A Woman's thoughts on S.N.A.P. assistance.

[A_Steel_Magnolia]

4. To expound on this concept.

I have enclosed this in quotes, but I cannot attribute it to anyone. It is from the first term, but it makes as much sense now as it did then. Any way you cut it, there is a price that we the people will pay.

"There​ ​ are​ ​ a​ ​ lot​ ​ of​ ​ working​ ​ poor​ ​ people​ ​ who​ ​ can't​ ​ afford​ ​ medical​ ​ care,​ ​ because​ ​ their​ ​ money goes​ ​ to​ ​ food​ ​ and​ ​ shelter​ ​ and​ ​ utilities​ ​-​ especially​ ​ if​ ​ they​ ​ have​ ​ families.​ ​ Living​ ​ is​ ​ very expensive.

We​ ​can​ ​ cut​ ​ the​ ​ budget​ ​ for​ ​ the​ ​ poor,​ ​ the​ ​ disabled,​ ​ the​ ​ elderly,​ ​ but​ ​ a​ ​ ripple​ ​ effect​ ​ is​ ​ that​ ​ we can​ ​ expect​ ​ to​ ​ have​ ​ to​ ​ pay​ ​ more​ ​ in​ ​ police,​ ​ emergency​ ​ room,​ ​ hospital,​ ​court​ ​and​ ​ incarceration costs. none of which are​ ​cheap.

When​ ​ a​ ​ rich​ ​ person​ ​ commits​ ​ a​ ​ crime,​ ​ as​ ​ they​ ​ often​ ​ do,​ ​ usually​ ​ it​ ​ is​ ​ due​ ​ to​ ​ greed​ ​ for​ ​ more money​ ​ or​ ​ more​ ​ power,​ ​ or​ ​ due​ ​ to​ ​ a​ ​ sense​ ​ of​ ​ entitlement​ ​ (e.g.​ ​ Leona​ ​ Helmsley​ ​ and​ ​ her income​ ​ tax​ ​ evasion),​ ​ and/​ ​ or​ ​ to​ ​ prove​ ​ they​ ​ are​ ​ very​ ​ clever​ ​ and​ ​ can​ ​ get​ ​away​ ​ with​ ​ it​ ​ (e.g. Trump​ ​ and​ ​ Trump​ ​ University​ ​ and​ ​ the​ ​ Trump​ ​ Foundation). When​ ​ a​ ​ poor​ ​ person​ ​ commits​ ​ a​ ​ crime,​ ​ it​ ​ is​ ​ usually​ ​ because​ ​ they​ ​ are​ ​ desperate,​ ​ in​ ​ despair, out​ ​ of​ ​ options,​ ​ or​ ​ are​ ​ outraged​ ​ at​ ​ what​ ​ they​ ​ see​ ​ as​ ​ an​ ​ unfair​ ​ system​ ​ in​ ​ which​ ​ they​ ​ have​ ​ no chance​ ​ to​ ​ succeed​ ​ but​ ​ watch​ ​ other​ ​ people​ ​ buying​ ​ mansions.​ ​ Poor​ ​ people​ ​ will​ ​ do​ ​ whatever they​ ​ have​ ​ to​ ​ do​ ​ in​ ​ order​ ​ to​ ​ feed​ ​ their​ ​ families.​ ​ They​ ​ won't​ ​ watch​ ​ them​ ​ starve.​ ​ Who​ ​ would?

Crime​ ​ is​ ​ one​ ​ answer​ ​ to​ ​ meeting​ ​ emergency​ ​ financial​ ​ needs.​ ​ So​ ​ another​ ​ ripple​ ​ effect​ ​ of​ ​ the Trump ​ budget​ ​ will​ ​ be​ ​ the​ ​ cost​ ​ to​ ​ victims​ ​ who​ ​ may​ ​ lose​ ​their​ ​ lives​ ​ as​ ​ well​ ​ as​ ​ their​ ​ TV sets. Trump​ ​ and​ ​ the​ ​ GOP​ ​ have​ ​ certainly​ ​ pulled​ ​ a​ ​ fast​ ​ one​ ​ on​ ​ their​ ​ poor​ ​ and​ ​ lower​ ​ middle​ ​ class voters​ ​ who​ ​ thought​ ​ their​ ​ lot​ ​ in​ ​ life​ ​ was​ ​ going​ ​ to​ ​ improve.​ ​ Trump​ ​ is​ ​ a​ ​ BUSINESSMAN.​ ​ He cuts​ ​ his​ ​ losses,​ ​ and​ ​ that​ ​ is​ ​ what​ ​ poor​ ​ people​ ​ are​ ​ to​ ​ him.​ ​ He​ ​ certainly​ ​ isn't​ ​going​ ​ to​ ​ waste any​ ​ of​ ​ our​ ​ tax​ ​ dollars​ ​ on​ ​ them.​ ​ He​ ​ probably​ ​ would​ ​ advise​ ​ them​ ​ to​ ​ go​ ​ pick​ ​ fruit​ ​ somewhere, since​ ​ unskilled​ ​ and​ ​ hard​ ​ labor​ ​ jobs​ ​ have​ ​ suddenly​ ​ opened​ ​ up."