Waste - Buying Beer With Your Food Stamps

Is it wasteful for someone to buy beer or cigarettes with their food stamps?  Why?  People like to complain about things like this as some sort of example on government waste.  And then they go on and on about tax dollars being thrown out the window..... buying beer instead of bread..... blah blah blah.

From an economic perspective you should be jumping for joy. Welfare dollars go right into your local economy.  Last time I looked they had an economic impact of like a $1.06 for every dollar that is spent.  They give people who need them the ability to buy more and give more people jobs ringing up merchandise, stocking shelves, driving trucks to the stores, etc.  Also, last time I checked the things at the grocery store including the Miller High Life's and Marlboro cigarette are mostly American made.

So its really a question of what they should be allowed to spend money on.  And I understand the point of view that says it should only be allowed to be spent on health things.  But who gets to draw the line?  What about sugary breakfast cereal?  Or ho-ho's?

Then there's the people that want to give out drug tests before handing out welfare.  Which of course will cost money to perform.  So that's wasteful.  But it will be jobs for the people to administer.  People to make the pee cups.  Hand out the pee cups.  Test the pee in the cups.  Write up the reports.....  Of course it will be our tax dollars creating these jobs.

So to sum it up.  Does it really matter?  Is there such a thing as government waste?  Doesn't it really just translate to jobs?  So why fight about it?  You could argue for greater accountability or more open records.  But you really can't stop the cycle.

In honesty, none of this really upsets me.  But to some people it's an outlet.  They are mad about something in there lives and they are blaming it on others.  No one in particular, just these face-less, name-less others who must be gaming the system and wasting their hard earned tax dollars.  But in reality these are people that need help.  And if you can come up with a better system, I'm sure people would love to hear it.

Cool.  No worries.  It is what it is.

-G-

How I Would Fix It - MLB

How I would fix it - is a series of post on how I would make something better.  I am starting with different sports teams/leagues but it could be about anything.

 Here are the changes I would make to MLB.
1. Fix the TV viewing experience. Baseball on TV is 65% watching the pitcher, 20% watching players adjust themselves and spit, 10% watching the mascot run the bases in a hot dog uniform and 5% actual live action with players hitting and running around the bases. The screen needs to look like a world series of poker event. Show the strike out and hitting percentages that update with each pitch. Super-impose a strike zone box with ball tracking. Show ERA and "chance of run scored this inning" stats. Not only would it be better to watch, it will make the stat nerds happy.

2. Only show games with relevant teams. Whether or not a game is televised depends on the winning percentage of the teams. If both teams combine percentage is under 50% show another game. Nothing is worse than Astros at the Nationals.

3. More teams need to make the playoffs. Even adding another wild-card team would help. Make the 2 wild-cards play each other  in a best 2 of 3 in order to get the 4th spot.  Any tie breaks would go to the team that won the head-to-head in the regular season.  This would also decide home field for the wild play in.

4. The NL and the AL should have the same rules.  I mean seriously, how is this not done yet?

5. The all star game will no longer decide home field advantage in the world series.  I mean seriously, how is this not done yet?

6. No male over 12 should be allowed to take their glove to the ball park.

sad, very, very sad

7.  Put all the games on the radio.  Baseball is magical on the radio.  I don't know why, but it is the only sport that is better on the radio.  Let people live stream the audio on their phones and computers.  I spent a hour looking for the Yankees opening day on the radio, never found it.  That is unacceptable.
 
That is what I've got.  Next "how I'd fix it" will be about the NBA, hopefully I can get it out soon.  Thanks for the read.