Hipsters on food stamps

[the color nine]

In the John Waters-esque sector of northwest Baltimore -- equal parts kitschy, sketchy, artsy and weird -- Gerry Mak and Sarah Magida sauntered through a small ethnic market stocked with Japanese eggplant, mint chutney and fresh turmeric. After gathering ingredients for that evening's dinner, they walked to the cash register and awaited their moments of truth.

"I have $80 bucks left!" Magida said. "I'm so happy!"

"I have $12," Mak said with a frown.

The two friends weren't tabulating the cash in their wallets but what remained of the monthly allotment on their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program debit cards, the official new term for what are still known colloquially as food stamps.

Magida, a 30-year-old art school graduate, had been installing museum exhibits for a living until the recession caused arts funding -- and her usual gigs -- to dry up. She applied for food stamps last summer, and since then she's used her $150 in monthly benefits for things like fresh produce, raw honey and fresh-squeezed juices from markets near her house in the neighborhood of Hampden, and soy meat alternatives and gourmet ice cream from a Whole Foods a few miles away.

"I'm eating better than I ever have before," she told me. "Even with food stamps, it's not like I'm living large, but it helps."

Mak, 31, grew up in Westchester, graduated from the University of Chicago and toiled in publishing in New York during his 20s before moving to Baltimore last year with a meager part-time blogging job and prospects for little else. About half of his friends in Baltimore have been getting food stamps since the economy toppled, so he decided to give it a try; to his delight, he qualified for $200 a month.

"I'm sort of a foodie, and I'm not going to do the 'living off ramen' thing," he said, fondly remembering a recent meal he'd prepared of roasted rabbit with butter, tarragon and sweet potatoes. "I used to think that you could only get processed food and government cheese on food stamps, but it's great that you can get anything."


ut there seems to be a special strain of ire reserved for those like the self-described "30-something, unemployed, ex-fashionista, EBT armed, post-hipster, downtown mom" from New York who, in January, drew nearly 500 comments on the Web site Urbanbaby.com, many seething with fury at her for trying to maintain the trappings of a materialistic, cosmopolitan life while using an Electronic Benefit Transfer card -- food stamps -- to feed her family. (Her blog is now password-protected.)

"You're hosting dinner parties and buying cases of wine -- on taxpayers' money!" one person wrote. "Your attitude is so objectionable that you're like a trainwreck; it's hard to look away." (One cannot, in fact, buy wine with food stamps, though dinner party ingredients are fair game.)

And on the blog Stuff Unemployed People Like, along with "not showering regularly" and "sleeping in while your significant other goes to work," a post last year touted "buying Perrier with food stamps" and sarcastically claimed that "the fancier the food, the more glee there is in knowing the government has once again helped in enabling a lavish lifestyle." Of the reader responses that poured in, many were food stamp users who defended their shopping choices (including, yes, Perrier) while others attacked them.

"While one person works their butt off," one wrote, "another is just waiting in line so they can recieve [sic] their 'luxury' food stamps and recieve [sic] basically whatever they want."

At Magida's brick row house in Baltimore, she and Mak minced garlic while observing that one of the upsides of unemployment was having plenty of time to cook elaborate meals, and that among their friends, they had let go of any bad feelings about how their food was procured.

"It's not a thing people feel ashamed of, at least not around here," said Mak. "It feels like a necessity right now."

Savory aromas wafted through the kitchen as a table was set with a heaping plate of Thai yellow curry with coconut milk and lemongrass, Chinese gourd sautéed in hot chile sauce and sweet clementine juice, all of it courtesy of government assistance.

"At first, I thought, 'Why should I be on food stamps?'" said Magida, digging into her dinner. "Here I am, this educated person who went to art school, and there are a lot of people who need them more. But then I realized, I need them, too."


whole complete article
http://www.salon.com/life/pinched/2010/03/15/hipsters_food_stamps_pinched/

[deeply shaded]

Who do those hipsters think they are wanting food and stuff.

[nerysinci]

I don't really understand all the outrage.  I mean, I can see what they're saying, but these kids are going to be using the EBT cards to buy food anyway.  Why does it matter that they can turn it into deliciousity?  When I was a kid, we were on food stamps for some time.  Both my parents worked, but with 3 kids they could barely make ends meet for awhile.  I wish my mom would have done something interesting with it :lol:

[deeply shaded]

A lot of people want to be able to choose what people on food stamps eat. They also want to choose what they drive, what they wear and they don't ever, ever want them to have their nails done.

