Village Idiot of the Day, September 26, 2009: dsteelman1, gottheanswer, joe_mcpott

I Hate Canton just noticed we forgot to post this the other day. We have slightly edited the original to update it.

As I Hate Canton predicted, the Macy Gray thread went down around 11:00 AM last Friday (see Sept. 24 Village Idiot of the Day Award--Sept. 25 blog below.)

But, as we know, nature abhors a vacuum, and as soon as we could say Ku Klux Klan our Reppie Racists (RR) slimed their way into Housing Units Get a 3-5M Upgrade (thread also shut down). Of course, just for fun "gottheanswer" dragged Mary Parker into the fray. Ms Parker has written a splendid reply to our white robed and brown shirted neighbors which is posted in a separate blog immediately below this, so it won't get lost.

In the meantime, here's a sampling of our best and brightest non-de-pluming racists. (We admit that there are legitimate concerns about tax funds flowing into a virtual money pit, but that has nothing to do with race). Since the thread went down, we are giving a larger sampling than usual. To get the full effect of our RR's social and intellectual dysfunctions and language and grammar deficiencies, we are clumping comments together by name, not chronological order

We'll start with our last Village Idiot "puterb1:

puterb1
More of my tax money down the drain. The properties will be run down again in 5 years. Anytime you give someone something for free, they never appreciate it. The residence should be required to do the physical labor, then maybe they would appreciate this welfare benefit more.

Followed by several comments by "gottheanaswer" (hmmm wonder who that could be?) who jumps on Mary Parker (who never has said "you owe it to them") and then moves on to other disruptive elements in the community, though curiously neglecting white women who don't pay their bills and get taken to court.

gottheanswer
As Mary would say , you owe it to them, get your wallets out. Drove by the units on Harmont, with plywood windows and junk laying around, its sad the way these people decide to live. I will as the units on alan Page look well kept. Maybe it comes down to supporting the police and some self cleaning. Stop dragging Al Sharpton here everytime Lavone gets his pants pulled down to get searched. Wave to the police.

gottheanswer
Just like health reform, these big federal projects turn into disasters, they sound good but take all the incentive away for people to improve. Big cities are razing all the wonderful welfare high rises, that turned into drug and crime holes. Its sad these people have to live like this. bbj is right, respect for yourself is lacking, one person was appalled that 'volunteers' would clean up Canton before the HOF. Thats the type of person that destroys these housing units. Sad

gottheanswer
If the shoe fits wear it, but 'They' are the ones that live in the squaller, inside and out, they need to clean up the trash like my grandmother would take us down the street with a trash bag. Thank you mary and stop whining other mary, get a trash bag. Often when i run i take a trash bag, fill it up and toss it away. Try it. And try supporting the police, beg them or make them a pie to clean up the walking trash, and stop being a racist.

gottheanswer
Calm that lady down and thank her for insisting they clean up after them selves. If Mary got out there things would be clean. I have a trash bag if u want come help me clean up after the winos in the park, so that walkers can enjoy it, or take your own bag.

Then, we have a gaggle of class envyists (they tend to hate rich and poor alike as "favored" classes)

bruce1365
How can I get some rehab money to fix up my house? Oh that's right my wife and I both non-degreed each working jobs worked hard to buy a home, pay off the mortgage in 17 years and try to save money while dead beats sit at home wathchng the Price is Right. on their flat sceen tv while talking on their cell phones. Nice really nice. I want my piece of the free pie. when am I going to get it or when do we cut welfare off for able body people???????

zedsdeadbaybee
Millions more down a rathole. Free housing for the 'stop snitchin' crowd' so drug-dealing central can continue bid-nez as usual. Billions of dollars and decades after LBJ declared a 'war on poverty', this is where we are. Record numbers of people living at or below the poverty line and record numbers on food stamps, all within the last couple of months. When the government becomes the benefactor for a huge segment of the population, that population becomes dependent and demands 'entitlement'. They now comprise almost 50 percent of the population. This is why we now have trillions in deficits which we can NEVER pay back. And the 'gimme mine' crowd wants nothing from Congress other than to keep getting their 'fair share'. Until the people actually paying federal taxes throw out the scum who enable this mentality in order to get re-elected, it will only get worse. Washington needs an enema in 2010.

