Posted on 11/28/2009 5:27:37 PM PST by reaganaut1
With food stamp use at record highs and climbing every month, a program once scorned as a failed welfare scheme now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children.
It has grown so rapidly in places so diverse that it is becoming nearly as ordinary as the groceries it buys. More than 36 million people use inconspicuous plastic cards for staples [...].
Virtually all have incomes near or below the federal poverty line, but their eclectic ranks testify to the range of people struggling with basic needs. [...]
While the numbers have soared during the recession, the path was cleared in better times when the Bush administration led a campaign to erase the program’s stigma, calling food stamps “nutritional aid” instead of welfare, and made it easier to apply. That bipartisan effort capped an extraordinary reversal from the 1990s, when some conservatives tried to abolish the program, Congress enacted large cuts and bureaucratic hurdles chased many needy people away.
...
[T]he program is now expanding at a pace of about 20,000 people a day.
There are 239 counties in the United States where at least a quarter of the population receives food stamps
...
In more than 750 counties, the program helps feed one in three blacks. In more than 800 counties, it helps feed one in three children.
...
Although the program is growing at a record rate, the federal official who oversees it would like it to grow even faster.
“I think the response of the program has been tremendous,” said Kevin Concannon, an under secretary of agriculture, “but we’re mindful that there are another 15, 16 million who could benefit.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Try speaking in a foreign language, buying with the food stamp card and driving off in a late model Lexus, Mercedes or BMW.
I am a witness to this and there are often several women all related and shopping together driven away by one man.
Fine, although that would be lifetime for many recipients if not most. One of the greatest dangers is getting on welfare. It is hard to get off.
Actually, unlike other forms of welfare, food stamps should be very easy to get and use for extended periods of time, because their use actually helps farmers as well, without, oddly enough, driving down food prices.
The one condition is that they shouldn’t be issued by the federal government, but by the individual States.
This is because American agribusiness is immense. We have enormous amounts of food that rots by the hundreds of tons every year. 41 of our 50 States grow wheat. Virtually every State grows something, and most grow a lot of different crops. We are up to our eyebrows in extra food.
Weirdly enough, one of the problems with food stamps is that there are a lot of people out there who will only buy two types of food: rice and beans. The rest of their food stamps are unused at the end of the month. They refuse to eat, or feed their children, anything but rice and beans.
Again, unlike other forms of welfare, a lot of people who would otherwise cheat the system, don’t, because they don’t want to eat the limited types of food that can be purchased with food stamps. They want stuff like fast food, soda and beer, and junk food. So they would rather pay cash for stuff like that, then eat food stamp food for free.
So when the government gets every one on the dole, WHO pray tell, will then provide the income to allow those on the dole to stay on the dole??? We are about to hit the tipping point of more takers than producers. When that happens, it will be anarchy and chaos in the streets.
The fraud is massive - took 5 years to arrest these people:
Arrests made in $2 million food stamp fraud scheme (10:52 a.m.) - Recordnet - 03/27/2009
Brothers Ahmad Khan, 51, and Mumraiz Khan, 48, are charged with conspiracy, food stamp fraud, money laundering and conducting a monetary transaction in criminally derived property. Ahmad Khan’s daughter, Naheed Khan, 23, is charged with conspiracy.
In the alleged scheme, the three bought food stamps at 50 cents on the dollar from customers at the Smoke Shop & Snack at 425 E. Miner Avenue. The shop had been allowed to redeem food stamps for the last five and a half years, prosecutors said.
By law, only eligible food stamp recipients can buy food at authorized stores. The brothers drew the money-laundering charge on suspicion that they transferred money to Pakistan.
See enough of that at the local Wal Mart. These people buy a few carts worth at a stroke. What they buy would keep me going for a couple of months, no problem.
Out of context reply.
I meant that like bankruptcy which can only be done once every seven years, a welfare recipient should not get to vote for seven years.
Thus ending the dangerous cycle of being able to vote yourself money.
Ah... I get you, and I agree.
There are many items at the grocery store that Food Stamps will not buy. Such as paper towels, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc.
Personally, I’d like to see Food Stamps restricted to actual food items. This would leave out all “empty calorie” items.
It’s really discouraging to see an obese Mom and her fat kids in the checkout line when she whips out the Food Stamps Debit card and her basket is filled with nothing but non-nutritional items (cookies, potato chips, Doritos, ice cream, pie, pop-tarts, soda pop (usually Pepsi or Mt. Dew), etc.)
I’m not sure if it was the legislature or the executive branch, but the financial rules for receiving food stamps have been relaxed considerably in the past year or so.
The financial asset rules have been eliminated. Until last year, someone couldn’t receive if they had more than $2000 in bank accounts. Now, there is no limit. $1 million in a brokerage account? no problem if your income is low enough.
If you relax the rules significantly, you got to expect more recipients.
Great idea and when the conservatives take over and driving every liberal out of the country, it could even happen. I can dream.
NO! Some of them are right proud of it.
sw
“While responsible people are buying hamburger helper, the welfare queens are buying steak and shrimp on their dime.
Spot on. My wife and I both make good money, but I haven’t eaten so much pasta, bologna and hot dogs since the ‘70s.”
Our family of 4 eats pretty well.We don’t have to resort to super cheap foods very often but, then again,we don’t have a bunch of stupid bills.We have 2 older 4 wheel vehicles and 2 Harley-Davidsons that are paid for and we make around 40k -45k a year. Our mortgage isn’t sky high either.We’re buying a house we can AFFORD. Most importantly, I hope we’re teaching our kids to be self reliant and not to depend on the gubmint.
I know folks on “assistance” that have cell phones and laptops.
Ahhhh the string of obscenities in my head when I see them is so loud the FR moderators would have to censor it.
I am way overdue a laptop (mine is 4 years old and looks older) maybe I can get welfare to buy me one? If welfare did, it would be something older and more decrepit than what I have. Oh well...
Your wrong. Seen it first hand in my state of Texas and reported the store that abused that system !
http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/providers/LoneStar/EBT/EBThowto.html#What_can_I_buy_with_my_Card
MrB what is luxury food ?
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