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| Economy | |
| Washington Post Despairs: Parents of Toddlers Forced to Choose Between Food and....Tattoos | |
| 2013-03-20 | |
| A lengthy -- 3,500 word -- anguished expose on the front page of Sunday's Washington Post, "Hungering for a new month to begin," about how people in Woonsocket, Rhode Island race to the grocery stores on the first of the month to spend their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment, yet run out of food long before the month ends, didn't offer a word about President Obama's responsibility for the poor economy. Deep in it, however, reporter Eli Saslow undermined his case when he sympathetically cited "a series of exhausting, fractional decisions" a couple with two toddlers face over having to choose between food "or the $75 they owed the tattoo parlor."
For the past three years, the Ortizes' lives had unfolded in a series of exhausting, fractional decisions. Was it better to eat the string cheese now or to save it? To buy milk for $3.80 nearby or for $3.10 across town? Was it better to pay down the $600 they owed the landlord, or the $110 they owed for their cellphones, or the $75 they owed the tattoo parlor, or the $840 they owed the electric company | |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #7 Fear notteth, Rhode Island, under the OWG NAU 2015, etc. that no American = Amerikan has voted for nor been asked to, MEXICO + CANADA + GREENLAND, ... ...@ETC. WILL HAPPY TO PAYOUT + CONTRIBUTE TO THE US NATIONAL-NOW-REGIONAL-NOW GLOBAL WELFARE-NANNY STATE. OH WAIT - OOOOOOPPPPSSSS, MY BAD, HISTOIRE' SAYS ITS THE OPPOSITE! WE WILL CONTINUE TO PAYOUT FOR THEIRS. Well, I'm embarrassed. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-03-20 20:03 |
| #6 If they are really hungry they can tattoo food on their bodies. A nice fruit basket tramp stamp might be a good option. |
| Posted by: Airandee 2013-03-20 16:59 |
| #5 I'd not give food, or vouchers. I'd just deliver the food to those who requested it, however they also must not make the situation worse by kidnapping more of their own kids (pay up or the kids get harmed). |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2013-03-20 11:57 |
| #4 |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-03-20 09:48 |
| #3 Update: Saw the same lady the other day Dan. You'll be happy to know that her two younger kids are on a 'free-ride' and in their junior years at the University of Illinois. Her two oldest are still living at home taking care of the their infant children. All were very active in the recent Obama reelection campaign. Grandma is staying busy and enjoys her new Escalade. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-03-20 08:45 |
| #2 $518? that is more than enough to feed your family...$125 a week if budgeted out.well more than what I spend and enough to feed a family of 4...but you do need to spend wisely i remember going to the store when i had small kids in the house seeing these big fat black woman with nails and hair all done up, dirty little kids and a basket brimming with food..being paid with food stamps...while i bought what i could with my wage knowing i did not qualify and was helping pay this bill....$518 should be cut to $318 which is still enough to buy smart |
| Posted by: dan 2013-03-20 08:15 |
| #1 To their (small) credit both have jobs. I would advise buying more rice and potatoes at the start of the month, with 7 bean soup mix, loose the cell phones, pay what you can on the rent and electricity and let them repo the tats. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2013-03-20 07:14 |