ohiodownhome (NOTE: real name Sandra Belleveau)
3.5 mil to upgrade, what most living there, will only tear apart anyway.....HELLO??? Housing projects dont attract the most viable people.....Never did, never has, never will... It isnt a 'half way pit stop', or a temporary solution, on your way UP, to better yourself....Its more like 'come to roost, get comfortable, settle in, and chow down', for 10 or 40 years.....paid by someone else.....of course.... I love that... I really do....Its always comforting to know, not only have I worked my tail off for myself, but so many nameless, faceless others who I never consented to 'share the wealth' with, in the first place.. I love how that goes, too... .3.2 mil, huh?? Should be just peachy keen.....and a real neverending, continuing, always in plain sight, 'jackpot lottery ticket' for many in Canton....WOO HOO....

XD45
the buildings aren't the problem, the trash that occupies them are. why change your behavior when there are no consequences for not changing it? sit around on your big fat a$$ all day, smoke crack & make babies....no problem, we'll support you. trash the house you were GIVEN, no problem, we'll rehab it. wonder what the entitlement junkies and all their apologists are going to do when the taxpayers finally rise up and refuse to play along anymore? it's coming, mark my words.
And finally one of our favorite haters, joe-mcpott"

joe_mcpott
Speaking of cHIPS, I rode past there just the other day , and said too myself how HORRIBLE it looked, then i remembered the day back in 1972 my grandparents sold the old farm and moved too Rainbow Acres, due too health, but i remember when them things were brand new ! now 37 years later look at it !!!! I know The area there gonna put 3.5 million into very well, that is one of the most infested areas in the city, there might be a few decent working class people in that neighborhood, but the rest is a war zone. Now when i was growing up it still had some nice old houses and more people who cared ... but thats not no more. dam 3.5 million !!!! what the city could do with that kind of money? mmm mmm mmm......CRAZY !!!! hey heres something CRAZY, how about THE CITY OF CANTON put 3.5 into a Military style police force!!! Take back the streets of canton ! Just build an army outta C.P.D.. and take no crap, espessially Al Sharpton, Lock him up too !!!!!!! Im just sick of this whole mess here in canton, i grew up here, and i watched it crimble right before my eyes. i watched its downfall from CRACK..... That was the end of it.The early 80s.,

joe_mcpott
oh yeah, they stated that the oldest units was built early too mid 70s ..... B.S. maybe like a few, the rest were built in early 80s , i know i used too play in many of them while they were being built as a young boy.. in 20 years they will need 5 million too fix them up again..

joe_mcpott
LETS MARCH ON CITY HALL !!!!!! SERIOUSLLY...... thats the biggest crock of B.S. this city has thrown our way.!, tear them all down and create parks, where will all the freeloaders go? u might ask? go out behind highland park, Where they are planning too build another project by the way, and build a SUPER multi-unit 3.5 million PROJECTS.......something resembling a small prison. im sure the taxpayers, and true residents would rather you do that. just think, a park where chips sits, a park where Mahoning Manor sits, Gage Gardens, Ellisdale, Leshdale,Linwood, 10th st projects,..... put them all in the S.E........ throw everybody outta them old nice homes in the N.W, which are mostly section 8 houses. and Re-Do them. Man theres so much We could spend 3.5 on than fixing up all those 119 scattered sites as they call them.

joe_mcpott
Just build (those people) a giant project complex with that 3.5. make it like a prison, maybe they will like that better, and like i said in my recent comments put it out in the deep S.E.....................and when i say those people, im refering too the blacks, and the very few white trash that inhabit these places, read my recent post !!!! SOMETHING HAS TOO BE DONE !!!!!

joe_mcpott
Listen people, thats OUR 3.5 million dollars , something needs too be done about this !!! Whats next? Rehab all of the other projects in the S.E. next? some of them were built in the 60s, and early 70s, I think they so called re-did alot of them in the early 80s, but its about time too do them again, And too think, WE GOT 3 MORE YEARS OF THIS !!!!!!!!

joe_mcpott
they, they, they, we ALL know who (they) are . And THEY know who THEY are, so cut the crap.!

joe_mcpott
Some one pick on me..................... im the one who said build THEM a prison compound out behind highland park !!!!!!!

