What is up with the WIC?

**DumberDrummer** · 08-06-2006, 07:32 PM

I work at a local independent grocer (and have for sometime now), and I'm starting to get kind of ticked at the way the WIC program works...

For those who don't know, WIC provides food for low income families so that the kids don't die of starvation or malnutrition. It only covers staples like cheese, eggs, cereal, juice, and milk, but these are the biggest expenses in any family...

In any case, there were two instances this week... the first involved a guy coming up to the counter and using his WIC "check" to purchase the staples, but then something came up that wasn't covered, and there was still like 5 dollars left on his bill... so he whips out his wallet, and it is CHOCK FULL of 20 dollar bills. I kid you not, he must have had around 400 dollars in 20s in there. He pays for the rest of his food with a 20.

The second, a man comes in with his two kids and empties his pockets to find his check, and when he's done a very nice cellphone, an expensive looking car radio, and the keys to a nice car (I know he had a nice car, cause I put his groceries in the car for him....)

This has me seething... why am I getting money withheld from each paycheck to pay for these people's food to let them use their paychecks to buy toys? Its ridiculous....

**Fox** · 08-06-2006, 07:50 PM

Because these people have a sense of entitlement. Paying their way through life wasn't good enough, so they had to have people help them through it. Cry me a freaking river. There's nobody in the U.S. with any kind of job who can't afford to pay for groceries unless they have a slew of kids and no significant other. I sympathize with those people, but then again I've heard of people using foodstamps to buy cigarettes, even though that's forbidden...

bry623 · 08-07-2006, 08:22 AM

Back in the day, I was a cashier at the local grocery. A woman gave each of her 4 kids a 1 dollar food stamp to buy a $.50 candy bar. Each kid got 50 cents change. Four times $.50 = $2.00, which is what her pack of Kool Filter Kings cost her.

The thing that makes me mad about WIC is that I have to work 2 jobs to support my family. My wife went to her sister's house for a playdate with the kids and they all borught food. My SIL's friend was there. She is a WIC mom. She had name brand stuff and the 100% juicy juice. My kids had to drink wtaered down Wal-Mart brand. Then this woman has the audacity to ask my wife if she wanted to take that or any other leftovers home because they had plenty.

While I am sure that with my income and epends that I would qualify for WIC (you ever have to by formula, baby food and diapers for twins! EXPENSIVE), but I do not need it. Buying school supplies last week, a woman told us that th Salvation Army would give you a back pack full of supplies. I told her, "No thanks, there others who actually need the help. I am a republican and do not need a handout."

It's good to be a jerk.

Zazula · 08-07-2006, 08:34 AM

No need to blame your country, the exact same form of abuse happens everywhere in the Western World... unfortunately...

ebackhus · 08-07-2006, 09:50 AM

I've noticed this as well...

I'm single with no kids so my expenses are slim. When I go grocery shopping it boils my blood to see that the cart in front of me is bursting at the welds with the most expensive brands of the least beneficial foods. Then, they whip out a WIC ticket for the staples and charge the rest using food stamps. W. T. F. I barely make do just getting the essentials through store brands (most of which are actually yummier!) but these people are using the money -I- earn to buy junk!

sinclair_tm · 08-07-2006, 01:53 PM

well, not everyone on wic is like that. back when my son was born, and before we were divorced, we were on wic to help pay for the baby's needs. then we used my money to buy the cheap food that the two of us needed at superwalmart. even with wic, i still couldn't afford to get brand name food, let alone a decent car (a wreked 94 plymoth) and other toys. needless to say, despite the divorce and now being a single parent, i'm doing much better. still not sure how lossing her started making my savings go up.

anywho, it did save my bacon, but i do remember being stuck in line behind people like listed above.

bry623 · 08-07-2006, 02:25 PM

For those that use it temporarily and want nothing more than to be off of it, it is great, unfortunately, we only hear of the riff raff.

You aren't sure how your savings went up?? Here is a riddle:

Why is divorce so expensive?

It's worth it.

**Fox** · 08-07-2006, 02:48 PM

Haha!

That's a really shaky thing, to have a pre-nuptual agreement or not... I think a lot of women would laugh when presented with that, but I also think a lot of women will take whatever they can get in a divorce court.

**DumberDrummer** · 08-07-2006, 07:21 PM

I don't mind WIC in and of itself... its when my tax money is letting them get toys, when I start getting mad...

gamerman0203 · 08-08-2006, 06:38 AM

I agree with the way this thread is going. WIC is there for the people that truly, truly need it. I have no problem helping out people when they need it. I actually like to! So, OK, my check every two weeks is $200 shorter because of Uncle Sam and helping these people (whether I like it or not), but if you need it and don't abuse it, I'm glad to do my part.

