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No Soda Bought With Food Stamps?


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Isn't water availabe in jugs? We can get different kinds for less than $1/gallon if bought off the shelf. We have water you can buy that's even cheaper if you bring in your own jugs and fill them. Maybe that's not available everywhere?

 

It's been about 6 years since we lived there, so I'm going off of memory, but I don't honestly remember there being bottled water at the village stores. We flew in several pallets of the one gallon jugs that you are talking about. But at $.10 a pound just for shipping it was very expensive to do that. But it was either that or no coffee for 7 months. Nobody wants to deal with me without my coffee. :lol:

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I'm not talking about food stamps. I'm talking about making the items taxable.

 

Soda and candy are taxable in the state of CT. They're considered to be in the same category as alcohol, cigarettes and personal care items, ie not necessities.

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I don't think pop, candy, chips, cookies etc. should be able to be purchased with food stamps. I feel that they should be limited to dairy, meat, veggies, fruit and in my opinion whole grain breads.

 

When economics are bad: let's see, I can either buy enough white bread to get us through the month or I can buy enough whole grain bread to get us through 1-2wks. What about pasta? Pasta sauce is cheaper in the jar than homemade. BTW, simply because people can buy prepackaged stuff (which saved my butt when I was first learning how to cook) doesn't mean that is all they buy. People also buy spices and seasonings...those aren't food. Sugar is used in baking, cooking, etc. Oils are used for baking and cooking as well. "sorry, but if you are on food stamps, you are only allow bland and tasteless food" :glare: "oh, and you have to pay more for less"

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Eh. I don't buy it. I live in a town that is ultra tiny. I have to drive 24 miles to the next town to visit a WalMart, Home Depot, Movie Theater, etc. Our only grocery store is a small corner market. We have healthier choices than soda here, and they are not 2-3x more expensive. I do not believe people drink soda because it is the only viable option. I believe people drink it out of choice, not necessity.

 

 

Susan

 

:iagree:

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To the poster whose husband was in the military and receiving food stamps, I think it's despicable. Not that you received them, but that your dh's salary was so low that you actually qualified. Anyone who is putting their life on the line in the military should be receiving a high enough salary that they can afford food for their family, including soda and ice cream if they want it. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. I know it's not uncommon. :grouphug:

 

Well, it was WIC, not food stamps, which has a higher salary allowance. Still, not cool. And he was an E-5 at the time. Granted, we were living in CA, so the cost of living was quite high. We seriously lived in da 'hood just so our housing allowance would be more than our rent. Of course, most of that extra money was eaten up by gas due to the 35 minute commute.

 

I didn't post that to gain sympathy, though I do think it is disgusting that military families often have to struggle just to get by. Many families work tons of hours and still have to struggle. Some even have to rely on food stamps to feed their family. I for one am not going to grudge them the occasional indulgence, whether that is a soda or ice cream or candy bar. These families are struggling. They probably worry constantly about money. I know my parents did when we were on food stamps. My mom worked two jobs because my dad couldn't find work during an economic recession. You feel like a failure for having to rely on government assistance, mostly because people look down on you. Every time I went into the store with my WIC vouchers I felt a thousand eyes on me. I wondered if the person behind me in line was judging my every purchase. That really sucks to be in that position. So I refuse to judge others on assistance. It's a crappy enough place to be in.

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But who gets to define "junk?" Slippery slope, IMO.

 

Cookies are bad, but can someone use their food stamps to buy butter, flour and cocoa powder? Is soda a no-no, but Gatorade gets to stay on the list? Seltzer water? Potato chips are a no-go, but what about a bag of corn chips and salsa?

 

See how it gets difficult? I'm not personally comfortable with being that much of a big-brother to anyone, food stamps or not.

 

Ahh au contraire mon cherie :D Butter is bad for you, it would be on the banned list. :lol:

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Ugh.

 

I haven't read all of the responses yet, but that is such a distasteful statement, IMO. I really think it's just gross for you (general you) to make such statements to people. Guess what? It's "my dime" too and I don't give a darn what someone on food stamps buys as long as they're feeding their family. Not my business.

