253 replies to this topic

[F3SS]

tapirmusic, on 21 December 2011 - 06:06 PM, said:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet...

Legalize All Drugs!

Then it's no longer a concern if welfare recipients are using them, because they are not illegal.
After that, prison populations would be cut in half, money wouldn't need to be wasted on a "war on drugs".

I don't know about all drugs. Definately yes to pot and a maybe to mushrooms because they're natural and relatively harmless when used responsibly, but no to the rest. Either way, welfare will still be around and I still don't want people buying drugs with welfare money. It is supposed to be for neccessities, food, water and clothing.

[Mr_Snstr]

tapirmusic, on 21 December 2011 - 06:06 PM, said:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet...

Legalize All Drugs!

Then it's no longer a concern if welfare recipients are using them, because they are not illegal.
After that, prison populations would be cut in half, money wouldn't need to be wasted on a "war on drugs".

I did; sort of. Not so bluntly as you put it though. Kudos to you sir.  

Is it for real, on 21 December 2011 - 06:17 PM, said:

I don't know about all drugs. Definately yes to pot and a maybe to mushrooms because they're natural and relatively harmless when used responsibly, but no to the rest. Either way, welfare will still be around and I still don't want people buying drugs with welfare money. It is supposed to be for neccessities, food, water and clothing.

I get disagreed on even by the most vocal "legalize" advocates on this one. But I'm in the legalize everything camp. The "war on drugs" creates just as many problems as it tries to eliminate; some would argue it creates more, and more insidious problems(I'm part of the "some" that argues this).

It's high time we stop trying to govern what people put in their bodies.

[F3SS]

Mr_Snstr, on 21 December 2011 - 06:41 PM, said:

I did; sort of. Not so bluntly as you put it though. Kudos to you sir.  



I get disagreed on even by the most vocal "legalize" advocates on this one. But I'm in the legalize everything camp. The "war on drugs" creates just as many problems as it tries to eliminate; some would argue it creates more, and more insidious problems(I'm part of the "some" that argues this).

It's high time we stop trying to govern what people put in their bodies.

Yea the war on drugs is a waste and surely doesn't get much done. However, I have moral issues with legalizing crap like heroin, pcp and crystal meth and crack and its gonna take someone with big cojones to tell the country why tweaking out on dust should be legal. Can you imagine the pro-crack protests, lol.
Pot is a gargantuan war on drugs issue and legallizing that alone would have enormous benefits.

[Mr_Snstr]

Is it for real, on 21 December 2011 - 06:54 PM, said:

Yea the war on drugs is a waste and surely doesn't get much done. However, I have moral issues with legalizing crap like heroin, pcp and crystal meth and crack and its gonna take someone with big cojones to tell the country why tweaking out on dust should be legal. Can you imagine the pro-crack protests, lol.
Pot is a gargantuan war on drugs issue and legallizing that alone would have enormous benefits.

Pro-crack protestors.
"Gosh I don't know if I agree with them; but they're just so energetic and fun."  

"Are you gonna go to the pro-meth dance party later?"

The truth of it though is that when it comes to drugs; especially "hard drugs", harm reduction goes much further than prohibition, as far as lessening the social problems that are a direct cause of these substances.

Illicit manufacturing creates far more dangerous substances that cannot be regulated. Purity laws would obviously need to be put into effect; much in the same way pharmaceuticals are regulated.

Not to even mention the problems that arise from the black market these substance are moved through. Legalize; and you eliminate the black market for these things.

Edited by Mr_Snstr, 21 December 2011 - 07:05 PM.

[Mantis914]

The Unseen, on 21 December 2011 - 02:40 PM, said:

But thats Florida,I've seen more than my share of people on welfare sell their food stamps for drugs.Like a lot of people in south Dallas and West Dallas and I mean A lot.

In those areas that you've mentioned, I've been approached by individuals FIRST asking for money, THEN asking if they could buy me something on their card and then pay them for it.  No shame at all...  and I agree about it being a lot!

[F3SS]

Mantis914, on 21 December 2011 - 07:21 PM, said:

In those areas that you've mentioned, I've been approached by individuals FIRST asking for money, THEN asking if they could buy me something on their card and then pay them for it.  No shame at all...  and I agree about it being a lot!

Yes I've seen it all too much. I used to work in a grocery store ages ago when actual food stamps were in use. During my time there EBT cards were introduced. They could be used in ATM machines for cash withdrawals and could get up to $50 cash back at the register, up to 2 register transactions in a day. I seen more than enough times cash withdrawals from the ATM and then straight to buy cigarette cartons with the cash. Also another typical transaction was to buy something small, like gum or candy, and get $50 back from the register twice in a row of course. I've witnessed the things you mention above. I know someone, who just recently, was approved for welfare, jobless and broke as could be. The first thing he did with his allotted $200 cash for the month was go out and spend $180 on pills and weed and the rest on cigs. He, actually they, have two small kids with next to nothing and are treated like crap. These folks are scum, yet proudly announce what they do with their free money, shamelessly. All in all I would have to say that my personl witnessing to such welfare abuse hasn't been all that much considering that we're I worked wasn't a low income area. But those that had the magic EBT card were often abusing the privilege.. A lot of hersey from others I trust about seeing similar things. So my point is that if I have only known or actually seen a small percentage of people doing such things then the odds are that iabuse must be wide spread. For I am only one person and only one witness.

I actually stumbled upon this the other day on AOL...again one person witnessing mass abuse. See below.
http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=109716

Edited by Is it for real, 21 December 2011 - 09:46 PM.

