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Food Stamps Restriction

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Replies

  • Posts: 25,763 Member

    Obviously I'm not.

    So we're right back where we started. If you think this would be a meaningful change, I'm asking why you think it's meaningful.
  • Posts: 25,763 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    What is the purpose of food stamps? Is this intended to be a short term aid with the end goal of having the individual no longer needing assistance? Is this intended to be a long term supplement for those who lack the ability to provide basic needs?

    This seems to be a devolving debate on preconceived thoughts and scenarios concocted to pass judgment on those holding an opposing view on the matter.

    In my mind, it's a mix of both. There are some people on food stamps as a temporary measure (my family was in this situation for a while) and there are people who do lack the ability to provide for their basic needs over a longer term (I'm thinking of people who are very ill or elderly, for example).
  • Posts: 13,575 Member

    So we're right back where we started. If you think this would be a meaningful change, I'm asking why you think it's meaningful.

    Still the same as when we started. The source of the money. It's the difference in buying yourself a soda vs. asking me to buy you a soda because you are hungry. Honestly if you can't understand a difference then I don't see a point in continuing the debate. I see a difference.
  • Posts: 25,763 Member

    Still the same as when we started. The source of the money. It's the difference in buying yourself a soda vs. asking me to buy you a soda because you are hungry. Honestly if you can't understand a difference then I don't see a point in continuing the debate. I see a difference.

    I understand your point that there is a subjective difference to you. I was hoping to dig into a discussion of, objectively, what the difference is but I respect that you don't wish to continue.
  • Posts: 6,252 Member

    In my mind, it's a mix of both. There are some people on food stamps as a temporary measure (my family was in this situation for a while) and there are people who do lack the ability to provide for their basic needs over a longer term (I'm thinking of people who are very ill or elderly, for example).

    I think this is a key distinction to make and it makes little to no sense to treat this on anything other than a case by case basis. I think most will agree that the current system is not managed well and I doubt if those in administration are in alignment with the electorate over the purpose of the food stamp program is.

    I wonder do those in administration publish metrics on the success rate of people using this as a temporary measure and getting back on their feet?
  • Posts: 1,114 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »

    I think this is a key distinction to make and it makes little to no sense to treat this on anything other than a case by case basis. I think most will agree that the current system is not managed well and I doubt if those in administration are in alignment with the electorate over the purpose of the food stamp program is.

    I wonder do those in administration publish metrics on the success rate of people using this as a temporary measure and getting back on their feet?

    My state does publish those metrics.

    https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/foodshare/rsdata.htm
  • Posts: 6,252 Member
    Kullerva wrote: »

    My state does publish those metrics.

    https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/foodshare/rsdata.htm

    Your state is my state too! (sing-songy John Jacob Jinglehimerschmidt)

    I see the output, but don't see a specific metric for success rate. Not familiar with the specific terminology for this so possibly overlooking it.
  • Posts: 780 Member

    I don't know what you were doing with the steaks for them to last so long but it's a choice you should have.

    I guess it is more 4 meals but over 4 days we make side items to fill it out.
    I eat 1/2 good part (all meat no fat) other 1/2 goes for a lunch SO eats the outside fatty parts so two lunches two dinners for me. All the meaty fat pars for SO.

    You should see how we stretch a whole chicken SO loves the innards.
  • Posts: 13,575 Member

    I guess I don't see such a pure distinction between "soda" and "food."

    While it's true that we don't "need" soda, I don't think there is any single food item that a human needs in order to be healthy. We can see people thriving without eating fruit, without eating meat, without eating grains. We don't require any of those things.

    If someone can buy a bag of granulated sugar with benefits, I don't understand why soda would be a problem (you may also support limits on sugar purchases, I'm not trying to attribute a position to you that you may not hold).

    Or is this more like supporting a ban on purchasing any liquid with benefits? Is the argument that you do need food, but liquids other than water are unnecessary?

