Food Stamps

[Salty]

14 trillion in debt - and we keep giving money away. The SNAP (Supplement Nutritional Assistance Program) helps people buy food.

But what are they buying? I used to work at a convenience store. Yes, they bought soda, chips, ice cream and all the junk food. Why do we allow this?

Found this comment

<LI class=comauthor>Daniel April 20, 2011
4:07 pm

@Kelly: Bloomberg is not banning soda for poor people, just saying they shouldn’t be using taxpayer funds that are meant to supplement the food budget in a nutritious way.
As has been discussed earlier, “good chunk” is about as exact as you’ll get since the USDA doesn’t publish stats on what people actually buy with SNAP.
But:
“Consider that carbonated soft drinks accounted for 6.19%
of the grocery bills of food-stamp users at one large supermarket
chain, compared to 4.38% for the average shopper (M.F. J. unpublished data, May 2010); thus, if food-stamp expenditures in fiscal year 2011 are about $69 billion, then almost $4 billion
will be spent on carbonated soft drinks.”
Source: “Using the Food Stamp Program and Other
Methods to Promote Healthy Diets for Low-Income Consumers” American Journal of Public Health | September 2010, Vol 100, No. 9
Authors: Jonathan D. Shenkin is with the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA. Michael F. Jacobson is with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC.
Also, from NYC’s Waiver request, which should be required reading for everyone discussing the topic at hand:
An estimated $75 to $135 million dollars of SNAP funds were spent on sweetened beverages in New York City (NYC) alone in 2009. [Based on Nielsen beverage market data for 2009, the prevalence of SNAP participants in NYC, and prior studies of SNAP purchasing behavior]. http://www.foodpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/Healthy-NY-Allowable-SNAP-Purchase-Detailed-Proposal-2010-SNAPfinal-2_.doc

*********************
Yes, they spent about 100 million dollars just on soda pop - just in NY City- I am sure that any dietitian would tell you there is NO nutritional value in soda pop, or other junk foods?

Exactly how much does the govt spend on food stamps. I have seen figures from 69 billion to 365 billion....

 

[exscentric]

Our illustrious Gov. used a factoid that I've heard for several years, 1 in 5 children in OR are hungry.

1. I've never seen a child that if you ask if they are hungry won't say yes.
2. The pole question asked to gain the factoid was "Have you been hungry in the last month?"

Uhhhhh, I've been hungry numerous times in the last month - I go get something to eat and I'd guess most of the kids that said yes went to mom and got something to eat.

Foodshare just opened a multimillion dollar NEW facility. There are numerous community gardens in our fair city. Food stamps are higher than ever. I have my doubts that many are really going hungry and those that are most likely are not asking for help.

Our school system gives them breakfast and lunch free.

There are people in our state taking in more feebies from the gov. than we have made with both of us working most of our lives (and never been on any gov. program).

 

[Robert Snow]

More evidence of Christian compassion here at the BB!

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

More evidence of Christian compassion here at the BB!

Does appear there is an obsession with vilifying poor people. Maybe its the kick someone when their down & out or maybe its just some weird hatred/jealousy thing going on. Sad very sad.

 

[Salty]

More evidence of Christian compassion here at the BB!

Yes, Robert we do have compassion - we have so much compassion that we don't want to waste 300 billion dollars on govt bureaucracy that doesn't work. Evidently you did not research the author; he helps to raise money for private charities to truly help those in need.
Never once in Scripture did Jesus demand the govt help people. That is the job of the church.
This country is in financial crisis and something needs to be done.

Does it bother you that so called poor people who demand govt $$ assistance are spending all kinds of $$ on wants rather then necessities?
I will repeat this story, yet again -since folks like you don't seem to get it. Mrs Salty and I were ready to take a family (of 2) of our church and spend about $100 for groceries - UNTIL we sat down with them to go over their finances. They are both in SS disability + food stamps (& possibly one other govt program). Neither had a job.
The very first item on their monthly "budget" was $300 for cigarettes! - and they were not willing to cut that down even a bit. There were some other items listed that they could have done without.
Bottom line - we did NOT take them grocery shopping. Robert, would you have taken them and spend $100 on groceries for them?
(A simple yes or no will suffice)

So Robert, give us a break - we are helping those in need thur our individual freewill giving that will not only help current physical needs, but also eternal salvation.

 

[billreber]

Robert, that was uncalled for!

The point of this thread is that the money being spent for soda pop is NOT being spent for food! If someone is truly "hungry", why should our/my/YOUR money be spent on something that is worthless nutritionally?

