Federal Waste Of My Tax Dollars - In Person

As I was out and about this past week, I had occasion to visit a Wally World to pick up a few necessitites. As I am in the check out lane, I notice lady in front of me is having a hard time juggling all the crap she has in her hands as she tries to check out. Now, first off, she's in the '20 item or less' line, and has about 40 items. It is also evident that she either doesn't speak, or will not speak, English. Her rapid fire Spanish, combined with her skin complexion, leads me to respectfully believe she falls into the NCSA category.

This woman is trying to text on her very expensive looking smart phone. She looks to be in her early 30s. She is well groomed, expensive looking clothes, fake toenails and fingernails, enough makeup to plaster a wall with. 5 inch heels, and a shirt that really shouldn't be cut that low. Her car keys are on a Lexus key chain.

Her checkout items include normal hygeine items, a couple of Blue Rays, several bottles of wine, and what looks like it will be dinner.

Also included are about a dozen cans of baby formula and diapers.

She pays for everything except for the last two items with a crisp $100 bill. It looks like the bill had a lot of company in her pocketbook.

She then puts the baby items up on the counter, and pulls out a WIC vouture.

Now, for those of you 'not in the know', WIC is the "Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children" provided by the Federal Government. The program serves to safeguard the health of low-income women and children up to age 5 who are at risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diet, information for healthy eating, and referrals to health care - according to it's web site.

This woman, who clearly has a decent amount of income, is receiving payments from the Federal Government to buy her baby food. What the hell?

WIC, in theory, is noble. In practice, it becomes what every other government entitlement program becomes - bloated, full of abuse, and horribly wasteful of our tax dollars. Remember - every penny given out in this program comes from one of our pockets.

If you want an education in bloated bureacracy, go to the WIC web site, below. It is incredible in its 'government-itis'. Pay particular attention to the requirements - it states that recipients have to be a resident of the state which they apply for benefits in, but it says nothing anywhere about the applicant being a citizen of the US, or providing proof of legal residency.

I especially like the mulitple references and detailed instructions provided on breastfeeding. Apparently the Federal Government has determined that women are incapable of understanding how to perform the third oldest task females have executed since the dawn of mankind. First, become pregnant. Second, give birth. Third, feed the child. I mean, really ... just put the child in proximity, and it will show exactly what is supposed to happen.

www.fns.usda.gov/WIC

With waste like this, it is no wonder we are so far in debt......