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A decade ago, New York City officials were so reluctant to give out food stamps, they made people register one day and return the next just to get an application. The welfare commissioner said the program caused dependency and the poor were “better off” without it.
Now the city urges the needy to seek aid (in languages from Albanian to Yiddish). Neighborhood groups recruit clients at churches and grocery stores, with materials that all but proclaim a civic duty to apply — to “help New York farmers, grocers, and businesses.” There is even a program on Rikers Island to enroll inmates leaving the jail.
What's not to like, particulalry when times are a little tough. It helps people, especially families, maintain an adequate and proper diet even when cash is short, the extra demand for goods keeps a few extra stock clerks and cashiers in their jobs at the grocery store, and means that farmers can sell more and truckers can haul more. The money all gets spent almost immediately thereby giving it a big-time short-term stimulus component, there are built-in limits to keep people from abusing the program, and the fraud rate is below 2% -- below 1% in states that have a strong program -- with most of that coming from grocery store fraud, not recipient fraud. And the use of EBT cards instead of actual stamps has helped cut admin and overhead costs substantially. Good deal all around...heck, it even gives right-wingers a chance to make up silly stories about how obviously rich people are abusing the system. Those are always good for a laugh or two on top of everything else...
I'm not totally against it but what I would like to see is exclusive use of debit type cards and tighter restrictions on what can be bought. For example you would force them to spend all of it on fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy or poultry. Also set a maximum on what they can pay per pound so they aren't buying Fillet Mignon.
I know food stamps help. I've had to actually use them before, the last time I lost a job, and while I was going to school.
However, I think there should be restrictions on what you can buy. Right now you can buy anything from T-bone steak, to little debbie snack cakes, to store made cheese cake. I think there should be limits on what you can buy, and how often you can buy it.
I know some people who would buy their groceries with their money, and then spend the food stamps on lobster, thats not an exaggeration. I think the WIC program is a better one, because it specifies which items are available on the WIC voucher.
Both programs are good ideas, they just need some tweaking. A little more regulation, to weed out the abusers.
I'm not totally against it but what I would like to see is exclusive use of debit type cards and tighter restrictions on what can be bought. For example you would force them to spend all of it on fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy or poultry. Also set a maximum on what they can pay per pound so they aren't buying Fillet Mignon.
Tend to agree, the program should be limited to nutritionally valuable food products. But in order to do that, the money amount would have to be increased to compensate for the higher cost of such items.
Why? If they want to buy Fillet Mignon, let them. Better than buying a bunch of grease-filled pork chops.
Keep in mind that the healthiest foods cost the most amount of money.
Sorry, but lunch meat is full of nutrients, and its not fillet mignon. You can guy a cheaper cut of steak, that has less flavor but has just as many nutrients as the good cuts.
No one is suggesting people have to eat bologna all the time, or cheap walmart premade burgers. Pork chops, grilled, are quite good for you. As well as other cheaper meats. Veggies can be bought for 50 cents a can at Wal-mart, and in season fruit isn't that much. It might not be what you want to eat, but its good for you, and it'll keep you going.
There needs to be some restrictions to it and I agree with it helps people be dependent on them. I know a couple not getting married because she would lose her food stamps and other programs IE free daycare.
The program purpose is honorable but its become a system thats abused.
When people have enough to sell for cash then there is a problem in the system
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