Politicians Want To Cut Food Stamps From The Hungriest Counties

Each year, the anti-hunger organization, Feeding America, releases it's annual "Meal Gap" report. The report serves as a measurment on food insecurity on a county by county basis. Basically, food insecurity simply means that there is lack of access to enough food for men, women and children in a given area. 

Two Counties, Zavala County, Texas and Humphreys County Mississippi rank the highest in the nation. Representatives Bennie Thompson, and Pete Gallego, both Democrats, and Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner and Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan have signaled their interest in cuts to the food stamp program in these two low income counties.

Republicans are pushing really hard for the cuts, and that means if Republicans gain control of the Senate in the mid-term elections this year, food stamps in these two poor countries will definitely be cut. 

The whole thing is sickening, because nowhere are any bright ideas about how to help these people gain access to training for better jobs so they can feed their kids without government assistance.

Read the full story from MSNBC, by clicking the link below:

Politicians from the Hungriest Counties Voted To Cut Food Stamps

Missouri Food Stamps Merchant Caught for Food Stamp Fraud

According to the St. Louis Riverfront Times, a Missouri SNAP Benefits Merchant has been caught red-handedly committing blatant food stamp fraud.

Gravois Discount Smokes, also known as Abes Gavois Discount is a south-side smoke shop that allowed Missouri food stamp recipients to purchase non-eligible items, such as cigarettes, perfume and calling cards with their EBT Cards.

In edition to allowing the non-eligible items, the shop owners allowed people to exchange food stamps for cash. According to the U.S. Attorney, this store's illegal activities has caused loses of over $600,000.

Gravois Discount Smoke's is located at Gravois Avenue and Chippewa Street in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of St. Louis.  I'm sure neighborhood people who used his services will miss this "benefit," as the owner, Ebraheem Maki Naif, faces ten years for his crimes.

Folks, food stamp crime only hurts us all in the end. Good Job to whoever reported this guy and got him caught.

If you would like to read the original story, click the link below:

Gravois Smoke Shop Let Customers Buy Cigarettes, Cologne with Food Stamps

Ban on Soda for Food Stamp Recipients Won't Lower Obesity Rates

Well, here's another theory that is going down in the dust. According to St. Louis KMOX, putting a ban on the sale of sugary drinks purchased with food stamps will not lessen the obesity rates. This info was gleaned from a study done by the Illinois Public Health Institute

The study does confirm what we pretty much already know, soda and other sugary drinks contribute heavily to the obesity rates



 For years people have talked about disallowing people to buy soda, and other unhealthy foods with food stamps, but this study shows that people will simply opt to purchase these drinks with cash in lieu of using their food stamps.

In guess we have become so reliant and dependent on unhealthy crap until it's like a drug, and we will get it any way we can.  I have to say that I still believe it is still a good idea to limit the amount of sugary and fatty crap people can purchase with their SNAP Benefits, perhaps over time it will begin to lessen some of the dependency. In addition, such a measure might make a significant amount of people choose healthier options out of lower access to cash.  Who knows?

If you would like to read the original article, please click the link below:

Report: Banning Soda from Food Stamps Doesn't Help Obesity Rates.

How Do You Feel?

Dr. Annette Bosworth 

Earlier this week, Dr. Annette Bosworth, a Republican candidate who's running for Senate in South Dakota, likened South Dakota food stamp recipients to "wild animals." 

 If you are a food stamp recipient in any state, how does such a nasty statement make you feel?

Missouri Food Stamps: Drug Felons Forever Banned

According to the Kansas City Star, the state of Missouri does not allow felons to receive SNAP Benefits, and the ban is for their entire lifetime.

This ban on felons from receiving Missouri food stamps is limited to those who commit crimes involving drugs. The most puzzling thing of all is the fact that murderers, child molesters, and people with violent felony crimes can apply for Missouri SNAP benefits, and their criminal history will not be a factor.