    No, I think milk or milk substitutes should be covered. It's seeing soda as never being the better choice. If you have so little that you must ask others to buy your food, you don't need to consume a glass of sugar water. I doubt many people are eating a bag of sugar. They are using that as as ingredient. Sometimes soda may also be an ingredient but typically not.
  • Posts: 1,114 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »

    Your state is my state too! (sing-songy John Jacob Jinglehimerschmidt)

    I see the output, but don't see a specific metric for success rate. Not familiar with the specific terminology for this so possibly overlooking it.

    You have to compare year-to-year to determine how many people go on and off the rolls. Comparing those data points to those in the work program can also reveal trends.

    As a food stamp beneficiary I also got an annual report with the work program that broke down statistics for how many of us were working, had children, etc. I haven't needed food stamps in years, so I don't get that anymore.
  • Posts: 25,763 Member

    No, I think milk or milk substitutes should be covered. It's seeing soda as never being the better choice. If you have so little that you must ask others to buy your food, you don't need to consume a glass of sugar water. I doubt many people are eating a bag of sugar. They are using that as as ingredient. Sometimes soda may also be an ingredient but typically not.

    Would I be correct in assuming you would also support restricting the purchase of juice, especially juices that are sweetened with additional sugar?

    What about candy?
  • Posts: 30,886 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »

    I mentioned upstream in the thread that I would propose using the WIC guidelines to determine what items would qualify for SNAP benefits. The items that qualify for WIC are generally nutritious, but not premium products.

    This link has listing of eligible foods by state and a brief description of the program
    https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/links-state-agency-wic-approved-food-lists

    For our non-US friends and those not familiar with the program, here is a brief description of the program from the above site.

    The WIC target population are low-income, nutritionally at risk:

    Pregnant women (through pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after birth or after pregnancy ends).
    Breastfeeding women (up to infant’s 1st birthday)
    Nonbreastfeeding postpartum women (up to 6 months after the birth of an infant or after pregnancy ends)
    Infants (up to 1st birthday). WIC serves 53 percent of all infants born in the United States.
    Children up to their 5th birthday.
    Benefits

    The following benefits are provided to WIC participants:

    Supplemental nutritious foods
    Nutrition education and counseling at WIC clinics
    Screening and referrals to other health, welfare and social services

    I'm sure there would have to be some modifications to the items approved to meet the nutritional needs of other members of the population, but I feel this would be a good start. Plus qualifying items are already identified in the systems of retailers.

    If you look at how WIC works, it seems logistically very difficult to expand that to SNAP unless there were a very limited list of accepted foods (as with WIC), and a reduction in the stores participating. I'm thinking about the burden on the stores.

    The second question is how would it be decided what is covered and what is not. If you are thinking of something as limited as WIC (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIC for covered items), then I don't think that would be a good idea, no.
  • Posts: 1,114 Member
    @CSARdiver, here are the readouts I got when I was on food stamps in WI: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/foodshare/fsataglance.htm
  • Posts: 30,886 Member

    So you see a relevant difference between directly using the benefits to buy soda and using the money that has been freed up because SNAP covered pasta or beans or whatever to buy soda?

    Just for discussion, I do too. For the same reason that I would not agree that any money that goes to Planned Parenthood goes to fund abortions if they use it to fund an entirely different program (like say contraceptives or gyno exams for poor women).

    Not to go off on THAT particular tangent, I'm just talking about how to determine what is being funded/subsidized.
  • Posts: 3,171 Member
    I guess I don't see such a pure distinction between "soda" and "food."

    I do. It's the way I was raised. If you were hungry you were allowed "food" but food was certainly not soda, candy, cookies or anything of sort.

    We've clearly moved away from that sort of thinking as a society but perhaps that's where part of the disconnect is coming from? Snack food deprivation and you-deserve-a-treat are a fairly recent concepts I think.
This discussion has been closed.