"I would suggest that anyone who can, make a cash donation to their local food shelf.My charity of choice for this is PRISM in Golden Valley...
Cash enables them to buy food more efficiently than we can, and does them more good than a few leftover soup cans."
The Get Help function on Hunger Solutions looks like it can help you find your local shelves. Whether you want to give or receive.
Bloomberg Food Stamp Benefits Drop
NYT Farm Bill Lobbying
MinnPost Temporary Food Aid Expires
MinnPost 3 MN Lawmakers on Farm Bill Committee
NFU Farm Bill Summaries
With all the Farm and Food Program discussions occurring, I had the following questions and thoughts...
"Any idea why in the world people want SNAP funded at the federal level?And ....
It seems this should be a local or state issue?
Also, the farm program subsidizes the meals of all pre-school and school children. (ie Poor, Middle Class and Rich) The poor get a "full reimbursement" and the others get about a 50% subsidy.
Why don't they cut the partial subsidy and ear mark it for the poor? Thoughts?
I'll never understand why they don't move all the welfare into one department...Thoughts or answers?
Maybe people are concerned that if we actually knew of much money is in that bucket at the federal, state and local levels, we may be even less excited to fund it. And wonder how we can have any poor people at all.
Does anyone know how many dollars are in the total welfare bucket?
And how much goes to recipients? And how much goes to run the system?
13 comments:
Big E states their view regarding the food program reduction. MPP GOP Message to Poor
What I found interesting about their view was the comparison of the "supplementary payment" to a "per diem".
The first which is a gift from the "government / tax payers" to those who are financially challenged. This is pure welfare since the individuals have done nothing of value to earn the benefit. It is to help them buy food. (ie supplement)
Whereas a per diem is to pay for an employee's extra expenses that are generated when they are travelling for business purposes. It is a business expense, unless Big E is proposing that employees should pay business travel expenses. Since I have spent ~$15,000 on business travel since June, I hope my company doesn't start following Big E's thought pattern.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Wiki Per Diem
Those who have run the numbers claim that total "means tested programs" total close to $1 TRILLION every year, meaning that the 50 million people "living in poverty" SHOULD BE making $20,000 each ($60,000 for a family of three) with no other income! That's more than median family income in the US, for POOR people. Now, show me a statistical breakout where the bottom of the curve is higher than the median, and I will concede that government welfare is NOT the most horribly inefficient way of caring for the poor.
Why would we want the SNAP benefit funded at the federal level? To ensure equitable funding across states.
Why do we give school lunch money program dollars to the schools versus the families? To make sure the dollars go to feeding the kids.
To be equitable... Why is that important? It seems States and Communities would be better able to determine what is right for their community / culture.
Or do you believe State gov'ts really serve no purpose anymore?
Maybe we could save money by getting rid of Local and State govts.
The question was why are we subsiding lunches for ALL children, not just the needy? Not why do we give it to the school?
Somebody keep the matches away from the strawmen. Is that the only trick you have in your bag?
Is this your definition of strawman?
Why do you find the idea that welfare belongs at the community / state level so far fetched?
Our government is based on having State and Federal governments, each with specific roles. It seems to me the role of the Federal government was interstate management, national defense, etc, and the States were to address the needs of their state / citizens.
Somehow the Liberals convinced folks that the Feds should enter the realm of SS, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare, etc. In some ways it may make sense, however to me it seems like people trying to control States that think differently than them. And it also requires an expensive Federal bureaucracy.
Now abolishing slavery and addressing civil rights issues seemed like good reasons to intrude on State rights. But to force the national collection and distribution of funds seems a bit like over reach.
So where again is this strawman?
By the way, you never addressed the question.
"The question was why are we subsiding lunches for ALL children, not just the needy? Not why do we give it to the school?"
Where's the strawman? You suggested I think state governments serve no purpose.
I think social programs should be a shared responsibility between federal, state, and local authorities.
Why do we give the money to the school for all students? There's a long history there, John. But for the most part, it comes down to that without the subsidy, most schools would not have a school lunch program -- and that would leave many poor children in the lurch. Charity wasn't getting the job done, so government stepped in.
Why do you think schools would not have a lunch program if tax payers weren't paying for it? I am sure it would be smaller because more people would be packing a lunch for little Jimmy, rather than pay the full expense.
However if you truly want to spend money on the needy, and Conservatives want to cut the food program... Then it seems simple to me, stop subsidizing the food for the middle and upper class kids. That would then free up more money for the needy. Reimbursement Rates
And just think, it would have a minimal impact on schools with a high population of free lunch kids.
Just curious what roles do you want State and Local government to fulfill? If not care for their citizens?
Who said I want state and local government to do something else?
Well it seems like you want the Feds to feed our citizens, to provide them healthcare, to provide them disability benefits, provide unemployment benefits, fund their retirement, pay for disasters, etc. (just guessing on some of these...) All with money that the Feds get from us.
And you are concerned that the food stamp reduction may lead to funding that is not equitable across States. Which to me implies that you have little faith in States to take proper care of their own citizens.
So yes, I am curious what important tasks you think the Local and State governments can be trusted with regarding their citizens? I guess we still have Public education for now.
Another timely case of the Feds supposedly knowing better than the citizens of specific States...
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