I agree.
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Should Rockstar energy drinks be EBT approved?
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I agree.
Not only race, but government doing ANYTHING to help ANYONE, period. You know the drill.
Also, good point about the availability of quality food choices. There are supermarkets all around me, but in a lot of inner city and rural areas this may not be the case... I'd imagine a lot of folks on food stamps can't afford the gas money to drive out to a supermarket all the time in those places.
Angelus Errare
Banned
It is, but your previous post is dumb. Eating healthy costs more than eating cheaply; thus the idea that people should prioritize spending more to get less food is ridiculous especially given vast majority of these people work long hours and don't have time to fix meals everyday.
Also add in the fact Whole Foods and all these other places aren't readily available in the more low income parts of town. So I'd say buying cheap quick meals that serve an entire family is prioritizing versus getting a bunch of higher costing fresh food and not getting as much.
Low income people can't win either way regardless, if they did buy only fresh food from like Whole Foods you'll just simply bitch that they're eating healthier/better than you and you work.
CornBurrito
Member
We should take away the EBT cards and let the poor work on colossal government run farms where they and their children can live and grow their own food on. Ideally they would grow extra food that could then be sold to grocery store chains and the like. Pesticide free, all natural, organic. Maybe they could even raise some cattle. Also maybe make their own clothing by growing and picking/spinning cotton. We'd solve homelessness, unemployment, and starvation!
Somehow that justifies energy drinks? An energy drink isn't going to feed your family. A bag of chips is atleast food. So no matter the availability of healthier options buying an energy drink over FEEDING your family is a poor life choice. I mean if you were down on your luck, starving, and fighting to get by and could only afford a rock star or a loaf of bread. Which do you go with?
So the point still remains if you need to stretch your dollars the energy drink is a terrible selection. If you think that is dumb than you're not worth the effort.
Necromanti
Member
If the mother isn't meeting her children's basic needs of nutrition and is able to do so, then that's an issue for social services. Fault Rockstar for targeting and preying upon people on food assistance plans. Beyond that, I don't see anything wrong with her using her EBT to buy energy drinks.
There's no use in holding a group of people to an abnormally high moral (?) standard when they are the ones faced with situations where they'd be the least likely to realistically meet it. Even then, what people can use their EBT on has already been sufficiently restricted. It's not like she's spending the money on expensive watches and cocaine.
There's no use in holding a group of people to an abnormally high moral (?) standard when they are the ones faced with situations where they'd be the least likely to realistically meet it. Even then, what people can use their EBT on has already been sufficiently restricted. It's not like she's spending the money on expensive watches and cocaine.
21st century sharecropping, sounds like a winner.
This is why I'm opposed to Rockstar advertising like this. I think people on EBT should be allowed to buy it, but I don't feel like it should be pushed. Where I'm at, a Rockstar drink costs $3. That $3 can go a pretty long way if you're thrifty at a grocery store. Spending it on an energy drink is just such a waste. I get the feeling that a good number of those on the "against" side feel so for the same reason.
I don't want someone to step in and tell people what they can and can't buy with their EBT (aside from alcohol), but I'd love to see smarter shopping habits be incentivized. Maybe added savings when using EBT to buy the My Essentials brand instead of the more expensive name brand. Teach people how to stretch a dollar. They're not being forced to buy rice and ramen noodles, just learning how to properly shop when on a tight budget.
You also get slavery brought back too boot!
makingmusic476
Member
Maybe I'm generalizing too much here, but I noticed a lot of "don't be jealous" and "don't hate the player, hate the game" type posts from the thread on Don Mattrick earning $57 million on the gaming side.
How come some of the people that put so much effort into justifying how much money the rich have and how they spend it suddenly get their panties in a twist when they see someone on EBT buying a drink? What happened to letting people spend the money they've gotten via the system how they want to?
This is a common thing I've noticed amongst right wing people I've friended on Facebook. One group's a bunch of moochers while the other shouldn't be judged because the signed a contract via which they got crazy amounts of money.
How come some of the people that put so much effort into justifying how much money the rich have and how they spend it suddenly get their panties in a twist when they see someone on EBT buying a drink? What happened to letting people spend the money they've gotten via the system how they want to?
This is a common thing I've noticed amongst right wing people I've friended on Facebook. One group's a bunch of moochers while the other shouldn't be judged because the signed a contract via which they got crazy amounts of money.
