| LIFE The safety net of the Food Stamp program.

[ElephantStomp]

The mismanagement at its origin I can understand. There was a lack of understanding of what was going on‒on both sides of the aisle.

What I don't get is the lack of understanding, today, about how badly people were manipulated.

We disagree completely with the “manipulated”. The lack of understanding is easy when people elect non intelligent fools to office.

It was mismanaged from the administration in charge from the very beginning

 

[ElephantStomp]

As a former law enforcement officer you're telling me the "black market" is different from one state to another? There's not a state in this country where you can't find people paying cash for those cards.

Back to the original question. You brought up this program as something we'd disagree on: haven't seen that supported.

Horribly mismanaged? I haven't seen that disputed.

No, the “black market” isn’t different, I was not thinking from a black market aspect, my apologies.

Here’s where I think we’ll disagree, I believe we should be putting more money towards social programs like Medicaid, food stamps, homelessness, etc

I actually agreed with you on mismanagement, so I don’t know why you’re looking for “disputed”

 

[TerryP]

We disagree completely with the “manipulated”. The lack of understanding is easy when people elect non intelligent fools to office.

The people making the decisions during C-19 were not elected officials. You know this.

Manipulated is the correct word. It was disguised under "mandate" when it came to a shot. It was disguised as "protection against misinformation" in communications.

The use of a pandemic to make people political pawns is manipulation in its purest sense.

 

[TerryP]

Here’s where I think we’ll disagree, I believe we should be putting more money towards social programs like Medicaid, food stamps, homelessness, etc

It sure as hell doesn't need to go help Ukraine when it could help here. But, that's a refrain I believe you've heard before, from me, here.

Is it not a core principle of "Make America Great Again" to keep monies being sent to proxy wars overseas, at home?

You mention putting more money into Medicaid. Why not start with eliminating the mismanagement we're currently seeing. VA and FL recently settled lawsuits and have to repay the government millions because of the misuse and mismanagement of the funds.

Homelessness? I could easily bring up the border here, but I'm not going to point to the government housing illegal immigrants in hotels when we have veterans on the streets.

I find a lot of this "debate" on the homeless as virtue signaling. It's like the morning news reports from yesterday here in Charleston. Proudly, they announce there are shelters open for freezing weather....followed by "go to our website to find out where, when..." How many of the homeless did that actually help? How many saw the broadcast? Or, visited the website? They were still in the woods or whatever shelter they've made for themselves.

There's a guy named William who lives behind a CVS I bicycle by daily. He has a "shelter" made of what appears to be shower curtains. I've watched his routine for weeks. He has a portable charger that gives him light at night: he charges it outside of CVS on their outlet every day. He always has cigarettes. 90% of the time he's drinking a beer. He always has food. He's clean shaven; always. But, he's living in the woods. You and I both know there's more to his story. I don't know that throwing more money at his situation would help.

Food Stamps? We've touched on that. My biggest issue there is mismanagement. It's not just limited to "cash for cards" or someone getting no help at all. It's the abuse of the help that's provided.

I'd rather see a family get more money in food stamps than see the kids eat the crap they do in their local schools. But, I also would like to see changes on what can be purchased with food stamps. (I'd argue we can do a lot more to fight obesity here.) There's something about the ability to buy a package of Peeps around Easter, on a food stamp program, that just doesn't make sense to me. I don't think people should be limited to government cheese and I also don't believe they should be able to use the same program to buy Swiss Emmentaler. (If you haven't had that...gotta say, you've missed out. It's about a $400 block of Swiss...but good lord...before Blossom closed on East Bay they had a Ham and Swiss on rye with Emmentaler. It was a $25 dollar sandwich...but, GOOD LORD!)

 

[ElephantStomp]

The people making the decisions during C-19 were not elected officials. You know this.

Manipulated is the correct word. It was disguised under "mandate" when it came to a shot. It was disguised as "protection against misinformation" in communications.

The use of a pandemic to make people political pawns is manipulation in its purest sense.

You’re right, I don’t think the Trump admin was listening to anybody intelligent, elected or otherwise.

The mandate didn’t last and ANY company can mandate anything, you don’t have to work there, it‘s a free country.

Protection against misinformation- some protection was needed plain and simple.

It was a pandemic, whether it was manmade or otherwise.

 

[ElephantStomp]

It sure as hell doesn't need to go help Ukraine when it could help here. But, that's a refrain I believe you've heard before, from me, here.

Is it not a core principle of "Make America Great Again" to keep monies being sent to proxy wars overseas, at home?

