowledging here. This is where it's partially Bush's fault. Partially. Congressmen & Senators also are owed blame, and most of it.

Had there been either some common sense on their part or a degree of presidential intervention a decade + ago, today wouldn't be quite so bad off, nor so hard to reverse. That "pre-existing" part is a bitch. Can't just scrap stuff as you see fit, Murica doesn't work that way.
The loopholes either have to expire, of being actively overturned. Like any fat cat bastard in DC is going to do that, between self interests and lobbyists, you're screwed. They win at your expense. The idea of the president having the power to restructure these laws is laughable at best. He's outnumbered. His veto is useless, a majority vote to override him overriding them just says "Yeah, we heard, STFU."

You want this country to change economically? Start barking up the proper tree. Go after the jackasses ruining it from Capitol Hill. All the power to change things lies there, not the Oval Office.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

That is true. Skilled workers are hard to come by it seems these days. Not everything is done by computer.

originally posted by: Nyiah

originally posted by: DAVID64
a reply to: CB328

He had 8 years to create jobs and you guys still blame Bush. He crushed business and no amount of "blame Bush" is going to excuse that.

Yes it does, partially. But it's neither here nor there now. Let's play a game called President David. This is now YOUR problem, buster. Fix this economy, we need jobs! How do you create jobs now to replace everything that's been shipped overseas and run into the annals of history due to tech advances? Hold a gun to CEOs' heads and demand they make new US-only positions? Sure, that might work in some screwed up alternate universe, but what could possibly be enough of an incentive in this one for them do actually do so?

Regardless of what people think, no, the president doesn't have this kind of power. He can't snap his fingers and make jobs appear on a whim. He can't make companies do what he wants on a dime. You're looking at the House & Senate for that. THEY work with the special interest groups that hammer out these deals that make it hand-rubbingly good to go overseas on the cheap. The pre-existing loopholes were cooked up by people you aren't acknowledging here. This is where it's partially Bush's fault. Partially. Congressmen & Senators also are owed blame, and most of it.

Had there been either some common sense on their part or a degree of presidential intervention a decade + ago, today wouldn't be quite so bad off, nor so hard to reverse. That "pre-existing" part is a bitch. Can't just scrap stuff as you see fit, Murica doesn't work that way.
The loopholes either have to expire, of being actively overturned. Like any fat cat bastard in DC is going to do that, between self interests and lobbyists, you're screwed. They win at your expense. The idea of the president having the power to restructure these laws is laughable at best. He's outnumbered. His veto is useless, a majority vote to override him overriding them just says "Yeah, we heard, STFU."

You want this country to change economically? Start barking up the proper tree. Go after the jackasses ruining it from Capitol Hill. All the power to change things lies there, not the Oval Office.

YEEESSSSSSSSS. AMEN!

originally posted by: Indigo5
IMO - Appalachia and the south need NEW industry...and it will require gov. tax breaks and subsidies to encourage manufacturing arms of tech companies to set up shop there. It is geographically inconvenient and will need some serious carrots, but it is worth incentivizing. Aerospace contracts, New Energy (Solar Panels and Batteries) and the like...I just don't see a conservative gov. being able to commit to that.

I live in Appalachia, right in coal country. If you look at a map and see the point where West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky all meet... that's where I am. From my apartment it's literally 3 blocks to be in Kentucky and 4 to be in West Virginia.

We used to have a lot of industry here. There's a railroad hub and it's right at a joint for two rivers. However, these days we have no river shipping, not even a port. We don't actually even have a single dock to the river (either of them). We have rail but they just pass through. Nothing ever stays. No imports, no exports.

There used to be steel in the area, but the iron mines are dry and the coal mining has disappeared. Those jobs aren't returning. I think the two best ways to revitalize our area are tech and natural gas. Natural gas has a lot of crossover with coal, and it puts the miners back to work. Tech is harder, we have a severe brain drain issue in the area, but we also have a very low CoL which has brought in some companies (including tech). They can offer lower wages (but still fantastic for the area), the employees get relatively large disposable incomes, and the company can operate on less capital.

