Trump: Replace Food Stamps with Food Deliveries

[KD5NRH]

Looks like about 5.4% of food stamps are spent on soft drinks:

Considering how cheap generics are, that would explain a lot about the health of the typical food stamp recipient.

Granted, if I broke my grocery budget down, I'd probably come out with about the same, but 1) it's my money, and 2) I burn more calories getting to the grocery store than most of them do in a week. 

[MechAg94]

I don't know if Trump's idea is good or not, but...

There is a lot of fraud in food stamps.  Specifically, it is very common for people to spend all their food stamp money on canned soda, and then sell it back for half price to get cash.

At the very least, you should not be able to buy soda with food stamps.

Everyone always says there should be limits to what can be bought on food stamps, but I never see it happen.  Stores are incentivized to stretch the rules even if just to avoid dealing with angry customers.  The govt agency isn't budgeted the way most companies would do so they have little incentive to limit fraud or much else.  Getting away from using money or credit would be a very easy way to limit what sorts of foods are obtained from the system without having to try to "fix" anything.  

Of course, I am assuming the current food stamp program would be shut down and replaced by this; not just a new program added.  If it were up to me, I would just get rid of it altogether at least at the federal level. 

[Perd Hapley]

If it were up to me, I would just get rid of it altogether at least at the federal level.  

You're saying that Donald Trump shouldn't have control over the daily bread of millions of poor people (some of them minorities)? What kind of crazy, white-nationalist Trump-worshipper are you, to suggest such a thing?

[Hawkmoon]

You're saying that Donald Trump shouldn't have control over the daily bread of millions of poor people (some of them minorities)? What kind of crazy, white-nationalist Trump-worshipper are you, to suggest such a thing?

American?

Just a wild guess.

[slugcatcher]

Would the HDRs still be delivered on pallets via parachute?

I would assume that is the safest way to do it for Chicago.

[grampster]

You wanna hear some real howling announce that the local welfare offices will now be stockpiling foodstuffs which can be picked up when exchanging food stamps.   No more purchase of food at any retail store.

[Perd Hapley]

American?

Just a wild guess.

I was pointing out the irony of left-wingers insisting that the government is in the hands of science-denying, woman-hating, xenophobic Nazis; yet they seem to want those same Nazis to have control over whether poor, brown people have anything to eat.

[Sideways_8]

I was pointing out the irony of left-wingers insisting that the government is in the hands of science-denying, woman-hating, xenophobic Nazis; yet they seem to want those same Nazis to have control over whether poor, brown people have anything to eat.

The key word is control. If one controls a person's food and/or income, then one controls that person.

[Ben]

The key word is control. If one controls a person's food and/or income, then one controls that person.

Though I reckon a question is: Do we recognize a difference between people who asked to be controlled and those that don't? I'm sure I made my bias clear in my earlier post    , but if it's my money, then government control is bad. If I want to use my earned money to buy a banana or a banana split, I get to do that without government interference. If someone is going to the government (in essence me and you) and saying "give me money", then shouldn't we be allowed to restrict (i.e., control) that? I am open to debating the right or wrong of either side and what's in between.

[TommyGunn]

I would have expected good support from the left for this.  It addresses a number of issues currently facing the impoverished, such as lack of transportation, and food deserts; issues Michelle Obama worked to raise awareness of.

The left won't support it becauseTRUMP.

[Pb]

You wanna hear some real howling announce that the local welfare offices will now be stockpiling foodstuffs which can be picked up when exchanging food stamps.   No more purchase of food at any retail store.

No kidding!  I seem to recall that about 20% of Kraft's $ comes from food stamp purchases.

[Andiron]

You wanna hear some real howling announce that the local welfare offices will now be stockpiling foodstuffs which can be picked up when exchanging food stamps.   No more purchase of food at any retail store.

QFT.  Would love to see it.


Also,  EBT is basically Danegeld to keep the damned savages from burning the place down.  Be it the corner CVS or local Walmart.

[Declaration Day]

For a few years, I worked a non-emergency medical transportation job in Detroit.  I've driven down probably every street in the entire city, and it was common to pass by party stores that would openly advertise "We buy EBT benefits" on a huge sign out front.

Michigan's EBT (called the Bridge Card) allows some cash to be withdrawn, but the rest has to be spent directly on food.  Party store owners would debit the food stamp portion, and give the "customer" 50% in cash.