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gollygee

(22,336 posts)
Thu Dec 27, 2012, 01:27 PM Dec 2012

Prostitution for the price of a Happy Meal: Consequences of Food Stamp bans

http://www.salon.com/2012/12/27/prostitution_for_the_price_of_a_happy_meal/

Carla walked into my office with despair in her eyes. I was surprised. Carla has been doing well in her four months out of prison; she got off drugs, regained custody of her kids, and even enrolled in a local community college.

Without much prodding she admitted to me that she had retuned to prostitution: “I am putting myself at risk for HIV to get my kids a f—ing happy meal.”

Despite looking high and low for a job, Carla explained, she was still unemployed. Most entry-level jobs felt out of reach with her drug record, but what’s worse, even the state wasn’t willing to throw her a temporary life preserver.

You see, Carla is from one of the 32 states in the country that ban anyone convicted of a drug felony from collecting food stamps. With the release of the Global Burden of Disease Study last week, it bears looking at how we are perpetuating burdens among the most vulnerable Americans with our outdated laws.
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Prostitution for the price of a Happy Meal: Consequences of Food Stamp bans (Original Post) gollygee Dec 2012 OP
I'm reminded everyday atreides1 Dec 2012 #1
Give her the NRA solution bongbong Dec 2012 #2
kick gollygee Dec 2012 #3
They do not ban the kids, just the felon sammytko Dec 2012 #4
Yup , misleading article former-republican Dec 2012 #5
The family still doesn't have enough money to eat gollygee Dec 2012 #6
I've been told on DU over and over that those in the sex trades WANT to be there!!111!!! riderinthestorm Dec 2012 #7
I could have sworn that article was older hfojvt Dec 2012 #8
 

bongbong

(5,436 posts)
2. Give her the NRA solution
Thu Dec 27, 2012, 01:32 PM
Dec 2012

Give her a gun and let her hunt.

(that's sarcasm, in case anybody didn't know) (I'm looking at you, Delicate Flowers)

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
6. The family still doesn't have enough money to eat
Fri Dec 28, 2012, 10:25 AM
Dec 2012

It isn't like the mom can just not eat. Giving food stamps to the kids but not the mom reduces how much money there is for the family to eat. She has to eat or she can't take care of them.

Edited to add link: http://americaswire.org/drupal7/?q=content/food-stamp-bans-under-review-many-states-seek-prison-savings

“This ban disproportionately affects women and children, by far the overwhelming proportion of recipients of such benefits,” Mauer said at the hearing. “The impact of the ban means that a woman returning home from prison who may gain temporary employment but is then laid off during a recession is left with no safety net. And further, children are essentially punished for the acts of their parents.”

Although children of felons remain eligible to receive public assistance, restrictions for felons mean that benefits decline for an entire household.

“It’s unrealistic to think that the restriction will only reduce the quality of life of the parent while maintaining the rest of the family’s overall level of comfort,” Farid says.

 

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)
7. I've been told on DU over and over that those in the sex trades WANT to be there!!111!!!
Fri Dec 28, 2012, 11:48 AM
Dec 2012

They LIKE their work!!111!!!!!

Its EMPOWERING!!!111!!!!



hfojvt

(37,573 posts)
8. I could have sworn that article was older
Fri Dec 28, 2012, 11:58 AM
Dec 2012
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022053858

But I have my doubts that her price is really $1.99. I think she is just saying that she gets a sum of money which she uses to buy things like Happy Meals and thus says "I am doing this to get my kids an effing Happy Meal".
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