Disturbing trend indeed
Yesterday I wrote about the “education for profit” business complaining that we aren’t giving young Americans enough “access” to universities. Today, the food-stamps-for-profit industry chimes in (Reuters);
Food stamps, the main U.S. antihunger program which helps the needy buy food, set a record in September as more than 31.5 million Americans used the program — up 17 percent from a year ago, according to government data.
The number of people using food stamps in September surpassed the previous peak of 29.85 million seen in November 2005 when victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma received emergency benefits, said Jean Daniel of the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.
September’s tally — the latest month available — was also boosted by hurricane and flood aid, Daniel said on Wednesday.
But anti-hunger groups said the economic downturn is the main reason behind the higher figures.
“It’s a disturbing trend,” said Ellen Vollinger, legal director with the Food Research and Action Center. She said she expects more people will turn to food stamps as unemployment figures rise and the economy remains weak.
What’s behind the higher figures (if there are higher figures at all) is the food-stamps-for-profit business includes farmers, community organizers, welfare workers social welfare activists, grocery industry as well as the obese hungry people in the country.
Everyone gets a piece of the action, and food stamps are so easy to apply for and receive – and now that we’ve been told to remove the “stigma” of being on food stamps, it’s almost socially responsible to apply. Why wouldn’t food stamps use be higher? Where’s the economic factor to put downward pressure on it? Free stuff, no stigma.
Category: Politics
The food stamp program is as borked now as it was then. I have a cousin who owns a small grocery store and I worked there when I was a young man going to college. Some of those people were eating much better than I was. At least now they have the debit card instead of the paper food stamps. I remember the one lady with 6 grandchildren. She would send each in with a $1 stamp to buy 3 cent bubblegum so each kid got 97 cents change. Then she would come in with all that change and buy a pack of cigarettes. The WIC program is only slightly better as it only allows certain basic foods to be purchased. I think we should go back to the days of government cheese and the big bags of rice myself.
$580+ in food stamps per month for a family of four. Don’t you wish you could eat so well and not burn off the calories by ‘working’?
Hussein O’s food bill will be in excess of $50,000 per month in the white house, and that’s just for Michelle if she doesn’t drop a scrap.