One disturbing trend we have seen and heard about recently is the willingness of some employees, who might be in danger of losing their jobs due to poor performance, to almost dare their employers to dismiss them so they, the employees, can receive unemployment benefits and food stamps free and clear.
When the food stamp program and unemployment program were set up, both were supposed to be used as safety nets, to provide temporary relief to those who had lost their jobs or found themselves in a financial mess.
The abuse of these programs is a national disgrace that drains tax dollars that could be used for the good of all. In Georgia, five out of 11 people now receive food stamps. It is discouraging to stand in a grocery line and watch people using EBT cards to buy name-brand products and foodstuffs that many of us, who work hard every day to earn a paycheck, cannot afford.
There is a move in the U.S. House this week to tighten the food stamp program. The bill would require that folks who receive food stamps spend 20 hours a week in work-training programs.
State legislators in Michigan are working on a bill that would require food stamp recipients to volunteer in their communities at least 20 hours a week and submit to drug testing.
These bills offer feasible ways to ensure that the people who need food stamps can get them, but also are required to perform some type of service to earn them.
We suggest that you contact our Congressmen, Democrat Hank Johnson and Republican Paul Broun, and let them know how you feel about these possible changes.
In our opinion, nobody is entitled to free benefits. Our country wasn’t established on that principle. As taxpayers, we shouldn’t tolerate it.
Contact information for Newton County’s Congressional representatives is as follows:
Paul Broun (GA-10)
Athens District Office
3706 Atlanta Highway, Suite 2
Athens, GA 30606
Phone: (706) 549-9588
Fax: (706) 549-9590
Hank Johnson (GA-4)
5700 Hillandale Dr., Suite 120
Lithonia, GA 30058
Phone: (770) 987-2291
Fax: (770) 987-8721
