Posted on 10/07/2010 5:41:38 AM PDT by Doogle
NEW YORK -- New Yorkers on food stamps would not be allowed to spend them on sugar-sweetened drinks under an obesity-fighting proposal being floated by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson.
Bloomberg and Paterson planned to announce Thursday that they are seeking permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the nation's food stamp program, to add sugary drinks to the list of prohibited goods for city residents receiving assistance.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Good grief - the government is not telling them what they can or cannot eat. Dummy up.
It’s not me or you dictating what is right for their diet. There are already government run programs that do dictate what is allowed to be purchased with their vouchers. If you aren’t familiar with the WIC program then maybe you should get off of your soapbox and look it up to see what it is about. It’s run out of the same USDA branch of bureaucracy as the Foodstamp program.
Get real here, there isn’t a viable politician who will be elected that will be able to get rid of these programs any time in our lifetimes. It’s not going to happen. So one way to break the foodstamp habit is to start restricting what can be purchased with these funds. Limiting them to nutritious foods based on the USDA guidelines, you know like they do in WIC, is a good starting place to reduce the costs the taxpayers.
The junkfoods are still available to be purchased with their own money. Nobody is saying to restrict them from any purchase just not at the taxpayers expense.
For the record, I have plenty experience in my work and education to know what I’m talking about as my degree is in Home Ec in which I had plenty of courses in nutrition and worked for the nutrition department while in college. My work experience is as a case manager dealing with “entitlements” and my volunteer experience was at a church run foodbank that is affiliated with the USDA program. I know how the system works.
I learned the most about this working with the foodbank as anyone who is on foodstamps, WIC or other government assistance is automatically approved to receive food monthly. The thing I learned most was that those who were able to get the freebies and game the system were extremely picky on the food they were getting from the foodbank. Those who were truly having a hard time financially were extremely grateful for the help and often asked if they could volunteer to give back to the food bank.
There is a big difference between want and need.
It’s time people learn the difference.
You beat me to my own response.
Want and need are two different things.
I don't give a rats ass what people purchase with their own money. Foodstamps should be restricted to nutrient dense food which would cut costs dramatically while ensuring that people are getting adequate nutrition to meet their real physical needs.
What you don't get is that there are so many people who fall through the cracks who can't get a penny of help who would love to be able to get beans, rice, and other cheap nutritious foods to tide them over during rough times. But for whatever reasons they don't qualify. Part of the reason is that some families are getting nearly $1,000 per month in foodstamps. There is a whole lot of waste that needs to be cut.
“You are totally missing the point. Foodstamps are NOT A RIGHT! They are a government program therefore the government most definitely can determine what is purchased with the funds or not. “
Of course it is not a “RIGHT”, however it is in place NOW! It needs to be eliminated asap. That happens through the VOTE. So while it is in place, we have to deal with it and your method of being a DICTATOR to whittle it down isn’t going to fly. YOU are not getting it!
“They already do that now. Again, go read up on the WIC program to see how the foodstamp program should be run.”
I aske dyou for a brief explanantion in twenty words or less. I lack the time to do that. So I will ignore the WIC GOVERNMENT program that YOU advocate.
“What you don’t get is that there are so many people who fall through the cracks who can’t get a penny of help who would love to be able to get beans, rice, and other cheap nutritious foods to tide them over during rough times. But for whatever reasons they don’t qualify. Part of the reason is that some families are getting nearly $1,000 per month in foodstamps. There is a whole lot of waste that needs to be cut.”
I agree there is allot of waste.
OTOH you WANT to DICTATE DIET through the GOVERNMENT and OTOH you are concerned about MORE PEOPLE NOT BEING ON IT.
Go figure!
Makes sense to me.
Just think of how many freeloaders would get a job if the freebies came with restrictions
Thank GOD! That was my point.
“There are already government run programs that do dictate what is allowed to be purchased with their vouchers.”
Great!
“If you aren’t familiar with the WIC program then maybe you should get off of your soapbox and look it up to see what it is about.”
No. I'm NOT the one advocating WIC. I asked another poster to explain it in 20 words or less. If they are too lazy to do that, I IGNORE it. I don't have the time to do that. Someone who truly is familiar with WIC should be able to summarize it - that is IF they KNOW what they are talking about.
“Get real here, there isn’t a viable politician who will be elected that will be able to get rid of these programs any time in our lifetimes. It’s not going to happen. So one way to break the food stamp habit is to start restricting what can be purchased with these funds. Limiting them to nutritious foods based on the USDA guidelines, you know like they do in WIC, is a good starting place to reduce the costs the taxpayers.”
Again what is the DIFFERENCE between WIC and the food stamp program. What is the eligibility for them? I lack the time to do YOUR ADVOCATION of WIC.
No offense, but I am not interested in getting into your personal life. I don't care how degreed up people are. That means nothing to me. Too many are all degreed up and know NOTHING. I'd prefer to stick with the issue and not get into your personal life.
That would be the next bail out!
HIRE MORE GOVERNMENT PEOPLE to make sure they ADHERE to our DICATORSHIP on food you can eat if on food stamps.
Is it any wonder that RINO’s keep getting voted in?
The same group will get disgusted as THEY GROW GOVERNMENT.
Just imagine how many GOVERNMENT WORKERS we could ADD to make sure the food stamp crowd was eating nutriciously! LOL!!!
Meanhwile the food stamp people will continue to CASH IN THEIR FOODSTAMPS for money and go buy what they want. They do it all the time! Yes the cashier takes a cut but they don’t care - they want the CASH and it may NOT be for FOOD. It’s often DRUGS or ALCOHOL.
You keep making the case for the actual solution -
religious institutions and ngo’s should be the sole providers of charity, and their source of funds should be 100% voluntary.
When contributors see abuse, they donate to other charities, causing all the charities to have to compete, and therefore be as efficient and effective as possible.
And THIS boys and girls is why the big push for commie health care. Folks need to look at the BIG picture. Commie care has little to do with health and EVERYTHING to do with control!
“If you want to Socialize a country, you must FIRST take over it’s healthcare."
Vladimir LENIN
religious institutions and ngo’s should be the sole providers of charity, and their source of funds should be 100% voluntary.
When contributors see abuse, they donate to other charities, causing all the charities to have to compete, and therefore be as efficient and effective as possible.
Thanks, I can only TRY!
The problem I see is that too many believe it IS the responsibility of GOVERNMENT to take care of people. Families turn their back on family members. Many churches are just too eager to collect some government money and have people dependent on THEM for all the wrong reasons. This is not what churches are supposed to be doing .... if congregants don't throw money at these causes ... then maybe the church needs to rethink what business they are in.
What I also see is people simply want to spend LESS of their money on it and hiding behind nutrition - as if that will matter. LOL! They'll just cash in their food stamps for CASH as they often do and buy what they really want. There are tons of check cashing services around to do just that. Sure they take a percentage but those wanting the CASH, go along with it.
These programs DESTROY the family an d make others cynical of churches that use government money to enhance themselves. If a church doesn't practice what they preach through their own efforts - they are worthless in what they claim to be trying to accomplish and their lack of congregational funding proves my point. It should be handled by FAMILY or by their church as it had been in the past.
If handled properly, their physical needs can be met and their spiritual needs. Heart need to be changed to being a productive citizen with dignity again. For those that don't want this, they'll either leave or wind up in prison at some point. Stiffer punishment would also help to make that less advantageous.
You know, you could google it up as quickly as I can. However, for the sake of the thread I will give a brief description.
WIC in a nutshell is a voucher program for Women, Infants and Children 5 and under. It provides nutrition for ensuring health through providing nutritious foods like milk, eggs, fruit, cereal, canned meat, peanut butter, beans, rice, cheese, for pregnant mothers and children 1-5. It provides formula, baby food and cereal for infants up to a year.
Here’s the website for all of the supplemental food programs including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is the foodstamp program. Notice the keyword there, supplemental. It’s not supposed to be the only means of purchasing food. People are supposed to be kicking in some of their own money. Therefore as a supplement it should be restricted to nutritious foods only in order to cut costs. That isn’t being dictatorial, it’s being prudent.
There are restrictions already, you know like no ciggies, alcohol, hot prepared foods, toilet paper, soap or personal hygiene products can be purchased with the foodstamps. Again, if people want junk foods they can use their own money.
I would love for the program be cut altogether as it’s unfair, poorly run and I’ve seen too many people fall through the cracks while greedy scammers game the system.
May you come to regret your words.
That in no way means more gov't workers, just honest ones.
“That made no sense. The rules are in place, now they just need to be enforced. More should be in place imo.
That in no way means more gov’t workers, just honest ones.”
Good luck finding “honest government workers”.
If they were “honest” they’d be enforcing illegal immigration too! The goal should be to get GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE BUSINESS of FEEDING the HUNGRY, determining our retirement through SS and other programs that are NOT Constitutional and put the responsibility back on the individual, family and church to help out when truly needed.
Correct me please if necessary but wasn't it you who claimed not to care what they do (eat) with our money.
I know about the abuses, we all do.
I can agree with WIC as a stop gap program where our GOAL is to totally unload it onto individuals, families and churches.
Ultimately, I want the government out of the coerced charity programs via taxes.
I regret more people, esp. those who call themselves conservatives, don't agree.
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