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>>> WELCOME BACK TO FOX NEWS 
REPORTING.
THE GREAT FOOD STAMP BINGE.
HOW DO YOU ACCOUNT FOR THE 
RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON FOOD 
STAMPS?
A NEW FOX NEWS POLL FINES A 
SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE 
THINK THE SEVERITY OF RECESSION 
SIMPLY MEANS THAT MORE QUALIFY 
FOR ASSISTANCE TODAY.
HOWEVER A LARGER NUMBER BELIEVE 
THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE IT TOO 
EASY TO GET ASSISTANCE AND 
PEOPLE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF 
THAT.
NO DOUBT IN THESE TOUGH TIMES 
MANY PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES
WORRY ABOUT FEETING THEMSELVES 
AND THEIR FAMILIES.
AMERICA IS A GENEROUS NATION AND
FEW DENY GOVERNMENT HELP TO 
THOSE WHO NEED IT.
BUT WE ALSO REALIZE EVERY DOLLAR
WE GIVE TO PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE 
FENNING FOR THEMSELVES IS ONE 
LESS DOLLAR WE CAN USE FOR OTHER
PURPOSES, INCLUDING UPON HEADING
THE TRULY NEEDY.
SOME PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO ARE 
WOEY ABOUT THAT.
JOHN ROBERTS FOUND ONE IN LA 
JOLLA, CALIFORNIA.
>> MEET JASON, FOOD STAMP 
RECIPIENT.
>> ANOTHER DAY IN THE LIFE OF 
JASON.
>> WHAT EXACTLY IS THE RAT?
ARE. 
>> YOUR TYPICAL DAY, AN EARLY 
MORNING LIFE LATER IN THE 
AFTERNOON?
>> LATER IN THE AFTERNOON.
>> WAKE UP AND GO DOWN TO THE 
BEACH AND DEAL WITH MY FRIENDS 
AND HIT ON SOME CHICKS.
START DRINKING.
>> ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.
>> WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM IN LA 
JOLLA, CALIFORNIA.
CLOSE TO WHERE HE GREW UP.
THE 29-YEAR-OLD HAS CHOSEN THE 
LIFE OF A BEACH BUM THIS THIS 
SEA SIDE PARADISE.
WITH NO FIXED ADDRESS, JASON HAS
FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS 
FLOATED FROM PLACE TO PLACE, 
STAYING WITH FAMILY, PALS AND 
GIRLS HE'S DATED.
>> NICE DAY TODAY THOUGH.
>> HE GETS BY WITH A LITTLE HELP
FROM HIS FRIENDS AND YOU, THE 
TAXPAYER.
>> MY EBT SNAP CARD WITH THE 
COAST OF CALIFORNIA ON IT.
>> HOW DO YOU GET A SNAP CARD?
>> GO TO THE HUMAN RESOURCE 
OFFICE AND HAVE YOUR BIRTH 
CERTIFICATE AND SOCIAL SECURITY 
CARD.
I DON'T GOT A PAYCHECK SO I 
QUALIFY.
>> HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO DO 
THIS?
>> THEY HAVE IT NOW WHERE YOU DO
IT ONCE A YEAR.
>> THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
BACK IN 1996 IF YOU WERE AN ABLE
ADULT LIKE JASON WITH NO FAMILY,
THERE WERE LIMITATIONS.
YOU CAN GET FOOD STAMPS FOR 
THREE MONTHS EVERY THREE YEARS.
THE EXCEPTION IS IF YOU WERE 
WORKING AT LEAST A 20 HOUR 
WORKWEEK OR PARTICIPATED IN A 
TRAINING PROGRAM.
PRESIDENT OBAMA WIPED AWAY THE 
RESTRICTIONS WHEN HE SIGNED HIS 
STIMULUS BILL IN 2009.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> IN 2010, OBAMA USED HIS 
REGULATORY POWERS TO SUSPEND THE
SUSPENSION OF THE WELFARE TO 
WORK REQUIREMENTS.
>> YOU FILL OUT A FORM FOR A 
SNAP CARD, THEY GIVE THAW FOR A 
YEAR, NO QUESTIONS ASKED IN. 
>> YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.
YOU ARE GOLDEN.
$200 OF FREE MONEY.
RADICAL.
WHY NOT?
>> THIS IS MY JOB TO MAKE SURE 
EVERYTHING IS ROLLING SMOOTHLY.
MAKE SURE THE SUN IS UP AND THE 
GIRLS ARE OUT.
>> HOW BIG OF A PART OF YOUR IS 
SURFING?
IS. 
>> I SURF EVERY DAY.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO GET AWAY FROM 
EVERYTHING AND CLEAR YOUR HEAD 
AND GET OUT WITH THE BOYS AND 
HAVE A GOOD TIME.
>> LIVING THE LIFE.
ANOTHER DULL MOMENT.
ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE.
PARTY AT MY PAD.
>> I GOT THE RAINBOW ROLL.
AHI, SALMON, EEL, YELLOW TAIL 
WITH RICE AND AVOCADO AND THEN 
ADD LOBSTER ON SPECIAL.
WE GOT LOBSTER AND COCONUT 
WATER.
>> JASON IS OFF TO THE AUTOMATED
CHECK OUT COUNTER.
FOOD STAMP CARD AT THE READY.
>> $200 A MONTH AND YOU GO BOOM.
JUST LIKE THAT.
ALL PAID FOR BY OUR WONDERFUL 
TAX DOLLARS.
>> SORRY THAT TYPICALLY THE TYPE
OF THING YOU GET ON THE SNAP 
CARD?
>> YEAH, I USUALLY GET SUSHI, 
BUT MAKE IT MY OWN WAY.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY GOOD FISH.
I GOT THE PREMADE STUFF.
>> EBT LOBSTER.
>> EBT LOBSTER.
ANYBODY WANT A PIECE?
>> YEAH!
>> IS IT TO SAY THIS NOTION OF 
HOLDING DOWN A STEADY JOB IS 
JUST SOMETHING NOT IN YOUR 
HOUSE?
>> THAT'S NOT THE DIRECTION I'M 
GOING RIGHT NOW.
>> NOT SOMETHING THAT APPEALS TO
YOU?
>> NONE WHATSOEVER.
>> I HAVE TO SAY I DIDN'T KNOW 
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN I SAT DOWN 
WITH JASON.
I WAS REALLY TAKEN ABACK THAT HE
SEEMED UNEMBARRASSED ABOUT 
SPONGING OFF THE REST OF US THIS
THIS MANNER.
THIS WAS A GUY WHO STRUCK ME AS 
CAPABLE OF PULLING HIS   OWN 
WEIGHT.
AS RESOURCEFUL AND EVEN 
INTELLIGENT AND WENT TO SAN 
DIEGO STATE FOR A WHILE AND THEN
TO A TECHNICAL SCHOOL WHERE HE 
TRAINED TO BECOME A RECORDING 
ENGINEER.
THEN HE REALIZED WHAT HE REALLY 
WANTED IN LIFE.
>> SKATING THE CLASS AND HERE 
COMES MOTLEY CREW CARRYING A 
BOTTLE OF JACK AND PARTYING.
I REALIZED I DIDN'T WANT TO BE 
THE GUY RECORDING THOSE GUYS.
I WANT TO BE THE GUY BEING THOSE
GUYS.
>> HE WANTED TO BE A ROCK STAR.
>> YOU DECIDED THAT WAS GOING TO
BE YOUR?
LIFE?
>> YEAH.
I WANT TO BE 
>>> WE END OUR SHOW CHECKING
BACK ON JASON GREEN.
UNEMPLOYED MUSICIAN, BEACH WUM.
DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE A REGULAR
JOB WITH A REGULAR BOSS.
WE WONDERED HOW FELLOW
AMERICANS WOULD FEEL ABOUT
HELPING PAY FOR FOOD STAMPS
FOR SOMEONE LIKE HIM.
TURNS OUT ACCORDING TO A FOX
NEWS POLL CONDUCTED FOR THE
SPECIAL THEY HAVE A PROBLEM
WITH IT.
