Seems like the 47% went big for Romney.
I particularly like the compassion displayed in this quotation:
Cleda Turner, director of the Owsley County Outreach Corp., a non-profit that distributes food to children through schools before they go home for the weekend, said she would like to see greater restrictions on what can be purchased.
“I don’t think starving the children is the answer, but I think there should be real strict restrictions,” she said.From your mouth to Congress's ears, Cleda.
From your link:
ReplyDelete"We supported both versions of the farm bill because we believe we must strengthen our social safety net for those who need it by reforming our broken food stamp system that, according to the Obama administration, has sent $2.7 billion in improper SNAP payments so far this year,” the letter said. “Reforming the food stamp program is not about being ’spiteful’ or denying people benefits; it’s about eliminating the waste that prevents Kentucky families who truly need help from getting it."
Most people would think that worth mentioning.
It is also probably worth mentioning that the story doesn't say a word about what Ms. Turner means by "restrictions".
Well, actually, it does: "... what can be purchased."
There already are restrictions on what can be purchased.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that the food stamp program is 'broken' is a rightwing falsehood that goes back to Reagan's racist attacks on 'strapping young bucks' getting free food.
$2.7 billion in 'improper' (not defined) transfers is trivial in context. If, say, the Air Force had been held to that sort of error rate, we'd have calls to shut down the Air Force.
An easy way to 'fix' the perceived problem would be for private businesses to pay so much for labor that employees could, you know, buy food.
What a concept.
... our broken food stamp system that, according to the Obama administration, has sent $2.7 billion in improper SNAP payments so far this year.
ReplyDeleteHow many billions does it take to consider a program broken?
(NB: Republicans aren't looking to shut it down, but rather impose some discipline on a program that is getting out of control. But that's OK, you are in good company. Krugman made the same mistake a week or so ago.)
No, they are trying to shut it down, to prevent the vast outflow of king crab legs to brown people.
ReplyDeleteI dunno how many billions. But Lehman misplaced $630 billion, more or less, which I considered evidence of breakage and got pushback from the free marketeers. So whatever the cutoff is, it's a lot more than a mere $2.7 billion.
In military terms, the cost overruns of the Littoral Non-combat Ship would cover the misapplications on food stamps until roughly 2300. The rightwing push to 'fix' LNS is not non-existent but is almost invisible compared to the racist war on food stamps.