*UO Thursday*

amanda2424

anitalynn:

My opinion, no clue if it's unpopular or not:

I think people who are all "ZOMG OBAMA CARE IS GOING TO RUIN MY LYFE!!!1!!!" are tragically misinformed. Do you currently have standard, run-of-the-mill insurance? If the answer is yes (and if you have insurance, overwhelmingly this is the case. Yes, not so much for "cadillac plans" but I honestly am still unclear on what that truly is), then nothing about "Obama care" is going to change your life. If your insurance premiums go up, change, etc - that is the doing of the insurance companies, not President Obama. The basic concept of supply & demand should bring insurance costs down. Getting people preventative care, and getting people on insurance, should bring overall costs down. If costs go up, it isn't because there are more people in the insurance pools. It's because insurance companies are run by jackashes who do whatever the fcuk they want and charge whatever they want. If you don't have insurance

Plus, if we want to get technical, let's call it what it is, mmkay? Romney-Care-taken-by-the-Democrats-and-called-Obama Care. Honestly.

 

I guess my UO is that I agree. LOL

It makes me angry that people who CAN afford insurance don't get it and choose to pay out of pocket which makes premiums higher for those who have it.

redneckmomma25

Steph+J:

anitalynn:

Steph+J:

maybe another UO? We should go back to actual food stamps, and ditch the EBT cards.  Sorry, if you're struggling and have to depend on the government for food, you should get only the basic necessities.

I think the WIC program is the one that still does actual food vouchers? I have absolutely no problem with that. (I see them pretty regularly at one grocery store... usually with the refugee population. They'll have checks for '2 loaves of bread' or ' one gallon of milk'.)  

While I disagree that people that are struggling should only get basic necessities, I think logistically speaking, the EBT cards make more sense. Less overall cost to operate a program like that than you would have with paper vouchers.

I grew up on WIC, and I do think that program is fantastic. Although it used to really put emphasis on juice (instead of whole fruits) and I have no idea if that has changed but I hope that it has.

Do you really think so, though? I have no idea, but it seems like the potential for abuse and misuse is way lower when someone has a voucher that can only get them certain food items. 

 

There is definite misuse of the ebt card. My sister is a single mom of 3 with no child support. I am all for her needing help and I'm grateful it is available to her. I have a problem when she buys filet mignon and lobster for her and her boy friend. I also do not like the fact that you can buy redbull and other stuff like that on the card either. There are some limitations. No already prepared food and alcohol. But that is about the extent to the limitations. There should be more limitations.  

amanda2424

Steph+J:

amanda2424:

I guess my UO is that I agree. LOL

It makes me angry that people who CAN afford insurance don't get it and choose to pay out of pocket which makes premiums higher for those who have it.

... not true, if they're actually paying the OOP cost. Higher costs can be blamed on those who DON'T pay. Or insurance companies, because they negotiate such a lower rate than the OOP costs.

Yes the ones who DON'T pay definitely screw us over, maybe thats what they meant and I misheard.  Thanks for clarifying. 

knitstrong

Do you really think so, though? I have no idea, but it seems like the potential for abuse and misuse is way lower when someone has a voucher that can only get them certain food items. 

It's not that hard to sell your vouchers to someone else - all you have to do is "authorize" that person to use your vouchers and neither WIC nor a store clerk would know. So I'd say the cost to the system for abuse is the same no matter which method is used. That being said, automatically adding a balance to an EBT card might be more cost effective than printing out vouchers. 

I guess my UO is that I think people who make arguments like "people on food assistance/welfare/medicaid/ shouldn't be allowed to buy lobster with their ebt card/an xbox/get tattoos/fancy shoes, etc." are ridiculous. People who continue to buy "luxury" items are probably operating within the bounds of the laws that govern eligibility for assistance. The government doesn't demand that you stop purchasing those types of items in order to qualify, and it doesn't demand that you have to be otherwise miserable and destitute in order to qualify. I think that frustrations with the abuse of government assistance should be directed at the people who are actually responsible for it - the legislators who wrote the laws.