It's the people that are being discussed in this thread that annoy the #$%&( out of me! My wife was a cashier/cashier trainer at one of our local Meijer Stores for 2 years before we got married and aside from the occasional creep that would come through her lane buying a single rose for her and asking for a few digits, the stories that annoyed me the most were of these kinds of situations. Nice cell phone, nice car, buying Pantene, Dove, CD's, DVD's with fat wads out of their pocket, but paying for the 'essentials' with WIC and Food stamps. Ugh....I could just keep ranting about this for days.

bry623 · 08-08-2006, 01:42 PM

But, we'll just keeping taking from the rich and giving to the poor to ease our consciences.

**hempknight** · 08-08-2006, 05:59 PM

maybe the shops could report WIC abusers like these ppl and audits could be done??

**DumberDrummer** · 08-08-2006, 09:28 PM

No way... even if it was legal to simply audit someone's finances based on hearsay, it would still be difficult to prove abuse.

EDIT: Oh, another thing that makes me mad. These people are coming into my workplace, which is a store known as Roth's. I don't know how many similar stores there are across the nation, but this one is one of the nicer ones. Everything is about 25% percent more expensive, but we make all kinds of concessions for the consumer, such as carryout service, a nice dining area, top quality beef, etc... we aren't your big box walmart wannabe like WinCo or Safeway. This makes me even madder because these people are "barely scraping by", and they have the audacity to come in and make me carry their grocies that I just helped pay for out to their nice car, when my parents have to shop at a big box chain just to make ends meet.

bry623 · 08-09-2006, 06:04 AM

It is because they are a slave to their god............................ greed.

ebackhus · 08-09-2006, 10:52 AM

Keeping up with the Jonesses. AMIRITE?

08-06-2006, 07:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
DumberDrummer Cymru am byth Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,377 OS: Windows XP Pro SP2 My System	What is up with the WIC? I work at a local independent grocer (and have for sometime now), and I'm starting to get kind of ticked at the way the WIC program works... For those who don't know, WIC provides food for low income families so that the kids don't die of starvation or malnutrition. It only covers staples like cheese, eggs, cereal, juice, and milk, but these are the biggest expenses in any family... In any case, there were two instances this week... the first involved a guy coming up to the counter and using his WIC "check" to purchase the staples, but then something came up that wasn't covered, and there was still like 5 dollars left on his bill... so he whips out his wallet, and it is CHOCK FULL of 20 dollar bills. I kid you not, he must have had around 400 dollars in 20s in there. He pays for the rest of his food with a 20. The second, a man comes in with his two kids and empties his pockets to find his check, and when he's done a very nice cellphone, an expensive looking car radio, and the keys to a nice car (I know he had a nice car, cause I put his groceries in the car for him....) This has me seething... why am I getting money withheld from each paycheck to pay for these people's food to let them use their paychecks to buy toys? Its ridiculous.... __________________ Living with Louie dog's the only way to stay sane _____________________________________________ ... and with those words so begins my lifetime of longing for the devil's warm embrace

08-06-2006, 07:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
Fox TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,752 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	Because these people have a sense of entitlement. Paying their way through life wasn't good enough, so they had to have people help them through it. Cry me a freaking river. There's nobody in the U.S. with any kind of job who can't afford to pay for groceries unless they have a slew of kids and no significant other. I sympathize with those people, but then again I've heard of people using foodstamps to buy cigarettes, even though that's forbidden... __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

08-07-2006, 08:22 AM	#3 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 10,621 OS: winxp pro sp2	Back in the day, I was a cashier at the local grocery. A woman gave each of her 4 kids a 1 dollar food stamp to buy a $.50 candy bar. Each kid got 50 cents change. Four times $.50 = $2.00, which is what her pack of Kool Filter Kings cost her. The thing that makes me mad about WIC is that I have to work 2 jobs to support my family. My wife went to her sister's house for a playdate with the kids and they all borught food. My SIL's friend was there. She is a WIC mom. She had name brand stuff and the 100% juicy juice. My kids had to drink wtaered down Wal-Mart brand. Then this woman has the audacity to ask my wife if she wanted to take that or any other leftovers home because they had plenty. While I am sure that with my income and epends that I would qualify for WIC (you ever have to by formula, baby food and diapers for twins! EXPENSIVE), but I do not need it. Buying school supplies last week, a woman told us that th Salvation Army would give you a back pack full of supplies. I told her, "No thanks, there others who actually need the help. I am a republican and do not need a handout." It's good to be a jerk. __________________ "Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem." -Ronald Reagan

