You want to fix the economy? Bring American jobs back to America! Get out of GAAT and NAFTA now! Start enforcing tariffs against the corporations who started shipping jobs overseas and get rid of their off shore tax havens. No brainer, but we are not the ones paying senators big bucks to be re-elected or to work as lobbyist when they leave office.

There must be a larger plan here at work. These officials don't walk across the street without a motive.
All anyone has to do is look around them.

welfare is better for working people then to commit crimes to obtain food in order to make ends meet. most welfare is provided through "food stamp" programs.

"What Will be the Return on the Investment?"

"A $250 million annual Federal investment would reap staggering savings, with an estimated annual return of as much as $840 million in net benefits from avoided criminal justice costs alone and another 2.2 billion in savings to our communities. A $250 million annual Federal investment would also substantially reduce the demand for illicit drugs and enable state and local governments to cease over-relying on expensive and ineffective prison sentences for nonviolent, addicted offenders."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gen-barry-mccaffrey/breaking-our-addiction-to_b_24...

Getting help from the government isn't as easy as some of you think, unless you know how to work the system like some Mexicans and others. And yes, Mexicans do know how to work the system, a couple years ago I met one who did and helped others to. But for the rest of is it's crap. For one type of help you made too much money if the entire household made more than $300/mo. $300 a month was considered too much.

You raise a solemn question that I couldn't look past. As I see it, we want to live in a world of love but we are not. Rather we choose a world of fear and we can't be caring people, generous people, people with courage and integrity. Look at the people around us. ALmost always the same people are repeating the same shit other people are saying, and most of it is utterly erroneous. Instead of looking at the unpleasant realities of the world, we blind ourselves with self-absorption and false illusions, we impose the values of our collectives on others, and we merely attract individuals who will do the same to us. You can't be compassionate and fearful at the same time--it's conflicting. Notice wheter the people around you are generous. If they are not, you are not as generous as you think. HELLO WORLD!!!

If McCain and Palin would have been elected, does anyone think the economy would be such that food stamps would not be needed? This debacle was decades in the making. It's amazing how nobody, left, right or anything else can ignore that the foundation is made of ROT. A new paint job with ROT underneath. The ROT has to be unrotted and then we go forward.
Or are there those out there that think we went from bliss to this state in less than a year due to bad policy from the current admin. I don't even know how anyone can listen to any of this and not realize that it IS that someone's pick didn't get picked. Add the racial thing. Add the liberal political background and anyone with a microphone ir a keyboard can tear down everything as he/she pleases.
It is also VERY easy to fall into the blame trap. Very easy.

Another benefit of the stimulus program!
More people are working to fill out food stamp claims.
yeah!
More government!

This is hope and chage?

It is getting worse for people . Corporations are doing great . The market is recovering . You see where the priorities are ? People have much less value . Ignore the corporations , if you can . They do not deserve such status .

I don't know, but I been told, that the amount of food thrown out by the military could feed the entire country. Is that true?

foodstamps, unemployment, and ssi helps the economy more than bush's tax credits ever will. most of the money stays in the us economy because its spent on local items....ie food.....soft goods....from grocery stores to the grocery bagger.

I think we all need to plant a garden. Make our own little Edens. Wherever we can. Anything to remove the stench of what was left behind by the stenchers.

As for OBAMA zombies, well Fox News' "polls" took care of any that were around. Ah the powers of suggestion.
He is the same man that won the election FAIR AND SQUARE. Didn't even have a brother who was governor in a swing state. No hanging chads, no recounts. A LANDSLIDE.
All I know is that I was very kind to the last administration. Until the floor was collapsing and I woke up about three or four years ago, I gave them respect and tried to understand. Then you put the pieces together. You look around. It stinks and the middle class is decimated. What would anyone think? This is not a matter of party or preference. Just the facts sir, just the facts.

How can anyone in this day and age deny FOOD to anyone? Yes, there should be FREE FOOD to all who need it. It's embarrassing enough to go into one of those places. Give a man dignity in all that you do and your field will be full the next year. What has become of us?

And I think that is a grand idea. UNIVERSAL MACDONALD's but just use real meat instead of cardboard.
MC's should be free. I think Universal MacDonald's would be an insult to the eating public.

Does anyone know anyone that got a mortgage modification or refi from Chase Bank? Just curious. I know Jamie didn't want to take the money. They forced it down his throat.
Anyone who has a soft heart and wants not to see people suffer and hurt is a BAD LIBERAL.
Why is that word so bad? What the hell is a Libertarian? What is a Republican? Is their one site on line that just tells it as it is so people can find out what they are? Or maybe they aren't any of these things.
Are there not hybrids of all of these philosophies? I guess there would be if anyone would decide for themselves and not turn to bobbling TV heads for their inspiration.
Anyone know anyone PERSONALLY that got a loan mod with just making a few calls and filling out some forms? Where can I go to get a list of the people that were helped who were promised help. Good hearted people infatuated with two timing fast talking BS artists.

peole are turning to food stamps as wages drop. WHAT A CROCK, food prices have escalated, jobs are gone , umemployment is running out, soccial security is going broke and this is all before obama took office. The share program is garbage with garbage food you have to buy. substandard meats, past shelf life vegetables, the rich get richer the poor get poorer. this is unexceptable. making a profit on food donated to feed the people who have no other alternative. we need some really smart people who friggin care to turn this around before it's too late ,as it may well be. Dust bowl coming up.

thank you amazon princess-another voice of reason.

