re: Is America better off since the Tea Party formed?

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Over 48 million people on food stamps.
Over 46 million people on disability.

People that are living off gov't, walk around with Nike Airs, using their cell phones, watching big screen tv and Jerry Springer, figuring out which lawyer on tv to call to sue little Debbie for making them fat asses.

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I agree 100% that the programs are abused, but it's not in all cases. To say that 48 million people who use foodstamps are wearing Nike Airs, watching big screens, etc..is just plain false.

Disability insurance is widely used by the elderly. It typically pays out less than $1,000 a month and requires you to not be able to perform ANY occupation.

This sounds cliche' as I'll get out, but if we didn't change a thing with these programs, but began drug testing as a pre-req, we would weed out a lot of people.

And not the drug testing where they send you in alone to a bathroom. I'm talking parole/probation type drug testing where an officer is standing next to you in the bathroom.

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Over 48 million people on food stamps.
Over 46 million people on disability.

People that are living off gov't, walk around with Nike Airs, using their cell phones, watching big screen tv and Jerry Springer, figuring out which lawyer on tv to call to sue little Debbie for making them fat asses.

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This has been my issue with disability and other entitlement programs. I keep being told these stories about how there are much more people that need it than abuse it and nothing in my life experiences prove that. Cas4t obviously has seen those.

I go to the store and get behind somebody who has their groceries separated into three sections.

Legit food, junk food, booze and random crap. They use a WIC card to buy the essentials, EBT or whatever to buy the junk food, and then cash to buy the booze and cigarettes. I can't scream loud enough to explain how frustrating that is. And it's something i've seen for the last 5 years over and over. I've seen people cuss out a cashier that they can use their WIC card to buy beer, because it's their money and they can spend it how they want.

There is a couple in my small group at church. The guy is on dialysis and waiting for a new kidney. I feel sorry for that situation, it's tough and I pray he gets that kidney. He's on disability. The guy goes to Rangers, Baylor, and Austin Stars Hockey games 2x3 times a month.

His wife is bipolar. She recently went into depression and spent time in a mental hospital. Terrible that she has those problems. She was working in a day care which is NOT a great place for somebody with that problem. She got on disability and now neither of them work. They literally sit at home all day and watch TV.

It's frustrating and I know that they are going through a lot but their attitude is what kills me.

Recently during sharing prayer requests and praise, they were told they were going to have to pay a co-pay for one of his visits. He told me he got so angry he started yelling to get somebody in benefits on the line and punched a hole in the hospital wall. He told me (proudly) that he chewed them up and down till they got it worked out to where he got out of there free and clear.

I'm a charitable person. If he had called me and said "hey 3nout, i need $30 for a co-pay. can you come and help me out?" i'd have been there in a heartbeat to take care of it for him, because I love him as a brother in Christ and a fellow man. But his attitude is that of "no, YOU the hospital (or the tax payer) owes this to me." is what turns me off of entitlement.

People can swear up and down that there are people that legitimately need it and there aren't a lot of abuses, but in my 10 years out of college, I just don't see that as true.