More States Tax Tampons Than Candy in America

[Benton]

(12-10-2015, 03:37 PM)ExtraRadiohead Wrote: It is actually pretty astounding what the government considers groceries compared to what isn't considered groceries. When I worked at a Speedway gas station years ago we would have families from the trailer park come in with food stamp cards and go "grocery shopping". I always felt bad when I had to tell them they couldn't purchase hot and prepared food but your kids can go buy 50 candy bars.

Last year around Xmas there was a homeless couple and a child on the corner outside of a Krogers asking for money. Me and my girlfriend talked to them and they were telling us about how they have money on their food stamp card but they lack the resources to prepare food and their card wouldn't let them purchase anything hot and already cooked. They went on to talk about how with limited funds they have to make it stretch and healthier items simply cost too much so they feel like they were left with cheap junk food options. Similar to what stores like Dollar General are crammed full with. We went ahead and gave them a rotisserie chicken and some mash potatoes from the deli section and they offered to pay us back by buying us different food items their card can accept but we declined.

My point being is the government tried drawing a line between a luxury and a need and failed miserably.

Very cool of you to do that.

And you're right, it's crazy. There's a gas station I drive by every day. Couple months ago they put out a giant vinyl banner with a large Coke logo right above "Now Accepting EBT". I shake my head. When I used to work in a grocery people would buy the worst food on their cards (and actual paper food stamps cause I'm old). I've considered running for an office just to try and get legislation to have a modernized list of what you can and can't buy. Not going overboard, but common sense stuff like "Milk=yes" "800 calories of sugar Coke=no".