New GOP Lie: Food Stamps on Cruise Ships

[DonViejo]

Eleanor Clift

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is poised to sign a bill that would, among other things, bar people on food stamps from using them on cruise ships—a problem that has never really existed.

The headlines are sensational:

Kansas bans welfare recipients for spending food stamps on cruise ships.

Kansas will make sure welfare queens can’t get their palms read on the Caribbean.

The new law awaiting Governor Sam Brownback’s signature also prohibits a long list of activities including shopping at jewelry stores, lingerie shops, video arcades, theme parks and even swimming pools.

Republican lawmakers in the Sunflower State want to make sure none of this waste would happen again.

If it even happened.

(It hasn’t.)

Think of it as the 21st century’s answer to Ronald Reagan’s welfare queen, who existed mainly in the minds of conservative critics.

more
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/07/new-gop-lie-food-stamps-on-cruise-ships.html

[cali]

1. disgusting liars

You can't even buy toilet paper with them

[yeoman6987]

21. If it never happened then all the Governor is doing is wasting

His time which means not passing laws that really hurt the poor. I would rather see him use his time on passing legislation that the poor won't be affected by then some that will truly affect them. If nobody used the card on the cruise then he is doing it for show and it is meaningless for all Kansans.

[cali]

36. wrong. this myth,like the bullshit welfare queen

Is the kind of scrap that does real damage

[yeoman6987]

37. Well your are right but I haven't seen it reported on

Anywhere but here so 1 percent of the population are even aware of it and we are most supportive of the poor and working class.

[Jackpine Radical]

52. I'm sure Rush, Beck & the like have turned a blind eye

to this opportunity to trash the poor.

[yeoman6987]

53. Maybe I haven't heard them in years but even so that makes 3 percent.

[cali]

59. give it a week

[dixiegrrrrl]

70. You can be sure this myth is spread far and wide on RW blogs, sites and Fox.

We don't see it because we don't go to those sources, at least I don't.

the meme is out there, and it is an old meme. Back in the day it was "Cadillac welfare Queens'

The irony is that the old welfare system...ADFC ( Aid to Dependent Children) has been gone for many years.
Now aid is limited to 2 years total in a lifetime, , food stamps have been severely cut back to the point it is almost not worth getting them,
yet still the meme is hauled out and dusted off to incite RW voters.

[DesertDawg]

85. It's not a myth, far from it...

Although Chicago is the wrong area to term it. It's the Utah Welfare Queen that actually exists. 90% of the time blonde with blue eyes wearing $300 outfits and driving brand new SUV's with 1-8 kidding tow. I live across from one of the Welfare Offices and see BYU(local paleoconservative, mormon College whose counselors specifically teach these young Republicans on how to game the system) wives/students flocking in there daily looking for their handouts.

Wonder if the GOP will ever call out these Welfare leaches or keep ignoring widespread abuse among Mormons?

Btw yes I am dead serious, it's a legit issue.

[Maru Kitteh]

96. Are these often the plural wives?

Not legally married and typically set up in their own homes, they qualify as heads of household, correct? I wonder how they circumvent other safeguards to abuse like the work requirements, assets, pursuit of the father for support of the child, etc.

[Hamlette]

100. they do not

the time limit for cash assistance in Utah is 3 years. Once those three years is up, we do not give any more cash assistance. Food stamps are available forever.

We do make them identify the father and go after him. Look up Tom Green, he did 5 years for not paying us back when his five wives got benefits.

As for providing food stamps, remember that the bulk of the monthly allotment goes for the children in the house. As I mentioned earlier, we do not deny food to children because their parents made bad choices/are living a lifestyle we do not like.

And cash assistance is ONLY available if you have children. Single people need not apply (unless they can prove they are 100% disabled in which case they get $261 per month in cash assistance and about half that in food stamps. Honestly, you wanna live on that?