I suppose I feel like the arguments for not letting people buy energy drinks with EBT cards are much better as arguments for just banning energy drinks. We're not talking about what might be considered a luxury good here. Nobody drinks energy drinks because they taste great or because they're trying to be socially responsible consumers. They're sold as being functional, as fuel for the body. As advertised, they're just about the food-iest thing imaginable. If it's not even a good idea for higher-stress poor people to buy energy drinks, I'm not sure who should be buying energy drinks.
Here is an excellent piece of writing about this very subject. It doesn't appear to have been posted yet.
Angelus Errare
Banned
Because in America people are under the romantic delusion that if they work hard enough they too will become rich like the 1%. It helps that the rich pay other rich people to tell this to poor people; and so by extension less poor people look down on the very poor and blame all of societies woes on these people not picking themselves up by their bootstraps.
There's also a racial component to it.
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
The iced coffee energy drinks are actually pretty good and very welcome in the summer. I like them better as opposed to making hot coffee and then cooling it. Supposedly, they also have all these supplements, some of which supposedly help with stress.
*note my use of supposedly.
CornBurrito
Member
You don't understand, the government would be paying THEM in free land and housing. Plus free gardening/farming tools, and animals, seeds, etc...
Actually I was being entirely facetious but now I'm kind of curious. Ignoring that it would basically be a form of slavery, would modern sharecropping actually be economically feasible?
By taking away EBT and saying "if you want to eat, you have to become a farmer" you are basically making them salves if they want to live.
James Woods
Banned
You have to have receive an income under a certain amount of money.
makingmusic476
Member
See, in the 1870s, telling people to go be farmers was a feasible solution to hunger and poverty. Hell, like 1/3rd or 2/3rds of the country were employed in agriculture at the time.
Today, the poorest in America are typically trapped in urban environments where the division of labor leaves everyone dependent on each other for survival and employment, and a lack of jobs and income prevents local economies from becoming functional.
The entire idea that people in apartments can grow food on the land they don't have is silly.
At the very least EBT provides low income communities with some cash, allowing local grocery stores and so on to survive and act as a source of jobs.
Today, the poorest in America are typically trapped in urban environments where the division of labor leaves everyone dependent on each other for survival and employment, and a lack of jobs and income prevents local economies from becoming functional.
The entire idea that people in apartments can grow food on the land they don't have is silly.
At the very least EBT provides low income communities with some cash, allowing local grocery stores and so on to survive and act as a source of jobs.
You have to bring in a month or twos worth of pay stubs, bank account statements, info on cars you own and then hope you make the cut off. We've been trying to get EBT for awhile now, last time we applied we made $8 too much, and they wanted statements from bank accounts that had been closed for 2 years and a car we sold a year ago.
lmao that is absurd
No shit, and the kicker is we really did make under the amount, but they added in money we "Could have earned" or some shit.
DoktorEvil
Banned
Why the fuck does that matter?
He's asking due to the subtle racism that exists in America.
This thread reminded me that I need to apply for an EBT.
I'm about as white as they come. Still don't think it matters.
DoktorEvil
Banned
I was trying to find an article in the NY Times from at least a year or so ago about how the EBT Administration will disqualify people racially and give priority to "legacy" recipients.
There was a lawsuit about it in NYC, which is why I asked.
Then, there's people who game the system:
Like these 4
CornBurrito
Member
Err yes. As I said I was being facetious and knew I was recommending a system that would be modern day slavery. I was asking if sharecropping would be viable economically, not morally.
hipbabboom
Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
Why should poor people have access to the stuff normal have? It devalues the benefit of hard work.
this is sarcasm
Fahrenheit
Banned
Leave it to NeoGaf to turn a topic about energy drinks bought with EBT to a discussion about racial tendencies of humans. As far as the topic at hand goes, the SNAP (EBT cards) is 0.52 percent of GDP so before we start being outraged about it lets worry about the bigger ticket items our government buys with our tax money. Though IMHO it's not appropriate for parents to be buying kids energy drinks regardless if it's with EBT or cash.
Also for the EBT users out there, please have your card and pin ready at time of checkout. When i'm just trying to grab a hoogie and tea from WaWa I really don't wanna wait while you fight with the EBT machine.
Also for the EBT users out there, please have your card and pin ready at time of checkout. When i'm just trying to grab a hoogie and tea from WaWa I really don't wanna wait while you fight with the EBT machine.
This is the most valid concern about EBT in this entire thread.
