Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 13:38:02 GMT -5
Maybe this belongs in Politics (if so I hope the Mods will move it), but laws may be changing to allow EBT recipients to use Amazon and other services to get their groceries delivered, according to this link. The actual delivery charge could not be paid for with EBT benefits. www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/food-stamps-and-online-grocery-shopping-are-about-to-mix/ar-BBW4vDsI see good and bad points to this. Good: I've seen people use taxis for grocery shopping in poor areas- presumably because they don't own a car or their health is such that they can't drive. This is a lot cheaper. It's a huge benefit to people who are housebound due to ill health and to people who live in "food deserts" where there aren't any stores nearby with good prices and fresh produce. Bad: I could see stores jacking up prices and then offering "free delivery" in areas with heavy demand for this, thus placing a burden on people who pick up their own groceries. It could hurt smaller local businesses that don't have the resources to allow on-line ordering and delivery of orders. The comments in this article (I either saw it in another news source that allowed comments or it was on another Board, I forget which) complained about the fact that EBT pays for a lot of empty-calorie items: snack cakes, candy, pop, etc. I'd like to propose that people who use this service not be allowed to spend more than, say, 10% of any purchase on items such as Little Debbie snack cakes or 7-Up. It's a start. Thoughts?
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Apr 20, 2019 14:12:09 GMT -5
You make really good arguments for allowing delivery. As far as allowing junk food, that's a completely different issue. I've always been against allowing junk food and soft drinks. I'd rather see things like rotisserie chickens being permitted instead.
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Apr 20, 2019 14:39:12 GMT -5
I think it is a great idea. Many people using EBT have mobility issues, no transportation, and/or don't have a lot of good grocery options nearby.
I hardly understand why it would be questioned.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 15:15:27 GMT -5
I hardly understand why it would be questioned. Some of the less-charitable comments on the site I saw implied general laziness- but I think the genuinely lazy would be outnumbered by the people who would benefit because they currently can't drive, don't own a car or don't have decent food available in their area. It's also seen as Big Business getting bigger, since mega-companie slike Amazon will be in the pilot project.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Apr 20, 2019 15:24:10 GMT -5
I think it's part of the solution, but not the full one. This is old from pew research- but folks making under 30K still don't have all the technology..only 64% have a smart phone and 56% have a computer. Those that are disabled...the numbers are fairly similar
As for free delivery making groceries -most places that were leaders with free delivery have a $$ amount for minimum purchase...I'm not sure what the issue is there..There's a grocery store near my place of work that has offered free delivery, with a minimum $40 purchase for the past decade. Prices haven't gone up in that time in a noticeable way. Maybe a few cents here or there, but I'd argue it's hard to attribute that slight price increase to free delivery. Food prices have risen in that time.. Is the argument that food prices will be jacked up because a ton more people might be using the service? I live in a city of 200K with some obvious food deserts. The only places that don't do online ordering and delivery are Trader Joe's and Co-ops (and of course..convenience stores tied to gas stations). I don't know how "hurt" Trader Joes will be by this....
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 15:40:36 GMT -5
I wonder how it would work with something like Shipt. They cover Publix here. Not only is there a delivery charge, but the price of the actual groceries are higher than what you pay in the store. So the food stamps would not stretch as far. And then you are supposed to tip.
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countrygirl2
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Post by countrygirl2 on Apr 21, 2019 10:01:20 GMT -5
It's going to cost and the stores aren't going to eat it so there is that. But would it offset things like taxi trips and such to get to the grocery. But for those house bound or disabled seems like it could be a good service. I think around here it would help the elderly that live in the country to stay in their homes longer. We have delivery services now by one of the pharmacies and to the rural areas of the county.
I think here some would have to phone orders in but don't know have prevalent smart phones are.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Apr 21, 2019 10:28:01 GMT -5
I don't know many seniors who have a smartphone, but I DO know a number of them who have home computers. I think it'd be a good thing for grocery delivery to be available to seniors and the disabled. A bus service used mostly by seniors went out of business in a neighboring community near me, and people who rely on public transportation are really having a tough time because of it. Not everyone has family nearby to run errands, plus, some of the poorer areas don't have "real" grocery stores. There's not a lot of nutrition at the local dollar store. People who make snarky comments need to learn there's a big difference between being elderly or disabled, and being lazy.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 21, 2019 14:42:36 GMT -5
I guess I dont see on-line shopping as lazy anymore. It is just a way we do things - even groceries. People are just so hell bent on judging others, they have to shit on everything.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Apr 21, 2019 14:55:03 GMT -5
And transportation can be a real obstacle for the poor and disabled. Maybe they have an even better excuse to use grocery delivery than those of us who are simply busy.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2019 15:15:37 GMT -5
Many people in my area rely on bicycle and/or bus transportation. It's pretty hard to bring home groceries for a family of 4 or 5 that way. The downside here is that many of the folks struggling economically live in apartment complexes that have a very high rate of crime and I guarantee the delivery drivers aren't going there. Armed robberies are not infrequent in those areas. Other than that, I think it's a very sensible solution.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Apr 21, 2019 16:09:09 GMT -5
I think it sounds like a goo idea. The food stamps are there to help those in need, and having reliable transportation can be a problem.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2019 18:24:37 GMT -5
The downside here is that many of the folks struggling economically live in apartment complexes that have a very high rate of crime and I guarantee the delivery drivers aren't going there. Armed robberies are not infrequent in those areas. Other than that, I think it's a very sensible solution. Really sad- I hadn't even thought of that. I doubt the drivers would carry much other than some cash from tips but they'd still be a target.