I don't like speeders and tailgaters. My dime helps pay for the highways, shouldn't I get a say on how people drive?

 

 

 

But who gets to define "junk?" Slippery slope, IMO.

 

Cookies are bad, but can someone use their food stamps to buy butter, flour and cocoa powder? Is soda a no-no, but Gatorade gets to stay on the list? Seltzer water? Potato chips are a no-go, but what about a bag of corn chips and salsa?

 

See how it gets difficult? I'm not personally comfortable with being that much of a big-brother to anyone, food stamps or not.

Government run institutions can't get their own nutritional standards straight.

 

I have to confess, I have used food stamps to buy horehound and lemon candy (they make excellent cough drops when one does not have money in the bank for actual coughdrops and you are sick and waiting for the next paycheck). Just an example of how people will take advantage of the extra they may have on their food stamps to meet other needs. Ditto for popsicles, which we see as a must when the flu or a stomach illness is being dealt with.
:iagree: 7up is the one thing I want when I have an upset stomach. Which happens more when you under stress because of lack of money. Which happens when you on food stamps and feeling judged by the world because your dh is out of work. There's enough guilt associated with it.

 

I don't believe anyone chooses to use food stamps. That sounds just stupid there. I did not choose for my son to be disabled, I did not choose there father and I split etc.

 

What about the people who are working full time paying taxes and still need help with their groceries, do they not deserve a soda now and then or an ice cream?

 

So your broke you have to swallow your pride to ask for help and Heaven forbid if you drink a soda or eat a twinkie? If the government is going to tell me how to eat then I think he should tell everyone how to homeschool

:iagree:

 

It's called kicking people when they're down. Hey, let's make them feel even worse than they already feel. :glare:
:iagree:

 

 

My husband was an active-duty Sailor when we received WIC. We still payed taxes AND served our country. And yes, we bought soda with our extra money. Sometimes we even went to a movie (gasp!) I guess we should have just stayed home and wallowed in our poorness.

:iagree: movies :svengo: how dare you!

 

You know what this whole thread ticks me off. My family has been on food stamps for the last year. We finally stopped the benefits, but we still have money left on our card. The allowance for our family size was very generous. We don't take that for granted. The food card allowance was way more than our grocery budget was before. My dh has been under/unemployed for the last year. Finally things are starting to roll again and we've cancelled our benefits, but they don't take away what it already on the card. We're middle aged, dh is 50 and he has worked since he was 18. This is the first time ever we have qualified or sought government help. It has been a blessing to us. We have a full fridge, freezer, and pantry. We've NEVER had that. NEVER. We're very frugal with our money. You know what I'm drinking a soda with lunch, bought with the food card. :001_huh: Don't die of shock. I also have fresh fruit that could never afford, I have meat in my freezer that I could never afford. I have spices and breakfast food. I even have an extra dark chocolate bar stashed in my desk drawer.

 

We are not ungrateful for what we've been given. We're not excited that we've had to utilize a service so many people feel the need to judge. I pray some of you are never in the situation where you need help, because by that point the government may have regulated it to ashes. I think I'll go buy a bottle of wine now, which I will have to pay with my own money. Have a great day everyone. :confused:

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That is not true around here. The little markets have very little fresh foods, they might have bananas. The water in the rural areas is undrinkable. Many people have a soda habit because there is very little choice for drink. I think it is a bad option, and I don't think food stamps should cover soda. But there are reasons why soda has become such a bad addiction in this area.

 

There was a special (on Dateline, I think?) a couple of years ago about the situation in Appalachia and how so many people there have a soda habit. At first I was appalled by the suggestion that soda was really the cheapest option -- and when you're living on a food budget as limited as food stamps, what is cheapest really is the main concern. Then my husband reminded me what it was like when we lived in Alaska. Before that I hadn't really considered why people might choose soda over something healthier. But, we were very fortunate that we had the resources to fly in whatever we needed. People who don't have the resources really are at the mercy of what is available and what they can afford. It's difficult for someone who's never lived in that kind of situation to really grasp it. We really take our abundance of economical choices for granted.

