Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Obama should try reading a book for once, instead of playing American Idol by gabbing it up with those illiterate loudmouth harpies on The View.
Great book, I think everyone should read it at least once....though I don't think I would call the women on the View "illiterate," I think they are far from that. Of course you can disagree with them and not like them all you want, but they definitely aren't illiterate.
It' undeniable. Try opening your eyes up next time you're in the grocery store instead of humming Kumbayah to yourself and pretending that food stamp fraud and the excesses that often come with it doesn't exist. Deal?
Not that you care about facts or anything, but ...
SNAP has one of the most rigorous payment error measurement systems of any public benefit program. Each year states pull a representative sample (totaling about 50,000 cases nationally) and thoroughly review the accuracy of their eligibility and benefit decisions. Federal officials re-review a subsample of the cases to ensure accuracy in the error rates. States are subject to fiscal penalties if their error rates are persistently higher than the national average.
Despite the recent rapid caseload growth, USDA reports that states achieved a record-low SNAP error rate in fiscal year 2010. Only 3 percent of all SNAP benefits represented overpayments, meaning they either went to ineligible households or went to eligible households but in excessive amounts, andmore than 98 percent of SNAP benefits were issued to eligible households.
That is an infinitesimally small amount of “waste” or “fraud.” It is so minuscule as to nearly be non-existent.
If he's willing to game to give it a try and see how people on food stamps live, then I'm totally up for it. It's good primary research on the mayor's part. I'd like for him to find novel solutions to live healthily off of food stamps and then try to put his research to inform subsequent decisions about food stamps in the US. The guy is pretty much an amazing mayor who has more than anything tried to find ways to solve what have seemed like entrenched and intractable problems, and if he's able to do so, then great. I'd feel sorry for whoever he gets hitched to in the end, because sharing that kind of life is a pretty hard sell and you'd have to be pretty crazy or have absurdly high tolerances for all kinds of discomfort to be this devoted to your job and humanity in general.
You're talking about a man who, in 1998 "moved into a Newark housing project called the Brick Towers, which was notorious for its run-down condition and festering crime problems. He led the project's tenants in their fight for improvements in housing, maintenance and security. That same year he won election to the Newark City Council in an upset victory over a four-term incumbent. The next year, as a council member, he went on a ten-day hunger strike to protest rampant and blatant drug-dealing in one of Newark's worst housing projects. In 2000 he spent five months living in a motor home, staying on streets in some of the most crime- and drug-infested areas of the city to get an idea of just how bad conditions were."
When his proposals for ways to improve these conditions were repeatedly shut down by his fellow councilmembers, he said to hell with the low-level buggers and ran for mayor. He will be president some day if he wants the job.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac_Muz
Maybe we can get em to work for minimum wages too eh? Whatcha think?
They'd die. Literally. They'd curl up in the fetal position, crying for their mammas and die.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OyCrumbler
If he eats well and this is a stunt that gets publicity, then it'd probably shed a lot of light and change public opinion on the food stamp program--which is great.
Basically, if the publicity does come and this does happen, then there are two possible outcomes
1) Booker does find a way to eat healthily on food stamps which then asks if there should be reductions in what food stamps offer as well as what needs to be changed about the program to make sure those on food stamps spend it on healthy rather than junk foods
2) Booker can not find a way to eat healthily on food stamps which then has us redirect our efforts on food stamps to determine how we should restructure the system so people on it can and do eat healthily
Given that the benefits of healthy eating seems to correlate to so many other beneficial factors in terms of child development, focus and concentration, medical issues (lesser medical bills that have to be footed), etc. then either way is pretty good, and the more publicity about the outcome the better in effecting what changes might be needed.
Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat.
In some areas, restaurants can be authorized to accept SNAP benefits from qualified homeless, elderly, or disabled people in exchange for low-cost meals.
Households CANNOT use SNAP benefits to buy:
Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco;
Any nonfood items, such as:
pet foods;
soaps, paper products; and
household supplies.
Vitamins and medicines.
Food that will be eaten in the store.
Hot foods.
...
Several times in the history of SNAP, Congress had considered placing limits on the types of food that could be purchased with program benefits. However, they concluded that designating foods as luxury or non-nutritious would be administratively costly and burdensome. Further detailed information about the challenges of restricting the use of SNAP benefits can be found here:
You're talking about a man who, in 1998 "moved into a Newark housing project called the Brick Towers, which was notorious for its run-down condition and festering crime problems. He led the project's tenants in their fight for improvements in housing, maintenance and security. That same year he won election to the Newark City Council in an upset victory over a four-term incumbent. The next year, as a council member, he went on a ten-day hunger strike to protest rampant and blatant drug-dealing in one of Newark's worst housing projects. In 2000 he spent five months living in a motor home, staying on streets in some of the most crime- and drug-infested areas of the city to get an idea of just how bad conditions were."
I tend to agree. There has been such a boom in local food these days that in most places you can avoid those companies if you so choose.
That's not true in the least.
Monsanto has it's big, grubby hands over everything. Even the seeds you use to plant your garden. Make no mistake about it. Also, vast portions of areas are now classified as food deserts. USDA ERS - Go to the Locator
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Who the F is Corey booker and why do I still not care after you tell me?
