No, that is me exchanging currency for goods (or if he's not the owner, services). that is far from the government saying "we're going to take your money and give it to this guy over here" and then have him go and buy two lottery tickets.

In your case, the exchange was willing. in actuality (my example), it is not. You are arguing that it is ok for the government to take my right to spend my money as I choose but not ok for the government to dictate how someone that receives that money can act. That, to me, it what is ludicrous.

Andrew,

They're going to let these people play the lottery. The State wants to keep anything they win that is over $600.

That's just wrong to me!

I have paid taxes and into Social security since I was 16. I'm now 42. While workin as a deputy sheriff I had no choice but to apply for food stamps. I was only makin $1700 a month gross. I had 3 children under my roof at the time that I was doing my utmost to provide for. I put my life on the line for a mere $1700 a month and had to go on food stamps to make ends meet. My point is this. If we were to do the math. I have paid much more into the system then I ever took out of it. I haven't touched your money. I don't want your money. And if I had spent a $1 for a lottery ticket frankly, it ain't none of your dang business. Look at it from this point of view, if I had won then I would've been able to get away from food stamps all the faster and the state woulda got a butt load more tax money from me because I wouldn't have looked for every loophole I could find to get out of payin said taxes.
You have no idea why someone goes on assistance. You don't know their specific circumstances. You should heed the old phrase, Don't judge until you've walked a mile in someone else's moccasins.

I do not want a single dime of my tax dollars to pay for welfare, food stamps, or any related social program. If that makes me cold-hearted, so be it. I cannot afford to donate to private organizations in my community because I am forced to pay for government waste. That is the problem. I have no issues helping others when I can know there is a good ROI. with the government, there is never a big ROI.

I understand that. I'm just saying that my position is to take it a step further and not allow them to do it. I understand how that is against my libertarian philosophies but it's in reaction to the fact I find the federal social programs wrong in the first place.

It's not about the reasons for going on assistance. it's my belief that if you are on assistance, that assistance is to help you live. your money should be spent first and the social funds supplement what you cannot afford. If you are desperate, you should not be frivolously spending money on crap you do not need. a lottery ticket does absolutely nothing to help you live besides give you hope of a snowball's chance at a better life.

I willingly pay taxes and am glad that they help others and hope that if they buy a lotto ticket they win.

If you feel put out about taxes and what they might possibly be used for stop paying in protest, please and stop whining about it.

I would be happy for the person who is struggling and happens upon a lotto winning and is no longer struggling.

I would be happy for the person who is struggling and happens upon a lotto winning and is no longer struggling too.

Again who are you to judge??? You are not in position to judge how others live their lives. What they do with their money is nonya.

Once you pay your taxes it is no longer your money.

Wouldn't it make more sense to give them the money? Food stamps isn't really a currency as far as I know, it is more or less like monopoly money...nothing currency. Sure it is reimbursed to the store, but it really doesn't circulate through the economy as a whole, I could very well be wrong but as far as I know that is how food stamps work.

I would think that alone would be motivation enough to give them the money, recirculate it into the economy by them spending it...wahlah, we have some plus where there would otherwise be a neutral.

I'm done. it's become apparent I cannot argue with you if you cannot realize that someone's liberties are taken away with every decision and action.

I was thinking the same thing and you are right about foodstamps, it is not circulated.

actually, some of the fema people were spending the money in strip joints. the people of new orleans, did'nt get help from very much at all, and there's tent cities under I-10 that are getting bigger even now, and it's got worse since katrina. yes there are those that spent they're money in the strip joints, but the federal money issued to haliburton (halibutthole) and bectell, was imbezzeled, paying the mexicans that came out of no-where on roofing squares $2.50, and keeping $17.50 free and clear, no taxes on a twenty dollar square. this abuse was all over new orleans, and it's even worse in Iraq. the govt contractors were ruthless, and i hope there is an investigation! (but there won't be)

The only thing I was gettin was food stamps. That's all I asked for or wanted help with. I did spend my money first on bills that needed to be paid, things that needed to be gotten for my children, and yes even taxes and social security and medicare and a retirement fund. How do you even know where your tax dollars are being spent? Have you asked for an actual accountin of the money you've paid? For all you know Joe Smo's money coulda been used for someone's assistance and yours gone to building roads that you drive your car on. You nor anyone else has the right to tell anyone else how and where they can spend their money. You have no right to tell anyone what they spend money on is frivilous crap. I might think that it's frivilous to spend money on a name brand laundry soap rather than a generic but they have the right to spend as they see fit. There are some who may find buyin a simple $1 lottery ticket once a week entertaining. It's not your place to tell them it's not. There are some who do it simply for the sheer pleasure of sittin down at the time of the drawing and watching the numbers to see how many they actually match. For some it's the only form of entertainment they can actually afford. I would never think of denyin someone that even if they are on any kind of assistance whatsoever.

Well said, ReddBeans.

I've seen my grandfather watch the news for the lottery number. He was thinking of that lottery ticket as entertainment. He wasn't physically able to get out in his later years. That was his fun. I would hate to think that if he received any aid, that he couldn't keep what he won from that weekly ticket.

I am so tired of others looking down upon people who are on any type of assistance. I at one time thought as some others do, people on assistance are just lazy blah, blah, blah. Until I had no choice but to walk a mile and more in their moccassins. It takes alot of pride swallowin to admit you can't provide for your family on your own. It takes alot to walk into a DHS office and request help. It take alot to have to divuluge absolutely everything to someone in the way of your finances. I worked from the age of 16, I served my country in the military. There were times I held 3 jobs. I put my life on the line to help keep the streets safe for my community and had to go on assistance because I wasn't being paid enough to make the ends meet. I will be the first to admit there are some that abuse and fraud the system. But don't group all into one bunch. There are honest hard working people who've had no choice but to go on assistance. They don't deserve to be talked about disrespectfully.
I will admit that I played the lottery when I lived in a state that had one. I saw nothing wrong with buying that $1 ticket. It was my form of entertainment. But you better believe the rest of my bills were paid first.
I think that what TN is trying to do is ridiculous and just plain wrong. As I said before, are they gonna go after those on assistance that win the PCH sweepstakes or any other sweepstakes for that matter? You don't have to pay anything to win those.

Again, it's not about why they're on assistance or looking down on those who are on assistance. They are using federal government funds that are designed to help them live on crap they do not need.

Tell me, would it be ok for Wells Fargo to throw a junket in Vegas using their own funds after receiving federal bailout funds? Were all the executive bonuses ok after we fed them bailout funds? That is the root of the argument. It is not ok for you to be receiving survival funds then go and blow any money on crap you don't need. If you have extra cash one week, then it should be saved to pay for your expenses later, not wasted on a million to one odds lotto ticket.

i have a question...some thought someone going to a strip club was wrong because the money could be used for their families...how is it really any different?

maybe elected officials should be limited to no winnings at all

after all they work for the governing body thus a conflict of interest

just a thought

but hey what do i know

well as much as i do not want to say this

you did not qualify where the money came from

and if they worked and earned it then it was not contributed to by taxes

but like i said every govt worker is paid by taxes so maybe it should be expanded to no govt worker can win lottery money (after all it is tax dollars they are spending