[nerysinci]

[quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=24624.msg1567732#msg1567732 date=1268957316]
A lot of people want to be able to choose what people on food stamps eat. They also want to choose what they drive, what they wear and they don't ever, ever want them to have their nails done.
[/quote]

That shit makes no sense to me.  Are these people conservatives?  I mean, I get that it's fucking ridic to have a Cadillac in your driveway and be on food stamps.  But not everyone on food stamps does that shit.  Not allowing people to choose for themselves and have fun once in awhile will lower morale, and in turn, make them even less motivated to do anything, ever.  Maybe not for ALL people, obviously, I don't want to generalize.  I've been depressed...I knew what I needed to do to help myself, but I just couldn't get over myself and stagnated for a long time.

[deeply shaded]

I've read on message boards where people actually follow food stamp users into the parking lot to see what they're driving. I think that's hilarious since, unless they asked to see the registration, they have no idea if the car belongs to them or not.

Some people just need stabbed.

[the color nine]

When my husband decided cocaine was better than his family and stole all my money I had to have food stamps to feed me and my child.  I had a very expensive car that I purchased with cash and I could feel the stares as I went out to it after using the food stamps.  BUT I bought with these food stamps food that was healthy yet would last.  I didn't make a couple of grand damned meals that I was accustomed to.  I knew those days were over until I got back on my feet. 
There are families getting stamps that cannot hardly make it to the end of the month eating fatty crap and here these people are living it up on the dole.  It's disgusting.

[leyash]

A friend of mine a few years ago was confronted by someone in the grocery store parking lot that saw her using food stamps, and she was screaming at her, about how she needed to get off her lazy ass and get a REAL job (keep in mind, this woman did NOT know my friend, had never seen her before), and stop using everyone else's money to pay for her and her kids to eat. She kept saying that EVERYONE is having problems these days, and that it wasn't fair of her to be using taxpayers money for her to sit on her ass and eat and watch TV all day. She basically, ripped her a new one.

She didn't respond. Just started balling and walked to her car. She sat in the parking lot for 20 minutes, because she couldn't stop crying.

Her husband had just died a few months before that, and she was a stay at home mom. She had recently gotten a job working for a local city office, but she didn't make enough money to take care of ALL the bills herself.

If I would have been there, I can't say that I wouldn't have run her over with my car.

People just DON'T KNOW what people are going through in order to need the food stamps.

BUT, on the other hand... I "knew" another girl (wasn't friends with her, she was more like an acquaintance), that would BRAG about how she lied on the application to get the food stamps for her and her 4 kids. Her husband did something (not sure what) at a law office, and was pushing $100k a year, but she didn't put that on the application. She put that she lived by herself, and only made $400 a month doing odd-jobs here and there. She qualified for almost $1,000 a month in food stamps... Ridic.

So, yeah... it's sad, but there's not really any way to know who REALLY needs it, unless the workers go into more depth trying to see if these people are telling the truth about why they need it... but there are too many people applying these days.

[deeply shaded]

[quote author=the color nine link=topic=24624.msg1567754#msg1567754 date=1268958918]
When my husband decided cocaine was better than his family and stole all my money I had to have food stamps to feed me and my child.  I had a very expensive car that I purchased with cash and I could feel the stares as I went out to it after using the food stamps.  BUT I bought with these food stamps food that was healthy yet would last.  I didn't make a couple of grand damned meals that I was accustomed to.  I knew those days were over until I got back on my feet. 
There are families getting stamps that cannot hardly make it to the end of the month eating fatty crap and here these people are living it up on the dole.  It's disgusting.
[/quote]

But they get only what they qualify for and when it's gone, it's gone, no matter what they spend it on.

[wheresthebeef]

I'm on food stamps. We don't get much, and that is the only help I get besides daycare. I just found out you can buy vegetable seeds with them! I bought about 16 packets to plant in my new garden, which will save us money in the future.

[sarabei]

Honestly, I would rather see them eating healthy than the unhealthy foods I usually see people with food stamps buy.  Meh, like DS said, when it is gone it is gone, so what if they buy organic fancy food with it?  If they starve the rest of the month that is their own fault for not planning better.  I don't see why anyone cares about what they buy as long as they are buying food?