And finally, dsteelman1, in a class by himself. The second post under his name is in reference to Mary Parker's reply to the race baiters which appears below this blog.

dsteelman1
Thats a new take I have not heard Don. Its putting others down to want to keep my own money and not pay for the entire lives of those not willing to work. But then again it is the way of the left. Forced charity is not charity. Demonize the people who actually work and pay their own way. Enable and encourage those who live off of the fruits of OTHERS labor. And it doesnt take 'giant cajones' or anything else to see that you were hoping the answer would have taken everyone down the 'race' road. Its always interesting though how us 'hatemongers' are always 'low self esteem, no pride ' And that doesnt take 'cajones' on your part to insinuate those traits ?? Ooops Im sorry I forgot your 'right' and Im evil , you can say anything you like without any repercussions while people who work for a living and believe a work ethic should be instilled in people , not a welfare ethic , get demeaned . Its cool with me though , you like the 60s and commune living , thats your right. But your likes should not be the law of the land. Commune living doesnt that mean ALL the people work for the common good?? These places were built in the 70s, not the 20s. If the people had any respect for the things WE provide for them , they wouldnt need 3 million dollars MORE of our money . My house was built in 1950 , I take care of it because I have to pay for it. Imagine that. people take care of things they have to pay for . Woa , that might be a plan for those poor poor victims of Bush .

dsteelman1
Were you being sarcastic Mary? That is a VERY good list of the 'theys' The only reason you all dont like the list is becasue its 100% true. Truth hurts, facts sting I cant take of my baby cause I gotta buy some bling:)

We hesitate to even attempt to name a VIOD, but we will.

Since we appreciate transparency and personal responsibility we suppose we should "congratulate" dsteelman1 and joe mcpott for admitting they're racist. Instead, we give them our first place award, September 26, 2009.

Second place goes to gottheanswer for habitual harassment of Mary Parker and use of the code word "they."

Unless the Rep advocates a free-speech-for-all-free-for-all (which they don't) we still don't understand why it waits until the RR's are hammered by decent commenters to take action--and that action it to close the thread.

Village Idiot of the Day, August 23, 2009: Joe McPott, Bopeep, Sourdough Sal, ajcohio

Racists, and Sexists, and Classists, oh my!

It's hard to believe that Reppies could hate more than they have proven they can, but they've given it the old Can-town try, and they can. This afternoon, Reppies hate bombed Wireless Program Makes Phones Available Free to Low Income Households for Emergency Calls, shutting down the discussion. The article read in part:

TracFone launched SafeLink Wireless in Ohio this month, a free service that will provide eligible, low-income households with a free cell phone, mobile access to emergency services and free 68 minutes of air time each month....SafeLink has become part of the FCC’s Lifeline and Link-Up programs, which began in 1984. Link-Up helps consumers with telephone installation costs, while Lifeline provides discounts on monthly phone service. The aim was to make sure low-income people could reach out for help during emergencies.

The TracFone program is part of the Low Income Program of the Universal Service Fund (USF) administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company. It is funded by contributions from the USF collected as part of the US charge billed to cell phone users. It is not supported by federal tax dollars.

We read this story as an afterthought, and knew immediately to expect a full-frontal attack from the vermin that haunt the dank spaces of the Rep. We were right. We saved 52 comments before the thread was shut down. We are tempted to include all of them here, but that would be too much for the delicate stomachs of our civilized readers. We are, therefore, limiting comments here to the most ignorant, stupid, and ugly, classified under Racist, Sexist, and Classist. Some overlap, so we have arbitrarily chosen the major classification for each. We are particularly struck by the snivel of middle class entitlees that believe the poor lead the Life of Riley on their hard-earned dime. Or is that simply the unvoiced fear our snooty writers may soon be the recipients of free non-governmental cell phone service for the poor?

If anyone would like to read all of the comments we saved, contact us at ihatecanton@gmail.com and we'll be happy to forward it to you.

RACISTS
tem1123
I can see it now......somebody with one of these phones will roll up next to me in traffic in a white Cadillac Escalade...........

incan
They should recieve cars also. After all how do you get to the store? Better yet, free parking at all O`jays events.

joe_mcpott
They allready scooped up all the old houses in town ( for free ).. this is why certain neighborhoods are the way they are...you stick section houses in the middle class neighborhoods, and what happens? they sell druds out of them, they attract bums, drug addicts, prostitutes, so yeah canton does have a housing problem ! this might sound racial , but how many white people do you see living in those new habitat houses? you know, the ones with the new caddy in the driveway........ B###S**T !!!!