[conspiracybeliever]

But I'm sure that mass abuse is small compared to the abuse of welfare at the top of the ladder.

[F3SS]

conspiracybeliever, on 22 December 2011 - 02:13 AM, said:

But I'm sure that mass abuse is small compared to the abuse of welfare at the top of the ladder.

Yes and much of that abuse from the top comes in the way of uneccessary welfare handouts in exchange for votes. Many of those on top are guilty of getting generations of families hooked on dependence. Vote for me and you get anything you want... Then hard work and independence is all but forgotten.
It's all about the ones we elect. Just because I don't like the welfare abusers doesn't mean I don't realize who let's them get away with in the first place. Same thing with greedy bankers and those you hate so much. I may not like what they do but telling them off won't change a thing. It's the lawmakers that let them run wild.

Edited by Is it for real, 22 December 2011 - 02:52 AM.

[xCrimsonx]

Great idea, they have recently introduce the "Basic Card" In Australia to monitor In the hope that welfare and low income families are "actually" providing for their children properly. The card is allocated specific business so one can not remove cash and spend It on drugs and one can not buy alcohol with It either. A friend of mine boasted that she bought a packed of cigarette's with her card the other day and wonders how she did so.,. All business's are by law not allowed to sell buy purchase of tobacco from the cards!

Attached Files

•  Basic C UM.jpg   5.5K   8 downloads

[conspiracybeliever]

Is it for real, on 22 December 2011 - 02:48 AM, said:

Yes and much of that abuse from the top comes in the way of uneccessary welfare handouts in exchange for votes. Many of those on top are guilty of getting generations of families hooked on dependence. Vote for me and you get anything you want... Then hard work and independence is all but forgotten.
It's all about the ones we elect. Just because I don't like the welfare abusers doesn't mean I don't realize who let's them get away with in the first place. Same thing with greedy bankers and those you hate so much. I may not like what they do but telling them off won't change a thing. It's the lawmakers that let them run wild.

Yes it is. Everyone competing to see who can get the biggest welfare check. That's all it is. Money for nothing.

[The Unseen]

Mantis914, on 21 December 2011 - 07:21 PM, said:

In those areas that you've mentioned, I've been approached by individuals FIRST asking for money, THEN asking if they could buy me something on their card and then pay them for it.  No shame at all...  and I agree about it being a lot!

There was this one guy and girl who said they would both spend $20 on me at the locale Wallmart if I would give them $10 for a dime sack of pop corn and I don't mean Jiffy pop.LOL I said I couldn't do it then they offered to by me some T-Bone steaks and I told them if they bought them steaks they should take them home and Grill them,they just looked at me weird and walked off.

[Mr_Snstr]

The Unseen, on 22 December 2011 - 05:03 AM, said:

There was this one guy and girl who said they would both spend $20 on me at the locale Wallmart if I would give them $10 for a dime sack of pop corn and I don't mean Jiffy pop.LOL I said I couldn't do it then they offered to by me some T-Bone steaks and I told them if they bought them steaks they should take them home and Grill them,they just looked at me weird and walked off.

Lol, that's such a perfect response for that. I wish I were that quick with those in person; at least most of the time.

I keep saying it; and I hope its catching on and other people are repeating it:
Social welfare should be handled at the most local level possible. Counties and towns, possibly even smaller; possibility of abuse of the system is still there. But at that level it's much more personal for those paying taxes into it; and those receiving it, you have better oversight; and better possibilities for it to regulate itself.

[DieChecker]

Any system that provides anything can be abused. Even if the welfare people went to your landlord and paid the rent directly, or brought food directly to the house, people will take the food and re-sell it, or allow others to share their free place by paying them "rent". In college I knew some guys that routinely (almost daily) went out to food banks, got cardboard boxes full of canned goods, went to the local Mom and Pop grocery and sold the food back. This allowed the four of them to buy beer and pay the rent for months at a time.

Legalizing all drugs is idiotic. Let's legalize drunk driving, prostitution, street fighting, animal abuse, burglerly and child pornography while we're at it. To those who say hard drug use hurts no one... it hurts the user... finanically, career-wise, loss of family... it hurts their clean friends and family... and it can easily and quickly and irrivocably hurt innocent bystanders.

[Doctor_Strangelove]

xCrimsonx, on 22 December 2011 - 03:18 AM, said:

Great idea, they have recently introduce the "Basic Card" In Australia to monitor In the hope that welfare and low income families are "actually" providing for their children properly. The card is allocated specific business so one can not remove cash and spend It on drugs and one can not buy alcohol with It either. A friend of mine boasted that she bought a packed of cigarette's with her card the other day and wonders how she did so.,. All business's are by law not allowed to sell buy purchase of tobacco from the cards!

I love that idea, but after working at a store in what is arguably "the hood" of a metropolitan area, I don't even want to imagine the reaction the welfare recipient would have to the store clerk who was denying them their precious liqour and the ruckus to follow.

Still, it makes much more sense than a drug test.

Edited by Doctor_Strangelove, 22 December 2011 - 06:17 AM.

[Omnaka]

Hurrikane, on 20 December 2011 - 11:15 PM, said:

Hello all,

This has just been brought up on Politics Nation hosted by Rev Al Sharpton. As far as I am aware this is not something that happens but I got the feeling that Al Sharpton was against mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients while his Republican guest was for it. I was wondering why people do not agree with this idea?

Thank you all in advance for your responses,

Hurrikane

I think, When All polititians and Judges and anyone involved in making Laws gets drug tested, then it would be OK.

Love Omnaka