Edited by EJCMom
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In NM, besides food stamps, we have WIC. WIC is for pregnant women and is paid until the baby's 1st birthday. There is a list of food that can be purchased with your WIC money and no other food is allowed. It's stuff like milk, certain whole grain cereals, dried beans, cheese.

 

IMO, foods stamps would work better if they were handled this way. Instead of the list of stuff you can't buy, have a list of stuff you can buy. There are strings when you are using someone else's money. If you don't like; don't use it.

 

For those who say they would starve to death without food stamps; almost all churches have food pantries and will give anyone food regardless of denomination or church attendance. If the churches in your area don't, go to the LDS church.

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In NM, besides food stamps, we have WIC. WIC is for pregnant women and is paid until the baby's 1st birthday. There is a list of food that can be purchased with your WIC money and no other food is allowed. It's stuff like milk, certain whole grain cereals, dried beans, cheese.

 

IMO, foods stamps would work better if they were handled this way. Instead of the list of stuff you can't buy, have a list of stuff you can buy. There are strings when you are using someone else's money. If you don't like; don't use it.

 

For those who say they would starve to death without food stamps; almost all churches have food pantries and will give anyone food regardless of denomination or church attendance. If the churches in your area don't, go to the LDS church.

 

I can't use food pantries. My son will go off the wall with junk food!

 

Limiting food purchases will also limit people like my kids and I who eat pretty darn healthy.

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I can't use food pantries. My son will go off the wall with junk food!

 

Limiting food purchases will also limit people like my kids and I who eat pretty darn healthy.

 

The thing is if you eat healthy then you should be fine. The OP was about limiting soda and junk food.

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Soda and candy are taxable in the state of CT. They're considered to be in the same category as alcohol, cigarettes and personal care items, ie not necessities.

 

I bet the category changed from food so the government could tax their purchase. The USDA says that soda is food.

Edited by RoughCollie
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*sigh*

 

The times my family have qualified for food stamps, we've been employed. Or, at least one of us. In any case, we've been working.

 

So should food stamps be limited to musts? WIC is very limited to what can be purchased. Are you saying SNAP (Food Stamps) should have a very limited list as well? What would that look like, exactly?

 

Good questions. I'm not defending soda as a quality food - or even a food at all. I am questioning the always present assumption in these threads of the percentage of abuse.

 

Where will "we" draw the line on determining the quality of food available to snap recipients? Ok, let's exclude soda.

 

What about PopTarts? They are not good food.

 

Ramen noodles? Cheap and filling, yes, but horrible for you.

 

What about mixed packages, such as lunchables?

 

Cereal. That's could get dicey. Some cereal would me most people's requirements for healthy. Others? Not so much. Where would you put the cut off.

 

We had a legend thread once here about food stamps and birthday cake. Would you exclude prepared cake? What about boxed cake? What about ingredients for cake? Sugar, for example?

 

Or, another angle.

 

I believe in a low carb diet as healthiest. I think added sugar to peanut butter is an atrocity. I think reliance on grain based foods (the basis of the food pyramid) leads to disease.

 

There are others who would feel feeding my children a burger, no bun, is irresponsible.

 

Who decides?

 

Here's the deal. If you don't buy into the stereotype/legend of rampant abuse, most people on food stamps are simply financially struggling. Trust me when I tell you that they don't need further indignity by having the government or homeschool moms on a forum tell them what is acceptable to buy in terms of feeding their family.

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You know what this whole thread ticks me off. My family has been on food stamps for the last year. We finally stopped the benefits, but we still have money left on our card. The allowance for our family size was very generous. We don't take that for granted. The food card allowance was way more than our grocery budget was before. My dh has been under/unemployed for the last year. Finally things are starting to roll again and we've cancelled our benefits, but they don't take away what it already on the card. We're middle aged, dh is 50 and he has worked since he was 18. This is the first time ever we have qualified or sought government help. It has been a blessing to us. We have a full fridge, freezer, and pantry. We've NEVER had that. NEVER. We're very frugal with our money. You know what I'm drinking a soda with lunch, bought with the food card. :001_huh: Don't die of shock. I also have fresh fruit that could never afford, I have meat in my freezer that I could never afford. I have spices and breakfast food. I even have an extra dark chocolate bar stashed in my desk drawer.

