[Jessica-G]

I was in a grocery store and noticed several people in the checkout lanes with thick gold jewelry and expensive Nike apparel. The thing that got me was that they were paying with food stamps. Even their small children were wearing expensive clothes. Why is this? (Similar question posted June 24, 1998, by Hard-working taxpayer, 26, white female, Springfield, VA)
Original Code C1. Click here to see responses from the original archives.

User Detail :  

Name : Jessica-G, Gender : F, City : Lake Orion, State : MI Country : United States, 

[Bob]

I am from Michigan, and have noticed that too. Just follow these people outside, and look at the brand new car they are driving. It really stinks. My ex abuses the system daily, she collects ADC, child support, food stamps, unemployment, and works under the table. This is not a phenomenon. It is real, it does happen. I totally see your point.

User Detail :  

Name : Bob, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 27, City : Near Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : Mechanic, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, 

[rachael mcdougall]

Your assumption that people who use food stamps are not as 'hard-working' as yourself is insulting and incorrect. When I was raising my two daughters by myself, I worked two to three part-time jobs in addition to attending college classes full-time in order to better our situation. We lived in subsidized housing and received food stamps. Yes, I attempted to give my children (and occasionally myself) the benefit of our hard work and sacrifice in the form of material goods when possible. There is no safe ground in our society for the working poor. If those same people in the grocery store had been dressed poorly, you would have judged them for that: 'Look how poorly they are groomed. Why don't they take better care of themselves and their children?' I know. I have heard it all. Seen the stares and disapproving looks of others who assume they know about my character, will and motivation based on my ability to access resources that assisted me in raising my family (and into which I paid -- like you -- and continue to pay my taxes). I have worked hard all of my life, and will be graduating with a doctoral degree within the next six months. My children are socially conscious, hard-working young adults. The next time you are in the grocery line, open the book. Don't just read the cover.

User Detail :  

Name : rachael mcdougall, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 44, City : newton, State : KS Country : United States, Occupation : psychology intern, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[C. Phillips]

First of all, let me tell you that the thick gold jewelry you see the 'welfare moms' wearing is not even near high quality. If you ever stop by a local jewelry store, you'll find out that even most teenage McDonald's workers can afford that stuff. And, Nike apparel isn't expensive, either. In fact, a thrifty person (like myself) can cut department store coupons and wait for sales and get Nike and Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren clothing for the same price as clothes from Target or Wal-Mart. I used to receive food stamps. I was a single mother diagnosed with Lupus. Therefore, despite the fact that I come from a two-parent, hard-working family, I could not work, and I had to accept help from the government. I never felt bad about it because I knew this was the reason I had paid taxes as a teenager working for very little money. My tax dollars were there to work for me in my time of need in the form of food stamps. Just because I qualified for food stamps, I saw no need to let my child look uncared-for. Nike is not expensive. Prada is expensive. 12 karat gold jewelry is not expensive. Platinum is expensive. I'm pretty glad that when I work and tax dollars are taken out of it, some mother will now be able to afford to dress her child neatly and nicely because she doesn't have to make them wear cheap, ill-sized shoes or low-quality clothing just to have fresh fruit and an occasional bag of cookies in her fridge. And if she can manage to get something nice for herself, then that's good, too, because if she feels like she looks nice and if she enjoys having nice things, then it might give her something to aspire to so she can afford more nice things.

User Detail :  

Name : C. Phillips, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : lupus, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 25, City : New Orleans, State : LA Country : United States, Occupation : university student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Ken]

I feel the system was designed for hard-working individuals who from time to time need extra help. I also have seen where people work (getting paid under the table) and still get food stamps. Herein lies the Nike gear and nice jewelry you speak of. If I were a guessing man I'd say the money comes from selling drugs. They don't pay taxes on that, do they?

User Detail :  

Name : Ken, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 41, City : Spokane, State : WA Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Greebo]

One of the most irritating things about being on benefits long term is that better-off relatives buy you expensive clothing rather than give you half that amount in cash toward the winter fuel bill, or a couple of cheaper, more durable garments. Having said that, fake designer gear is sold very cheaply in certain street markets, and you'd often have to be a label head to spot the difference. Sometimes when the police seize ripped-off designer goods, they give it to one of the big charities, and it can end up on the backs of people on welfare, or being worn by refugees.

User Detail :  

Name : Greebo, Gender : F, Race : English mongrel, Religion : Pagan, Age : 35, City : London, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[SheThing]

Why is it that people expect poor people to look like trash? If you had seen that person dressed in dirty clothes with unwashed children in tow, you'd probably be posting 'Why do poor people take no pride in the way they look?' We don't live in a Third World country where Nike shoes and fashionable clothes are hard to come by. For every Henri Bendel's department store there is a Nordstrom Rack or Filene's Basement where over-priced fashionable gear can be purchased at a fraction of the cost. Maybe the person you saw was wearing full-priced designer clothing, or maybe he or she was wore fakes. Why does it matter? I have never met a poor person who, when forced to choose between a fake Prada bag or shoes for their children, would choose the bag. Feeding a family with children is expensive. My mother worked full time and still received food stamps to supplement her low income, and guess what? We had nice furniture and a color TV, I still got toys and new clothes for Christmas! I owe several grand to the U.S. Department of Education for my student loans, but I still buy things (sometimes very expensive things) for myself instead of working my fingers to the bone to pay it off early. Whatever happed to quality of life? We are so quick to judge lower-class people based on superficial observation.

User Detail :  

Name : SheThing, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Agnostic, City : Boston, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Professional, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Michelle]

Having received food stamps on two separate occasions, I can say that for me it is a humiliating experience. Married with two small children, I had the jewelery and nice clothes, also. Becoming a single parent overnight changes things. Even with a job and child support, I qualified for food stamps ,and applying for them was a last resort. I've seen the looks and heard some very upsetting comments while using them. I've left the store in tears on several occasions. No one can know another's circumstances by looking at them. I also shop the Salvation Army and Goodwill. A person may be 'poor,' but that's no reason they should 'look poor'. One comment has stuck with me all this time. It was about the 'nice' car I was driving, which I had bought 8 years before and now belongs to my sister. I had borrowed it that day because my vehicle was not running, again. The lady who said this was asking everyone in line why I was driving that kind of car and paying with food stamps. I did my best to ignore this, and left the store in tears. No one can know a person's circumstances from what he sees in a grocery line. I no longer receive them, but I have a very different perspective now than I did before I had to use them.

User Detail :  

Name : Michelle, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Baptist, Age : 28, City : Arab, State : AL Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[bembol roco]

I haven't seen this response so I'll give it. The guy with gold chains and nike's was probably a drug dealer who took payment from an addict in the form of food stamps.

User Detail :  

Name : bembol roco, Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, Age : 27, City : seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : unemployed, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Lower class, 

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