fuck the man

[mamajoan]

So today I got a letter informing me that my application for food stamps has been approved and my monthly benefit amount is $0.00.

The entire letter is like an Orwellian bad dream. It goes on to explain when my benefits will be credited to my account, how to use them, what foods I can and can't buy with my $0.00, and so forth. Talk about adding insult to injury!

I am, as most of you know, a writer by trade. And yet, I don't have words for this. For how it makes me feel. Me, an educated, informed, cynical woman -- I know full well that this means nothing about my worth as a person -- and yet, even still I can feel myself being sucked in to the morass of insecurity, humiliation, and shame that the system seems designed to create. You need a little bit of help to get through a tough period? You're lower than dirt. Welcome to the American Dream.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do next with this. There isn't much point in calling my food-stamp caseworker; she's basically useless. There probably is no one I can call or write who can (or will) actually do anything to change this (especially since they're working on guidelines handed down from the federal government -- a fact that everyone I've talked to thus far has been all too happy to hide behind in order to avoid confronting the issue). Not much point, perhaps, in venting my impotent rage to an elected official, a supervisor, or what have you. I might do it anyway, of course. I don't know. I don't really need food stamps. But I need my self-esteem.

Anyway, aside from that today was another pretty decent day, and I hate to end it on such a down note, so here's a naked baby. Or as Isaac now says, "She's all nice and naked assept for her diaper!"

Comments

[bluesmomma2.livejournal.com]

kinda stinks...sorry:(

{{{HUGS}}}

[emrinalexander.livejournal.com]

I can't help but think that $0.00 is a typo. Seriously, when I applied for all that stuff last year, the turn-down letters were definitely worded "You do not qualify..." "You do not meet income guidelines," or whatever. This has to be a computer printing error.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

No such luck. You probably missed the part in an earlier post where I said that I did an online calculator thingie and it told me that I belong to a "special class" of people who are eligible for zero benefits. As near as I can tell, what happens is that they do one calculation to tell them whether you're eligible, and a second calculation to tell them how much you should get; and in some rare cases, the first one says "yes she's eligible" but then the second one results in a benefit amount of zero. It's completely idiotic and ridiculous and insulting, hence my rant....

[targetgirl619.livejournal.com]

Blech! That is so...expected. I mean, not expected in the way that when you applied for food stamps you would think you were going to get nothing. I mean expected in the way that dealing with these govt programs are frustrating and almost designed to make people feel like crap for using them. I am so sorry.

Ruthie looks huge! She is one adorable kid. Maybe when I am on the east coast next summer we could meet up? I would love to meet all three of you.

[woobiewoobster.livejournal.com]

Two words: elbow dimples!

hm

[queenalia.livejournal.com]

someday when you have time and energy (ha ha)-- i *would* write to your elected official. it might make you feel better (raging against the machine), and they *might* take you on as a cause celebre... i mean, what *else* are elected officials supposed to do?