[AlexaC]

[quote author=sarabei link=topic=24624.msg1567986#msg1567986 date=1268997651]
Honestly, I would rather see them eating healthy than the unhealthy foods I usually see people with food stamps buy.   Meh, like DS said, when it is gone it is gone, so what if they buy organic fancy food with it?  If they starve the rest of the month that is their own fault for not planning better.  I don't see why anyone cares about what they buy as long as they are buying food?
[/quote]

I agree.  Who cares what they buy? Its a lot harder to " just get a job" than it sounds these days. And people gotta eat. And the day may come that the people who are bashing food stampers need them themselves. I don't complain about paying for Schools with my tax money even though I don't have a kid--because the day may come that I have one and then my foot will be in my mouth. Same thing here.  So its live and let live, in any fashion they like.

[MissLyss]

It kind of pisses me off when I see a bunch of my friends, one of whom collects disability, but really could work if he wanted. He gets food stamps of like 200 bucks a month. I apply and get like 35 dollars. We don't make a whole lot, so I dont get it.

[deeply shaded]

[quote author=MissLyss link=topic=24624.msg1568675#msg1568675 date=1269044768]
It kind of pisses me off when I see a bunch of my friends, one of whom collects disability, but really could work if he wanted. He gets food stamps of like 200 bucks a month. I apply and get like 35 dollars. We don't make a whole lot, so I dont get it.
[/quote]

I think the system itself is way fucked up as far as how much people get and how they decide that, based only on what I've seen with my daughter.

[MissLyss]

[quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=24624.msg1568678#msg1568678 date=1269044911]
I think the system itself is way fucked up as far as how much people get and how they decide that, based only on what I've seen with my daughter.
[/quote]

I grew up very poor. My mother was very anti-public assistance and because of that, we suffered tremendously as children. She hates that I applied, but my daughter is not going to suffer because we are having a hard time finding jobs with working wages.

[Yomalex3]

It doesn't piss me off to know they are eating well. I was on foodstamps for a while and it was the only thing that made me happy during a rough time. What does piss me off is seeing my co-worker who gets foodstamps and have money to buy fake lashes, wigs, hair extensions, braids and nails. She also avoids working overtime because in her case she has a thing where she lives in public housing and if she makes slightly more than a certain amount a month then they will take her benefits away. She could very well have a full time but she would rather have her the gov. pay for her food so she can afford to get her fake stuff done and go clubbing every weekend. 

[deeply shaded]

[quote author=Yomalex3 link=topic=24624.msg1569046#msg1569046 date=1269067618]
It doesn't piss me off to know they are eating well. I was on foodstamps for a while and it was the only thing that made me happy during a rough time. What does piss me off is seeing my co-worker who gets foodstamps and have money to buy fake lashes, wigs, hair extensions, braids and nails. She also avoids working overtime because in her case she has a thing where she lives in public housing and if she makes slightly more than a certain amount a month then they will take her benefits away. She could very well have a full time but she would rather have her the gov. pay for her food so she can afford to get her fake stuff done and go clubbing every weekend. 
[/quote]

But, if she only made slightly more she wouldn't be able to afford to live if they took her benefit away. I understand completely why people do this.

My daughter lost her medical because she started making too much money. Can she afford insurance? Of course not. She doesn't make that much more. Just enough to lose her medical coverage. She just kept working and goes without insurance, but if it's your housing would you be able to do that? Nope. That's why people do this. It's a flaw in the system and that's sometimes what they have to do to survive.

[Yomalex3]

[quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=24624.msg1569050#msg1569050 date=1269067819]
But, if she only made slightly more she wouldn't be able to afford to live if they took her benefit away. I understand completely why people do this.