08-07-2006, 08:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
Zazula Manager Emeritus, I'm blond, James Blond Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 7,643 OS: Win XP Pro SP2	No need to blame your country, the exact same form of abuse happens everywhere in the Western World... unfortunately... __________________ "Time is the wisest because it discovers everything" Thales of Miletus (ca.624BC-ca.546BC) "Everything flows, nothing stands still." Heraclitus of Ephesus (ca.535BC-475BC) "One thing I know, that I know nothing" Socrates of Athens (ca.470BC–399BC)

08-07-2006, 09:50 AM	#5 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 12,767 OS: WinXP Pro SP3 My System Blog Entries: 25	I've noticed this as well... I'm single with no kids so my expenses are slim. When I go grocery shopping it boils my blood to see that the cart in front of me is bursting at the welds with the most expensive brands of the least beneficial foods. Then, they whip out a WIC ticket for the staples and charge the rest using food stamps. W. T. F. I barely make do just getting the essentials through store brands (most of which are actually yummier!) but these people are using the money -I- earn to buy junk! __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.

08-07-2006, 02:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 10,621 OS: winxp pro sp2	For those that use it temporarily and want nothing more than to be off of it, it is great, unfortunately, we only hear of the riff raff. You aren't sure how your savings went up?? Here is a riddle: Why is divorce so expensive? It's worth it. __________________ "Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem." -Ronald Reagan

08-07-2006, 02:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
Fox TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,752 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	Haha! That's a really shaky thing, to have a pre-nuptual agreement or not... I think a lot of women would laugh when presented with that, but I also think a lot of women will take whatever they can get in a divorce court. __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

08-07-2006, 07:21 PM	#9 (permalink)
DumberDrummer Cymru am byth Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,377 OS: Windows XP Pro SP2 My System	I don't mind WIC in and of itself... its when my tax money is letting them get toys, when I start getting mad... __________________ Living with Louie dog's the only way to stay sane _____________________________________________ ... and with those words so begins my lifetime of longing for the devil's warm embrace

08-08-2006, 06:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
gamerman0203 Games Team Asst. Manager Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 2,145 OS: XP MCE, Ubuntu Gutsy My System	I agree with the way this thread is going. WIC is there for the people that truly, truly need it. I have no problem helping out people when they need it. I actually like to! So, OK, my check every two weeks is $200 shorter because of Uncle Sam and helping these people (whether I like it or not), but if you need it and don't abuse it, I'm glad to do my part. It's the people that are being discussed in this thread that annoy the #$%&( out of me! My wife was a cashier/cashier trainer at one of our local Meijer Stores for 2 years before we got married and aside from the occasional creep that would come through her lane buying a single rose for her and asking for a few digits, the stories that annoyed me the most were of these kinds of situations. Nice cell phone, nice car, buying Pantene, Dove, CD's, DVD's with fat wads out of their pocket, but paying for the 'essentials' with WIC and Food stamps. Ugh....I could just keep ranting about this for days. __________________ Follow These Steps First! CPU-Z \| SensorView \| WinXP Clean Boot \| Latest DirectX \| ATI Catalyst \| Nvidia ForceWare Posting System Specifications

08-08-2006, 01:42 PM	#11 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 10,621 OS: winxp pro sp2	But, we'll just keeping taking from the rich and giving to the poor to ease our consciences. __________________ "Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem." -Ronald Reagan

08-08-2006, 05:59 PM	#12 (permalink)
hempknight TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 644 OS: XP Pro	maybe the shops could report WIC abusers like these ppl and audits could be done??

08-08-2006, 09:28 PM	#13 (permalink)
DumberDrummer Cymru am byth Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,377 OS: Windows XP Pro SP2 My System	No way... even if it was legal to simply audit someone's finances based on hearsay, it would still be difficult to prove abuse. EDIT: Oh, another thing that makes me mad. These people are coming into my workplace, which is a store known as Roth's. I don't know how many similar stores there are across the nation, but this one is one of the nicer ones. Everything is about 25% percent more expensive, but we make all kinds of concessions for the consumer, such as carryout service, a nice dining area, top quality beef, etc... we aren't your big box walmart wannabe like WinCo or Safeway. This makes me even madder because these people are "barely scraping by", and they have the audacity to come in and make me carry their grocies that I just helped pay for out to their nice car, when my parents have to shop at a big box chain just to make ends meet. __________________ Living with Louie dog's the only way to stay sane _____________________________________________ ... and with those words so begins my lifetime of longing for the devil's warm embrace Last edited by DumberDrummer : 08-08-2006 at 09:32 PM.

08-09-2006, 06:04 AM	#14 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 10,621 OS: winxp pro sp2	It is because they are a slave to their god............................ greed. __________________ "Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem." -Ronald Reagan

08-09-2006, 10:52 AM	#15 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 12,767 OS: WinXP Pro SP3 My System Blog Entries: 25	Keeping up with the Jonesses. AMIRITE? __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.