[DesertDawg]

107. While the plural wives

Are all 99% cheating the systems(don't believe the bullshit about benefits being hard to get in Utah, as long as you have kids you can get a shitload of Bene's), I was more talking about the averageWhite Utah Family with their "Madatory 5(kids)" in tow. Usually hypocritically with their faded Romney stickers on the backs of their SUV's. There is a systematic gaming of the system in Utah by the College BYU and their Students. The other poster is full of shit.

[Hamlette]

99. I don't think your observations are necessarily true.

"Welfare" offices in Utah are also used for unemployment benefits and the Workforce Investment Act (the old JTPA) which helps displaced workers and youth with education and finding work. Unemployment and some WIA programs are not not means tested so the blond in a $300 suit might have been in the office because of either of those other programs.

I work in the legal department of the Utah "welfare" office. We have access to all kinds of data about income and assets which we check regularly. If you have a job or a car or land or are mentioned in a trust account, and you apply for or are on welfare, we know about it and you likely don't get help here.

Utah's "welfare" rate is no higher per capita than other states and our food stamp usage is less than other states. It is true that polygamist communities use food stamps at a higher rate than the rest of the state (data released to the press based on zip codes) but even with that, the state overall issues less in food stamps per capita than other states.

I'm not Mormon. I grew up here and thought all that was evil in the world could be laid at the feet of "the church" as we call it here. And while I still don't like many/most practices of the church, not all of them are as bad as I once believed. Some wards have been exceptionally generous to poor people. I could tell you stories. And they take great pride in their own welfare program which they coordinate with us. So it makes no sense to me that counselors at BYU would tell students to "game" the system in part because it could/would get back to the church which they would not like. You do not want your ward/church to think badly of you if you are a Mormon.

Having spent my fair share of years in college, I'd guess many of the families are eligible. My only gripe in that regard is that they should not be having children while in college because they are unable to adequately support them. But, we feed children and I will never support a position that says turn them away because their parents made bad choices.

[DesertDawg]

106. A "quick" visit

To any BYU area Grocery Stores, especially Provo based Grocery Stores pretty much confirms everything I am saying. The same ones heading into DWS can be seen checking out their groceries with Food Stamps and/or WIC. I have stood in long slow lines countless times only to see the WASP food stamp recipients load their hauls of groceries into their newer cars and SUV's. As I understand it from several people these new cars are likely gifts from parents and titled in the parents names.


As for the Church and the BYU deal, the Church is behind it. NOTHING goes on at BYU without the old men in SLC approving it. What I am stating about BYU is verbatim from numerous Graduates as well as Faculty who are all unrelated to each other. Young married couples are HEAVILY pressured to start popping out kids they cannot afford and are taught AT BYU what benefits they should apply for and HOW to get them. Essentially, how to game the system as mommy and daddy pay for the rest so as to do thy Lord's work and procreate fellow mentally challenged future Republicans.

The hypocrisy is astounding and you can defend it all you like, the reality is there is vast Welfare fraud in Utah County and an entire Welfare Culture.

[Hamlette]

109. how can you tell they are paying with food stamps?

the card is a MasterCard. No difference from a MasterCard with no food stamps on it.

[DesertDawg]

113. WIC isn't on a MasterCard

It comes in a part firm. As for EBT, it is pretty obvious when someone purchases a set amount of approved foods on one card and their junk food on another card or via cash what is going on. This attempted defense of GOP hypocrisy and Welfare abuse is laughable but also pretty fucking sad that it is even a debate on a Liberal forum.

[liberal N proud]

2. There are not many cruise ships in Kansas

[jberryhill]

3. Riverboats

Yes, there are.

But the point lost in all of this "what are they using the debit cards for" is that the debit cards can be sold for cash, and the purchasers then use the debit cards wherever.

That's what happened with some of the debit cards distributed during the Katrina relief effort. If the recipient prefers cash - for example, if there is not a convenient merchant who accepts the card - they can simply sell the card to someone else for an amount of cash less than the balance of the card. Then the card is used elsewhere, and morons who don't know what is going on get upset.

