Editor’s Note: These following letters are in response to Stanley Gershbein’s recent “It’s Only My Opinion” column about food stamps.
To The Editor:
Your article is absolutely correct.
I couldn’t wait to write you and give you my version of these free loaders. I have observed these people buying expensive caviar ($50 a pound) to pay for them with their food stamps. How about the expensive condos and co-ops they buy (Ocean front) and renovating them.
They also get free medical, dental, etc., yes they flaunt their big expensive cars. And we are called “stupid Americans.” They sure know how to beat the system.
Please keep writing about this terrible situation. What is wrong with our government? Couldn’t they clean up this mess?
Name Withheld
Upon Request
To The Editor:
Amen!
You hit the nail on the head. We’re a give-away society and a taker society. No one monitors or corrects (maybe years later) the infractions.
If civil service workers did their jobs with pride and obligations these and other problems would not occur.
They get paid one way or the other.
I.M. Antaki
Bay Ridge
To The Editor:
I applaud you. You wrote and said the absolute truth. You said what people think and see, like me.
It’s a pure disgrace, I agree. Food stamps are given out too, too, freely, in addition to the years of fraud with welfare and Medicaid.
I go to the supermarket with my husband and three young daughters (my husband, God bless, him works three jobs just to make it). I am a stay-at-home mother and yes we pay our mortgage, also.
Getting back to shopping, we pick sale items, try to find the best prices, which is hard. Yet, you see in Brooklyn, in certain areas, the wagon is filled up to the very, very top that you cannot see the fat one wheeling it. It burns me up and these people get welfare and Medicaid, and free rent if they have a house, or the water bill, or the Con-Ed bill, or the heat bill etc., and most likely have big vans and credit cards.
They do not pay. But you know what the sad part is they get away with it – and for a good many years and years to come.
You can complain till you’re purple in the face and no dice. That is how it will be. I say this is not the America I know and we just have to stay on the side lines.
Name Withheld
Upon Request
To The Editor:
No one gets food stamps who does not prove real need.
When someone uses food stamps for costly products, they sacrifice basic, tasteless foods.
Even the poor old and tired deserve sauce on their grain now and then. They want ice cream about once a month, and go hungry the rest of the month for it.
Jack Greenfield
Midwood
Stanley Gershbein responds:
It’s been a long time since I received so many letters on one particular subject. It seems that all of you, with the exception of Jack Greenfield, feel just as I do about a costly, unmonitored, wasteful program.
I am taking this opportunity to forward copies of your correspondent to both of our US senators. I am not holding my breath, waiting for any kind of response but should I get one I promise that you will read it here on this page.
I thank you all very much for taking the time to write.