 

We are not ungrateful for what we've been given. We're not excited that we've had to utilize a service so many people feel the need to judge. I pray some of you are never in the situation where you need help, because by that point the government may have regulated it to ashes. I think I'll go buy a bottle of wine now, which I will have to pay with my own money. Have a great day everyone. :confused:

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

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Just to be annoying I thought I'd play devil's advocate.

 

I just remembered a case where one could argue that soda is a necessity. I had a friend with a four year old severely autistic son. He would only drink a certain brand of ginger ale. For a while he would not drink anything else, even if dying of thirst. Yes I know (and they knew) it's not good to drink only soda for many many reasons, but at that point in time it's all they had to work with. A few months later they got him to start drinking mango juice too, and now, a few years later, he drinks other things. But for a little while when he was four he needed ginger ale, or he would have had no liquid in his diet.

 

They weren't on food stamps or anything. And I know that this situation would be pretty rare. And I'm still okay with the government taking soda off the food stamps list.

 

But when the government starts making rules about what is good for everybody, I get concerned. People are different, and have all sorts of different health issues to deal with. The purpose of food stamps is to help people be healthy. Massive health regulations would deprive a lot of unique people of the very thing food stamps is made for.

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*sigh*

 

 

 

Here's the deal. If you don't buy into the stereotype/legend of rampant abuse, most people on food stamps are simply financially struggling. Trust me when I tell you that they don't need further indignity by having the government or homeschool moms on a forum tell them what is acceptable to buy in terms of feeding their family.

 

:iagree:Word.

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My only problem with this is the slippery slope issue. After all, Kool-Aid packets are taxable in Ohio, too. If you have a kid who won't drink milk or water, KA is a cost effective way of keeping that kid hydrated. I know it's not ideal... but who draws the line?

 

I don't consider Kool-Aid food, though, either. I don't consider it any different than soda.

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Just to be annoying I thought I'd play devil's advocate.

 

I just remembered a case where one could argue that soda is a necessity. I had a friend with a four year old severely autistic son. He would only drink a certain brand of ginger ale. For a while he would not drink anything else, even if dying of thirst. Yes I know (and they knew) it's not good to drink only soda for many many reasons, but at that point in time it's all they had to work with. A few months later they got him to start drinking mango juice too, and now, a few years later, he drinks other things. But for a little while when he was four he needed ginger ale, or he would have had no liquid in his diet.

 

They weren't on food stamps or anything. And I know that this situation would be pretty rare. And I'm still okay with the government taking soda off the food stamps list.

 

But when the government starts making rules about what is good for everybody, I get concerned. People are different, and have all sorts of different health issues to deal with. The purpose of food stamps is to help people be healthy. Massive health regulations would deprive a lot of unique people of the very thing food stamps is made for.

 

i think that's a good point, but govt programs such as WIC & food stamps tend to look at the needs of the masses and not individual cases unfortunately. programs are usually tailored to meet the needs of "most" people & it doesn't easily lend itself to special circumstances, ykwim? i was a social worker in my previous life and i found that to be an ongoing issue. there could be ways around certain issues, but it required legwork.

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I don't consider Kool-Aid food, though, either. I don't consider it any different than soda.

 

But other people do consider it food. That was why I asked who gets to decide where to draw that line. I don't think we can arbitrarily say, "This is MY line, so everyone else must stay within it." There's no way to personalize this stuff and I have known kids who would drink nothing else. (Because of knowing those people, I've made a point of introducing & pushing water as the main available drink to my DC... but I can't make everyone do that.) The point is to keep families from starving. That may sound melodramatic, but it is the reality for many families. If my options are to watch a child dehydrate or to give that child Kool-Aid.... KWIM?

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Where will "we" draw the line on determining the quality of food available to snap recipients? Ok, let's exclude soda.

 

What about PopTarts? They are not good food. You can buy a canister of oatmeal for the same price and have a week or two worth of breakfast.