[7962]

12. Everyone has a laser focus on the "cruise ship" but ignore the rest of the list

where audits have shown these cards ARE being used. Ca, NY & other states have had the same problem

[jberryhill]

24. The point being - you don't know if the card was used by the recipient

These card systems were implemented solely to benefit the transaction processors.

Banks are making a shit ton of money from the fees, and NOBODY is focusing on that.

[underpants]

50. JP Morgan Chase

If memory serves

[Hamlette]

101. not the whole story

Federal law prohibits the use of public assistance funds at a "liquor store; any casino, gambling casino, or gaming establishment; or any retail establishment which provides adult-oriented entertainment in which performers disrobe or perform in an unclothed state for entertainment."

If it is being allowed in states, they are breaking the law and will likely fail their next audit (law went into effect in 2014 so fairly new). And the punishment sucks. If they do use their welfare funds in one of those establishments, they are disqualified for one year for the first offense.

Of course they cannot use food stamps to get cash or any place except a grocery store and then to buy groceries.

Remember, we are talking about 2 different types of benefits: cash and food stamps.

The highest number I have ever heard for welfare being used in these establishments is 1%. And that includes ATMs in those places (the cash from an ATM is not necessarily spent their, it might even be that a client works there or lives near the liquor store or strip club and just uses the ATM.)

One more word on this. As to people selling their food stamps for 50 cents on the collar? If they give their EBT card away they ave to get a new one and we investigate each instances of a "lost" card. If it is used at a merchant, we investigate the merchant. There is a robust fraud prevention effort by both the state and the feds. I admit we will never eliminate all fraud but feel compelled to try. Is it worth shaming 100% for the 1% that MIGHT abuse the system?

[7962]

105. I'm offered EBT cards almost every month. And you're right, they offer it half price

Some offer to shop for me. I've never accepted either option. Some of my work puts me in contact with many folks who have EBT cards or other benefits. As for using the ATMs in a strip club, if you just want cash for something else a strip club ATM is a ridiculous choice. Most charge anywhere from 5-10 bucks a transaction! Remember, they're dealing with stupid drunk men who KNOW "she really likes me". There are private ATMs in any store on a street so theres no need to use one in a strip club or liquor store or a casino. If I had to guess, I'd say its a LOT more than 1% abusing the system, based on my experiences. Probably closer to 20-30% around here where I live.

Here's an article from the LA Times a few years back highlighting millions being withdrawn while out of state. The biggest amount from Las Vegas. Others getting money in Hawaii, cruise ships in Miami, etc. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/04/local/la-me-welfare-20101004

Of course we can never stop all fraud, but when millions are being siphoned, it hurts the truly needy. Its the same with the disability system. All the scammers out there are draining the system of funds that a lot of people really need. But over the past several years, millions more are now getting disability. We havent had some disease outbreak crippling millions.
And I am in no way saying these programs should be stopped. Every time I mention fraud and abuse I instantly labeled as a "right winger who wants to kill the program". Or some will even excuse it by saying "jobs have been hard to find". I'm just someone who's tired of seeing the same crap year after year. And you report people and nothing ever gets done. But I still try.

[Hamlette]

108. $69 million is less than 1% of what CA spends on welfare

and just because it is spent out of state does not mean it is fraud. What if grandma lives in Vegas and that is your vacation for the year, take the kids to see grandma. That is not fraud or abuse.

Not sure where you live but if we had 20-30% fraud in my state the feds would take over the program. They would literally be in our office 24/7, The term is "error rate" which covers everything from fraud to simple agency errors. We get fined if our number is higher than a few percentage points (not sure what it is as we are compared with other states but the max is about 6%. Again, remember, that is not all fraud, it is all improperly issued payments. States live in absolute dread of being found to have high error rate because we get fined by the feds. Try going to your legislature and asking for a few million bucks because you did a bad job. Sucks. I know because it happened to us and our error rate was between 2 and 3 %.