I make regular donations to the local food bank to help needy people. My Sunday School class raises money to be donated to the food bank. (Do you? No answer is asked for -- just a rhetorical question!) Those who are truly hungry look for FOOD, not for soda pop, and they get it at the food bank, not at convenience stores.

Food stamps are just another tool being used to make people dependent on the government. I depend on God for what I need -- NOT government hand-outs.

Bill :godisgood:

 

[Salty]

Does appear there is an obsession with vilifying poor people.

No, I have an obsession with folks (poor or otherwise) who are not willing to heed wisdom.

Sad very sad when folks have no desire to see someone build their life up, when others are down and out.

 

[Salty]

I make regular donations to the local food bank to help needy people. My Sunday School class raises money to be donated to the food bank. (Do you? No answer is asked for -- just a rhetorical question!) Those who are truly hungry look for FOOD, not for soda pop, and they get it at the food bank, not at convenience stores.
Bill :godisgood:

Actually Bill, I would like to hear Roberts answer - It appears that he thinks it is the governments responsibility to take care of all social issues -and by having it done that way, his conscience is clear

 

[Havensdad]

This sounds like more of Michelle Obama's "health nut" legislating in conservative disguise...

Listen, when it comes to food, everything comes back to calories. If something is chocked full of calories, but has no vitamins, you can actually live off it for quite some time. For instance, if you had nothing but potato chips, it would take months before your body began to fail due to lack of vitamins.

On the other hand, if all you had to eat was radishes, you would starve to death in a matter of a couple of weeks. Radishes are 1 calorie a piece. Thus a normal person would have to eat 2000 radishes per day to stay alive, which would cost around 400 bucks per day, versus 1 bag of 2 dollar potato chips that provide 2,000 calories per day.

Radishes= 1 dollar per calorie
Potato chips= .01 cent per calorie

So I say if we are going to ban anything for food stamp users, it needs to be all of the expensive "health food," that provides almost no real sustenance...radishes, broccoli, cucumbers, spinach, tomatoes, cauliflower, etc. Let people load up on "high calorie", low cost foods...potato chips, cokes, gravy, chocolate, etc.


Of course, such logic fails on liberals, who want to force everyone to eat tofu cubes, and no sugar, salt, or flavor.

 

[billreber]

By the way, while I do not want to take this thread off the OP, I want to make one more related comment.

A few years ago, a friend from church was injured and could not work. During the same time, his father died, and left the house my friend was living in to my friends sister. (Thus my friend had to move). My friend and his family were also at the end of his unemployment benefits (another government-run program). My wife and I took him and his family into our home for nearly a month, while they looked for a place to live. Our house has 2 bedrooms. My friend has a wife and two daughters at home (a third one is married but had no resources to help her family).

That was six people living in my house, which was designed for 3 or 4 people.

The six of us worked together to make everything work. No "food stamps" were needed, but the local food bank (run by a church!!!) was a great source of needed food. And, YES, we are now best friends.

The fact that we knew this family BEFORE we helped them is not revelant to the OP. What is relevant is that we (the church family) did a better job than did the government, at a lower cost!

Perhaps the unknown actions being done by Christians is the work of God?

Bill :godisgood:

 

[JohnDeereFan]

More evidence of Christian compassion here at the BB!

Robert, we can be compassionate without believing that government programs that are ineffective, corrupt, take money from hard working Americans, and make victims of the very people they claim to help, typically subsidizing their poverty, rather than helping them to climb out of poverty, are a good thing.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

Out of curiousity, I wonder what the response would be if, instead of food stamps, we gave the poor (at least those who have homes with a yard) a couple of hoes and rakes and packets of seeds to grow their own food.

I was a social worker for many years and I used to deal with people on food stamps every day. I always used to wonder why they didn't turn their lawn over and plant a garden.

 

[Robert Snow]

Actually Bill, I would like to hear Roberts answer - It appears that he thinks it is the governments responsibility to take care of all social issues -and by having it done that way, his conscience is clear

Since the church has done such a poor job of helping people, I would rather see the government do it.

Oh and yes Salty, I would gladly spend my money to help those who are in need. Just because I don't parade it around here like some do doesn't mean I don't help those in need that I can. I fear that some help others so they can brag about it to their peers.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

No, I have an obsession with folks (poor or otherwise) who are not willing to heed wisdom.

Sad very sad when folks have no desire to see someone build their life up, when others are down and out.

Then get out there & help them instead of opining. Listen pal, I have been poor & destitute & I can tell you from having lived it that there are people put out of work & cant find jobs any longer. Or as in my case, the loss of a father & a CP Sister who needed around the clock attention. Thus we did starve & could have used some support to make ends meet. So dont tell me that there are not circumstances.

