BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.

Subject: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: Songwronger
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 11:01 PM

Between 50-100 million Americans are on government food assistance programs. Most of those programs are tied to plastic cards (EBT cards). This past Saturday the EBT system went down for a few hours early in the day. People freaked:

"How will I feed my kids?" (video)

Saturday evening there was another hiccup in the system, in the state of Louisiana. The system was up and running again, but it was not showing upper limits on the cards. "Free stuff." A couple of Wal-Mart stores were cleaned out by people abusing the situation:

EBT card glitch sparks Walmart shopping sprees in Louisiana (story & video)

Hardly America's finest moment, but worth looking at.

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 11:06 PM

Now, now, now, Songwronger...if you point that simple truth out, people will think you're a right winger!
For all we know, it was a test run, for when the economy implodes!

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Oct 13 - 11:22 PM

According to Xerox, which had the contract, it was fixed on Sunday.

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 08:03 AM

The glitch may in part have been due to recent changes in several states, where there have been fairly drastic changes in requirements, authorizations, and regulations on who gets the SNAP cards.

The paperwork in some places must have been horrendous, and everything that's set up via the paper forms (or by direct keyboard entry by workers who aren't there in some places) has to be entered correctly into the computer before the computer can work.

Expect more of the same, there and elsewhere.

John

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 10:38 AM

Do you think holders of Bloomingdales gift cards would have reacted differently if a similar computer glitch had removed the upper limits from those cards? I think not.

As much as Songwronger would like to make this a "welfare state" issue, it's one of simple human greed, and greed knows no socioeconomic boundaries.

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: Elmore
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 03:12 PM

Have no fear. Ted Cruz will fix it when he becomes the first fascist Canadian POTUS.

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: Suzy Sock Puppet
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 03:18 PM

Bee-dubya-ell, well said!

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 06:08 PM

"Have no fear. Ted Cruz will fix it when he becomes the first fascist Canadian POTUS."

Well, Canadians aren't stupid enough to vote for him!

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: Songwronger
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 06:47 PM

Here's a disturbing image. A memo sent out by the USDA:

http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/2013/10/Foodstamp%20USDA%20Letter.jpg

This would mean no food stamps for November?

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 07:21 PM

Don't worry about it. When they want riots in the streets they will close the banks.

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: Songwronger
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 09:46 PM

I used to think that, but then this memo appeared.

There will apparently be an agreement to lift the government shutdown now, but the memo came out on Oct 11, before the agreement was reached.

The memo is from the USDA, part of the Department of Agriculture. That's the Executive Branch of the government. So, the White House, through the Dept of Ag, says no subsidies in November.

It will be interesting to see if Obama relents on that. Or does he want tens of millions of Americans rioting because they can't buy food?

I think this memo is the most radical thing I've ever seen in American politics--a president threatening the people of the U.S. with starvation and the resultant rioting. That's an act of war, against his own nation. Obama and his whole crew need to be impeached before they can instigate food riots.

Subject: RE: BS: EBT card (Food Stamp) chaos in U.S.
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Oct 13 - 10:00 PM

One of my family did a recent (reduced term) vacation with the local county.

Living with two hots and a cot.....for free

Imagine a meth-heads euphoria to discover .... all weekly benefits were added to the card during internment.

(Anyone looking for 40 dollar lobster to exchange for two packs ??? Meet you in the Tesco parking lot.)