People think there is no oversight, but as knee jerk a liberal as I am, I tend to think there is too much. With all the federal programs we run out of my agency, we are in a state of audit from one federal department or another nearly all the time. And the findings are released to the governor's office and the press. If your state has a 20-30% fraud rate, you are being audited all the time and the results are going to the press all the time. I honestly do not believe it is anywhere near that high.

It's like, ask a conservative what percentage of the federal budget goes to welfare and they will say over half when in reality it is less than 2% (unless you include food stamps which will bump in another 1-2% or social security or medicaid. But straight out cash assistance is a tiny percentage of our national budget.

$69 M sounds like a lot of money but what you really need to look at is what percentage is it of the overall spending. Something like .06%. It would cost you more to hire enough people to police the programs to get a number lower than that.

[Hamlette]

111. should be .6% not .06%

[RobinA]

14. Were the Katrina

debit cards different from food stamps? EBT cards can be used only for food stamp approved stuff no matter who is holding the card. At least in PA. You simply can't use an EBT card to buy anything you want. Can't speak for cruise ships, but I doubt this is a huge problem if it exists at all. I can maybe see if someone bought an EBT card from a food stamp recipient for cash they might try to use it on a cruise ship, but why? That's asking for trouble.

A solution in search of a problem.

[jberryhill]

26. The other layer on this...

Is that many states have integrated their child support payment systems into these debit cards. In quite a few places, a divorced spouse pays child support to the state, and the state credits the payment to the debit card.

So, these tall tales of "OMG seafood!" or other items that nosy Nellies see at the checkout line being purchased with EBT cards are not aid recipients in the first place.

The whole shooting match is simply a way to give banks and transaction processors a finger in this set of pies.

[jmowreader]

77. And, equally, a convenient excuse for killing welfare

[Roy Rolling]

34. Katrina

Emergency payments from the Red Cross post-Katrina were issued via a debit card.

Like you said, a solution in search of a problem. Or as Nikita Khrushchev famously said, "politicians build bridges even where there are no rivers."

[jwirr]

30. You are supposed to show your card and sign for it when you buy groceries. If they are not doing

that then it is the store that is not following the laws. Unfortunately all too many stores never ask for ID.

As to a cruise. What if someone in the family invites you to go and pays for it? If you are buying food items and the cruise ship actually has a way of processing the card they have done nothing wrong.

[7962]

44. I've never seen any store ask for an ID, they just use it like a debit card

Maybe other states have a different law than where I live.
But just think, if EVERY store asked for an ID for EVERY credit/debit card, wouldnt that cut down on stolen card use? A friend lost her card last year, and within minutes whoever found it had hit Wal Mart and bought $300+ worth of stuff. If the cashier had asked for an ID, that purchase wouldnt have been made. And its the STORE that takes the loss after its reported, so I dont understand why they dont have that rule to start with

[jwirr]

45. I think the ID thing is in the food stamp law but you are correct. I have never been asked for mine

either.

[PotatoChip]

47. If someone stole (or found) an EBT card, they'd have to know the pin number to use it. (nt)

[Glassunion]

78. That is not correct.

The EBT customer is not supposed to show your card or sign for anything.

The EBT card has a PIN like a debit card and that is the unique identifier that is used to identify the user of the card.

There is no law that requires a retailer to ask for ID for an EBT purchase.

I work in the field, and setup the systems that process these (and other) types of payments.

[tazkcmo]

58. No, there are not.

What river boats there are are grounded and hardly can be called cruise ships.

[ck4829]

4. Why not just restrict them to sackcloth robes and early astronaut toothpaste food

[Takket]

8. Hmmm used or new sackcloth?

[ck4829]

11. Used, of course

Off a tangent, but on the subject of it, I attended a talk on food security at Ohio State last week. Food stamp fraud came up, and the speaker made a point I think is worth mentioning here, food stamp recipients get demonized a lot, but a lot of actual fraud occurs on the part of merchants, a group of people who you don't hear that much about when it comes to evil, evil food stamps. Thought that was interesting.

[Roy Rolling]

35. Fashionistas

Yeah, it's always designer sackcloths that food stamp recipients wear.