 

Ramen noodles? Cheap and filling, yes, but horrible for you. You can buy a bag of brown rice for the same price and it would last a week or longer.

 

What about mixed packages, such as lunchables? You could but a few cans of beans, to go with the rice, and make a few meals for the price of one lunchable.

 

Cereal. That's could get dicey. Some cereal would me most people's requirements for healthy. Others? Not so much. Where would you put the cut off. You can buy oatmeal re: above, or eggs and have breakfast for a week or two for the price of one box of cereal.

 

We had a legend thread once here about food stamps and birthday cake. Would you exclude prepared cake? What about boxed cake? What about ingredients for cake? Sugar, for example?

 

 

 

.

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I don't think anyone's saying that there should never be any treats ever for a family on food stamps.

 

What has been said is treats can be bought with cash, as opposed to food stamps.

 

As I mentioned earlier,we've been in the situation where an extra $5 or $10 can take us a month to come up with, so I truly do understand the financial struggle. Honest.

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.What about PopTarts? They are not good food. You can buy a canister of oatmeal for the same price and have a week or two worth of breakfast.Ramen noodles? Cheap and filling, yes, but horrible for you. You can buy a bag of brown rice for the same price and it would last a week or longer.

 

What about mixed packages, such as lunchables? You could but a few cans of beans, to go with the rice, and make a few meals for the price of one lunchable.

 

Cereal. That's could get dicey. Some cereal would me most people's requirements for healthy. Others? Not so much. Where would you put the cut off.

 

You can buy oatmeal re: above, or eggs and have breakfast for a week or two for the price of one box of cereal.

 

You completely missed (or maybe proved) my point. You don't get to decide what is best, nutrionally, for other families.

 

I'm not defending the above as good, or even acceptable choices. I'm defending the autonomy and dignity of people who qualify for benefits.

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Well, it was WIC, not food stamps, which has a higher salary allowance. Still, not cool. And he was an E-5 at the time. Granted, we were living in CA, so the cost of living was quite high. We seriously lived in da 'hood just so our housing allowance would be more than our rent. Of course, most of that extra money was eaten up by gas due to the 35 minute commute.

 

I didn't post that to gain sympathy, though I do think it is disgusting that military families often have to struggle just to get by. Many families work tons of hours and still have to struggle. Some even have to rely on food stamps to feed their family. I for one am not going to grudge them the occasional indulgence, whether that is a soda or ice cream or candy bar. These families are struggling. They probably worry constantly about money. I know my parents did when we were on food stamps. My mom worked two jobs because my dad couldn't find work during an economic recession. You feel like a failure for having to rely on government assistance, mostly because people look down on you. Every time I went into the store with my WIC vouchers I felt a thousand eyes on me. I wondered if the person behind me in line was judging my every purchase. That really sucks to be in that position. So I refuse to judge others on assistance. It's a crappy enough place to be in.

 

I'm sorry. I'm not really familiar with the differences between WIC and food stamps. Either way, no military family should need them. I'm sorry that you felt judged. That must be a horrible place to be. Honestly, when I lived in the States I never even noticed how anyone in front of me was paying. And no one should judge others. I'm not talking about giving someone in front of me the evil-eye. I was merely saying that I support NYC's initiative to disallow soda in the food stamp program.

 

 

I think you missed the posts from the person referring to Alaska. The stores tend to run out of those things and it can be awhile before the next plane in. So you buy what is available. Living in the city, no, my corner store does not sell tea bags (I'm a big tea drinker...skip the soda, give me tea and coffee!).

 

BTW, I have to ask...what is the difference between tea and soda? Both are flavoured water with sugar. Both have very little to no nutritional value (unless you are purchasing the pricier herbal teas...but the average everyday tea is black tea). One IS cheaper than the other (you can get 100 teabags for the price of a 2L). One is hard on the gallbladder and the other sucks the iron out of you.

 

I guess I did miss those posts. I haven't read the entire thread. I was responding to the original post which was referring to NYC. I suppose Alaska would need to make different laws.