My daughter lost her medical because she started making too much money. Can she afford insurance? Of course not. She doesn't make that much more. Just enough to lose her medical coverage. She just kept working and goes without insurance, but if it's your housing would you be able to do that? Nope. That's why people do this. It's a flaw in the system and that's sometimes what they have to do to survive.
[/quote]

No, no, don't get me wrong. I went without food or health insurance for like 3 years. (Well by food I mean I was living off of ramen noodles and tuna helpers) All because I made too much money to get food stamps and medicaid, I can see where you're coming from. I'm pissed that she has a brand new explorer 2009, she has $200 to waste a month on her hair and $40 more on her nails while on food stamps. I work hard for what little I have, my car is a 2000 windstar I got because someone felt sorry for me and gave it to me (I was taking the bus home after work everyday, I had to walk 45 mins to the nearest bus stop and then take 4 buses for a grand total of 3 hrs to get home after working nightshift.) It becomes a problem when ppl like her take advantage of the programs ment to help ppl who rly need it and then ppl who do need it can't get it, like for example your daughter. That's what I ment pisses me off. She has been offered fulltime at my company and just won't take it. She has like 5 kids which all receive "baby daddy" money and 3 of them don't even live with her, they live with their paternal grandmothers. I mean I was looking to see what you have to do to get food stamps in Florida and if you don't have kids you gotta be making no more than 12,000 a year... :2sad: who can survive on that? Heck if you make 14,000 a year ur barely making enough to survive  :-(

[nails]

My cousin gets food stamps and stuff and it makes me so mad.  She's getting disability so she won't get a job when she could go to a fast food place and flip a burger.  I know it's not a dream job but she could do it there's nothing wrong with her.  She's slow she can't spell or read to well and can't do math.  I can't do math and I work as a cashier.  You count the money, put it in the register and it tells you how much to give back.  Easy.  She lives at friends houses for free.  All of her food stamps goes to junk food.  Her kids were taken away from her like last year and even when she had her kids they only knew junk food.  My mom also gets food stamps and disability when she can get a job too.  Some people are just lazy.  My cousin used to spend her money on drugs now she's clean so it goes to new cell phones and Baby Phat shoes.  My mom spends it on anything she can.  Her boyfriend works and pays just about everything yet she gets pissed when something in the house needs fixed and my mom has to pay for it cause he's broke.  When my mom and cousin got on disability they had to take a test to prove that they have a low iq and mental problems.  I can go in there and bomb a test and act crazy.

[Fleta]

I HATE that so many people spend their food stamps on candy, soda, and energy drinks. It genuinely makes me angry.
I don't expect those living on food stamps to eat only bread and milk, but I've had regular customers who buy Red Bulls every morning. Then use their cash benefits to buy beer and cigarettes.

If you're so down and out that you need taxpayers to help you buy food, you have no business blowing your money on junk you don't need, much less blowing taxpayer money on junk. Not living like a pauper is one thing-- being wasteful is another. I don't care how you spend your money until you start spending mine, too.

[deeply shaded]

What's your mom on disability for, nails?

You can get disability for being an alcoholic. That seems wrong to me.  :|

[bowieluva]

I don't really get it. I mean, of course college age kids are going to end up fucked if they don't have rich parents. There are no jobs. Just because you went to college doesn't mean you're a gilded billionaire. Most kids I know are totally fucked by their college debt, actually.

[Ron_NYC]

[quote author=bowieluva link=topic=24624.msg1569495#msg1569495 date=1269112346]
I don't really get it. I mean, of course college age kids are going to end up fucked if they don't have rich parents. There are no jobs. Just because you went to college doesn't mean you're a gilded billionaire. Most kids I know are totally fucked by their college debt, actually.
[/quote]
I applied before I started school. Knowing I [s]can't[/s] probably won't find work while in classes, but still having a food addiction that I can't seem to shake, I thought it was a viable option. When I went to finish the application process, they asked me if I was in school and I answered "yes" like a moron. Apparently, if I were unemployed it would be fine to get benefits, but if I'm in school I cannot. Makes perfect sense. :lol:

Fuckers.

[Peavey]

[quote author=bowieluva link=topic=24624.msg1569495#msg1569495 date=1269112346]
I don't really get it. I mean, of course college age kids are going to end up fucked if they don't have rich parents. There are no jobs. Just because you went to college doesn't mean you're a gilded billionaire. Most kids I know are totally fucked by their college debt, actually.
[/quote]



My debt is more than twice my annual starting salary as an entry level professor.  I'm lucky to have a job.  Three of the 8 people in my cohort have no job whatsoever.  And they pretty much have as much debt as I do.

[poppy213]

I am in Portland, Oregon and they have made it possible for the Farmers Market to accept EBT food stamp cards.  I imagine that it is also helping the smaller farms make money along with better food for the recipients.  :-)