[Calista241]

40. Toga! Toga! Toga! n/t

[47of74]

86. Used. And make them sleep in used body bags.

I know there are Republicans who masturbate to the thought of that too.

[Monk06]

91. Derilicte by Mugatu.

[Blanks]

10. Don't say that too loud. Eom

[riqster]

5. Catapulting the propaganda once again.

Bastards.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Brownback and ilk, having totally failed at running the state...

try to divert us with this bullshit.

Just how many cruise ships and jewelry stores do a big trade with food stamps?

[Adrahil]

7. While we're at it, restrict them to gruel

And moldy bread!

Fuckwits....

[Shadowflash]

9. That's probably even LESS likely

Than a gay couple catering their webbing with pizza.

[Gothmog]

13. The GOP have to demonize the poor

This is yet another attempt to demonize and attack poor people

[HockeyMom]

15. Food is included in the price of the ticket

Guess these people have never been on a cruise to the Caribbean. That is the POINT of the cruise. Eat, eat, EAT. Whatever and whenever you want. You only have to pay for your alcoholic beverages.

[Strat54]

16. In Ohio and FL, you can only buy food

In Ohio and FL, the only thing you can buy with food stamps is food or beverage. No restaurant food. No Hot, prepared food. No alcohol. No toiletries. No paper products.

As far as I know, that is the way it has always been.

The whole thing is a Red Herring in that most responsible states (obviously, Kansas doesn't meet that criteria ) have had a "Food Only" restriction forever.

This legislation is total bullshit theatrics.

How's that state budget and economy Sam Brownback Mountain???

[RobinA]

19. This is the Case

in Pennsylvania as well. I would be in favor of taking junk food off the list and adding basic tioletries and cleaning supplies. I have worked with families who were able to eat OK, but couldn't afford shampoo, laundry or dish washing detergent.

[jwirr]

31. Agreed.

[jeff47]

41. How 'bout we trust these people to spend their meager benefits wisely

instead of acting like their parents?

Give them cash. Tell them to have a nice day. And stop pretending that we know what is "good for them".

[hibbing]

43. agree

So do we all need to set up some committees to determine just what people can do with their miniscule benefits? Certainly they cannot be buying shrimp! Oh yeah, and let's not forget about healthy food, so no chips, only fresh fruit and vegetables. Don't forget those carbs are bad for you so no white bread, only 100% whole wheat....

Peace

[Cosmocat]

33. This is an easy fix

as you noted, using these types of electronic restrictions.

[tazkcmo]

60. That is/was the case in Kansas, too.

And Missouri. It's typical GOPper BS.

[Strat54]

82. I was unemployed for 16 months....

in 2010-2011.

Foodstamps is actually a program that works! As a family, we never ate healthier (or shopped wiser) than we did on Foodstamps.

Yes! I was able to buy my daughter's B-day cake on Foodstamps. No, I couldn't buy anything Hot & Ready to Eat. No, you can't pay for Outback steak with Foodstamps. No, You cannot take your whole allotment and buy a palet of Pepsi to restock your little store.

These Conservadouches have no f@$...... clue what they're even talking about.

The majority of them hear the word "Foodstamps" and they literally imagine a book of stamps.

Look...
There's nothing preventing a person from making all the same unhealthy food choices they always have. But, unless the retailer is in on the scam, you ain't gonna get rich off of Foodstamps.

[RobinA]

17. This Article

seems to lump TANF and food stamps together. Or gives that impression. They are not the same thing. If they really want to get a message across, they ought to publish some case examples of how much people get from TANF and/or food stamps. TANF is not going to buy anybody a berth on a container ship, let alone a cruise.

I have right wing relatives and they have all kinds of stories about what people are doing with their giant welfare checks. Meanwhile, I work in this field and they won't listen to me when I tell them the reality of so-called welfare. It's kind of funny in a sad way.

