The SNAP (food stamp) program is not a social services program as much as it is a farming program. The SNAP budget is in the Farm Bill and has nothing to do with Health and Human Services.
Commodities such as meat, milk, produce, and sugar are subsidized by the Federal Government to control the supply and demand and doing so they used to have agreements with farmers to buy the excess that didn't sell. Instead of the government buying raw materials and making government cheese like they used to in the past now they give the money they would have spent to the people to buy the products. This works out better for everyone because in the past a lot of the raw materials sat in warehouses going to waste before they did anything with it.
Why do the farmers producing beef, milk, eggs, and potatoes get to sell their products to the people using SNAP benefits but the farmers producing sugar don't?
The "food stamps" being spent today were paid for in full two years ago. Less than 60% of the food stamps that we already paid for are issued and spent. The unused 40% get rolled into foreign aid. At least that's what they told me when I became a welfare worker.
Then change the distribution system. Make the cheese, freeze dry any excess eggs, and find ways to streamline and update the systems that are screwing things up. There should be no unhealthy food going to food stamp recipients.
How many poor people today even know how to make a meal from scratch? Start there.
There are a lot of legitimately poor people getting SNAP but most of them are working people who are applying because of the rising food prices.
The ones that get on my nerves are the college students. The rule is that they are not entitled to SNAP benefits unless they are working 20 hours a week or more.
But now there's a loophole. They can now receive it if they are participating in an LPIE (Local Program which increases employability). We get these pink-haired kids with nose piercings and face tattoos talking about how they want food stamps to buy snacks when they are stoned.
And the schools not only sign them off as participating in an LPIE, but they are encouraging the students to apply.
So many of them are taking classes based on identity. It's disgusting.
This administration needs to bring back the ABAWD rule. Able Bodied Adults without Dependents. It means they only get SNAP for 6 months and if they're not working at the end of the six months then they are cut off.
The SNAP (food stamp) program is not a social services program as much as it is a farming program. The SNAP budget is in the Farm Bill and has nothing to do with Health and Human Services.
Commodities such as meat, milk, produce, and sugar are subsidized by the Federal Government to control the supply and demand and doing so they used to have agreements with farmers to buy the excess that didn't sell. Instead of the government buying raw materials and making government cheese like they used to in the past now they give the money they would have spent to the people to buy the products. This works out better for everyone because in the past a lot of the raw materials sat in warehouses going to waste before they did anything with it.
Why do the farmers producing beef, milk, eggs, and potatoes get to sell their products to the people using SNAP benefits but the farmers producing sugar don't?
The "food stamps" being spent today were paid for in full two years ago. Less than 60% of the food stamps that we already paid for are issued and spent. The unused 40% get rolled into foreign aid. At least that's what they told me when I became a welfare worker.
"The SNAP (food stamp) program is not a social services program as much as it is a farming program"
...valid observations, nicely stated...
Then change the distribution system. Make the cheese, freeze dry any excess eggs, and find ways to streamline and update the systems that are screwing things up. There should be no unhealthy food going to food stamp recipients.
How many poor people today even know how to make a meal from scratch? Start there.
I agree to an extent.
There are a lot of legitimately poor people getting SNAP but most of them are working people who are applying because of the rising food prices. The ones that get on my nerves are the college students. The rule is that they are not entitled to SNAP benefits unless they are working 20 hours a week or more. But now there's a loophole. They can now receive it if they are participating in an LPIE (Local Program which increases employability). We get these pink-haired kids with nose piercings and face tattoos talking about how they want food stamps to buy snacks when they are stoned. And the schools not only sign them off as participating in an LPIE, but they are encouraging the students to apply. So many of them are taking classes based on identity. It's disgusting.
This administration needs to bring back the ABAWD rule. Able Bodied Adults without Dependents. It means they only get SNAP for 6 months and if they're not working at the end of the six months then they are cut off.