SEXISTS
Bopeep
While we we are on this rant....While at Giant Eagle a few weeks ago, a savy on the public dole dirtback was inline ahead of me. I, a hard working, would like a steak once in a while guy witnessed the following. The well spoken, (yeah right) under nurished (obese) drain on society was very happy to yank out her free food card in front of me. I was pleased to buy her a couple of steaks and a few racks of ribs via her free food card...AKA welfare card......But being the scam artist she was>>>>SHE MADE SURE SHE USED HER GIANT EAGLE CARD FOR THE FUEL PERKS!!! I / WE paid for the food and she gets discounted gas! I asked the cashier if it is legal and she said it happens all day long. If thats not a crock of *&^% and for the record yes she did drive away in a newer SUV that I cannot afford to own..

A cell phone for emergencies I'm good with, it's the rest of the stuff thats killing us.

Bopeep
SORRY.....my brain was working faster than my fingers....should have said SAVVY on the public dole DIRTBAG. Also she was'under NOURISHED'. WILL TYPE SLOWER NEXT POST.....

CLASSISTS
Ray
Even though some people are low income, they still manage to come up with all kinds of money to buy their cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and lottery tickets. Let them buy and pay for a cell phone like everyone else. If you give them one for free, I'm sure that one of the emergency calls will be the need to call for pizza.

kshd
wow...must be nice. I sure wish us middle class could get some help like this... I work all week, but after paying all my bills each month, there are NO monies left over for a cell phone ...NOT EVEN A DIME! hmmmm

SourdoughSal
Most of the people that I see on government assistance has the most high tech cell phones and they are either talking constantly or texting. Ray, lets add the latest clothing styles, hairdo's, and nails to your list.

I concur kshd, we do not have money for cell phones because we are paying for these! I guess it doesn't pay to be the working humps, huh?

kayal276
How can people on welfare and low income even afford cells phones? I may not be at poverty level, but I still cannot afford a computer line and cable and a cell phone, so I had to give up the cell phone so I could pay for my computer line and cable.

This sure teaches our poverty level citizens that it pays to not make over poverty level amounts.

Middle class pays for everything for everyone, when they cannot even afford to have it themselves.

Look at health care. Government get's the greatest health care there is and look who pays for it .

I have been in a welfare receipients home, their children have all kinds of video games, big picture tv,brand name clothes, (not from the Goodwill either), computer, all of their chidren have cell phones. These people are on Welfare and have more than I could ever imagine having. The furniture is all up to date, nothing out of style. The only thing they don't own is a home and they are probably smart not to.

I own a home, work my *** off, pay taxes and property taxes and still cannot afford things that these low income family's have. What is wrong with this picture is what I would like to know.

The mother doesn't work, they live in a house for free, (at least they have a roof over their head and don't have to pay for it). While I go to work everyday, have to pay taxes to keep a roof over my head and pay taxes to keep a roof over their heads while they are out buying computers, tv's, cell phones, nice clothes, and computer games. What is this teaching our society?

It just repeats iteself over and over again, they are not teaching their children anything but to live off of other people's tax money that is circulated to our government facilitiies.

They don't have to worry if they are going to have to have enough money to pay their property taxes to keep a roof over their head because they don't have too someone else is paying it for them. They probably don't have to worry about food either.

Where do they get the money for all these things is what I would like to know, but yet are at poverty level and getting government assistance.

No wonder everyone wants to live in America! Come on over, the middle class will pay for your children and you so you can have all the luxuries you want. Not need, want.

bbg7600
You're right,kayal276. I am for helping people, but not to the point that it causes entitlement mentality. I was behind a lady at the grocery store, her kids wanted some gum. She originally told them no, but they picked it up and gave it to her anyway. They chose the kind that were over $2 a pack, so that was $4 in GUM! She just took it from them, said ok, and paid for it with the foodstamp card. I bet if she would have had paid for that with actual cash money she would have thought about it a little more. For me, that would be almost a 1/2 hour of work. I would never pay $4 for gum.

Mah
I am sick to death of yet another freebie for low income. Where is the handouts for the middle class working their butts off.

