5 responses so far ↓

• 1 Mike // Aug 3, 2011 at 9:17 am

  It the economy stupid!! This was a suggestion to Bill Clinton when he ran for president and he was right. Now when it comes to Kentucky I make this statement. It’s the Spending Stupid !!!!
  Our present Gov is not doing enought spending cuts as the facts show and KY. is again fighting to be the worst in education, and fiscal responsibility. Look the party is over. Government employement needs to go down now. Yes , services will be hurt but we need the money for the state residents not more government employees. For the employees that are left in govt, they need to take a hit in their pension adn need to pay more for health benifits. Yes, they are going to hurt, like the rest of us have hurt for 2 years. They will make it and the less fortunate will reap the benefits. That is if we remember we have a spending problem!!!!!!!

• 2 Mark // Aug 3, 2011 at 9:34 am

  Here is the problem “Mike.” In KY the economy is part of the problem. Stop thinking that EVERYTHING is the Goverment’s fault. factory jobs or GONE and not coming back. People who did not have a high school education or college education are the ones that are hit the hardest. The reason for the rise in FS is because of the influx on immigrants in this state. Take if from me. I work at one of these offices. Soon as they hit these shores the first thing that Catholic Charities does is bring them right over here. Once they get in that system they never leave. Somebody needs to do som research to see which ethnic group uses more. So “Mike” get out your mother’s basement, put your “Tea” down go vote for Williams and see if anything gets better.

• 3 Bill // Aug 3, 2011 at 1:31 pm

  The food stamp issue in a lot of ways is tied to the lack of decent paying employment in this state. See you have to be in a situation where your income allows for you to receive food stamps. People with decent jobs or better than decent job don’t need food stamps. I agree that a lot of immigrants are getting food stamps but what are you going to do with that problem, starve them to death? That’s not the answer to the issue. The problem is that this state does such a crappy job when it comes to education, job creation, and has a tax reform problem. They haven’t changed as a state for a generation or more. Hell, the insurance laws in this state haven’t been changed since the 1970s and people pay more for insurance here both car, health, home than most surrounding states. Especially Indiana and Ohio which are two industrial states with large cities galore. Louisville is a small city compared to Cincy or Columbus, OH, or even Cleveland.

  The problem with food stamps is that you have to get people paying jobs to get them off food stamps and in Kentucky the decent jobs are becoming more scarce. What I see out here for jobs aren’t 15.00 hr to 25.00 hr jobs but more like 8 to 10 dollars an hour. You can’t feed a person or family on that type of crap. That’s why they end up on food stamps because they can’t make a decent living on just service jobs and lower wage employment. Therefore, you get to pay extra taxes to subsidize these corporate entities and others that aren’t paying their employees a decent wage for a days labor.

  So in that way you have a group of high wage earners making 100k or 300k or something of that sort and they aren’t paying the rank and file worker any more money. Well it doesn’t take fuzzy math to figure out that if you don’t get a pay increase to keep up with inflation eventually you’re going to be in the same boat. The average CEO now makes 400 times what the average employee is making. That’s the real problem and I’m sure there are a few self made millionaires that worth every cent because they took a risk and start their own business but in many cases most of the CEO types aren’t worth that type of difference in salary. That’s why you have too many people on food stamps. But if you listen to the Republicans, its the food stamp recipients fault that the job market dried up and instead of working for decent wages they had to work at Burgerrama because the other jobs aren’t there.

  By the way, talk to a lot of college graduates in this city and how many of them are working at jobs that aren’t even close to their background or skill level because they can’t find better jobs. Ask Greg Fischer about that question and the same for Jerry Know Nothing. 35,000 JOBS left Louisville this past decade and that was probably before the crash of 2008 and the current stagnation

• 4 Steve // Aug 3, 2011 at 2:32 pm

  The number of working individuals and families that need help to make ends meet each month is growing. Stop by better yet, volunteer to work at one of the area minitry food pantires and you will see first hand the increasing number of working folks that need help each month.

  In Kentucky almost one of every 5 is receiving food stamps. Individuals receive $133 each month and families around $282 each month.

  I don’t know about which ethnic group recieves the most. I do know that a large percentage of those receiving food stamps are working single moms of all ethnic groups that are not recieving child support from the father and seniors that are finding it harder to make ends meet.

• 5 Steve // Aug 3, 2011 at 2:42 pm

  Mark, you made the statement “I work at one of these offices. Soon as they hit these shores the first thing that Catholic Charities does is bring them right over here. Once they get in that system they never leave. ”

  One of the requirements to receive food stamps is based on Citizenship, Only U.S. citizens and some legal foreign residents of the United States may receive food benefits.

  How are the people in your office getting around that requirement?

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