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Apr 22, 2019 8:53:04 GMT -5
Our city has a couple of really rural areas that are food deserts and have quite a few people with no transportation and some that use bicycles to get around. I work at our food pantry and see this a lot. Some of these people would have no way to get food easily if not for the food pantries or if they can get someone to take them to a grocery store. The closest grocery store is at least 10 miles away and there is no public transportation in that area of the city.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Apr 22, 2019 9:31:50 GMT -5
Our city has a couple of really rural areas ... have quite a few people ... Some of these people would have no way to get food easily if ... The closest grocery store is at least 10 miles away ... TOTAL TANGENT: As someone who has lived most of his adult life in rural America, this struck me as funny. From my perspective, that doesn't qualify as "really rural".
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Apr 22, 2019 10:20:12 GMT -5
I think it's a great idea.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 22, 2019 10:40:19 GMT -5
Many people in my area rely on bicycle and/or bus transportation. It's pretty hard to bring home groceries for a family of 4 or 5 that way. The downside here is that many of the folks struggling economically live in apartment complexes that have a very high rate of crime and I guarantee the delivery drivers aren't going there. Armed robberies are not infrequent in those areas. Other than that, I think it's a very sensible solution. It is hard enough bringing home groceries for one. When I lived in Boston, the first 2 years I relied on public transportation. I was 3 blocks from a grocery store, but those 3 blocks could get rather treacherous in snow and ice and a full load of groceries. I also used the farmer’s market a lot in season, which required a trip on the T. For that, I dug out college backpack. There is no way I can do this today.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Apr 22, 2019 13:16:54 GMT -5
A concern I have is that my wife and I are very dependent on EBT dollars. She works in our small town's sole grocery store and we shop in it. We are not sure that the corporate office would keep it open if there was much drop in current sales. They are already constantly having hours cut because of lack of incoming revenue. If it closed, not only would my wife lose her job, the next closest store for us to shop in would be about 25 miles away.
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Apr 22, 2019 14:07:20 GMT -5
Our city has a couple of really rural areas ... have quite a few people ... Some of these people would have no way to get food easily if ... The closest grocery store is at least 10 miles away ... TOTAL TANGENT: As someone who has lived most of his adult life in rural America, this struck me as funny. From my perspective, that doesn't qualify as "really rural". Our city is about half urban and half farming and rural. The only areas that have transportation are the well populated urban areas. None of the farming rural areas have any sort of transportation at all. The urban areas are encroaching on the rural areas at a steady pace and have been doing so for the past 30 years or so. Before that, we were a small county which was mostly rural. Our city annexed the rural unincorporated areas to make a larger city. Quite of the farming families are aging and cannot or won’t move from their home which creates issues when their friends and relatives die off or move away. We also have some disabled persons who can’t afford the housing in other areas.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Apr 22, 2019 15:11:20 GMT -5
TOTAL TANGENT: As someone who has lived most of his adult life in rural America, this struck me as funny. From my perspective, that doesn't qualify as "really rural". Our city is about half urban and half farming and rural. The only areas that have transportation are the well populated urban areas. None of the farming rural areas have any sort of transportation at all. The urban areas are encroaching on the rural areas at a steady pace and have been doing so for the past 30 years or so. Before that, we were a small county which was mostly rural. Our city annexed the rural unincorporated areas to make a larger city. Quite of the farming families are aging and cannot or won’t move from their home which creates issues when their friends and relatives die off or move away. We also have some disabled persons who can’t afford the housing in other areas. Here is a colorful visual on why there is a different sense of "rural" for those of us in the West compared to those in the East.
