Posted on 03/03/2014 7:30:20 AM PST by Kaslin
Flashback December 10, 2013: In Close Inspection of Alleged "Draconian" Cuts in Food Stamp Program I noted Mother Jones, the Nation, and the Daily Koz whined about "draconian" cuts in the food stamp program.
Close scrutiny showed the "draconian" cuts amounted to $4 billion in a close to $80 billion program. I further commented I actually doubt we will ever see those "cuts" in the first place.
Flashback January 29, 2014: Disgusting Compromise on $956B Farm Bill; In Spite of Massive Howls, No Actual Cuts in Food Stamps.
Proving that neither party really wants to do anything about escalating costs of anything, in typical D.C. compromise action, the House Passes $956B Farm Bill in a bipartisan vote.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) all voted for the bill.
Democrats are howling over miniscule cuts in SNAP (food stamps). For example, an inane headline on the Daily Koz reads House passes food stamp-slashing farm bill.
Supposedly there will be $8.6 billion in devastating food stamp cuts. Even if that happens it is less than a 1% cut in an economy that is supposedly in recovery.
Contrary to Popular Belief, No Cuts in Food Stamps
Will there be any cuts? I rather doubt it. In the "too stupid to make up category", this is how they determined the cuts.
The bill finds $8.6 billion in savings by requiring households to receive at least $20 per year in home heating assistance before they automatically qualify for food stamps, instead of the $1 threshold now in place in some states.
Amazing!
Now what do you think will happen? If you can't figure it out, I will tell you. States will give $20 per year in home heating assistance to everyone currently getting $1 per year in annual home heating assistance.
There will be miniscule (if any) savings at all at the federal level, and small increases at the state level.
States Make End Run Around Food Stamp Cuts
Flash Forward March 2, 2014: States Make End Run Around Food Stamp Cuts.
Connecticut and New York have found a way around federal budget cuts that played a central role in the massive farm bill passed this month: bump up home heating assistance a few million bucks in return for preserving more than a half-billion dollars in food stamp benefits.
The moves by Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo -- with the possibility that more governors could follow -- cheer social service advocates who say the deep recession and weak economic recovery have pounded low-income workers and the unemployed who rely on heating assistance and food stamps.
An order by Malloy will spend about $1.4 million in federal energy aid, increasing benefits for 50,000 low-income Connecticut residents from $1 to $20 so they do not lose $112 in monthly food stamp benefits. It will preserve about $67 million in food stamp benefits. New York will spend about $6 million more in federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding to maintain food stamp benefits totaling $457 million.
Cuts Much Ado About Nothing
That there would be no cuts in food stamps was the easiest call I have ever made.
Yet, we had to put up with incessant and ridiculous whining from democrats about ridiculously small cuts, even if they happened, when it was clear all along they wouldn't happen.
We also had to put up with Republicans pretending they were doing something about spending when they knew (or should have known) they weren't.
Since the time of Shakespeare seldom has there been so Much Ado About Nothing and from both political parties to boot.
This is how I ended my January 29 commentary:
Oh! The Horror!
Republicans and Democrats alike should both be ashamed, not only for doing virtually nothing, but also for howling at the moon as if they did.
Question of the Day
Republicans either didn't see this coming, or they did see it coming and simply didn't care. Which is worse?
There were no cuts. It was supposed to be the end of a temporary increase from “stimulus”
In WalMart last week, early so I wouldn’t have to run into one of the EBT mouth breathers. Didn’t work. Got behind a woman old as me (64) with a cart full of stuff.
She’d already run through her ‘groceries’ and was in the midst of putting her cat food tins on the belt. Such a variety! Premium specialty canned meats, dry, mixed, differently packaged items - enough it looked like for a whole lot of cat gourmet meals.
What was the first card she pulled out? You guessed it. Georgia Peach EBT card. After the swipe, she had to pay $39.02 (I guess for the cat food) and she pulled out her MasterCard.
I’m just really happy this b!tch can get her food on me and you and still have enough cash/credit left over to buy her fracking cat gourmet food.
Way to go Obama. You’ve turned an old lady into another leech...
With a whole new crop(1,751) of “orgainzers” about to be unleashed any attempt to roll back EBT’s will meet “trained” opposition. I got the following from “ofa” this morning. (gotta keep an eye on what the socialists are up to)
Organizing for Action
Friend —
This is really just the beginning.
