Posted on 06/25/2016 4:39:14 AM PDT by Kaslin
It sounds like LePage is screwing with the libs and exposing problems with EBT program rather than actually pushing for government-mandated healthy eating.
The question, should Fat Albert the dude on welfare be able to use taxpayer dollars to buy himself Little Debbie (or caviar if he were so inclined)? Or should he be restricted to buying ordinary breakfast/lunch/dinner items, basically staples to keep himself alive and pay for dessert/snacks/luxury items himself? Seem like questions worth asking to me.
I would take it that they ARE selling foods (many have sandwiches too, not just junk foods).
This is not “SNAP” however and fuel would be a reasonable thing to get on non-”SNAP.” Let us be specific about the categories.
Those items should be automatically electronically refused at the cash register.
I've occasionally mentioned this fact to the checkout clerks and most of them tell me that I am being overly conservative in this estimate. They see this $#*+ all the time. Plus they have no problem pulling out hard cash for lottery tickets, tobacco and other things which they can't buy with the EBT card.
Several years ago Congress changed the rules regarding what one could purchase with an FSA account. One day it was OK to purchase band aids, aspirin, or virtually any ‘medical’ item at the essentially pretax price, and the next day you could not. The options were tightened considerably by a software program.
As far as people using MY MONEY to buy their food, their ought to be some rational constraints.
A Hershey Bar or Doritos are not essential items. They have UPC identifiers on their packaging and no SNAP or what ever they want to call it should be permitted to obtain such products.
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