I still remember in 1986 when Regan took to the airwaves to DEFEND HIS administration's and of his own lack of conscience at the public outcry over widespread hunger by saying 'the hungry were simply too ignorant to know where to find food". (and he's called by some as 'the great commuicator) !!!LOL!!!

This is a prime example where many right wing 'Christian Conservative's' put the 'con' in conservative compassion' ....aka Bush/Regan idealolgy.

And yes, even when people get denied health care or go bankrupt beacause of it, even if children are going hungry and all the people are yelling don't use 'MY tax dollars to feed that brat!', EVEN THEN...denial and blame remains their comfort zone. Sad, really.

Maybe some of them can pray their Jesus (and mine) down to earth to feed that child so they can go buy another bottled water, or soda, or cup of coffee (whatever) and keep that 'tax dollar' that only they rightfully earn and should keep at all cost.

Oh, but if you need the tax dollar to invade a soveriegn nation on false pretenses, Mr. Ex-President, take all my dollars you need, pretend it isn't part of my nation's budget, and run up billions of debt EACH MONTH on your own personal war.

I give up on trying to find intelligence in some of the people in this nation.

@amazonprincess..... LOL!!!

It's truly amazing that many Americans have not waken up to the reality - even when their stomach is empty!

They still have not realized that it's the GOP that is responsible for this shameful economic crisis. They still have not realized that it's George W. Bush who pushed this nation into this shameful point in history. They still watch Fox News and dance to its deceptive schemes like a bunch of out-of-control drug addicts.

Thanks Spacemikey for a true & thoughtful comment.

Some of these responses are just so judgemental and belittiling that I wonder if I wandered onto a TEA BAGGING, BIRTHER, DEATHER site.
There is SO much more going on here than the ever elusive 'they' who want to take 'all my tax dollars to give to crack-heads' conspiracy theorys that some love promoting.
Put down your gun (figuritivly and litterally) and help your neighbor, talk civilly, do some reality based reasearch, and get over your self righteous anger..... PLEASE. It's getting so old news, like a 2 year old that can't stand to share a toy.
Go watch some more glenn beck and lou dobbs??? (LOL)
Sure it isn't perfect, this country of ours, but it is the best place to be, and so to go to some trite, but true sayings...
1. Be part of the solution/not the problem
2. America, love it or leave it!
(and that, my friends includes the 'they' you love to blame.)
3. Take personal responsibility for YOUR unloving, uncaring and... maybe even, Un-Christian??? (or whatever) BAD ATTITUDE. (there's that 2 year old, again LOL)

BTW, I understand this won't change your mind or rhetoric, but it sure made me feel better!

L8Tr...G8Tr!

horrible, I know there are those people using food stamps for crack (but really I'm reformed now)... Anyway, there are a lot of people out there who truly need the help because quite apparently they aren't "important" enough to have decent living wages. As long as the food stamps are going to food because the person is on a limited budget I can't begrudge them that.

This country every year either brings people in from other countries to do jobs for lower wages, or hires illegals to do jobs for lower wages. Seriously, we can't all have some nice cushy job, scamming money off the bank it just don't work that way.

People are still being asked to do jobs others are "to good to do" yet nobody wants to compensate someone enough to live off the undesirable job.

That's the problem, not food stamps, not the fact that many and even some fairly well educated people can't negotiate a better wage. As long as the majority of the population doesn't want to pay you enough to work 40 hours a week yet insists you do, either there or down the road while they're living good. I say go buy steak, shrimp, rack of lamb, wtf enjoy your food stamps.

Did they really need a new Cadillac while you're struggling to make ends meet (especially your employer). You should be making enough to cover your bills and still have extra, if not you're a slave and that's just what they want..

Sure they do. Welcome to Obama's America, no need to take any personal responsibility, no reason to try to work and save and plan ahead for the future, just go with your hand out and the government will help you out with my tax dollars. No worries.

i had a serious shoulder operation on June 15h. It is a 3-5 month minimum recovery period. I had to cash out my little bitty 401k in order to pay my rent for these past 4 months. I receive $200 a month in 'food stamps'. I am 55 years old and have worked since I was 16 and paid taxes since then. It is not a 'gimme' and I would rather eat than die for that short period of time.

... you who live in glass houses... and all that.

I can't stand that everyone looks to "gov't money" to solve problems. It just gives govt more excuse to tax all citizens. The best thing would be to find a way to have govt depend on its people for actual pay not govt funding. As a society we need to do away with taxes altogether and have govt freeze innflation and slightly raise wages. Companies are giving the fed govt money just for each employee and employees are ALSO giving the federal govt money out of their own paychecks. Then the govt turns around and pays us with medicare and 400 dollars a month for about 15 years till we finally put the other foot in the grave. And all that money they didn't have to pay back to you because your finally dead just dissappears like all the other govt money.
Well that just sounds like it's right out of a Wonderful Life doesn't it?

This does seem like some depressing news, although a lot of people will take a government handout without second guessing it. My friend was a traveling folk and had food stamps going in like three different states. People are rotten and shitty sometimes.

they got us where they want us. i believe the government is trying to hurt poor people.they could help if they wanted to .......but they dont.

Did the food banks get any TARP FUNDS? Maybe it's in the lobby of every bank.

There is some serious stuff going on out there. Yet there are those looking to purchase new hundred thousand dollar cars...for cash.
Why don't they have a show on cable every night or even network to show this crisis and show that it deserves much more time than exposing scummy criminals. We know they are out there. Most of them look well fed. Why don't people really care about those that struggle from day to day with basic needs and can't get enough of third rate pulp.?