It's tough to open up jobs in our area though. In my town specifically, Walmart employs half the town (out of the half that have jobs). They've outright threatened that if the town does anything that hurts them, like brings in competitors or even reduces their negotiating power with the city, they'll lay people off and close up shop. And that pretty much paralyzes the town. Nothing can be done, Walmart is the sole provider of basically every product you can buy except food, and by far the largest employer in the city.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: Aazadan

THANK-YOU very much for that thorough explanation of how "Food Stamps" work, Aazadan. It's interesting how it varies from state-to-state.

I remember Chicago hoochie-mamas moving to Milwaukee to get superior benefits up there. (About 2001) Then Scott Walker became governor of Wisconsin, changed some formula, which made them migrate back to Chicago.

The biggest factor with food stamps (and this is true of all welfare programs in the US) is kids. Our system isn't really set up to support adults. I'm expected to eat on $60/month for example... it just doesn't happen. But, with kids they give you a lot more because no one wants kids to go hungry. The kids have to eat too obviously, but it adds more than the kids cost. So one of the best ways to get yourself a raise is to start caring for kids. If you're responsible and don't have kids, you may be going hungry. If you have 3 kids you can't afford, you might not have much else but you'll eat well.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: shooterbrody

my youngest son graduates trade school in may with some welding certs. It'll be a great time for him to enter the market as a welder.

Just a quick bit of career advice for him. His welding skills will be in demand...Make sure he exploits that..when he has several employment options paying roughly the same rate...look for the one that offers growth..Welding + X, learning something new, a team that will mentor him in some skill he doesn't have yet. Sometimes when your skill is in high demand it is easy to be heads down and get pigeon-holed and when that demand dries up so does your bank-account. While the sun is shining, he should always be vetting opportunities on not just pay, but also potential to grow his resume so his marketability grows. Teams and places open to teaching him new skills in addition to making use of his welding skills.

a reply to: Indigo5

I can run a business, stay on top of regulatory stuff, ensure accounts payable and receivable are managed, etc. Im interested in helping him start his own business, maybe work it into a fabrication shop.

But i've always told him id set him up with his own company if he'd work to grow it. So we will see if he will ever take me up on it.

a reply to: Aazadan

The Walmart monopoly is not unusual...and they are actually the ones that will reflect any trade war with China first. Wal-Mart's entire business model is cheap goods from China..Good for consumers...If we start a trade war with China, things will get more expensive in your town fast.

Rail...If gas prices go up, rail will be used more as it is cheaper than trucking. But it sounds like you guys don't have enough industry their to warrant those trains stopping and loading.

Natural gas makes sense, but I don't know if they employ in the same numbers that coal mining does?

THIS IS AN INTERSTING WATCH/READ...this guy rocks..

How an economic developer is bringing factory jobs back to Mississippi
www.cbsnews.com...

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Indigo5

I can run a business, stay on top of regulatory stuff, ensure accounts payable and receivable are managed, etc. Im interested in helping him start his own business, maybe work it into a fabrication shop.

But i've always told him id set him up with his own company if he'd work to grow it. So we will see if he will ever take me up on it.

ALWAYS take the risk of starting a business when you are young and able...
Risk and Failure is great...It's a win/win, learning experience even when you fail...WHEN you can afford it.

People who put off starting their own business until later often discover it's a much bigger risk when your kids and wife are depending on a steady check and the mortgage and car payments are rolling steady.

Take risks while it is easy to take risks.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Welding is a good trade to use to start a business. Many companies I have bben exposed to will hire out cert welds even if their own employees are trained to complete them simply because of the liability and insurance. If he is willing to travel it can be very profitable.

a reply to: xuenchen

Wrong. Again. It's gone up by 13.2 million people, not 10. But this 13 million is still less than the 14 million that increased during Bush's reign. Again, deny ignorance.

a reply to: xuenchen

Of course you will intentionally ignore, and hope that nobody calls you on it, that the Food Stamp program is administered by, and eligibility is determined by, the different states. After the states decide who can get them, the feds reimburse through the Dept of Agriculture.

a reply to: F4guy

But Obama offered hope and change to everybody.

I don't get it.