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nittanycheme
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Post by nittanycheme on Apr 22, 2019 15:53:04 GMT -5
A concern I have is that my wife and I are very dependent on EBT dollars. She works in our small town's sole grocery store and we shop in it. We are not sure that the corporate office would keep it open if there was much drop in current sales. They are already constantly having hours cut because of lack of incoming revenue. If it closed, not only would my wife lose her job, the next closest store for us to shop in would be about 25 miles away Our local stores actually have a delivery option, and a pick up option now. In fact, one of the local branches of the grocery store that I drive by (I work in one town and live 30 miles away in another) is now totally rebranded as the delivery service now. The other stores still have the normal corporate name and logo, but when I drove by the one branch, it had the delivery name and logo on the marquee outside (normal stores are labeled like "Grocery Store" , this one now says "Grocery Store Direct"). I'm not sure if they have walkin sales anymore or not - I go to one closer to my house. But I think that store was probably one of the "high shrink" stores, so it may have been worth it to switch it over to that model. Would they add a delivery option to your store? At least in my area, a lot of the local grocery store chains are doing a delivery option, whether through something like Peapod or their own delivery service. And more than people with EBT may use it.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Apr 22, 2019 16:30:21 GMT -5
A concern I have is that my wife and I are very dependent on EBT dollars. She works in our small town's sole grocery store and we shop in it. We are not sure that the corporate office would keep it open if there was much drop in current sales. They are already constantly having hours cut because of lack of incoming revenue. If it closed, not only would my wife lose her job, the next closest store for us to shop in would be about 25 miles away Our local stores actually have a delivery option, and a pick up option now. In fact, one of the local branches of the grocery store that I drive by (I work in one town and live 30 miles away in another) is now totally rebranded as the delivery service now. The other stores still have the normal corporate name and logo, but when I drove by the one branch, it had the delivery name and logo on the marquee outside (normal stores are labeled like "Grocery Store" , this one now says "Grocery Store Direct"). I'm not sure if they have walkin sales anymore or not - I go to one closer to my house. But I think that store was probably one of the "high shrink" stores, so it may have been worth it to switch it over to that model. Would they add a delivery option to your store? At least in my area, a lot of the local grocery store chains are doing a delivery option, whether through something like Peapod or their own delivery service. And more than people with EBT may use it. I note you keep using plural nouns and pronouns, suggesting that your area has a population base that can support multiple grocery stores. Our small town struggles to maintain one. I see staffing for a delivery option would be difficult with the small volume that would be involved. I don't see Peapod being much interesting in delivering to a small town of 2000 in the middle of nowhere. Where the major competition would come is with on line shopping from Walmart and Amazon. It could take just enough business to quiet the cash register enough to make it no longer profitable to keep our little store open.
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oped
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Post by oped on Apr 22, 2019 17:04:53 GMT -5
Our city is about half urban and half farming and rural. The only areas that have transportation are the well populated urban areas. None of the farming rural areas have any sort of transportation at all. The urban areas are encroaching on the rural areas at a steady pace and have been doing so for the past 30 years or so. Before that, we were a small county which was mostly rural. Our city annexed the rural unincorporated areas to make a larger city. Quite of the farming families are aging and cannot or won’t move from their home which creates issues when their friends and relatives die off or move away. We also have some disabled persons who can’t afford the housing in other areas. Here is a colorful visual on why there is a different sense of "rural" for those of us in the West compared to those in the East. I always said I lived in the middle of nowhere. Then I drove through Wyoming...
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countrygirl2
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Post by countrygirl2 on Apr 22, 2019 17:10:47 GMT -5
We have a Walmart, Dollar Store, a grocery with a good selection and crazy high prices. Also a Sav A Lot that has better pork and hams, beef I don't know. The other has good filets and expensive cuts, don't care for their other meats. Tons of restaurants and pizza places, this is a county of maybe 10,000 people. There is a grant and there are buses coming out of a bigger city way east of us. I think in county its like $2 each way, county to county like $6?? But have to make an appointment days before. Here you hear the poor complaining because of the couple of dollars fees.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Apr 22, 2019 17:12:01 GMT -5
Here is a colorful visual on why there is a different sense of "rural" for those of us in the West compared to those in the East. I always said I lived in the middle of nowhere. Then I drove through Wyoming... My LOL for the day!!
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Apr 22, 2019 17:52:46 GMT -5
Eastern Colorado and Western Nebraska are almost as bad as Wyoming. Almost
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Apr 22, 2019 17:57:32 GMT -5
Eastern Colorado and Western Nebraska are almost as bad as Wyoming. AlmostI drove through all of those on a single cross country trip. Nebraska was the worst. Only caught a corner of Wyoming--empty but pretty.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Apr 22, 2019 18:01:36 GMT -5
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Apr 22, 2019 18:13:54 GMT -5
Here is a colorful visual on why there is a different sense of "rural" for those of us in the West compared to those in the East. I always said I lived in the middle of nowhere. Then I drove through Wyoming... My family and I drove this section of U.S. 50 back in the mid 60s during our summer cross-country trip which began and ended in Massachusetts. U.S. Route 50 – America’s Loneliest RoadAll the way across the country, US-50 passes through hundreds of small old towns. Blue Highways author William Least Heat-Moon writes about US-50, “for the unhurried, this little-known highway is the best national road across the middle of the United States.” The route offers such a compelling cross-section of the nation that Time magazine devoted nearly an entire issue (July 7, 1997) to telling the story of the road it called the “Backbone of America.” The Nevada portion of the route, named “The Loneliest Road in America” by travelers, evokes the feeling of loneliness. You find miles and miles of little more than mountains, sand, and blue sky. U.S. Route 50 – America’s Loneliest Road
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Apr 22, 2019 18:18:40 GMT -5
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