 

The difference between soda and tea is that tea is a LOT cheaper, and it is not so full of horrible chemicals. I won't say that it's healthy, but I wouldn't put it in the same category as soda.

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You completely missed (or maybe proved) my point. You don't get to decide what is best, nutrionally, for other families.

 

I'm not defending the above as good, or even acceptable choices. I'm defending the autonomy and dignity of people who qualify for benefits.

How is dignity based upon the ability to buy junk food?

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I guess the thing that I have never really understood about these threads is that the amount of food stamps that a family receives is based on their income and whatever other qualifying factors the government has determined. They will receive that amount whether they buy nothing but soda and junk food or nothing but healthy food. What difference does it *really* make to any of us how they choose to spend it. They are going to get the same amount regardless of what they spend it on? Why are people so controlling when it comes to what other people do? I truly don't understand the point of it.

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I don't think anyone's saying that there should never be any treats ever for a family on food stamps.

 

What has been said is treats can be bought with cash, as opposed to food stamps.

 

As I mentioned earlier,we've been in the situation where an extra $5 or $10 can take us a month to come up with, so I truly do understand the financial struggle. Honest.

 

What about the earlier poster who said they had to report any extra money at the end of the month and the next month's aid would be reduced by that amount? In many places its almost as if the gov't doesn't want to really help you get out of needing aid but seems to want to keep you there.

 

I honestly don't care what people do with food stamp money. If they're on it there is a need. I volunteered in a few food pantries in our area and I watched kids pick up food that I wouldn't even feed my dog. Most of it was expired or was expiring in a few days and none of it looked appealing. I honestly would have rather watched them pick out junk at the store on food stamps than take that food home.

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You completely missed (or maybe proved) my point. You don't get to decide what is best, nutrionally, for other families.

 

I'm not defending the above as good, or even acceptable choices. I'm defending the autonomy and dignity of people who qualify for benefits.

 

 

You're right. I might have missed the point you were making. My point is there are healthier choices then you listed, that cost less and will stretch the food dollar which is important if you are on food stamps and even if your not. I have been on food stamps before. I still don't think junk food and soda should be allowed. And for what it's worth when we were on food stamps I baked my kids cakes from either a box or scratch. Still do 99% of the time.

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What about the earlier poster who said they had to report any extra money at the end of the month and the next month's aid would be reduced by that amount? In many places its almost as if the gov't doesn't want to really help you get out of needing aid but seems to want to keep you there.

 

I honestly don't care what people do with food stamp money. If they're on it there is a need. I volunteered in a few food pantries in our area and I watched kids pick up food that I wouldn't even feed my dog. Most of it was expired or was expiring in a few days and none of it looked appealing. I honestly would have rather watched them pick out junk at the store on food stamps than take that food home.

I believe the situation that was mentioned was the bills were reduced by $60, which impacted the benefits.

 

Having a few dollars in hand put aside, I don't know how that would reduce benefits. Are food stamps meant to cover all food expenses for the month, nothing else to be spent? Not being snarky at all, as I said, we don't have the program in Canada, so I don't know how it works.

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I was in line yesterday behind a woman using WIC vouchers. She wanted to buy baby food peaches, but apparently they aren't allowed on WIC. The cashier told her it is because they are too high in sugar (I am assuming they were the dessert kind, not just fruit,) so the cashier rang her peas up three times to cover the two contraband jars.

 

Similarly, you can go to stores in the city and, through a third party, use them to buy anything you want. ;)

 

Though I would agree that pop should be allowed because it isn't food, in the end only education will really change anyone's diet, not rules.

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Originally Posted by Joanne viewpost.gif

 

Where will "we" draw the line on determining the quality of food available to snap recipients? Ok, let's exclude soda.

 

What about PopTarts? They are not good food. You can buy a canister of oatmeal for the same price and have a week or two worth of breakfast.

 

Ramen noodles? Cheap and filling, yes, but horrible for you. You can buy a bag of brown rice for the same price and it would last a week or longer.

 

What about mixed packages, such as lunchables? You could but a few cans of beans, to go with the rice, and make a few meals for the price of one lunchable.