Apparently, a group of state lawmakers want to change this draconian law. Click below to check out the full story:

Missouri Revisits Banning Drug Felons from Food Stamps

Republican Candidate Compares Food Stamp Recipients to Wild Animals

Wow! The Republicans are at it yet again. This time it comes in the form of a direct insult from one of their own. So, according to MSNBC, Dr. Annette Bosworth, a Republican seeking to become a U.S. Senator in South Dakota, has compared food stamp recipients to wild animals. Republicans really do hate poor people, don't they?  Anyway, I digress...

Click the link below to read the full story:

GOP Candidate Compares Food Stamp Recipients to Wild Animals.

Easter Basket Causes Food Stamps Upset

The question of whether or not food stamp recipients should be restricted to buying healthy foods only arose once again., this time it came up in the city of Portland, and an Easter basket caused all of the uproar.

According to WGME 13, an Easter basket full of chocolates and other candy was displayed, and it showed that it was Oregon food stamp eligible (meaning if you have an EBT Card, you could purchase the basket for your child).  

Apparently, this basket cause an uproar, because many people became angry that a food stamp recipient should have access to so much unhealthy food and use their EBT Card to pay for it.

There have been many pushes to make it mandatory that SNAP Benefits should only be used for healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables.  Check out the full story below, and draw your own conclusions. Pay special attention to the comments section beneath the article, and you'll see that people have really heated opinions about what you should be able to buy with your EBT Card..

Food Stamp Eligible Easter Basket Causes Controversy.

Double Food Stamp Values in Lawrence, Kansas

If you get Kansas Food Stamps, you might be in for a good surprise. According to the Kansas City Star, a pilot program in Lawrence Kansas is set to allow shoppers to double the value of their food stamps when they shop at the farmer's market.

Both the Lawrence County and City Commissioners have invested thousands of dollars into the program, and it shows that both organizations are really thinking of out of the box methods to help poor people in their area, so a big thumbs up to both camps.

The project was proposed by a group called LiveWell Lawrence, they donated a great deal of money to the effort as well.

This initiative will allow Kansas SNAP benefits recipients to save tons of money while shopping at Both the Lawrence Farmer's Market and Cottin's Hardware Farmer's Market.

The program is set to run from June to September, so hurry in and get those savings on healthy food.  What an excellent idea!

Click below to read the full story:

Pilot Project Doubles the Value of Food Stamps at Lawrence Farmer's Markets

Newsflash: Republicans Just Learned that Having a Job May Not Be Enough for Self Sufficiency

According to Fox News, economists have discovered that having a job may no longer be enough for self sufficiency.  Wow! Really? This is not news to many of us who live in the real world where the struggle exists.

The article's main focus is the fact that the new face of food stamps is working age Americans, instead of the elderly and children as it has been in the past.

The article even goes on to state that many newly created U.S. jobs are low wage jobs that keeps low income families from actually obtaining self sufficiency.  Instead, the largest demographic of food stamp households are the working poor who use their SNAP benefits to supplement their income.

Such an admission is rare for a Republican slanted Fox News publication, but I'm glad they finally figured it out...

People do not need more food stamps or more low wage jobs, what we need are more short term job training programs that lead to jobs that pay a decent wage.  The WorkForce Investment Act Scholarship (WIA Scholarship) is one such job training program, but the funding is not always there and the requirements to get the scholarships can pose a challenge for some.  But, I digress....

If you want to read the original article, click below:
The New Face of Food Stamps is Working Age Americans

10,000 Low Income Individuals Lose Ohio Food Stamps

According to WBNS 10 TV, more than 10,000 Ohioans were cut from their Ohio SNAP Benefits due to work requirements. 

Although the loss of their food stamps is no small affair, there really should be work or training requirements placed upon anyone who receive food stamps, especially since the state of Ohio only required 20 hours of either work or job training.

The real question here is..."Were those jobs and job training programs offering a real opportunity?"

The Ohio food stamp recipients whose food stamps have been cut are single adults who do not have children, or their children are not on their benefits.

Read the full story below:
10,000 Ohioans Lose Food Stamps Over Work Rules