My spouse works two jobs and I work myself . We pay our bills and help our children out a little with their education. There is not one freebie that I am aware of for the hard working middle class. The people I know that are low income already have cell phones and services on them that even I don't have due to the extra cost!!!! Maybe we could offer these recipients of the tracphones jobs instead.

SourdoughSal
I am just waiting for the day that us middle class will get kicked out of our homes and the 'low income' will be given the homes. The justification will probably be 'You people work all the time and cannot enjoy the home, soooo these people who do not work can really enjoy a nice home.....here is your cot to sleep in the back room of your workplace. And by the way, your kids will live at school so they can be indoctrinated 24/7 with liberal ideals!'

SourdoughSal
I agree wiseguy, med alert is a worthy thing for the elderly and truly disabled. This cell phone idea is truly insane. The radicals truly have taken over.

past7971
More than 46,870 people in Stark Co.are eligible ??? No mention of what this program cost is but I guess no expense is too great for helping these poor low-income households. Free medical, housing, food stamps and now cell phones..........sometimes I wonder why I'm so stupid to keep working so hard to make ends meet when I could just give up trying and hopefully get on some of these programs.

ajcohio
Lets see these people get:

Section 8/Federal Public Housing Assistance (free housing)
Medicaid (hospitalization)
Food stamps (beer, wine, cigarettes, and Frito's)
Supplemental Security Income (spending money to buy some crack)
Free National School Lunch Program (mom was on crack and couldn't pack the Frito's)
General Assistance/Disability Assistance (can't have enough assistance can we, now I can park in the handicap spot at Wall Mart)
Home Energy Assistance (free gas, electric, and water)
Supplemental Security Disability Income (see two line above)
Ohio Works First or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Maybe I should check this one out, sounds like a great way to get started at top of list)

Now 68 min for everyone in the household per month for emergencies, I wonder if the new baby gets one.

Come on people we can do better that this. How about a $200.00 gift certificate at Wall Mart per week, or free car insurance in case those 22's get stolen. Why don't we start a 401K program for them? I know, what about a round trip vacation to Disney World twice a year. You know those dumb tax payers won't even know the money is gone.

Why would anyone want a minimum wage job if they were getting all of the above? If you raised minimum wage to $20.00 per hour they would break even.

NoClue
Next they will be giving them 68 gallons of free gas a month too. what a crock of Sh*t.

ajcohio
Evie 7808
This is not about people who fall on hard times and use the program to get back on their feet. This is about the people who have MASTERED the program and are now in their 4th generation of living off the government.

I know a guy who recently told me to my face about his girl friend being on welfare. He makes over $90,000 a year acording to him. He told me he hasn't bought groceries for the last two years. She moved in with her two kids and life is good. He bragged about all the steaks they eat, and how much money she gets.

And yes you can get alcohol, cigerettes, and lottery tickets with your food stamps, you just haven't figured out the system yet. Would you like to trade $50.00 worth of food stamps for $20.00 cash?

joe_mcpott
I seen someone said give them a free car...., well hate too tell you but they do !!! its some kind of welfare program, the ( poor ) live better than me. if i was lazy and flat broke maybe i could get me a free car, house, food, gas, elec, and then use my welfare check too buy me some $100.00 jeans that are 5 sizes too big, maybe my girl could get fake nails once a month, and we all could get new jordans,,,, this is a big problem here.this is one reason things are the way they are... gotta help the low-class or it will be discriminating, or be called racial !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then there's Evie7808 who has fallen on hard times:

Evie7808
i really dont know what to say about this article...my husband is a college graduate, had a wonderful job in com;puters,, we had a home, and i was a stay at home mom..my husband lost his job, we lost our house, and car..we were saved by help...i always looked down on people who got assistance....but now i am one of them..alot of people look down on us but you know what?? this system was supposed to be for people like my family and myself..not for people to abuse it and not do anything for themselves..but one thing needs to be address: if you want to spout negative things about getting these services you better be a little more educated about them...you CANNNNOT get alcohol and ciggies on food stamps...i, for one, will not be doing this program..there are alot more people out there worse off than myself who need these phones.. so in short, dont look down on us who actually try to do something with their lives and are on assistance..we really are trying to move forward..

who was quickly assured by dewthedew88 that nobody was talking about Evie, (IHC Note: yet) who due to her class and perhaps race privilege is amongst the unfortunate but worthy poor.

dewthedew88
I'm sure people are not talking about you Evie. They are talking about generation welfare recipients who take after their parents and grandparents who were always on welfare! These people who are on welfare all find money for cell phones and their nails and alcohol and smokes. Alot of them sell their foodstamps for a buck. They have those cards and they take the person in there with them they buy 50 bucks worth of food and the person gives them the cash. I don't believe anyone begrudges your family who actually requires help, just the low lifes!