 

Cereal. That's could get dicey. Some cereal would me most people's requirements for healthy. Others? Not so much. Where would you put the cut off. You can buy oatmeal re: above, or eggs and have breakfast for a week or two for the price of one box of cereal.

 

I would simply adore someone to tell my autistic son he can't have capt crunch lol. I would love to see them watch as day after day he turns from mushy oatmeal he gags on to being hungry. Are you all gonna bury him too? With autism there is no give, it takes years to get them to eat things.

I would love for you to feed my highly allergic little girl some eggs, are you paying for al the epi pens I am going to need or will you just let her throat close, hey wouldn't have to feed her anymore.

In risk of playing mommy's princess, there is no way on Gods green earth will anyone ever put rice in front of me and keep their hand. I would rather die and that is no joke.

Let's tell that single mom whos husband ran out on her and can't get a court date for child support in over a year that she can't let her son have some pudding. I cannot believe the selfishness in this thread or this people on this board. I mean her life don't suck enough does it? Let's make it worse by really showing her she is helpless. I hope when Jesus comes back he has some cash for a soda cause he sure won't get one around you all.

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You're right. I might have missed the point you were making. My point is there are healthier choices then you listed, that cost less and will stretch the food dollar which is important if you are on food stamps and even if your not. I have been on food stamps before. I still don't think junk food and soda should be allowed. And for what it's worth when we were on food stamps I baked my kids cakes from either a box or scratch. Still do 99% of the time.

 

And there are a lot of people who would say that the cake mix and the oil you used in it are junk food.

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And I worry that it would leave families with no knowledge of nutritional cooking, and no *time* (single mother working two jobs, frex) without food to feed their kids. ...so many folks wouldn't know what to *do* with brown rice, dried beans, fresh spinach, and a little cheese. To make a strict program work, we'd need to invest in educational programming as well... which is more expense, and more set-up time/energy/negotiating.

 

 

When we were on WIC I had to go for a meeting once every 3 months? and have an iron test done, so did the little ones. I had to meet with a person and discuss our food diary and healthy choices. Maybe something along this idea? I don't know how it would work ligistically, though.

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Pop has no nutritional value. I personally don't see an issue with the suggestion.

 

And yes, we do go to ginger ale if someone is ill, but I can get a 1L bottle for $1, so it wouldn't be a hardship to pay cash for it when needed.

 

We don't have food stamps in Canada. I wish we did. It would be a God send to ppl having specific funds for food. Last I checked, welfare barely covered the average rent, and thats the entire cheque...leaving next to nothing for food or bills.

 

I also think this thread will go nuts, judging from past threads :lol:

 

 

I don't know, Imp. I don't think food stamps are better. Here, you get assistance and you do with the money what you need to do with it. Sure, that means some people make poor choices, but it's still their choice. There is more personal freedom and personal accountability in our welfare system than in the US welfare system, AFAIC. With food stamps, they can get quite dictatorial in what you can and cannot buy with it (article in OP as case in point). There is a program called WIC that is just for women and children that is extremely limited in what you can purchase.

 

IMO, there are far too many welfare "programs" in the US. I prefer our system where there is one program -- Social Assistance -- and you qualify for varying levels of assistance, then are personally responsible for using the money given according to your personal needs.

 

Not to say that SA is perfect -- far from it -- but I prefer it over the hodge-podge of programs in the US.

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When we were on WIC I had to go for a meeting once every 3 months? and have an iron test done, so did the little ones. I had to meet with a person and discuss our food diary and healthy choices. Maybe something along this idea? I don't know how it would work ligistically, though.

 

 

Would everyone recieve childcare to do these meetings, would there be transportation for those who cannot drive? Will employers understand yet another day they must take off when they already lose so much time for childrens appts and illnesses.

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"Very temporary..."? Almost sounds like a wish. Nice.

 

No, it's just a fact. I am not wishing bad things for anyone. But the fact is that life can change for anyone very quickly and unexpectedly. It's nice to find yourself (universal "you") in a situation where you aren't worried about food. But that is not everyone's reality. And it may not be yours (universal "yours") forever either. :chillpill:

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When we were on WIC I had to go for a meeting once every 3 months? and have an iron test done, so did the little ones. I had to meet with a person and discuss our food diary and healthy choices. Maybe something along this idea? I don't know how it would work ligistically, though.

