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Tag: Sam

  • Costco Accepts Food Stamps: Trend at Wholesale Clubs, Grocery Stores

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    Leading wholesale retailer Costco has announced that it will now accept food stamps in its stores nationwide. This news comes as a shock to many, who see Costco as catering to elite shoppers. Yet, this should not be surprising as more Americans than ever are using government assistance to feed their families — 10 million people have gone on food stamps in the last two years alone. This is leaving shopping clubs like Costco and Sam’s scrambling to attract an entirely new realm of consumer, who may not be technically “poor.”

    The New York Times explains:

    Up until recently, some wholesale clubs were skeptical poor people would be willing to pay the $50-a-year membership fee or would be interested in buying food in the bulk quantities for which the stores are famous.

    But now, in this economy, stores are battling for every dollar and see a big potential market in the growing ranks of food-stamp recipients. From warehouse clubs to supermarkets and mom-and-pop groceries, stores are retraining their cashiers and hanging new signs to welcome such customers.

    ”Certainly this economy was a wake-up call,” Costco chief financial officer Richard Galanti recently told investors. ”It is not just very low-end economic strata that are using these.”

    … The U.S. Department of Agriculture said nearly 200,000 retailers nationwide now accept food stamps, 20 percent more than in 2005.

    Executives at Costco are finding that poorer families are actually eager to pay the $50 dollar membership fee to take advantage of the fact that the company now accepts food stamps. And the retailer believes that poorer families will actually save more money in the end by buying in bulk, even if the initial investment seems high.

    If you need to join the ranks of the 39 million Americans on food stamps (also known as Electronic Benefits Transfers), there is no reason to be ashamed. In fact, now is a better time than ever to seek out government assistance in buying food if you need it. The social stigma attached to food stamps is essentially gone as so many people are in need, and now more companies than ever are rising to meet the needs of this customer. You might be surprised to learn that you qualify.

    Learn how to apply for food stamps, or about the WIC program, and click below to learn about some of the thousands of retailers that accept EBT. Check your local retailers for more shopping options.

    Major Retailers That Accept Food Stamps

    Target

    The Kroger Company

    Walmart

    Safeway

    Sam’s Club

    BJ’s

    Most 7-Eleven Stores

    Most CVS Stores

    Dollar General

     

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  • What To Do Today to Prepare For This Year’s Taxes

    It’s not tax season yet, but by the time you finish feasting on turkey and calculating the damage from holiday spending, it’ll be time to gather receipts, fill out forms, and calculate deductions. Before Uncle Sam comes knocking like an unexpected visit for that surly, lazy cousin you tried to avoid all holiday season, check out what you can do today to prepare your 2009 taxes.

  • Dr. Boyce Money: Rapper Nas in Serious Tax Trouble

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    Hip Hop Wired is reporting that the rapper Nas is having some serious financial problems. In addition to owing his wife Kelis $44,000 per month in child support, it turns out that the artist also owes the federal government another $2.5 million in taxes. Here are quick thoughts about Nas, love and money:

    1) Nas has a complicated life. His decision to marry the “love of his life” is going to cost him for the rest of his life. The rapper’s tax situation could be due to irresponsibility (as appears to be the case with Method Man and Nicolas Cage), or it could simply be a matter of using write-offs that were not allowed by the IRS. We can’t assume that Nas’ tax trouble automatically makes him into a horrible citizen.

    2) He is not as rich as you think. I remember Will Smith once explaining how “a million dollars really isn’t that much money.” After Uncle Sam takes half, and the agents and attorneys get their cut, you are lucky to have $350,000 left over. Sure, that’s plenty of money, but it may not be very much money relative to the cost of living the celebrity lifestyle, and taking care of all the friends and relatives begging you for financial support. Success is a beautiful thing, but the problem is that success draws attention and financial vacuum cleaners who want to suck you dry. So, I am not sure why every artist loves to show the world how rich he is. I’d be quiet about my wealth.

    3) Please explain $44,000 per month in child support? Many men who make the kind of money that Nas allegedly makes (reported to be $250,000 per month) are considered to have infinite wealth. The truth, however, is that much of his income as an artist is volatile, uncertain, and likely to go down over time. The idea that he is being asked to pay so much in child support seems to neglect the fact that his resources do not go as far as Kelis and others might be inclined to think. The next time someone wonders why wealthy celebs don’t want to get married, they only need to look at the case of Nas and Kelis to find the answer. Love is supposed to be priceless, but child support courts seem to know exactly what that price should be.