IISANDERII
Member
Surprised it took 3 pages for the word "lobby" to appear.
ItWasMeantToBe19
Banned
It does become kind of weird sometimes. Just giving people money is more economically efficient than food stamps since smart people will use their money efficiently. Giving people food stamps instead of just cash implies that the government thinks that they can better decide what poor people should consume (which I don't agree with, but that is the implication the legislation gives). However, food stamps can be used on things on that nutritionists would not support at all. So the government is simultaneously stripping people of control, not maximizing their welfare, while not bringing the scientific knowledge superiority to the table. It's a pretty strange system, just give poor people money instead.
Ever notice how confirmation bias exists.
Ever notice how confirmation bias exists.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Don't know if it's been mentioned but I see a lot of confusion in the first few pages: EBT is NOT food stamps. EBT is just the card they are used to deliever them to the clients. Out here in California at least, people get their Food Stamps AND their cash assistance (welfare) on the same card, and can also get other benefits on it too. When you see fast food places or Denny's with bigass EBT signs on them, it's because people can use their CASH there, just like they would a debit card, not because those place accept food stamps. Food stamps are still restricted to uncooked, unprepared food and non-alcoholic beverages. And the reason you are seeing that more often nowadays is probably because the economy is fucking garbage and if those supermarkets and restaurants didn't have EBT income to supplement them they'd probably have to fire/cut back a lot of employees, which just puts sends more people to the local welfare and unemployment offices. A lot of our society and economic structure is supplement by govt' assistance than just the "dirty poors".
speculawyer
Member
This is a good post but I think the first paragraph wins when you add in the fact that the stuff is a big rip-off. $3 for a caffeine-boosted sugar drink is robbery. It probably costs 25 cents to make. Let them buy coffee.
And we really should change our ag system. Stop subsidizing corn so much. If you want to subsidize something, then subsidize fruits & vegetables. I know, a lot of people don't like the esoteric stuff. But who doesn't like lettuce, celery, tomatoes, carrots, etc.
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
EBTs work just like debit cards. You must hate it when the same thing happens with debit users.
I think the proper term is SNAP benefits. Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.
Ninja Scooter
Member
if someone is going to commit some sort of fraud they can do it a lot easier than that. They can just sell their damn card every month when it gets reloaded. That's an awful reason to add more unnecessary restrictions like banning certain types of drinks. Just let people buy whatever they want. Should we ban students from using their financial aid on pizza and red bull too because it's unhealthy?
CarpeDeezNutz
Member
I wonder if people trip about energy drinks not just cos of their price but also their association with alcohol, stuff like vodka redbulls, four loko, NoS, etc.
Hmm, we still don't take them at my store. I gotta see if we can now.
We don't take Red Bulls for example.
As to whether I care? Nah. Its money in my (store's) pocket. Seems like a dumb move to spend a lot of money on Rockstar drinks, but its not like only poor people make dumb moves.
We don't take Red Bulls for example.
As to whether I care? Nah. Its money in my (store's) pocket. Seems like a dumb move to spend a lot of money on Rockstar drinks, but its not like only poor people make dumb moves.
ProtoCents
Banned
And here I am, paying for my Rockstar like a sucker.
SteveWinwood
Member
I mean, I'm okay with banning a lot of things, including energy drinks. So let's do it.
Have any evidence of this, or are these just Tales from your ass?
If it makes people sleep better at night just think of welfare as just another corporate welfare program. People who get welfare don't save it, they spend it immediately, that very month they receive the payment. They shop at stores that buy from wholesalers that buy the food from farmers and the like. Or put another way farmers produce surplus food that needy people consume, which is why the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is administered by the Department of Agriculture.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/08/16/obama_ag_secretary_vilsack_food_stamps_are_a_stimulus.html
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/08/16/obama_ag_secretary_vilsack_food_stamps_are_a_stimulus.html
Much easier to just sell the card off to people to use rather then go that route, say you sell me 300 dollars worth of stamp money for 200 cash, much more efficient.
This is such bull. Its so convoluted. Easier ways of getting around it man.
I've seen people do that too.
It's not bull. I know for a fact people do it. I know of several convenience stores that have been busted doing it.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Of course it happens, but all sorts of fraud happens, with all sorts of government programs. Using personal anecdotes to decide that policies and regulations need to change is silly. The data seems to show that welfare fraud is not a big issue at all. Wasting money and resources to regulate it further just so that people can't have soda with their food stamps is dumb.
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