Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This is the feedback I received from Rep. Paul Luebke (Dem)
What I meant to be saying was:
Both House Speaker Tillis and Senate leader Berger are receiving a lot of public criticism (epsecially from the state's newspapers) for their unwillingness to run the separate bill.
As the criticism continues, I am hoping that they will in fact decide to pass the benefits bill. But I can only hope, for your sake, because as a House Democrat I have no control over what the House and Senate Republican majority will decide.
I do think your emails to legislators make a difference. Also, if your local newspaper (where is that?) has not already written a story about the issue, why not call the newspaper to see if a reporter will write a story about your situation.
Best wishes,
Paul Luebke
I agree with Luebke here. I think we need to make a media drive and make sure this issue is brought to light. The Republicans and the Governor need to be held accountable for their irresponsibility to get this passed in a timely manner.
Contact your local newspapers and TV stations and ask them to run a story.
Okay, I've debated this with a number of people already. Just as it is offensive to assume that all unemployed need drug tests it is as equally offensive to suggest food stamp recipients should be drug tested. It has been said on this forum that there are all people we know who work the system. That's true with food stamps, medicaid, etc.
However, I have had to swallow my pride and fess up to the fact that prejudicial stereotypes that I myself have held in the past needed to be changed. I now live off food stamps to provide groceries for my family and if it were not for medicaid for my children, my daughter wouldn't recieve vaccinations and my son medication that he needs on a daily basis because I couldn't afford it. I didn't ask to be here and never dreamed I would be here. I am tired of being looked at as if I had 6 heads and 3 eyeballs everytime I have to go to DSS and update or ask a question - and that is from the workers there! - just because my husband and I are now unemployed. I have a bachelor's degree and graduated top of my class at Appalachian. I had been gainfully employed since 1991, my husband several years before that. We are both educated people. Just because we have had the misfortune to lose our jobs and be on of the so-called '99ers is no reason that we, or others, should be automatically drug tested, as if that is going to make much of a difference at this point.
Just thinking that maybe we need to quit assuming things about folks whose situations we know nothing about. If we need to be randomly drug tested to receive benefits, then so be it, but don't just assume, regardless of who you are, that someone is somehow "crooked" or must be working the system because they receive public help.
I grew up in a poor neighborhood. I stopped playing sports as a junior to get a job and help support my family. From the time I was 16 I was working a 40 hour week, that started in 92.
the thing is almost every food stamp recipient would cheat the system to buy things other then food. I remember neighbors giving me food stamp to by 5 cent pieces of candy with to get change..
You can say, well they have a card now, so they can not do that, I wish that was true. Now every food stamp recipient, including one of my sisters, will buy food for other people and they pay her.
I really do believe their will be some kind of movement on this issue soon. I know we have all been saying that(next week ...next week...). These growing media articles are becoming explosive, and simultaneously, more critical of Republican stubbornness.
The unfortunate thing, is that the governor is getting off the hook. Her unwillingness to compromise is being ignored. Her silence on this issue has been reprehensible. Instead of focusing on her campaign(education, jobs, etc, etc), she has pushed aside the real people in need by her SILENCE.
My speculation is that this will be brought to a fever pitch. Someone will not take the state's negligence any longer, and make a deep enough impression on representatives to incite reinstatement. After electric gets cut off, or children are going hungry, people get desperate.
I have written and written and written. I feel stifled, and I have had enough smoke blown up my a**. Logic doesn't seem to work, articulated statements don't seem to work,maybe these "leaders" are going to do what they want to do when they want to do it.
Any updates would be great
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Another good article to forward to mainstream media!