You mention putting more money into Medicaid. Why not start with eliminating the mismanagement we're currently seeing. VA and FL recently settled lawsuits and have to repay the government millions because of the misuse and mismanagement of the funds.

Homelessness? I could easily bring up the border here, but I'm not going to point to the government housing illegal immigrants in hotels when we have veterans on the streets.

I find a lot of this "debate" on the homeless as virtue signaling. It's like the morning news reports from yesterday here in Charleston. Proudly, they announce there are shelters open for freezing weather....followed by "go to our website to find out where, when..." How many of the homeless did that actually help? How many saw the broadcast? Or, visited the website? They were still in the woods or whatever shelter they've made for themselves.

There's a guy named William who lives behind a CVS I bicycle by daily. He has a "shelter" made of what appears to be shower curtains. I've watched his routine for weeks. He has a portable charger that gives him light at night: he charges it outside of CVS on their outlet every day. He always has cigarettes. 90% of the time he's drinking a beer. He always has food. He's clean shaven; always. But, he's living in the woods. You and I both know there's more to his story. I don't know that throwing more money at his situation would help.

Food Stamps? We've touched on that. My biggest issue there is mismanagement. It's not just limited to "cash for cards" or someone getting no help at all. It's the abuse of the help that's provided.

I'd rather see a family get more money in food stamps than see the kids eat the crap they do in their local schools. But, I also would like to see changes on what can be purchased with food stamps. (I'd argue we can do a lot more to fight obesity here.) There's something about the ability to buy a package of Peeps around Easter, on a food stamp program, that just doesn't make sense to me. I don't think people should be limited to government cheese and I also don't believe they should be able to use the same program to buy Swiss Emmentaler. (If you haven't had that...gotta say, you've missed out. It's about a $400 block of Swiss...but good lord...before Blossom closed on East Bay they had a Ham and Swiss on rye with Emmentaler. It was a $25 dollar sandwich...but, GOOD LORD!)

The “Make American Great Again” guy cut funding to social programs, so he’s not the example I’d use.

I’m glad you brought up Ukraine, I knew you would, we should continue to give them weapons, our support for them should be in line with support we give Israel, but that’s a different debate for a different time, we should slash our defense spending and use that on social programs.

What you can purchase on food stamps should be revamped, increase funding and give people more with the caveat that they have to spend it on healthy choices, hell you could eliminate being able to spend it on certain unhealthy foods, i.e candy, chocolate, processed foods, etc.


Homelessness- in the city closest to me there is one shelter, they get funding from the state, but the only way anybody can stay there is to succumb to their “Christian” rules, including Bible study and all that shit, that doesnt help anybody except for religious homeless people

 

[TerryP]

You’re right, I don’t think the Trump admin was listening to anybody intelligent, elected or otherwise.

It's interesting how you point to the Trump administration here when the same core group of people remained in place with Biden.

The mandate didn’t last and ANY company can mandate anything, you don’t have to work there, it‘s a free country.

People were fired because they refused to take an untested vaccine. It's not a free country when you're told you can't shop there, or have a drink here. It's not a free country when you can't go to church, but you can go to a casino. The government was floating the idea of vaccine passports, and that's free?

Lives were taken away because of that mandate. Liberties were taken away due to restrictions and those very restrictions took away the ability for people to pursue happiness. That's not freedom.

Protection against misinformation- some protection was needed plain and simple.

No.

The biggest purveyor of misinformation is the government. And they were choosing who to censor. Even if it is misinformation, people have the right. Look at how misinformed a lot are about Hamas. They have the right to protest or support even though I may think they are wrong.

Juxtapose Hillary saying Benghazi was about a video and a guy making a meme about being able to vote by text message. The latter, a joke, was misinformation and that guy is in jail. The former? Protection from her misinformation?

Do you see my point here? It's just like the conversation about Haley. She believes you have the right to protest as long as it's protest she agrees with...and she doesn't believe Pro-Palestinian protests should be allowed.

There is no gray area to free speech. It's black and white.

@musso what's happening around us now...does it, per chance, remind you of a movie?

It was a pandemic, whether it was manmade or otherwise.

We all know its origin. But, that little bit of "misinformation," right?

My point wasn't its origin, it was the hysteria.

---

---

Funny thinking back about Pelosi.

Come dance with us in the street of Chinatown.
Stay in your homes! Close your businesses.
Look at my ice cream.
Sshhh...no one look at my bank account.

 

[TerryP]

The “Make American Great Again” guy cut funding to social programs, so he’s not the example I’d use.