 

Logistically? A nightmare. It took my dh more than a dozen phone calls tried over a period of days to simply get through to a human to CANCEL our benefits. There was no paperwork involved at all, just a phone call.

 

If they don't have enough staffing to answer the phone, how are they going to afford staff to oversee all the food benefit recipients? They could raise taxes, but I don't think anyone wants that.

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Would everyone recieve childcare to do these meetings, would there be transportation for those who cannot drive? Will employers understand yet another day they must take off when they already lose so much time for childrens appts and illnesses.

 

Notice I said I don't know how it would work logistically? I don't, but I do think education would help some people. Maybe offer it, not mandatory? Maybe the young single mom wants to know how to feed her famiily better, but doesn't know where to turn.

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No, it's just a fact. I am not wishing bad things for anyone. But the fact is that life can change for anyone very quickly and unexpectedly. It's nice to find yourself (universal "you") in a situation where you aren't worried about food. But that is not everyone's reality. And it may not be yours (universal "yours") forever either. :chillpill:

 

Exactly. We've lived frugally for years. The slowing economy, exacerbated by trickle down effects from an oil spill was our downfall. Maybe we should have sued BP instead. :tongue_smilie:

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On what basis does anyone deserve ice cream or chocolate, particularly ice cream or chocolate purchased with my dime?

 

Fully agree with the others who have pointed out the difference between wants and needs.

 

Terri

 

 

Oh please! This whole "my dime" garbage is just... garbage! It's not YOUR dime. It's the whole collective of taxpayers' dimes. What you put in isn't YOURS anymore! It belongs to the whole country. You do NOT get to pick and choose to fund this program or that program because it isn't your money anymore.

 

Laying claim to public money is a crude and selfish attempt to lay shame on people who need assistance. Did you ever stop to think that SHE put in HER dimes, too?? Is she not allowed to reap the benefits of the collective funds just like you? You may not be benefitting in the form of assistance, but you are benefitting every time you drive on a public road, use a public service or get a chance to cheer on your troops.

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When we were on WIC I had to go for a meeting once every 3 months? and have an iron test done, so did the little ones. I had to meet with a person and discuss our food diary and healthy choices. Maybe something along this idea? I don't know how it would work ligistically, though.

 

I quit WIC when they redflagged me for not having my kids' vaxes up to date, despite the fact that they were medically exempt. They wanted to send a nurse to my house every other week to "check on them" because of it.

 

I think I went to two classes and that was it. The video was pretty stupid to be honest and not helpful whatsoever. The other was on breastfeeding, not that I wasn't already in familiar territory on that one either.

 

Their nutritional counseling was all based on what the government said and did not take into consideration the child's health issues, body structure, genetics, etc. If my child didn't have an exact portion (not more, not less) I got lectured about it.

 

They quit their mom-to-mom breastfeeding program. Now only licensed lactational consultants are permitted. That costs more and they don't necessarily help more. I actually had a nurse from WIC call me (she's related to someone I know) and ask me to come over and help her with her challenges on breastfeeding her son....and I'm not a licensed lactational consultant.

 

The list of food is sometimes taken subjectively by stores. I was able to get Muenster cheese (the only kind I could handle during pregnancy) at one store. Then suddenly I found myself in an argument with a clerk and manager over it. It's not "flavoured" cheese (aka pepperjack, etc). But they admitted they weren't familiar with it, so they didn't know for sure, so they decided to arbitrarily think of it as "flavoured". It's a PITA when you have people in line behind you are sighing and huffing and puffing while the clerk is checking every stinking ounce (because you can't go half an ounce over and if you get the other box then you lose out on 6oz, etc...and you know what, you can get more ounces with the carppy stuff than you can when you try to get the stuff with the nuts and fruit in it...because that weighs more!). You just can't win with WIC half the time. Now the checks they gave you for the farmer's markets (when you can find one that accepts them) was awesome.

Edited by mommaduck
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