Food stamps going unused, report says (not enough pigs at the trough in MN)

MPLS Star & SIckle ^ | 2-20-07 | Robert Franklin

[Rakkasan1]

Nearly 189,000 Minnesotans -- more than 40 percent of those eligible -- don't use the federal food stamps to which they are entitled, according to a report being released today. That leaves many children and parents hungry, puts Minnesota in the bottom third of states in food stamp usage and deprives the state's economy of more than $170 million a year in federal dollars, the report said. "It's distressing," said Jessica Webster, who wrote the report for the Legal Services Advocacy Project in St. Paul. "We have this incredible federal resource within the state's grasp, and we're not using it."

[Rakkasan1]

not enough pigs at the gubmint teat??isn't that a good thing?

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

No, "It's distressing".

:-)

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

That leaves many children and parents hungry,

Doubtful. In fact I would say this is likely an out right falsehood.

puts Minnesota in the bottom third of states in food stamp usage

That should be something to be proud of.

and deprives the state's economy of more than $170 million a year in federal dollars,

And now we come to the real reason these twits are upset.

[SIDENET]

That leaves many children and parents hungry

I don't know what country this guy is talking about. I see a lot of FAT people in this country.

[Emmett McCarthy]

Apparently not for people like this Jessica Weber (or was it Webster?) Not important, These are the poverty pimps whose jobs and livelihoods require as many poor and needy folks as possible. It's power and money to them.

[American_Centurion]

A perfect synopsis! Point! Harmless Teddy Bear!

[Williams]

They run ads in NJ encouraging people that they may be eligible for foodstamps even if they have a job, a car, etc. Seems to me that nationwide "enough" people aren't needing foodstamps and the government cronies want to make sure they keep getting our money. By "they" I mean the bureaucrats keep getting money, they don't give a damn about hungry families.

[B.O. Plenty]

"Senator" Franken will take care of this "problem" forthwith......

[Chili Girl]

GET A JOB - that's all I can say, then there would be much more income for the state. Tired of these handouts!

[Rakkasan1]

Land of 10,000 Taxes(that's what it says on MY license plate)

[socialismisinsidious]

don't use the federal food stamps to which they are entitled,

Entitled?! what a crock!

That leaves many children and parents hungry

How the heck did they come up with that? If the fattie-fat-fatties were hungry then they would be using the dang food stamps.

deprives the state's economy of more than $170 million a year

Tells you how the bureaucrats think that our money is theirs. Please tell me how they are deprived? If they aren't using the money for food stamps then they don't need that money so they aren't deprived of anything UNLESS of course the so called food stamp money was being used for other things (lining pockets and vote buying).....what a corrupt bureaucratic pit.

[Screamname]

I keep telling that to bums who keep asking me for money here in NYC. And you know what they tell me? They make more from working people in the streets than they would from any job, anywhere from $100 to $1000 a day CASH!

You know that guy the "naked cowboy" who plays guitar in Times Square? Well I wouldn`t call him a bum as he does SOMETHING at least for money rather than just begging, but that dude makes $1000 to $1500 a DAY every time he is out there, I kid you not.

(look if you don`t believe me)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=naked+cowboy+%241000+a+day&btnG=Google+Search



What people don`t realize is the "homeless" aren`t as homeless as you would believe. There is a woman in my nieghborhood here in Astoria Queens who wears rags and pushes around a cart all day and asks people for change. They all think she is homeless but they never see her late at night like I do going to the supermarket buying tons of groceries with CASH or opening the front door of the lobby with a key to a building that houses only 6 figure condos!!!!

[Popocatapetl]

Among the top reasons that aid remains unused by the people who qualify for it, is that the bureaucrats have heaped so many requirements for getting it, that it's not worth it.

For example, people with no vehicle are required to attend a 1/2 hour meeting on "how to improve your life", held on the other side of a big city, one hour by bus away, three times a week. When they get there, nobody is there, just a sign in sheet to prove that they showed up.

How much crap like that could *you* tolerate? And that's not all. Once or twice a week you have to get counseled by a woman who is the bureaucrat equivalent of Cindy Sheehan. A person who just wants to *spew* at you for an hour, and you have to sit there and listen to her.

And *then* they interrogate you. Did you look for work this week? We need a urine sample. Here are some more papers to fill out to continue to receive food aid. And some more so you can get disability. Etc., ad nauseum. Do you beat your children? We want to interview your children to see if you beat them. Oh, and more paperwork to fill out.

[FlyVet]

The libs just can't stand it that some of the eligible are too proud and independent to accept food stamps.

Our local newsies occasionally run food stamp infomercials to entice the independent to get on the teat.

[socialismisinsidious]

too proud and independent

Actually in the rest of the article the writer implies that they are too stupid (they don't know about them) or too lazy (don't want to fill out the 22 page form and complete the monthly reports) to get food stamps.

Use of the 'food shelves' has increased by 45%.

[mylife]

I don't know what country this guy is talking about. I see a lot of FAT people in this country.

The folks at DU see this as a tragedy. They are Fat because all they can afford is cheap food that is fattening like kraft mac and cheese. Why if we could just get them a nice filet mignon with a wilted spinach salad and a glass of cabernet this would be a better world!

[therut]

Maybe this should tell them they are not really needed. Have they seen all those starving people. They do not exsist.

[MomwithHope]

This was the mantra in Michigan a few years ago. They were very distressed because some state workers in the program were about to lose their jobs becasue there were not enough "customers". They actually advertised in this state for people to get food stamps. I saw some of those "did you know" commercials. A few years later and there are so many on food stamps it is a crisis.

[reformedliberal]

If they are working poor and have children, they must choose between food stamps and the EITC, aka: income tax refund.

There are also people who are too embarrassed to use food stamps if they shop and live in a small community where they are known.If they make extra money in a given month and if they used Medicaid, they are billed for a percentage of the Medicaid consumed, as well.

This is exactly what people who would be eligible have told me.

I don't know a lot of people eligible for assistance, but the one I have spoken with are absolute experts in government paper work. They are made to do reams of it for every *benefit* they claim.