CAN beggers be choosers?

[jacksen9]

**And “lazy” is not considered a mental disorder. **

Sorry my writing implied that laziness could be considered a mental disorder.
What I wanted to convey was my belief is that there are a substantial number of homeless people who have turned away from industry and opportunity once too often. Maybe thay have the attitude that they are above certain types of work. But while there are numbers of them that are in this category, there are greater numbers that are suffering from mental disorders / illnesses.
I do not have statistics to support this belief. So…no evidence. Just my personal experience with homeless folk.

I believe that a society that wishes to behave in a dignified manner should focus on innovative ways of providing affordable, up to standard, housing. In addition, I believe wages should be raised. All employers should pay workers a “living wage”. I have worked for minimum wage before. I would have been on the streets had it not been for family and friends. I would not consider myself as mentally ill or lazy. Yet, I have been very close to homelessness.

[Odesio]

*Originally posted by Schnitte *
**Of course they’re not supposed to live in luxury, but I think they still do have dignity as human beings, and if you give money to them under conditions made by you, it is humiliating to them; I pretty much agree with robinh’s statement that it’s not a gift any more once you attach conditions to it.

**

Anyone who makes their way through life by begging isn’t concerned about dignity or self-respect.

**
I wouldn’t tell them what to buy with money I give them, and above all, I can’t stand this “people who are working for their money” crap. I just don’t believe a well-paid upper-class guy works really as much harder than a beggar as he earns more. IMO, a poor person is not always to be blamed for their poverty, they might just as well simply have been unlucky. **

There’s a difference between a poor person and a beggar. I was poor and I didn’t beg people for money. At least the well paid upper class guy does something someone finds useful. The beggar is just a parasite.

Marc

[Brutus]

*Originally posted by autz *
**How about this situation:

A woman goes to a grocery and loads up her cart with junk food. All coke, potato chips, donuts etc.

She pays with food stamps.

She is on public assistance, does she have the right to buy only junk with it? Or should there be stricter rules that only reasonably healthy foods can be purchased with public funds? **

From my understanding, there are some regulations in place as to what ‘food stamps’ can and cannot be used for. No cite, and I am too lazy to search for one

But assuming there are not current regulations…

(I am against any sort of government support for people who are able to work. But since we live in the real world and not my ideal world…)

There should be rules governing what food stamps can be used for. I would restrict food stamps to ‘staple’ foods only. ‘Normal’ fruits and vegatables, (no imported star fruit for food stamps!), ‘normal’ cuts of meat (no fillet mignon), ‘normal’ beverages (no alchohol). Et cetera.

The point of food stamps is not to make people happy; the point of food stamps is to keep people alive until they get a frigging job and stop leaching off the state.