If This Dont Pizz You Off Nothing Will !!!

Even with an extra million or two, it seems that some lottery winners are still trying to finding ways to save money — on the government’s dime.

Amanda Clayton of Lincoln Park, Michigan won a lottery jackpot worth $1 million, but a local TV news station recently discovered that despite her winnings, she’s still using a state-sponsored welfare card to buy $200 of food every month, The Daily Mail reports. As a local reporter points out, those tax dollars could go a long way for residents in a state particularly hard-hit by the recession, but Clayton doesn’t seem to see it that way, even though she recently purchased both a new house and a new car with her prize money.

“I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay,” she told local news WDIV. “I have two houses. I’m still struggling.”

Turns out Clayton isn’t the only one with a big lottery win dipping into the government’s coffers. In May 2011, Leroy Fick, also of Michigan, faced criticism for continuing to buy food on the taxpayers’ dime after he won a $2 million jackpot, NBC25 reports. Fick said it’s not his fault he can still use government benefits, despite his huge win, instead, the “state has got a problem with its laws.”

But that problem may soon be solved. Lawmakers in the state’s House of Representatives voted to approve legislation that would include lottery earnings when determining residents’ income, and their eligiblity for food benefits, CBS Detroit reports. The state is adopting stricter guidelines in general for determining who is eligible for benefits, cutting food stamps for 30,000 college students last year, and limiting the amount of time residents can receive cash from the state.

Instead of taking state money, some jackpot winners are giving away part of their prize. Last December, three money managers in Greenwich, Connecticut, who won $254 million Powerball, established a charitable trust that has already donated $1 million to five separate charities that support veterans and military members. The group says they plan on making more donations in the future.

And people dismiss the claims that people grow dependent on programs or feel entitled to entitlements.

That is a crock but there hundreds of examples just as bad. Like the Government subsitizing the oil and ethanol companies while they rake in record profits. Just my 2cents.

Are tax breaks for millionares or corporations just? I know, I know they won’t invest in jobs if they don’t have the tax breaks, sorry my fault….

Whatever the govt subsidizes we get more of. Welfare, unemployment, mortgages, oil. Oh yeah, we dont need that nasty oil.

Wow, I know this is a fishing site, but introducing Red Herrings?

How about the government subsidizing the interest you pay on your mortgage? How you like them herrings?

even better on the mortgage front, while they are at it dismiss the break people get for owing a second home.

Quote:

---

even better on the mortgage front, while they are at it dismiss the break people get for owing a second home.

---

Don’t forget kids. If you need a tax break when you have a kid, maybe you shouldn’t have one.

fine, keep going, I know my tax breaks for my 4 girls amount to peanuts compared to what Exxon gets.

owning a second home?lol somebodys doing well. Ill take mine in Montana please! lol

Quote:

---

That is a crock but there hundreds of examples just as bad. Like the Government subsitizing the oil and ethanol companies while they rake in record profits. Just my 2cents.

---

There are no subsidies in ethanol that I’m aware of anymore. There was a blender credit that only the people actually blending the ethanol would get. The farmers didn’t get it, the ethanol producer didn’t get it, the end reseller didn’t get it unless they had blender pumps(which weren’t that popular prior to the subsidy being revoked). This was often why you saw the disparity of ethanol prices at the pump. Now that gap has narrowed greatly.

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

That is a crock but there hundreds of examples just as bad. Like the Government subsitizing the oil and ethanol companies while they rake in record profits. Just my 2cents.

---

There are no subsidies in ethanol that I’m aware of anymore. There was a blender credit that only the people actually blending the ethanol would get. The farmers didn’t get it, the ethanol producer didn’t get it, the end reseller didn’t get it unless they had blender pumps(which weren’t that popular prior to the subsidy being revoked). This was often why you saw the disparity of ethanol prices at the pump. Now that gap has narrowed greatly.

---

But there are farm subsidies and companies get to right off depreciation of their assets. Do they still have a program that pays farmers to not plant crops in their fields?

That lady was on to something a few election years back…. “I won’t have to pay my mortgage !!!”

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

That is a crock but there hundreds of examples just as bad. Like the Government subsitizing the oil and ethanol companies while they rake in record profits. Just my 2cents.

---

There are no subsidies in ethanol that I’m aware of anymore. There was a blender credit that only the people actually blending the ethanol would get. The farmers didn’t get it, the ethanol producer didn’t get it, the end reseller didn’t get it unless they had blender pumps(which weren’t that popular prior to the subsidy being revoked). This was often why you saw the disparity of ethanol prices at the pump. Now that gap has narrowed greatly.

---

But there are farm subsidies and companies get to right off depreciation of their assets. Do they still have a program that pays farmers to not plant crops in their fields?

---

Everyone can write off depreciation, not just farmers. And just for fun, the next time you hear about the “farm” budget, take a look and see what it actually is. Mostly food stamps and food programs.