[PotatoChip]

20. In Kansas, the TANF cash assistance range is $224 to $497 per month. (edited)

Last edited Tue Apr 7, 2015, 10:12 AM - Edit history (1)

Benefits are figured with a formula that takes into account a familys size and income, in addition to the county in which the family resides. Cash assistance payments range from $224 to $497 per month.*
http://www.tanfprogram.com/kansas-tanf-eligibility

*$224/month would be for an adult with 1 child (there needs to be a dependent, obviously)- with $497/month being the cap for whatever the household size is.

ETA- I just noticed the part about food stamps in both the OP title and your post. I totally missed that part, somehow... Probably because I was going from memory of an article posted 2 days ago that mentioned nothing about food stamps. Not sure why this one does, because as you rightly point out, food stamps can only be used for food. Shoddy reporting, since I tend to believe that the first article had it right.

Here it is fwiw: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/kansas-bans-poor-people-from-spending-welfare-on-cruise-ships/ar-AAaqT94

[Dragonfli]

49. Similar numbers in NYS, it is pretty much impossible to pay rent and utilities

let alone actually buy anything. Yet people refuse to believe this when told. As it stands now, those that do not get some kind of help from family eventually get evicted because there is no way to pay rent, the whole thing is set up to punish and worsen the lot of the poor, not actually help them.

This may be by design, at least here, without a valid address, you can not get benefits. The math appears to suggest that one way to save money on welfare is to pay them too little to maintain an address and then you get to give them nothing at all.

[jeff47]

42. My usual response to people with such anecdotes

is why didn't you report that person to the authorities? Why did you decide to become a co-conspirator and cover up their crime?

Usually results in them backing down from their most egregious claims. Like it goes from "they know someone who...." to "they heard about someone who....".

[Madmiddle]

18. This will piss off the red state people.

How will republicans eat when they're on a cruise ship now. Damn the Brown back guy.

[Cryptoad]

22. Oh me,,,,,,

all those GOP rethugs sitting around pining for the ole High Life of poverty !

[underpants]

23. Good lord

That's all I can come up with.

[tblue37]

25. They love to solev nonexistent problems, ignore or exacerbate catastrophic problems,

and create a bunch of whole new problems either on purpose or as accidental blowback from poorly thought out policy choices.

[HereSince1628]

95. I heard it was not about solving any problem but enshrining integrity

sort of like Voter ID laws.

See although there should be welfare, people should be ashamed to be on it and the users should be motivated to get off it asap.

No one thinks welfare users are taking cruise trips, BUT by making these restrictions on people who receive welfare the legislature hopes to send the message that their should be no fun, or even dignity in being on welfare.

It's a classic case of the legislature's projection of it's perception that welfare is shameful and demeaning onto an entire strata of society...and then making sure that they do all they can to shame and demean everyone in that strata.

[Moostache]

27. How many cruise ships operate in Kansas?

I assume the GOP there realizes that these alleged fraudsters would be guilty of trafficking by violation of existing interstate commerce laws in the first place...oh, who the hell am I kidding??? We're talking KANSAS....they probably can't realize that land-locked, rural states are not on the Carnival Cruise rotation.

[LonePirate]

28. DU is distracted by the sensational when the nastier danger within this bill is overlooked

This welfare reform bill (not just the ubiquitous food stamp portion) will limit withdrawls to $25 each day. Those withdrawls typically come with bank fees. Who has time to go to a bank (assuming it accepts the cards) each day? How do you pay rent when you can only withdraw $25 a day?

This bill is just another example of the rich taking money from the poor due to their Republican enablers. The cruise ship portion of the bill is a sideshow to ensure its passage.

[PotatoChip]

39. Very good point. (nt)

[Dragonfli]

51. "How do you pay rent when you can only withdraw $25 a day"

If they can't pay rent, they lose a valid address, and receive nothing. A problem solved in the mind of a Conservative. They would prefer people homeless and preferably dead IMO.

[Whiskeytide]

56. Good catch. They are very, very good at this...

...rope-a-dope. We have to learn to look past the headlines.