    When it comes to Nas, Kelis and the IRS, the bottom line is this: Nas needs a financial intervention to help him to realistically manage his financial life. By analyzing his situation and others, we also can learn how our personal decisions in love and life can affect our financial situation. The truth is that who you choose to marry and how you manage your relationships plays a huge role in your financial stability. Finally, I am a fan of carefully constructed prenuptial agreements, so that wealth can be shared in such a way that marriage doesn’t become financially devastating. They say love and money shouldn’t mix, but relationship mistakes should not cost millions.

    Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, “Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with Your Partner in Ways that Feel Good.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

     

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  • Zoe "Everyone Else Can Go F–k Themselves"

    Posted by: BlogXilla

    Zoe Saldana grabs onto Aussie co-star Sam Worthington at the premiere of their new James Cameron-director film Avatar in Tokyo on Saturday (October 17).

    Zoe recently told Esquire, “Sam is very manly. There’s something about Aussies. They’re potent and intense but also very giving. Australian men remind me of Dominican men, I guess. They come here and all they have is the shirt on their back and passion, and it’s like everyone else can go f–k themselves. I love that.”

    Click Here For more pics & Full Story

  • KKK Threatens Woman after Walmart Incident: Was Walmart to Blame?

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    I mentioned the story before about Heather Ellis, the young woman who was threatened by the KKK after protesting about her arrest that took place in a Walmart store. The story was quite interesting in that Ellis now faces 15 years in prison for effectively cutting line at a Walmart. The unfortunate events occurred when Ellis was shopping with a cousin in Kennett, Missouri.

    Heather and her cousin went to separate lines and when her cousin found the shorter line, Heather joined him. Ellis was then accused of cutting line by the person checking out customers, which led to an altercation. When Ellis was asked to leave the store, she argued with the managers, which led to the police being called. Ellis was eventually charged with disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and two counts of assaulting a police officer.

    Ellis, a college student on her way to medical school, argues that the charges were not appropriate, particularly since she doesn’t have a history of this kind of behavior. She now faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Ellis has publicly protested the DA’s decision to push the case forward, which has led to her receiving threats from the Ku Klux Klan. The African American community is working to help Heather now, as a website has been set up for an online protest and petition fighting to support Heather’s case.

    The question here, from a business standpoint is whether or not Walmart could have done something to avoid this situation. Some people think so.

    Dr. Towanna Freeman, a management consultant, argues that Walmart could have avoided the entire problem by paying greater attention to customer service.

    “Regardless of a person’s ethnicity, gender, or sexual preference, this case started when the cashier failed to convey at least one of the core beliefs and values of Sam Walton: ‘Customers are the reason we’re in business, so we should treat them that way.’,” says Dr. Freeman. “With that said, the cashier could have easily interjected and calmed the angry crowd by saying something like, ‘Excuse me, although we don’t promote cutting lines, please allow me to assist this customer now. This will only take a few minutes. Thank you, for your patience.’”

    The case for Heather Ellis is heating up. I’ve made some calls around the country and it appears that the case might finally get the attention it deserves. Also, the Your Black World Coalition is going to get involved, along with the National Action Network, to ensure that this young lady’s case is carefully analyzed. The bottom line, however, is that this incident should never have happened and Walmart has engaged in bad business by allowing its stores to be the center of such a racially-charged controversy.

    There is the added reality that Kennett, Missouri is Rush Limbaugh country. Respect for African Americans in the legal system of this town is not what it should be, and the more emails I receive about past indiscretions in this region, the more I am starting to wonder if Heather was going to be treated fairly in the first place. The presence of the KKK doesn’t help their case and only serves to remind us that we do not live in a “post racial America.”

    Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and the 2007 Black Speaker of the Year. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Twitter, click here. If you wish to find out more about the case of Heather Ellis, please visit www.SaveHeatherEllis.com.

     

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  • Tax Collectors Mine Social Networks

    Uncle Sam is tracking down tax deadbeats through social networks and making them pay up.