 

hmp1

auroraloo:

damabo80:

As for the cell phone thing, people need to get over the "I didn't need one when I was 10! OMG, why do they?!" Short answer: because the world is different. When I was 10, the big thing was for a girl to get a phone in her bedroom, sometimes even her own phone line.  When you think about it, it's not all that different from giving a kid a cell phone. When I was 10 and I wanted to be with friends, I called them. Now, they text. Texting is how they have a social life.

Interesting letter from a "sucky kid today"

I was thinking this same thing. I know a lot of people have posted on here saying they don't have home phones. So are you going to let your kid use your cell phone when they want to talk to their friends?  I got my first cell phone at 15 when my friends started driving me places, and I'm 33 this month so that was a long time ago.  I will do the same for my kids. 

JessAndTrav

Bethevans85:

Steph+J:

anitalynn:

Steph+J:

maybe another UO? We should go back to actual food stamps, and ditch the EBT cards.  Sorry, if you're struggling and have to depend on the government for food, you should get only the basic necessities.

I think the WIC program is the one that still does actual food vouchers? I have absolutely no problem with that. (I see them pretty regularly at one grocery store... usually with the refugee population. They'll have checks for '2 loaves of bread' or ' one gallon of milk'.)  

While I disagree that people that are struggling should only get basic necessities, I think logistically speaking, the EBT cards make more sense. Less overall cost to operate a program like that than you would have with paper vouchers.

I grew up on WIC, and I do think that program is fantastic. Although it used to really put emphasis on juice (instead of whole fruits) and I have no idea if that has changed but I hope that it has.

Do you really think so, though? I have no idea, but it seems like the potential for abuse and misuse is way lower when someone has a voucher that can only get them certain food items. 

 

There is definite misuse of the ebt card. My sister is a single mom of 3 with no child support. I am all for her needing help and I'm grateful it is available to her. I have a problem when she buys filet mignon and lobster for her and her boy friend. I also do not like the fact that you can buy redbull and other stuff like that on the card either. There are some limitations. No already prepared food and alcohol. But that is about the extent to the limitations. There should be more limitations.  

I definitely agree that there should be more limitations. Growing up, we were on food stamps on and off, but we didn't have sodas and other fancy things. It was like, peanut butter, lunch meat, Hamburger Helper, etc.

A friend of mine worked at a grocery store a couple of years ago, and he said that one day, a woman bought $60 in JELLY BEANS using her EBT card. Really? Jelly Beans? She told him that it was for a birthday party. WTF?!

I think that food stamps are a phenomenal thing for people that need it, as it was something that helped our family when I was growing up, but I also agree that there should be more limitations with it.

That said, I do hate idiots on my FB who are like, "HOW DO I GET FOOD STAMPS?!?!" and below the post it says, "Posted using my iPhone" and their posts for the evening are "Gettin' my drink on!" and crap like that.

If you can afford an iPhone and alcohol, you can afford some food. Prioritize.

blindvictory

anitalynn:

knitstrong:

Do you really think so, though? I have no idea, but it seems like the potential for abuse and misuse is way lower when someone has a voucher that can only get them certain food items. 

It's not that hard to sell your vouchers to someone else - all you have to do is "authorize" that person to use your vouchers and neither WIC nor a store clerk would know. So I'd say the cost to the system for abuse is the same no matter which method is used. That being said, automatically adding a balance to an EBT card might be more cost effective than printing out vouchers. 

This is exactly what I meant.

I do think there is going to be abuse in every single format - vouchers, EBT cards, WIC, etc. We are humans and by nature are pretty shitty when you really get down to it. Not everyone will take advantage, but some will. I really truly believe that the people who take advantage are the exception, not the rule.

 

Not really adding any opinion here with this first point, but you can abuse the EBT card, as well. The drugstore I worked at NEVER required us to check ID for an EBT card...some parents would hand the card over to their teenagers and the teens would come in after school let out and buy bottles of Starbucks and Monster energy drinks for themselves and all their buddies.