Purposefully, you missed the point?

You've just affirmed a point of mine though. One of those cuts you're mentioning? It was based on taking away some of the food choices: a thought I posed earlier on cheese.

I’m glad you brought up Ukraine, I knew you would, we should continue to give them weapons, our support for them should be in line with support we give Israel, but that’s a different debate for a different time, we should slash our defense spending and use that on social programs.

According to the Pentagon, the US doesn't have enough weapons to defend ourselves. And you think we should continue to send weapons to Ukraine? I no more believe the US should be sending Israel weapons than I believe the US should be in war with Russia; with Ukraine as a proxy.

What you can purchase on food stamps should be revamped, increase funding and give people more with the caveat that they have to spend it on healthy choices, hell you could eliminate being able to spend it on certain unhealthy foods, i.e candy, chocolate, processed foods, etc.

See. That's logical. It helps with hunger. It's especially helpful with health. Which in turn would affect those on Medicaid. A better diet leads to better mental health. It's win, win, win.

But we see a lot of resistance to restructuring. Perhaps, if the government wasn't the nations largest employer, these things could happen more easily?

Homelessness- in the city closest to me there is one shelter, they get funding from the state, but the only way anybody can stay there is to succumb to their “Christian” rules, including Bible study and all that shit, that doesnt help anybody except for religious homeless people

Who owns the shelter?

 

[ElephantStomp]

It's interesting how you point to the Trump administration here when the same core group of people remained in place with Biden.

People were fired because they refused to take an untested vaccine. It's not a free country when you're told you can't shop there, or have a drink here. It's not a free country when you can't go to church, but you can go to a casino. The government was floating the idea of vaccine passports, and that's free?

Lives were taken away because of that mandate. Liberties were taken away due to restrictions and those very restrictions took away the ability for people to pursue happiness. That's not freedom.

No.

The biggest purveyor of misinformation is the government. And they were choosing who to censor. Even if it is misinformation, people have the right. Look at how misinformed a lot are about Hamas. They have the right to protest or support even though I may think they are wrong.

Juxtapose Hillary saying Benghazi was about a video and a guy making a meme about being able to vote by text message. The latter, a joke, was misinformation and that guy is in jail. The former? Protection from her misinformation?

Do you see my point here? It's just like the conversation about Haley. She believes you have the right to protest as long as it's protest she agrees with...and she doesn't believe Pro-Palestinian protests should be allowed.

There is no gray area to free speech. It's black and white.

@musso what's happening around us now...does it, per chance, remind you of a movie?

We all know its origin. But, that little bit of "misinformation," right?

My point wasn't its origin, it was the hysteria.

---

---

Funny thinking back about Pelosi.

Come dance with us in the street of Chinatown.
Stay in your homes! Close your businesses.
Look at my ice cream.
Sshhh...no one look at my bank account.

Let’s take a look at the core people shall we? We’ll just look at the Covid response team, keep it easy

1) Birx- nope, wasn’t there with Biden
2)Fauci- He was with Biden
3)Redfield (CDC director)- left his position right after inauguration
4)Seema Verma- nope wasnt there with Biden
5)Azar- nope wasn’t there with Biden
6)Adams- left right after inauguration
7)Mnuchin- nope wasn’t there with Biden
8)Wolf-nope wasn’t there with Biden
9)Kadlec-left right after inauguration
10)Giroir-left right after inauguration
11)Messonnier- was in her position for 4 months with Biden
12)Schuchat- was in her position for 4 months with Biden
13)Hahn- left after inauguration

So, not bad one person stayed in place with Biden out of the core group of decision makers, so again I point to the Trump admin.

Nobody HAD to take the vaccine, you can find other employment, people are FREE to do that, you’re not a damn victim just because you say you are. I didn’t take it when it was first released, I read every paper both for it and against it for a year before making a decision and my agency had a mandate, I was prepared to lose my job, but I didn‘t whine and play victim.

NOBODY knows it‘s origin 100% and anybody that says otherwise is lying. I didn‘t stutter when I said it the last time.

 

[musso]

@musso what's happening around us now...does it, per chance, remind you of a movie?

Verily, I can indeed Verify that a particular film enVisioned current eVents Very well.

 

[TerryP]

Verily, I can indeed Verify that a particular film enVisioned current eVents Very well.

Very well done.

 

[TerryP]

Verily, I can indeed Verify that a particular film enVisioned current eVents Very well.

I thought about changing someone's avatar to a Guy Fawkes mask...but, I don't think he'd get the joke.