The much-discussed image at right shows a customer receipt for $141.78 worth of cold-water lobster, porterhouse steaks, and Diet Mountain Dew purchased at a grocery store in Menominee, Michigan. The reason it's much discussed is the stated method of payment: food stamps.
The grocery store in question has confirmed the transaction took place, leading to such grumpy characterizations in the media as "Shocking receipt shows welfare recipient dining like king" (WND.com).
There's more to this story than meets the eye, however. Read on...
Comments
My father (Republican) sent this receipt to me. Here’s what I responded:
“Dad, so, we’ve got corporations making billions of dollars in profit and paying no tax; we’ve got rich people with private jets taking advantage of tax breaks; we’ve got hedge fund managers making billions of dollars a year and paying 15% tax on their income while I pay 35% on my pennies. Oil Companies, our RICHEST corporations, GET TAX SUBSIDIES.
And you’re complaining about a person using food stamps to buy lobster? They get one good meal and starve the rest of the week. My weekly food stamp amount when I was out of work was $125.
All I can say is good for that person. We need to tax the rich, reduce the military budget, force corporations to pay their fair share, eliminate tax loopholes for billionaires and INCREASE SOCIAL SPENDING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO SAY IN GOVERNMENT.
Really dad, we should be supporting the non-rich, not working for the rich.”
Oh My. I am only 50 & after several surgeries I was down to 84 pounds a year ago- (I am 5 ft 6)I fought for a year to get $69.00 a month in food stamps here in Florida! My Dr tried to prescribe me “Boost” or Ensure” as I was so malnourished; but: No way.
I HAVE BOUGHT/BUILT/Sold & paid massive ‘impact fees &
taxes on 4 houses in this state!All paid off- no forclosures.
I don’t know about other states but I could no more buy ONE Lobster dinner here in Fla on foodstamps than I could a new car.– Sheesh People! If I had children I guess I could get more ‘F’Stamps…but I am alone disabled and eat nothing but awful awful ramen noodles or instant MacNcheese all month. One Meal a day.Period. I have a slight increase now- I can now buy a gingerale or cereal and milk….I NEVER buy unhealthy foods Ice cream or cookies.. GET real folks- You Cannot live on Foodstamps here. I sure don’t want to be on them any way! BUT I have no choice right now. EASE UP; Think.
God heavens, MR WORKING POOR: I completely agree, and happy to hear someone other than me will argue back and make truthfull points, even to a relative.
My own greatgrandfather voted AGAINST social security benefits (Granted; he was well-off) and when he passed away there were a hundred UnCASHED CHECKED IN HIS SOCK DRAWER.
On the face of it, the case does seem too flagrant and over-the-top to be true — and now we know why. According to the Menominee County Sheriff’s Department, local and state investigators have discovered that the reason the cardholder bought such large quantities of lobster, steak, and soda was not to “dine like a king,” but to resell them for profit. And that is illegal. The accused, one Louis Cuff, has been charged with welfare fraud and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
one point nobody mentions is that the amount spent is somewhere around 50% of a monthy food stamp allowance (which varies). even if they buyer ate the food himself, he’d have fancy meals for 2 days and then no food at all for 2 weeks.
Can someone please explain to me how the validity of this receipt was proven, when upon inspection, the total number of items on the receipt comes to thirteen, yet the receipt itself lists the total number of items as eighteen. At first glance, it appears that even the vaunted Urban Legends and Snopes have been bamboozled.
To John Szabo:
1. The validity of the receipt was acknowledged in the press by the store owner.
2. Looks like the way it breaks down is that each of the cases of Mt. Dew (total of 5 cases) and each of the deposits on those cases (total of 5 deposits) is counted as a separate item. No mystery, no bamboozle.