Quote:

---

fine, keep going, I know my tax breaks for my 4 girls amount to peanuts compared to what Exxon gets.

---

How about your Tax Break X How many other people with 4 kids or more??????

Quote:

---

Everyone can write off depreciation, not just farmers. And just for fun, the next time you hear about the “farm” budget, take a look and see what it actually is. Mostly food stamps and food programs.

---

You missed my point. And not everyone can, well they could itemize, but it won’t be more than a standard deduction.

Let me put it to you guys this way. Unless you don’t have a mortgage, you’ve paid child support most of your adult life without being able to claim them as a dependent, you are a white male, you don’t have a stake in the oil industry, you haven’t won the lottery and you didn’t from up on a family farm, you might want to keep your hypocritical pie holes shut and appreciate all the breaks you are getting.

And I mean that in a nice way.

And if you want to reply with those were my choices, so be it, but technically I wasn’t the one complaining about everyone else getting breaks without looking in the mirror.

Quote:

---

That is a crock but there hundreds of examples just as bad. Like the Government subsitizing the oil and ethanol companies while they rake in record profits. Just my 2cents.

---

If a 30% profit on investment is so unrealistic then why do all other business’s operate on around 30%. Oh and by the way — what is your return on what you have at risk ( your investment )??????? You realize that almost all of us have IRA- 401k-or the like that are holding large amounts of $$$$$ in oil and gas company stock. My 2 cents

Quote:

---

Do they still have a program that pays farmers to not plant crops in their fields?

---

Yes there is. It was formerly known as the CRP(conservation reserve program). I don’t know all the details, but there is a minimum amount of acres required and then you are required to plant that land in it’s native grasses. The land owner is then paid $X.xx amount per acre per year for the length of the contract. Our is for 10 years. There is also a program to receive a one time payment to permanently leave this land in it’s native grasses. We are considering this for all our land after I learn some more details.

Don’t get me wrong, we have ulterior motives. We like to hunt and this land provides great habitat for the critters we pursue. However, the hunting season is rather short and the benefits the land in programs like this provide to wildlife year round is amazing. We would do this no matter if the government provided funding or not.

So back to the original theme of thread, one could argue we are also milking the government.

I guess I was looking at depreciation from a business perspective because farmers are just businesses, people just don’t look at them that way.

I LOVE to [censored] about taxes, but they are a necessary evil. If you are paying taxes it means you are making money.

Now you guys got me going. this has always been a sore subject for me. I stole this from the hunting side.

CRP provides an average annual payment per acre of $55.06. Compare that to the rent in our area of around $250 per acre and you can see that while it is the right thing to do, it is very hard for a business person to put any major acreage into this program due to dollars and sense.

Farmers then also have to plant cover crop (hay, grasslands, etc) and keep any weeds (thistle, sunflower, elephant ear) mowed from these lands. It is far from a free lunch.

Now I am not disagreeing that this is a valuable program, and should be considered by a lot of people, especially in areas of marginal farmland and highly erodible surfaces (what it was designed for), but how much money would you be willing to loose. I don’t think many, if any, of us would be willing to donate over half our paycheck to a cause.

However, I do see this corn market and corresponding land values tanking in the near future very similar to the housing market bust. If this does happen you will see a increase in the amount of farmland put back into CRP, but we are still a few years from this. This would have to happen along with our legislators slowing/eliminating the ethanol mandates, but it will eventually happen.

Sorry to hijack. Now back to your regularly scheduled discussions on sausages, butt balloons, and newest apps for you phones

Quote:

---

I guess I was looking at depreciation from a business perspective because farmers are just businesses, people just don’t look at them that way.

---

I am not complaining, I understand and agree that businesses should get breaks with depreciation of equipment, whether they be a tractor or oil tanker. I don’t think either should be singled out because someone has painted them as evil or that they make a profit.

Back on topic, I guess I do have a problem with someone who wins a lottery ticket thinking they still deserve government assistance. And you know that idiot will be right back on them soon. She won a million. Got $700K in a payout. Half went to taxes. So she has $350 or so in winnings. What does this brilliant mind do? She went out and bought a second home (No doubt for a tax break) and a new vehicle.

The good news as MI has cut off her benefits and may charge her with fraud because it is her responsibility to report changes to her financial status.

See everyone? A happy ending!

I think we could find examples of people/businesses unethically working the system for pretty much any color, class, profession of people… No matter what happens there will always loopholes in the system and people will always find ways to exploit them. Unfortunatly that’s just human nature.

The only true way to keep people from taking advantage of gov’t welfare programs (food, farm subsidies, mortgage tax breaks in my opinion are all welfare programs in my book) is to get rid of the programs themselves. I’m not saying, I’m just saying

Aint politicians the professionals of working the system? Look at the way they run their commercials for relection. Always knocking the other guy when ya know their porch is just as dirty if not worse.