Last updated on 2013.09.16
Just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas, the federal government will cut food stamps.
My friends at the South Dakota branch of Bread for the World note that the boost we gave the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the 2009 stimulus expires November 1. In six weeks, we will have to tell 104,000 hungry South Dakotans to get by with less.
The total cut is $5 billion. South Dakota will lose $11 million in food assistance. That's $11 million of straight economic stimulus which folks who can't find work or who can't get Walmart to give them full-time work at a living wage won't likely replace.
Individual recipients will lost $11 per month in SNAP payments. A family of four will have to subtract $36 from its monthly food budget. In July 2013 (the most recent month with stats available), the average SNAP benefit per enrolled South Dakota household was just about $305. For a household relying heavily on food stamps, the November cut easily translates into losing three days of food in one month.
So tell me which day of the week you'd want your child to go without food.
South Dakota's increasing number of hungry residents can't count on Congress to help. Senator John Thune and Representative Kristi Noem view their SNAP-receiving constituents as liars, cheaters, and wasters. Noem and her House colleagues are working this week on cutting another $4 billion from SNAP by (among other things) eliminating the power of governors to waive food stamp work requirements (yes, such requirements exist) in areas with high unemployment or few available jobs. The House plan kicks millions of people off SNAP.
If we had decent Congressional leaders like Tom Daschle and Bob Dole, we wouldn't even be talking about the House's food stamp cuts. Daschle and Dole take to the Los Angeles Times editorial page to remind us of our wealth and our obligation to our neighbors:
We are a country with ample resources, especially the plentiful supply of food produced by our farms. As Americans, we have always used this abundance to help those who are hungry, both here and abroad. For generations, the United States has welcomed new Americans escaping famine and hunger in their homelands.
All of us benefit from the efficiency of our farmers and ranchers. We enjoy a safe and plentiful food system for less than 10% of our disposable income. In fact, Americans spend a smaller percentage of our disposable income on food than people in any other country. As a nation blessed with a bounty of food, we are a nation with a duty to fight hunger [Bob Dole and Tom Daschle, "Stop Playing Politics with Hunger," Los Angeles Times, 2013.09.16].
The House's proposed SNAP cuts are bad policy. So are the November SNAP cuts coming from the final stimulus expiration. If Dole-Daschle sanity can't prevail, maybe we can bankroll a little Syria peace dividend to forestall the November cuts... because taking help away from our hungry neighbors is a rotten way to say Happy Thanksgiving.
But these people are just lazy bums and not only should we take away their food stamps but before we do we should drug test them! And then go to church. SMH!!!!
If congressional Republicans would get off their obstructionist butts and pass a long overdue farm bill, it would reduce the need for food stamps.
I'm not real nice, but I think it would be really funny if all of a sudden the Noem and Thune families would come upon real hard times and have to depend on SNAP.
Hey Joan, these people know how to play the game!!!! If it would come to that they would know how to be first in line at the snap hand outs!!!!
OOPS!
A friend emailed me about my above response.
I inadvertently said "farm" bill when I meant to say "JOBS" Bill.
No Roger, You should have said agriculture welfare bill!!!!!!!
The Whitehouse announced that the 40 billion cut would be vetoed by the President. Hmmm, looks like the republicans are in a bad way. Hey, I know what would perk them up, shut down the government. Yeah that will show us...Right, it will show us the truth, republicans cannot govern. When in power, any kind of power, they go all dictatorish (new word).
Rollen,
You're right. Should have said agricultural welfare bill.
Jerry,
As the government shutdown looms, in a strange way I'm hoping the Republicans do it.
Obviously Republicans making the threat haven't read fairly recent history and do not grasp the political consequences of such an action.
I would suggest they get on the phone with Newt and ask him how that went the last time. Since that time, Newt has merely become a footnote in history.
Newt's shutdown also empowered President Clinton in unprecedented ways and force unruly Republicans in congress to work with him.
How soon they forget!
Here in Pennsylvania it is mostly illegals and minorities that are able to get food stamps period! They abuse them and use them on fast food, junk food,lobsters, strip clubs and gambling! College students are getting them and using them for pizza and beer parties!!! One lady was caught selling hers on line.THE ABUSE HAS TO STOP!!! Food stamps should really go to help people with food problems like Celiac,and people with food allergies to Gluten and Dairy . Food for these people to be able to live is outrageous!!! There is no help for them and they must eat certain foods to stay alive!!!!!
Cheryl,
You really need to do a bit of research before spewing your racist misinformation out over the internet. I notice you don't put your full name behind your misinformation. You must be ashamed of your racist claptrap, and you should be!
If you know of fraud occurring, you have a duty to report it to authorities who can investigate. My guess is you have no credible information on fraud in the SNAP program, and that you are just spewing what you have heard from non-resourced and racist sources.
To help you out in your research (assuming you aren't completely a racist fool, and are just misinformed) you could read some basic information on the program.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/MENU/Published/snap/FILES/Participation/2011Characteristics.pdf
Exactly, Donald. Cheryl shows how easy it is to slip into racist, un-American, un-Christian, immoral thinking by cloaking one's prejudices in hatred of "the other". The people using food stamps aren't some mass of foreign invaders or useless loafers. They are our fellow Americans, neighbors who fall into hard times and need help, just as any of us could. Maybe that's the scariest part for people like Cheryl: they don't want to face their own vulnerability. They think reliance on others and community cooperation are somehow shameful, so they scorn those who remind them of those facts.
Hey, Cheryl! Most SNAP recipients are white... and strangely, they seem to vote Republican.