Explain this to me

[Will_m]

I think your (not you, or anyone specifically) issue with welfare stuff is directly related to where you live.

In rural areas, PARTICULARLY THE SOUTH, it’s seldom to see a legitimate use of these programs. In fact, I would say abuse/gamesmanship is the rule rather than the exception. It’s also too easy to classify any sort of checks system as racist so what can you do? Make honest people suffer for the people that abuse it? Or let the abuse continue for the sake of the legitimate?

I want to say I saw a study where it was determined that properly gamed, the benefits were tantamount to a $60k year income. I personally have seen such gamesmanship circulated and educated among particular communities that it stands to reason if they would apply this effort to something other than being a waste of skin they could actually do well in life.

 

[displacedtexan]

I dont think having an Amazon Prime membership if you are on assistance is a problem. Batteries, school supplies, clothing, vitamins/supplements, baby supplies all can be found on Amazon for cheaper than local brick and mortar stores and other online stores.

$7/month membership gives access to that + subscribe and save + free shipping. Some of them will save more than $7 in gas for the month by ordering necessities from Amazon AND get the goods cheaper.

I was trying to figure out exactly how to articulate this...

Part of the problem with the system is that saving money is expensive.

We buy toilet paper at Sam's. Costs us half what buying it at the grocery store. But we have to pay for a Sam's membership. Have the money to buy 2 months worth at a time. Have a place to store it. Same with paper towels, laundry detergent, etc. We save a lot of money, but it also means having the $2-300 to buy months of supplies at once.

If we were living paycheck to paycheck, or even worse at the poverty level, we would flat out not be able to. We'd be forced to spend a lot more on stuff we have to have.

 

[Marbles]

Explanation: Amazon choose to offer a discount to access a a certain group of customers. Squirrels decides said group of customers are unworthy and he is better than them. Squirrels then concludes that playing the victim card is the best course of action and that the only way to get credit for being a victim is to advertise the fact. Hence, this thread.

As for the ostensibly topic that apparently begs explanation. Does Amazon sell goods that can be payed for by the programs in question? Why would a company not want to make it more likely that those dollars are spent with them? Amazon is probably trying to cut into the group of shoppers that still use Walmart and Dollar General predominantly, and I bet they have a good bit of marketing research behind the move.

Nothing about what Amazon is doing (at least as pointed out in this thread) attempts to change the nature of the two government programs. Thus, in the context of this thread, complaints about the programs are little more than an attempt to distract from the snowflake victim worship on display.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Doubt it’s subsidized by tax dollars, but definitely paid for by Amazon’s other customers. Prime membership increased this year for everyone else.

Agreed but it wouldn't surprise me if they get some kind of write off on their Corp taxes for making the discount available to low income folks...you don't get your effective tax rate down to 9.1% on 20.2 billion, 2020 numbers, historically their effective taxe rate was less than 2% in previous filings, without a write off or two.
Don't even get me started on the discount they get from USPS.

 

[BuzzH]

Agreed but it wouldn't surprise me if they get some kind of write off on their Corp taxes for making the discount available to low income folks...you don't get your effective tax rate down to 9.1% on 20.2 billion, 2020 numbers, historically their effective taxe rate was less than 2% in previous filings, without a write off or two.
Don't even get me started on the discount they get from USPS.

Right and it makes no sense to complain about someone getting a $6 a month discount from a public ally traded company because they are getting assistance.

While all the while, corporate welfare in many forms, pales in comparison to both Amazon offering a discount, and what they receive in good deals from uncle sugar.

That's the problem, the average American is distracted by the mice, while being trampled by the elephants.