I'm on the "you shouldn't be able to buy whatever you want with EBT" train. Sorry, but if you're genuinely so destitute that you can't afford to pay for a gallon of milk on your own, then you don't need candy bars and Dr. Pepper. Sure, a treat is nice every once in a while, but save the EBT for things with actual nutritional value. Real food should be priority over empty calories.

JessAndTrav

auroraloo:

I think the majority of people who think kids today suck don't actually spend a significant amount of time with kids today other than their family. Maybe kids today don't suck, maybe your family just does. 

As for the cell phone thing, people need to get over the "I didn't need one when I was 10! OMG, why do they?!" Short answer: because the world is different. When I was 10, the big thing was for a girl to get a phone in her bedroom, sometimes even her own phone line.  When you think about it, it's not all that different from giving a kid a cell phone. When I was 10 and I wanted to be with friends, I called them. Now, they text. Texting is how they have a social life.

IMO, it's not the kids that suck, it's the parents that suck. Being a teacher, and having a ton of people on FB that I'm constantly raising my eyebrow at when it comes to things they do with their kids, some parents are just too selfish and continue to put themselves before their kids. The lack of positive attention that the kids are getting are what is causing the problems with the kids.

And for cell phones, I agree. My kid won't get an iPhone (or the fancy equivalent that will be here in 10 years) at the age of 10, but  when the time is right, my kids will get cell phones, but they'll have rules and expectations with the phones, obviously.

miss1991

anitalynn:

My opinion, no clue if it's unpopular or not:

I think people who are all "ZOMG OBAMA CARE IS GOING TO RUIN MY LYFE!!!1!!!" are tragically misinformed. Do you currently have standard, run-of-the-mill insurance? If the answer is yes (and if you have insurance, overwhelmingly this is the case. Yes, not so much for "cadillac plans" but I honestly am still unclear on what that truly is), then nothing about "Obama care" is going to change your life. If your insurance premiums go up, change, etc - that is the doing of the insurance companies, not President Obama. The basic concept of supply & demand should bring insurance costs down. Getting people preventative care, and getting people on insurance, should bring overall costs down. If costs go up, it isn't because there are more people in the insurance pools. It's because insurance companies are run by jackashes who do whatever the fcuk they want and charge whatever they want. If you don't have insurance

Plus, if we want to get technical, let's call it what it is, mmkay? Romney-Care-taken-by-the-Democrats-and-called-Obama Care. Honestly.

 

Obviously I am lurking but I 100 percent agree with this! Very smart woman!

miss50

mrssmith265:

 I think most kids now a days require too much instant gratification and have a huge lack of imagination!  Every thing is available to them right away, from phones, video games, internet, and money from parents.  And with all the technological stimulation and electronic gizmos kids don't think for themselves.  How are they ever going to think outside the box to solve future issues, like finding a cure for cancer, or finding life in outer space, or even balancing a budget???

I know a 3 yo who can read!  But the poor boy has no attention span.  He has to be told what to do constantly, and that never lasts long.  It's great that he can read, but let a kid be a kid!  Play time is very important and can always turn into a lesson.

Don't you know.....kids just ask ChaCha...LOL! I asked my step-daughter one day about a math problem....she texted chacha!  I was like THINK GIRL THINK!

miss50

Steph+J:

maybe another UO? We should go back to actual food stamps, and ditch the EBT cards.  Sorry, if you're struggling and have to depend on the government for food, you should get only the basic necessities.

I think the WIC program is the one that still does actual food vouchers? I have absolutely no problem with that. (I see them pretty regularly at one grocery store... usually with the refugee population. They'll have checks for '2 loaves of bread' or ' one gallon of milk'.)  

Steph, I think I just fell in love with you.  Yes! YES! YES!!!  Make people accountable.  Then, families can't stop at the gas station and buy a soda.  You won't see an eight year old go into the quicky mart and get an ice cream sandwich and a 2 liter.  

Families will get what they need.  There will be little or NO need to sell the "stamps" because families will actually need what is being provided.

Don't mind if I bring this conversation up at dinner tonight.... 

brideandbreve

auroraloo:

My UO is that you getting pregnant doesn't entitle you to anything. People are not required to let you have their seat on pubic transit, people do not have to let you cross the street against a light, people do not have to give you special treatment because you're gestating.

