Take a moment to watch this video and to read the accompanying report.
Already we are seeing the impact of cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or Food Stamps). Dig a little deeper: read up on this very helpful benefit to working, low-income families and individuals.
Consider the impact of the proposed cuts. Think beyond the affect on those who use the program. Think also about the impact on the retail grocery industry and on related jobs. Consider health care costs resulting from people being forced to consume food products that are cheap, high calorie and unhealthy. Being penny wise and pound foolish never gets us where we want or need to be.
Your thoughts?
3 comments:
First of all, the SNAP program is rampant with fraud. When it is advertised in a foreign country on a soap opera and recruiters go out in the streets and twist arms for people to sign up, I think that is a bit much.
Secondly, there was no cut. In 2009 the amount each family received was increased due to the stimulus, with the expectation it would expire in two years. One cannot blame Republicans for this,
Then, as the name suggests, it is a SUPPLEMENTAL program. It was meant to help and not be the entire food budget, just like social security is a supplement.
I feed my family of three adults on about $400/month, not because I have to, but that is all it takes. We are rarely all home at the same time and when we are we don't necessarily have a five course meal. That said, I find it hard to cry for a family of four who have their SNAP reduced to $632/month. If they are all home at once for 3/meals a day, that's a clue somebody should be out working or looking for a job.
There are people who, if they can get something free, they will take it. We are doing these people no favor. It promotes generational dependency.
President Clinton, with the help of Republicans, got people off welfare. Now Obama is putting them back on.
It's beyond embrassing to live in the greatest country on earth and so many people are dependent on government.
I forgot to add, when is the taxpayer responsible for the success of a grocery store?
Anon 9:15:
I think you have misunderstood some important things. First, the amount of fraud in SNAP is estimated to be 1.3% (up from a historic norm of 1%). See http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/08/19/fox-misleadingly-hypes-13-percent-fraud-in-food/195462 Any retailer would love to have a fraud and theft rate of only 1.3%.
Second, your number of $632 in benefits for a family of four assumes they have 0 income, which is hardly ever the case. More typically that family has income of, say, $1,500 per month. They are expected to spend 30% on food, or $450, which is deducted from their maximum. So their actual SNAP benefit is $632-450=$182. Hence, the program is indeed supplementary. See http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_recipients/eligibility.htm#income
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