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It is being a nanny state. Giving someone money for food and then telling them which food they can buy with it is being a nanny state.
Food stamps is wholly voluntary. No one makes you ask the government to help buy food. Many poor people are not on food stamps and are getting by. Its a program, and like many programs you have to qualify for it, and there are stipulations and regulations.
And there is already a list of foods / food items / items that cannot be bought with food stamps. So there is no problem with the government limiting the type of you food you can and cannot buy.
Why do you think in the early days of food stamps, there was so much "fraud" going on? Because people would "trade/sell" their food stamps for cash, and use that cash to buy the things they weren't allowed to buy being on the program.
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Mommy gives Junior a dollar and sends him off to school saying "now don't you buy a candy bar with that dollar, you buy an apple"
And you have just demonstrated that you don't how food stamps work. Food stamps are ACTUAL stamps (coupons), but today, its on a "debit" type of card so the "money" is subtracted electronically these days.
And that $1 cash is their money, not the government's.
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The fact that we already do that isn't an argument for doing more of it nor is it an argument for it not being a nanny state thing to do.
again you do not know what Nanny states actually mean.
The problem is that there isn't a list at all right now. The only food prohibited is warm ready-to-eat food.
Yes there is. Liquor being on that list is one item that is prohibited. The "list" has gone lax over the years because of the high cost of fresh produce, in favor of processed and "canned" goods instead. Items that also are one of the prevailing causes of obesity and diabetes in our nation.
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To create a list of permitted foods would require a classification of every single food product available in the US, probably numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
We already do that. Every food item that is able to be bought in this country is regulated by the FDA. That box of crackers, its categorized by the FDA. that fresh cut of steak, that's regulated by the FDA.
So what's so hard about categorizing, Processed food, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fresh meat, canned goods, dairy and other products? OH WAIT, we already do that.
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And classifying food is not as straightforward as one may think. Is orange juice too sugary? Is Sunny-D? It's a great idea on paper, but it's not feasible.
You're getting too nitty gritty. What the rules need to establish is that food stamps won't cover any type of candy or fast food, but a carton of orange juice is fine.
how about sugar or biscuits - are they to be allowed?
what's the difference between that and candy.
and how about tea, coffee, toothpaste, aspirin, toilet paper , soap.
where do we draw the line?
again, people who never been on food stamps or a food benefits program should not comment on something they are not aware of or as demonstrated are very ignorant of.
There is a list of approved foods ALREADY issued by these programs. the list has expanded over the years, to encompass cheaper and unhealthier foods. Before, you could ONLY buy fresh produce and vegetables.
and the program allows you to buy a certain percentage of "desert" type "goods" (candy, baked goods)
Toothpaste, aspirin and toilet paper are NOT part of the food stamp program.
how can you get a job interview even if you can't afford soap etc..?
this is why food stamps should be scrapped, and cash should be given instead
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