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Missouri Republicans are trying to ban food stamp recipients from buying steak and seafood
Washington Post ^ | 04/03/2015 | By Roberto A. Ferdman

Posted on 04/03/2015 11:04:07 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd

In 2013, Fox News proudly broadcast an interview with a young food stamp recipient who claimed to be using the government benefit to purchase lobster and sushi.

"This is the way I want to live and I don’t really see anything changing," Greenslate explained to Fox. “It’s free food; it’s awesome."

That story fit a longtime conservative suspicion that poor people use food stamps to purchase luxury items. Now, a Republican state lawmaker in Missouri is pushing for legislation that would stop people like Greenslate and severely limit what food stamp recipients can buy. The bill being proposed would ban the purchase with food stamps of "cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood or steak."

"The intention of the bill is to get the food stamp program back to it's original intent, which is nutrition assistance," said Rick Brattin, the representative who is sponsoring the proposed legislation.

Curbing food stamp purchases of cookies, chips, energy drinks, and soft drinks at least falls in line with the food stamp program's mission to provide nutrition. Nutrition experts are already discussing whether to remove unhealthy items from the list of foods participants can buy.

But seafood and steak? Seafood has been shown, time and again, to be a healthy part of any diet. And steak is such a broad category that it's essentially banning people from buying any flat cuts of beef, from porterhouse to flank.

"It just seems really repressive," said Mark Rank, a professor at...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: ebt; ferguson; foodstamps; lobster; markrank; missouri; quidprocrow; quidproquo; rickbrattin; sushi
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To: Responsibility2nd

In the good old days the things you could and could not buy on food stamps were simple. I did grocery check out when I was 15-18 years old and we had to separate the stuff food stamp people were buying. It was only for basic food stuffs.


81 posted on 04/03/2015 12:46:44 PM PDT by Fledermaus (The GOP is dead to me! McConnell and Boehner can drop dead!!)
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To: Catsrus

Since Obama tanked the economy I upped my charitable donations.

Now up yours!

You use every Alinskyesque “progressive” tactic. They don’t work. Go peddle your bull on KOS or DU!


82 posted on 04/03/2015 12:49:37 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

But you are bankrolling other programs that you don’t agree with - but, food - no - let them eat dog food.


83 posted on 04/03/2015 12:49:39 PM PDT by Catsrus
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To: plain talk

You’re mighty generous.

With my money.


84 posted on 04/03/2015 12:50:45 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (With Great Freedom comes Great Responsibility.)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

Go peddle your tyrannical views on KOS or DU.


85 posted on 04/03/2015 12:51:21 PM PDT by Catsrus
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To: plain talk
I don’t want those on the left or right micromanaging what people eat

I do. It's my money so limit purchases to healthy foods like it was done in the past. No candy, no sugary cereals, no booze, no fake fruit juice, no highly processed or prepared foods. And no using it at restaurants!!! I can't afford to go out to restaurants so why should I pay for their restaurant bills?

The main limit should be time. Six months and that's the end of that freebie.

86 posted on 04/03/2015 12:53:37 PM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: Catsrus

Yes, he’d probably say I was being too generous with these parasitic slugs.


87 posted on 04/03/2015 1:01:47 PM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: Catsrus

it is tyranny when you want to tell others how to eat and what to eat


When I’M the one paying for it?


88 posted on 04/03/2015 1:01:51 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Here they even buy bottled water.


89 posted on 04/03/2015 1:01:58 PM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink)
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To: Catsrus

I grew up in a neighborhood where three generations under one roof on welfare was common. My mother never took government assistance, always donated to the Church and although we didn’t have much she always helped anyone in genuine need.

I help others out of my own wages. You seem to do nothing but chastise those who disagree with your collectivist philosophies.

When you get called out on your “progressive” attitudes you call others “tyrant” and say “you’re just like Michelle Obama!” that’s not reason or rational. That is sub-juvenile school yard taunting.

The government does NOT belong in charity work. Any genuine Conservative understands and promotes this truth. Read what Benjamin Franklin said about “helping the poor.” Maybe you’ll learn something.

Run along little collectivist. You cant “liberal-guilt” me into agreeing with your idiotic babbling.


90 posted on 04/03/2015 1:02:10 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: Catsrus

Oh goodie. Now you’ve started with “I know you are but what am I.”

Did you hear about the evil TEA Party plot? They plan to shrink the government, lower taxes and leave other people alone!

I’ve upped my charitable donations Catsrus. Now up yours!


91 posted on 04/03/2015 1:03:57 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: BobinIL

Some of us taxpaying US citizens don’t have the luxury of frozen pizza. I’ve had to learn to make it from scratch. Not so time consuming (I don’t bother kneeding anymore) and is waaay cheaper than frozen or take out.


92 posted on 04/03/2015 1:07:00 PM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: Catsrus; driftless2

You do realize don’t you that Jesus would have something to say about the way you treat and talk about the poor?


Proverbs 6:6-8

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.


93 posted on 04/03/2015 1:07:11 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: MrB

We ought to be able to assign meals to elected officials as well!


94 posted on 04/03/2015 1:08:17 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: Catsrus

You do realize don’t you that Jesus would have something to say about the way you treat and talk about the poor?
_______________________________

2 Thessalians 3:10

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”


95 posted on 04/03/2015 1:08:24 PM PDT by KittenClaws ( Normalcy Bias. Do you have it?)
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To: KittenClaws; Catsrus

Cats ought to give us his (?) bank info so we can redistribute his wealth to some poor welfare folks.


96 posted on 04/03/2015 1:11:13 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

Well, pat yourself on the back. I, too, give to charities and individuals - but, that is between me and God. You know nothing about my “soul,” but, seem to content to pass judgment. Judge not lest ye be judged. Your soul sounds bitter and resentful. Now, that is something YOU should do something about. You sound like the Pharisees Jesus chastised - they bragged about what they did and didn’t do. So, search your own soul before you tell others to do that. In other words - take the beam out of your own eye.


97 posted on 04/03/2015 1:13:17 PM PDT by Catsrus
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To: Rides_A_Red_Horse

And, up Yours too.


98 posted on 04/03/2015 1:14:01 PM PDT by Catsrus
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To: Catsrus
“I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed...that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.” ― Benjamin Franklin

It's that simple, Sheep!

99 posted on 04/03/2015 1:14:47 PM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: KittenClaws

If that rule were generally allowed to happen,
we’d have a lot fewer not working.

Then we could determine who was truly needy
and who is just too lazy to lift his hand from his bowl to his mouth.


100 posted on 04/03/2015 1:14:48 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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