Here is one area I have to agree with Robert. And your let them eat cake attitude stinks.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

Since the church has done such a poor job of helping people, I would rather see the government do it.

Define "poor". How many poor people even go to the church anymore, now that they've all been brainwashed to go to the government? How is subsidizing people's poverty and making it more difficult for them to help themselves out of poverty more compassionate?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

It is clear the "everyone else doesn't give enough" crowd will ignore the points clearly stated in the O/P, in order to make Salty look bad. Insteasd, they look silly.

I agree 100% with the O/P. Some folks have made good points against it, but overall, it looks like Food Stamps has become another abused program, and to support it without reform is dangerously naieve.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

It is clear the "everyone else doesn't give enough" crowd will ignore the points clearly stated in the O/P, in order to make Salty look bad. Insteasd, they look silly.

I agree 100% with the O/P. Some folks have made good points against it, but overall, it looks like Food Stamps has become another abused program, and to support it without reform is dangerously naieve.

OK, so how do you propose to reform foodstamps? Do you even know what the criterion for foodstamps is to get it?

 

[Robert Snow]

Define "poor". How many poor people even go to the church anymore, now that they've all been brainwashed to go to the government? How is subsidizing people's poverty and making it more difficult for them to help themselves out of poverty more compassionate?

Ah yes! The right-wing ultimate response, "Define ______." In this case the word is "poor." By not defining it, it doesn't exist, right John?

Let me add this:

My best friend had a liver transplant a few months ago. He spent over 30 years as a Journeyman machine repairman. He worked thousands of hours of overtime and paid his share of taxes. He even saved his money. However, his liver transplant and the accompanying expenses cost him everything he had saved over a lifetime, even with insurance. Now he lives on disability and recently was forced, for financial reasons, to move into an efficiency apartment. I guess he is one of these freeloaders you right-wingers are talking about.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

Ah yes! The right-wing ultimate response, "Define ______."

Exactly. Asking you to define failure must be right wing, because the left doesn't believe words have any definition other than whatever it is politically expedient for them to mean.

In this case the word is "poor."

Actually, the word was failure, something I'd think you'd be very familiar with, not "poor" so the rest of your post is a straw man.

My best friend had a liver transplant a few months ago.

If he had died, would the transplant have been a failure?

He spent over 30 years as a Journeyman machine repairman. He worked thousands of hours of overtime and paid his share of taxes. He even saved his money. However, his liver transplant and the accompanying expenses cost him everything he had saved over a lifetime, even with insurance. Now he lives on disability and recently was forced, for financial reasons, to move into an efficiency apartment. I guess he is one of these freeloaders you right-wingers are talking about.

Actually, I never said anything about freeloaders. In fact, had you bothered to read my posts, I said several times that the problem is with the programs, not with the recipients, and that I defended those in the programs as people who, by and large, are working to help themselves, but are met with resistance by the programs.

 

[Salty]

Then get out there & help them instead of opining. Listen pal, I have been poor & destitute & I can tell you from having lived it

First, I have been had situations where, I was destitute - I did apply for food stamps but was turned down - not for making too much - but for a "reason" I would rather not go into. Suffice to say, had I went sooner, when I didn't quite need them, I would have qualified.
The only reason I "opining" was to explain why I would not help.

Since the church has done such a poor job ....

What makes you think the church has done a poor job - and now - with govt give-a-aways- it makes it harder for churches and social agy to give the PROPER help.

Oh and yes Salty, I would gladly spend my money to help those who are in need. ...

If you would have given money to the couple I was referring to - then you are part of the problem - as you are enabling their their addiction to drugs and lack of work ethics. [/QUOTE]

... instead of food stamps, we gave the poor a couple of hoes and rakes and packets of seeds to grow their own food.

:thumbsup:

By the way, while I do not want to take this thread off the OP, I want to make one more related comment.

I don't think you have - good point you made

... a friend from church was injured and could not work. ...his father died, .... My friend and his family were also at the end of his unemployment benefits

Unemployment is a paid-for-pgm / albeit paid by the employer - so I see that as a benefit to the worker (and is not available if you are fired for cause) [/QUOTE]

... I took him and his family into our home for nearly a month, while they looked for a place to live. ... six people living in my house, which was designed for 3 or 4 ...
... worked together to make everything work. No "food stamps" were needed, but the local food bank (run by a church!!!) was a great source of needed food. And, YES, we are now best friends. Bill :godisgood:

Bill, I don't believe you - Robert Snow said it best himself "Since the church has done such a poor job of helping people, I would rather see the government do it." :smilewinkgrin::laugh: