Posted on 08/19/2011 7:08:33 PM PDT by Fitzy_888
Federal officials on Friday rejected Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposal to bar New York City’s food stamp users from buying soda and other sugary drinks with their benefits.
(...)
Tom Vilsack, the secretary of agriculture, said in a statement that the United States Department of Agriculture “has a longstanding tradition of supporting and promoting incentive-based solutions that are better suited for the working families, elderly and other low-income individuals” who rely on food stamps. “We are confident that we can solve the problem of obesity and promote good nutrition and health for all Americans and stand ready to work with New York City to achieve these goals.”
The city’s proposal was part of Mr. Bloomberg’s campaign to make the city a healthier place, which has included banning smoking indoors and in public parks, barring restaurants from cooking with trans fats and requiring them to inform customers about calorie counts.
The mayor was not pleased with the rejection on Friday.
“We think our innovative pilot would have done more to protect people from the crippling effects of preventable illnesses like diabetes and obesity than anything else being proposed elsewhere in this country — and at little or no cost to taxpayers,” Mr. Bloomberg said in a statement.
(Excerpt) Read more at cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com ...
“Of course the SecAg doesn’t want to ban junk food bought with food stamps. Those are Obama’s voters.”
And the junk food manufacturers are donors.
Translation: We won't ban soda from beign purchased with foodstamps. We'd rather tax the snot out of it
“no reason a kid can’t have a Coca-Cola every now and then.”
And the mother, and if the father is there he too, deserves a stiff drink now and then- and a smoke.
Heck, in my state that money would come right back at the state ABC store. Half the cigarette money and 100% of the booze money would come right back in the state’s coffers.
Reduce food stamp cost by 25% without any reduction in payment!
Save the recipient the trouble of selling his stamps for half price to get ‘em too...
“The one thing you can’t buy are ready made items”
In California, at least 1/2 of the fast food places accept EBT. The pizza place down the street has a big sign “Coming soon EBT”
“The one thing you can’t buy are ready made items”
In California, at least 1/2 of the fast food places accept EBT. The pizza place down the street has a big sign “Coming soon EBT”
My prediction is in keeping with the Bloombergian boilerplate:
Soda tax, not applicable to snap card holders...but with the proceeds partially funding “ahhh prevention” -more correctly the appearance there of.
You can't do that here in PA. You can buy frozen pizza here and then go home and bake it.
What is going on in your state should not be allowed. I'm shocked...
In fact, you can’t even buy a rotisserie chicken with food stamps in PA. If you don’t want to cook, you have to go to the frozen food dept, and then go home to put it in the oven.
It’s bad enough that so many people are on food stamps. Why would a state make it so much fun by allowing them to get fast food...
I had no idea, I thought you could only buy stuff like meat, milk, eggs, etc..
I am shocked, also. This has happened recently. You should check again in your state. I bet it’s happening there.
Wrong..
You can buy a deli-express (pre-made but needs to be heated) sandwich with a food stamp card as long as you heat it up AFTER you pay for it. Don’t forget the 1.50 6oz bag of chips and the 2ltr of Coke too.
And the food stamp card would take it all.
I thought liberals hate fast food. Why would they allow people to buy it with food stamps?
I’m sorry you have to deal with such nonsense. California really is LA-LA land...
What state are you in?
“Why would they allow people to buy it with food stamps?”
Haven’t you heard? Food stamps create jobs. LOL!
Now that you told me this, I’m more convinced than ever that things are so totally out of control. How will we ever be able to take food stamps away from people who can buy fast food with it..
They must love it.
Take a look at the obesity of these people, especially the women.
Take a look them at the ER rooms, medical costs due to obesity. Diabetes, etc.
Then take a look at the reason medical cost are so expensive. They don't need to be drinking all that POP/soda. They need to be drinking water, and training their chilren in the proper diets.
Their fearless leaders wife agrees, but does not set the example herself.
When they’re mooching off the rest of us, we should have a say in what they buy.
It's amazing how upside-down the world is. People who are spending their own money get interdicted by neo-Puritan laws, but social assistance recipients get their "rights" observed to a T.
Might get to the point where people will go on food stamps merely to eat what they want...
Land of 10000 loons. Minnesota.
Land of 10000 loons. Minnesota.
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