[catchnrelease]

67. ATMs

Plus, as mentioned in the article, if used at an ATM, the machines only dispense in $20 increments. So that means you can really only get $20/day minus fees. What a bunch of bloodsuckers.

[valerief]

76. Boom! More raping of the poor. nt

[Hamlette]

102. agreed. I don't know how they justify the $25 limit

but there is a provision in federal law that requires us to allow clients to withdraw funds without paying fees. In my state we allow one or two (?) cash withdrawals per month but there is no dollar limit. Not sure how Kansas is going to get around that requirement.

[Hoyt]

29. Jeeez, Brownback and his cronies really love kicking poor people. No one uses food stamps on

a cruise. The folks who elect these jerks are even worse.

[Myrina]

55. The 1.5 years I was on food stamps, I couldn't even afford to go to a local pool,

... let alone take a cruise.

WTF are these people smoking?

[SomethingFishy]

79. Exactly... this was just another shot at the supposed "takers"

Another way to brainwash their people. Another little thought to float around in that empty sea of a mind they have. "My taxes are paying for free cruises."

Assholes.

[Dont call me Shirley]

32. How many cruises has he taken on the taxpayers dime?

[ChisolmTrailDem]

38. FREEDUMB!!! nt

[allan01]

46. as if poor people can ride on cruise ships .

ronald ray guns welfare queen is walmart

[fob]

48. Hasnt USSC already said that "money is speech"? Gov. Fuckstick can't restrict what money/foodstamps

are used for.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

98. Sorry

Poor people aren't "people" like corps are.

[MoreGOPoop]

54. How Christ-like!

I'll bet he's a faithful follower of Brother John Birch, down at the
Antioch Baptist Church.

[One_Life_To_Give]

57. We should add our own banning of "The Four Seasons"

The Four Seasons
Alinea
Eleven Madison Park

Because Mockery is a suitable tool for responding to such crap.

On edit - Opposition to the "Cruise Ship" law can be easily misinterpreted. IMO Mockery gets the point across much more clearly.

[redwitch]

61. That's it! I will ne'er cruise Kansas again!

[Maynar]

90. Okay, had to chuckle at that one

nt

[Cosmic Dancer]

62. Propaganda

"I will provide a propagandistic casus belli. Its credibility doesn't matter. The victor will not be asked whether he told the truth."

Adolf Hitler

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

63. Can their chauffeurs still park the Rolls outside the Welfare Office?

Are they to be forbidden box seats at the opera? No more vacations at Monte Carlo?

[Erose999]

64. Lingerie shops? So the poor aren't even supposed to wear underwear now?

[Vinca]

65. And no food stamps at any Wolfgang Puck restaurants. None!

No swapping them for Gucci bags, either. (On a serious note, I gave some money to a homeless guy this morning because his $15 food stamp allotment hadn't arrived. I don't believe he was planning a cruise.)

[Spitfire of ATJ]

66. He doesn't ban them from owning "Obama phones"???

[jmowreader]

68. Brownback's a genius. You gotta hand it to him.

The bastard is slimier than a hagfish and his wife sleeps with the lights on because you can't trust him in the dark, but he's figured out a way to change the debate from "for the crime of Reagan-level gross fiscal atrocities should we impeach him, imprison him or just put him in a potato sack with an engine block in it and throw the sack in the Kansas River?" to "are poor people REALLY using their state benefits on cruise ships?"

[Scruffy Rumbler]

69. I had this situation come up....

A friend of the family was taking her mother on a cruise. The mother got sick and decided not to go (flue). Said friend gifted the trip to my family member who is disabled and collects food stamps. However, with the restrictions already in place on food stamp usage, IS THERE ANY PLACE ON A CRUISE SHIP, WHERE ONE CAN LEGALLY USE A EBT CARD?

These republican pigs just can't stop themselves.

[yeoman6987]

72. No there isn't but since the trip was gifted

He shouldn't have any expenses incurred. Juices and food is included. Entertainment is free. No need for EBT on a cruise which makes this story absurd. Wish him a good time for us.

