Grrrr...
This is the kind of ‘stuff’ that really pisses me off...
Do you know what Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia all have in common? Yes, they’re blue or blue-ish states, but they’re also using your tax dollars to send those who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits out for a night on the town. According to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), approximately $250 million worth of SNAP benefits is spent at restaurants, mostly fast food joints, each year in those states.
When SNAP was first established in 1964, the goal was for those who couldn’t afford it to buy basics: meat, fruit, vegetables, etc., that one could cook at home. Hot food or food already ready to consume was not eligible. However, according to Ernst’s office, a 1977 loophole allowed states to opt into something called the Restaurant Meals Program.
Full article, HERE from PJ Media.
It’s bad enough that they can get candy and soft drinks, especially candy ‘I’ can’t afford, but they can routinely go to McDonalds, Panda Express, and other fast food joints? WTH???
No wonder they are so obese! Hell, if I ate that much fast food, I’d weigh 400 lbs too!
One of the ‘real’ problems with the SNAP is that it was supposed to be supplemental aid to flesh to (so to speak), food that you cooked and served at home. Beans, rice, etc. plus the good old Government cheese (which wasn’t actually bad). I am now fully in the camp that the entire program needs to be restarted, including reapplying, a real approval process, and cutting the program back to its original intent.
There is no reason for people to be able to go spend $10+ on Mickey D’s for a Big Mac to feed one, when $10 will get beans and rice enough to feed a family. Yes, they’d actually have to not only have a pan, but know how to actually cook the rice and beans. Yes, I subsisted on rice and beans a few times in college when I got stupid, I’ll freely admit it. And potatoes and onions... sigh... Thankfully I learned how to save bacon grease as a kid, so I had something to give the potatoes and onions some flavoring.
What say you?
Back in the early 90's after a series of unfortunate events, I once fed two people for over a month on $20 a week. Yes it took a lot of work, but when you're unemployed time isn't something you're lacking.
Great article!
There's no excuse for SNAP to be used in this way except government's tacit approval. Beans and rice, pasta, cabbage, cuts of meat that needed to be boiled to death so you could chew it are all part of my past. Can't say it hurt me. If I'd eaten fast food I'd be too fat to bury.
SNAP needs a complete overhaul, including re-registration with aggressive vetting, a work requirement if the recipient is able, a limit to how long you can receive benefits, and a severe limit on what can be purchased. Close the loophole. States that continue to supply "loophole" style benefits should lose the fed's share of SNAP unless they change.
I wrote about this in my substack (https://jacksotallaro.substack.com/p/from-hand-up-to-handout).