The 1,751 organizing fellows who are getting their start this spring are part of the legacy we’re all building together. The OFA training program is designed to empower thousands of new community organizers every year.
And that’s something we want to do year after year after year — with your help.
All you have to do to support this work is donate $5 or more now.
If there’s progress you want to achieve — in the next year, or the next five, 10, or 20 years — you better invest in the ground game. We’ve seen time after time that change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens when people organize.
Right now, there are hundreds of fellows recruiting volunteers to help people get the facts about signing up for health insurance. There are brand-new organizers working to put pressure on a lawmaker who we need to help pass immigration reform.
Each of these fellows is learning the ropes by actually doing the hard work it takes to get things done.
I believe these are the folks who will go on to help change the world. OFA’s role is to supply the tools and trainings.
If you’re with us on this, there’s no better use of a grassroots donation than to support these organizers.
Chip in today:
(bambi money raiser link would appear here)
Thanks,
Lindsay
Lindsay Siler
National Director of Issues Campaigns
Organizing for Action
The folks on welfare KNOW this and won't acknowledge this in public. They spout the same old trite garbage, that the U.S. government owes them.
======================================
Personal stories:
1. I had a student once, an older African-American woman, whose food stamps and welfare were cut off. There was NOTHING wrong with her. She was SO ANGRY. She kept saying, "What am I going to do now?"
Since she was a student of mine (community college) I kept my big, fat mouth shut. I DID thank the Lord for that moment.
I DID sort of earn it by not saying: "GET A JOB, you big FAT, lazy SLOB!!" I DID think it.
2. I was down in the area of the cultural stuff and I passed an African-American woman who was panhandling. She was standing, speaking strongly and looked healthy.
WITHOUT THINKING I said (normal tone of voice) to her: Get a job.
WELL! I sure hit a sore spot. She came after me yelling and screaming! She followed me to the corner and I turned around and just looked at her. I DO have my father's brown-eyed LOOK. HIS was ferocious. Mine is quelling. She looked back at me, shut her big fat mouth and walked away.
She WASN'T pathetic, as I am NO bully. She was just a FREE-LOADER and I wasn't going to let her get away with it. What popped out of me was THE TRUTH. Her ANGER showed me how RIGHT I was. :o)
A victory for me. Thank you, Lord.
Sometimes you have to ask, don’t they have no pride in themselves?
Food stamps are just a means for the Democrat party to buy votes. Yes, it may be just a few hundred bucks a month to a family, but a few hundred bucks from the US taxpayers frees up a few hundred bucks a month for other things like Choom and luxury car leases.
They do have pride...but I think it's NOT the good kind of pride that helps us to keep clean, sober and healthy.
It's the ARROGANT pride (one of the seven deadly sins). They will do what they want and the hell with the rest of the world. They know it because others of their family and friends TELL them: WHY are you doing that? You don't need the money. You get plenty from welfare. Why do that?
Her unmitigated FURY told me how RIGHT I was.
So they, in essence, are telling us, "whitey," to SHOVE IT, getting a little cash and being able to tell anyone who gainsays them to go to hell.
That is, until she panhandled ME: bigus mouthus.
That's Latin, ya know.
Frankly, I don’t wanna hear about ANYBODY needing food stamps. They are an enabling crutch that allows them to meet the food needs they should be working for while also allowing them to indulge themselves with slothful vices - all for a vote. Whatweworry? It’s all good...
The good kind is what I meant. I hope you realize that
I do.
You've been around for a long time, Kaslin, and I know that your intentions are good. We all have an occasional "screed" and that is SURE ALLOWED as far as I am concerned. I take it all as is necessary for dealing with human beans. :o)
I USED to be on the FR years ago...got waylaid and I'm back!
Hmmm, now where have I heard THAT phrase before? :o)
Boy, I wish the governator would make another movie.
This program is working EXACTLY the way the lobbyists for Walmart/Kroger/Safeway/Kraft/Heinz/Kelloggs intended it to.
Wish I could come up with a way to sell my product to customers who have no money.
Someone posted a chart (from Heritage, I believe), the other day, that showed 67% of the federal budget goes toward entitlements.
They’ve bought and paid their voting bloc with OUR tax $$!
You was almost right. It’s Magnus os ;)
One thing I never see in these analyses is the inflation caused by food stamps.
Free money creating artificial demand causing higher prices.
We not only pay the taxes but suffer the price increases.
I were? Good for me. :o)
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