Now I was once young and irresponsible and I know how I spent the $10 my father might give me to go to the movies -I bought junk. We all have an understanding of the simple facets of human nature. I have housing projects not far from where I live. At the corner store I stand behind the lady buying three jars of honey roasted peanuts with her snap card (food stamps). This is her kids dinner. And, I see similarly bad things all the time.
The cards themselves, they condition the recipient to be responsible with credit cards, as soon as they might get a leg up -they’ll get knocked down again with debt. I’ve heard this first hand. But, like most bureaucracy it’s designed to perpetuate itself or better yet grow -so the bureaucracy flourishes.
Here I’d be temped to say: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” But, I’m well past believing the intentions are good.
Now it seems Mike Bloomberg is having a hard time holding his nose in the air above the reality that he’s the steward of a system creating an obesity and diabetes epidemic. At risk is his world view, you can trust that his answer will likely be to try to control everyone.
The first sensible thing he has ever said or done.
Proves the old adage that even a blind pig will root up an acorn now and then.
Well...while I do think there are FAR too many people on Food Stamps and that the program is being taken advantage of by many who are unscupulous...I see no reason to ban soft drinks.
That is the least of the problem. If a family actually does need Food Stamps to get by - there is no reason a kid can’t have a Coca-Cola every now and then.
This is insane IMHO. Countless foods are higher in calories than a can of coke. Why do these national nannies not want to ban them too?
I can just see it now; denied a coke, food stamp recipients make themselves a milkshake instead.
Never forget the law of unintended consequences.
Food stamp program is a real joke. I personally think that it should be staples such as sugar flour and a certain amount of protein, vegetables, and dairy.
If you don’t know what to do with those items then you are required to take a simple cooking class. I feed a large family and those are the items I stock in my pantry and fridge. There are no premade dinners or processed crap. My kids eat real butter, real sugar, real food and at the same time they are all a healthy weight.
I thought they banned that back in 1988, when I was growing up you could always tell who was on food stamps by the pallets of soda in the backyard and the garage.
We have the fattest, richest poor people in the world. I don’t think banning soda is gonna make much diff Mr. Blooming Idiot.
We recently found out here in Vancouver Washington, that state EBT food stamp cards can be used to pay fares on Loot Rail trains!
What a deal!
I honestly didn’t know you *could* buy pop (I’m from the midwest, I just can’t bring myself to say “soda”, lol) with food stamps.
As for Bloomberg...he can go suck eggs. It’s not that I think it’s a bad idea, necessarily. But the guy is just too big for his britches, to put it nicely. One government intrusion after another with this guy, none of which is likely to make a bit of difference in obesity or diabetes rates in the city.
I watched a lady buy 2 quart sized bottles of tart cherry juice from our health food store - $9 apiece - with her Oregon Trails (food stamp) card.
If I were having trouble making ends meet, and even if I am not, I sure wouldn’t pay that much!!
But food stamps are not about disease prevention. No, food stamps are the means to boost the economy. We're almost out of recession by giving food stamps to 45,000,000 Americans. Think how much more a boost there would be if ALL Americans got food stamps - the economy would be Booming!
Translation: We won't ban soda from beign purchased with foodstamps. We'd rather tax the snot out of 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.
Foodstamps Chaos in the Street Atlanta, GA 8/11/11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrB14EnaebM&feature=player_embedded
I hear ya, though honey roasted peanuts are probably among the healthier SNAP food purchase choices.
Here’s one issue that I agree with Nurse Bloomberg on.