Is it nice if they do? Yes, absolutely. But it's not required, and there should be no sense of entitlement, or an expectation. 

I'm looking at you, third tri.

 

Completely, totally, and whole-heartedly agree with you.

jbBeans

brideandbreve:

auroraloo:

My UO is that you getting pregnant doesn't entitle you to anything. People are not required to let you have their seat on pubic transit, people do not have to let you cross the street against a light, people do not have to give you special treatment because you're gestating.

Is it nice if they do? Yes, absolutely. But it's not required, and there should be no sense of entitlement, or an expectation. 

I'm looking at you, third tri.

 

Completely, totally, and whole-heartedly agree with you.

Ok, I mostly agree with this. It's nice to get "special treatment" sometimes but I certainly don't expect it, ever.

However, the public transit thing I would get a bit annoyed over. And I don't think that's an entitlement thing. It's kind of a safety issue. Our sense of balance may be screwed up, we might be having dizzy spells or light-headedness, and if we fell on the bus the stakes are a lot higher than they would be for the average non-pregnant person. Would I publicly shame or call someone out on it, or even give rude/nasty looks to someone who didn't give up their seat, NO. But would I biitch about it on TB, absolutely! 

jbBeans

auroraloo:

jbBeans:

brideandbreve:

auroraloo:

My UO is that you getting pregnant doesn't entitle you to anything. People are not required to let you have their seat on pubic transit, people do not have to let you cross the street against a light, people do not have to give you special treatment because you're gestating.

Is it nice if they do? Yes, absolutely. But it's not required, and there should be no sense of entitlement, or an expectation. 

I'm looking at you, third tri.

 

Completely, totally, and whole-heartedly agree with you.

Ok, I mostly agree with this. It's nice to get "special treatment" sometimes but I certainly don't expect it, ever.

However, the public transit thing I would get a bit annoyed over. And I don't think that's an entitlement thing. It's kind of a safety issue. Our sense of balance may be screwed up, we might be having dizzy spells or light-headedness, and if we fell on the bus the stakes are a lot higher than they would be for the average non-pregnant person. Would I publicly shame or call someone out on it, or even give rude/nasty looks to someone who didn't give up their seat, NO. But would I biitch about it on TB, absolutely! 

But that's the thing, you have NO idea what those other people are going through. I have a friend who is epileptic and she once got scolded for not giving up her seat to an older gentleman. (by someone else who was sitting in a seat, btw). If she had stood, she very well could have had a seizure because her balance was off that day and she had aura all day. You don't know that your stakes are higher.

Fair enough, and that's why I wouldn't actually say something to someone. But the chances that EVERYONE on the bus/train/conveyance is dealing with something like that are very low. There's gotta be somebody who can offer a seat! 

bluecrab1020

Steph+J:

maybe another UO? We should go back to actual food stamps, and ditch the EBT cards.  Sorry, if you're struggling and have to depend on the government for food, you should get only the basic necessities.

I think the WIC program is the one that still does actual food vouchers? I have absolutely no problem with that. (I see them pretty regularly at one grocery store... usually with the refugee population. They'll have checks for '2 loaves of bread' or ' one gallon of milk'.)  

I don't entirely disagree, except that cigarettes fell under "necessity" and toilet paper didn't.

To add to the healthcare discussion, I think there are a lot of good points to the bill.  It makes me nuts when people become so irate over being required to have health insurance.  Well... when you don't have it, part of MY health insurance premium is going to pay for your uninsured doctor visit.  How in the he!l do you think it was paid for until now?  I don't think it's a bad thing to require people to get insurance.  The COST of healthcare and insurance, however, is at the heart of the problem.  When you live in the only country that has a for-profit healthcare system, it is going to bite you in the asss.  I think that, more than "Obama-care" is what causes the majority of the problems we are having.

 My UO is that I don't think socialism is a dirty word.  I like having paved roads, trash picked up, a strong public school system, police, and firefighters.