OVERWHELMINGLY SO.
BUT AS JOHN ROBERTS LEARNED
JASON DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHY.
>> YOU CAN'T HAVE A JOB?
WISDOM OF 29-YEAR-OLD JASON
GREENSLIJ IN CASE YOU DIDN'T
CATCH THOSE LEARICS JASON IS
SINGING "I AIN'T GOT NO MF
JOB.
I'D RATHER BE BROKE STEAL AND
ROB".
>> I HAVE NO JOB LIVING THE
DREAM DOING YOUR THING.
>> LIVING THE DREAM IS HAVING
NO JOB?
>> YEAH.
>> HOW IS THAT GOING FOR YOU?
>> GOING GREAT, MAN, YEAH.
GOING REALLY WELL.
>> GIRLS DANCING ON TABLES
WHENEVER WE'RE PLAYING MUSIC
AN EVERY DAY THING.
$200 FROM THE MAN.
WHAT IS UP?
>> THIS IS THE LONG TERM PLAN?
>> YEAH.
THE JOB.
>> JASON DOES ASPIRE TO
SOMETHING MORE.
HIS BAND SIGNED WITH A RECORD
LABEL.
IT DOESN'T PAY THEM ANYTHING
YET BUT HE BELIEVES IT'S THE
START OF SOMETHING BIG.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THE RECORD
DEAL.
ARE YOU IN THE STUDIO YET?
>> YES.
WE'VE BEEN IN THE STUDIO
HOPEFULLY FIRE WORKS START
GOING OFF.
>> WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS
GOING?
>> TO THE TOP, MAN.
TO THE SKY.
>> HEAVEN KNOWS HE MIGHT MAKE
IT.
OR MAYBE DESTINY IS JUST THE
RAT LIFE.
IF SO, HE'S OKAY WITH THAT.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE STILL
WILLING TO MAKE UP -- PICK UP
THE TAB.
>> FOOD STAMP PROGRAM DESIGNED
TO BE FOR A POINT IN YOUR LIFE
YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, DOWN, THINGS
WEREN'T GOING WELL.
IT'S NOT QUITE A POINT IN YOUR
LIFE, IT'S THIS IS LIFE FR ME.
>> YES THIS, IS HOW I LIVE,
MAN.
DOING MY THING.
YOU KNOW?
THIS IS THE WAY I WANT TO
LIVE.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING CHANGING.
>> IT USED TO BE THAT, YOU
KNOW SOMEONE ON FOOD STAMPS
IT'S LIKE HEY, THEY'RE ON FOOD
STAMPS.
YOU KNOW?
LOSER?
>> WHY WOULD IT BE BAD?
FREE FOOD IS AWESOME.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO
SOMEONE LOOKING THAT THE
SAYING YOU KNOW I'M WORKING
HARD, PAYING TAXES, SO THAT
JASON CAN LIVE HIS SURFER LIFE
STYLE, BE IN HIS BAND AND GET
$200 A MONTH TO BUY GOOD FOOD?
THANK YOU, TAXPAYERS.
THANKS.
>> DO YOU FEEL GUILTY ABOUT
THAT?
>> NO.
>> RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM.
IT'S A TERM ATTEMPTS TO
CAPTURE THE AMERICAN VALUES OF
HARD WORK, SELF RELIANCE AND
PRIDE IN PULLING YOUR OWN
WEIGHT.
THOSE VALUES AND THE LEGAL AND
POLITICAL SYSTEM REWARD THEM
HELP EXPLAIN WHY AMERICA HAS
PROSPERED LIKE NO OTHER
COUNTRY.
AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE A
COMPASSIONATE AND GENEROUS
PEOPLE WILLING TO HELP THE
POOR AND FEED THE HUNGRY. OUR
NATION MUST FIND HARMONY IN
THESE TWO VALUES SO AS NOT TO
LOSE ALL THAT MADE AMERICA
GREAT TO BEGIN WITH.
THAT IS OUR REPORT BUT
CONVERSATION CONTINUES ON
TWITTER.
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
AGAIN, USE HASH TAG FO