[red dog 1]

73. "Is there any place on a cruise ship where one can legally use an EBT card?"

I seriously doubt it.

Unless they have 7/11 stores on cruise ships.

[SpankMe]

71. Republican. Mother. Fuckers. n/t

[tomm2thumbs]

74. Probably started their list with Casinos and everyone piled on after that

The part I find most offensive is the 25 per day limit. Basically saying 'here is some assistance... now we are going to make it as difficult as possible for you to use it.'

[MannyGoldstein]

75. They can still use food stamps to fly on the Concorde?

Quel dommage!

[LTX]

80. Republican policy embraces the truthy conviction that:

The way you increase the productivity of the rich is to cut their taxes and give them more money. The way you increase the productivity of the poor is to cut their food stamps and give them scurvy.

It’s weird how that works. But I know it’s true because it’s in the Bible. Christ himself said so. "We must have mercy on the rich, and use the poor for food." It's in the Sermon on the Cheap.

[libdem4life]

81. But only if they used their SSI benefits to buy a ticket. What dunces.

[Mnpaul]

83. The ban on seafood purchases should be treated as an attack on religion

No meat on Fridays?

They can't buy fish sticks?

[Bossy Monkey]

84. Oh hell yeah! I can move to Kansas and use my food stamps to buy a Maserati!

Got to think of everything, Sam! (I don't need to use the sarcasm tag, do I?)

[47of74]

87. And all these reich wing f--ksticks always see what everyone else is using to buy groceries with.

[MisterP]

88. it's a propaganda move: it reinforces the "welfare = luxury cruises" linkage

just keep repeating

[MindPilot]

89. Umm, Sam, you don't buy food on a cruise ship.

Don't these people have like handlers or something? Someone to take them aside and say, "you know, that's really fucking stupid. Don't say it."

[wolfie001]

92. Here in Maryland.....

.....foodstuffs are preprogrammed into an electronic database and when the debit user checks out, the food total is automatically deducted from the ebt card. No questions asked. If it doesn't qualify, then the non-qualifying items appear in a new total. Why does brownstain want to make a big deal about this? 'Cause this is red meat for rednecks. 365 days a year campaigning. Sickening yet typical of these fucking repukes!

[heaven05]

93. these people, the GOPers,

are not deserving to called human beings.....they have no claim on that distinction. There is a relabeling that needs to be done in the animal kingdom, placing these GOPers at a lowest order at. I doubt very seriously if this food stamp spending is a major problem. When I WAS receiving food stamps, it was barely enough to eat with let alone be on a cruise ship with. JEEEEEZUS!!!!! I am beginning to really feel some deja vu here. Some many people longing for the time when POC knew there place in a white majority society. Well goddamit, ain't gonna happen anymore!!!!

[B Calm]

94. Hard to believe how many people believe the right-wing propaganda. The average

Republican voter must have a very low IQ.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

97. I had no idea

That benefits in Kansas were so generous that one could afford a cruise on them? Maybe I should quit my job and move to Kansas and get on the dole since welfare recipients have it quite nice there (or had until now anyway)

[notadmblnd]

103. There are cruise ships in Kansas?

[demtenjeep]

104. Michael O'Donnell is a spineless little prick Koch Sucker

the Koch brothers funded him well and their might have been some "funny business" when he "beat out" Jean Shoedorf for his position. Then his daddy got on her FB page and hassled anyone who talked about him on her page. The funny part is Kansas voters and the Koch brothers have seemed to overlook the fact that he is Gay because he is doing their bidding.

He is a spineless little prick.

[Freddie Stubbs]

110. Apparently it did happen in California:

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/04/local/la-me-welfare-20101004

[jwirr]

112. Brownback has to blame someone for the failure of the Kansas economy. The poor are always in

line. But maybe not this time. One of the things that has been happening as our economy fails is that many in the middle class are turning to the food stamp program for help. They are now learning what it means to be in line for the blame. And if they have any brains they will resent it.