We have several winners today. Since there's not much competition in the first two categories we name:

Racist Idiot of the Day: Joe McPott because he's had years to get his mother out of "the 'hood" and hasn't, at least according to him. Maybe he's afraid his mother will "sell druds" and contaminate his neighborhood.

Sexist Idiot of the Day: Bopeep. Would you complain if the woman didn't use her Giant Eagle card?

Classist Idiot of the Day: Tie! Sourdough Sal and ajcohio

Our Gal Sal holds a special place in our heart for pure venality. Even more now that she confessed the other day that she's a graduate of Malone College (now Malone University):

Go Malone! I am a proud alumni. Anyone who attends will receive a rock solid education with a strong emphasis on religion, morals, and ethics. This is a wonderful contrast to the ultra liberal public universities!

We'll bet our red and white Malone beanie that she didn't study religion, morals or ethics under John Oliver, Jr.

From the tone of Sal's posts, particularly the second one cited above, we suspect that Mother Sourdough read We the Living to Baby Sally, en utero. We hope Sal has stocked up on Splenda to sell on the black market once the government kicks her and her starving child into the laundry room to make room for Canton rabble to dance and make merry in her master suite. A Christian Randian is indeed scary.

ajcohio has a very warped view of people on public assistance, as dionnem99 (below) points out. We suppose it thinks it's funny. It's not. What do they say about protesting too much? BTW, we know people out in the 'burbs who consider a bag of Fritos (Not "Frito's") an adequate meal for man, woman, or child.

No award to Evie7808, but a hearty welcome to Genteel Poverty We suggest you go to the library and check out Jane Eyre, Bleak House, and Sense and Sensibility. (Don't buy them. If somebody sees you at Borders, they'll report you to the Rep). Unless you have an off-chance of coming into a substantial inheritance from an uncle in Yeovil you've never heard of, your only way out will be to divorce your husband and marry up.

We also commend theme19 and dionem99 for condemning the hate in this thread and going to bat for the needy. We wonder how long it will take for some of our Reppies to join their ranks--of the poor, that is.

theame19
I'd get into specifics but we all know that would be futile, as there are so many morons who use this comment board, I would spend all day addressing each individual comment.

So, instead of wasting all day prioritizing the idiotic statements based on their degree of ignorance, I will just ask where did all this hatred come from?

Do you all really think that it is warranted to come on here and whine and gripe like a bunch of spoiled children? In lieu of that, why not offer a solution to what you find bothersome?

You seem to hate people who have found themselves on Public Assistance and for as frustrated as you may be and as warranted as it is to be disgusted by the 'career Welfare Recipient' that do most definitely exist, what makes you the superior being?

All that separates the majority of people on Public Assistance from those who are not is a twist of fate; a budget cut by an employer; economic strife; a sudden illness; an accident; bad luck or any number of other things that would be no ones fault.

Don't think you're all that superior just because your portion of the parapet you sit upon hasn't fallen down yet.....It could happen to anyone at anytime and land you face down writhing for help. Be glad it is there, if you ever call.

SO LIGHTEN UP!

dionem99
I agree with theame 19 why do u all have so much time on your hands to hate people who need help.. i just like you get up and go to work everyday TWO jobs and pay taxes at both of those jobs so i dont feel like you are paying for anything for me. i pay the same taxes u pay... i pay a mortgage just like you with no section 8 however i do get food stamps and medical and free lunch( by the way ajcohio i am not and have never been on crack) i put my clothes on and go to work just like you.. this really shows how ignorant people can be. the fact that u have a problem with people getting assistance is just crazy and that would be why our community is so divided now.. for those of you who are doing all this complaining hope that you never have to apply for government assistance if something goes wrong in your life because you will then see that even though you work hard you may still need help at one time or another.. i am not ashamed of the fact that i recieve food stamps or medical or qualify for this phone in fact i look at this all as a little savings plan... THE TAXES I PAY COMING BACK TO ME... this really says a lot about or community!!!