No, wait, this guy probably doesn’t even know he’s an asshole:
In a video of the event posted by ThinkProgress, the freshman Republican [Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.)] said he was in Crystal City, Va., buying groceries in a nice but crowded store when he noticed something strange.
“Every lane was open and it was backed up and I noticed everybody was giving that card,” Mullin said, apparently referring to the electronic benefit transfer cards most states use to distribute food stamps. “They had these huge baskets, and I realized it was the first of the month.”
In Virginia, food stamp benefits are automatically deposited on the first of the month for anyone whose case number ends in zero, one, two or three.
“But then I’m looking over, and there’s a couple beside me,” Mullin continued. “This guy was built like a brick house. I mean he had muscles all over him. He was in a little tank top and pair of shorts and really nice Nike shoes. And she was standing there, and she was all in shape and she looked like she had just come from a fitness program. She was in the spandex, and you know, they were both physically fit. And they go up in front of me and they pay with that card.”
Mullin knew what he’d witnessed. “Fraud,” he said. “Absolute 100 percent, all of it is fraud. There’s fraud all through that.”
That’s right, because if you’re poor you must wear rags and have your bones poking through your skin.
Also, no one who’s ever not been poor becomes poor, so there’s no way that those people could have bought that stuff when they weren’t poor.
Nor did they get them as gifts, or at an outlet, or from a clothing give-away.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be acceptable for that couple to have purchased that stuff because, goddammit, poverty sucks and once in a while you just want something, anything, nice to remind yourself that you’re not worthless and deserve to live as a human being.
No, if you’re poor, you must visibly suffer in every way.
So that the not-poor can feel righteous in their generosity.

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here
7 05 2011Foster children would be allowed to get clothing only from second hand stores
Under a new budget proposal from State Sen. Bruce Casswell, children in the state’s foster care system would be allowed to purchase clothing only in used clothing stores.
Casswell, a Republican representing Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and St. Joseph counties, made the proposal this week, reportsMichigan Public Radio.
His explanation?
Under his plan, foster children would receive gift cards that could only be used at places like the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other second hand clothing stores.
The plan was knocked by the Michigan League for Human Services. Gilda Jacobs, executive director of the group, had this to say:
Casswell says the plan will save the state money, though it isn’t clear how much the state spends on clothing for foster children or how much could be saved this way.
(If you’re wondering if we’re really at the abyss, read the comments.)
Credit: The Michigan Messenger; h/t Fred Clark at slactivist
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Tags: children, dignity, Politics, poverty, punishment, resentment, welfare
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