Monday, February 2, 2009

SNAP

No, I am not snapping my fingers high in the air after saying a witty comment, I'm also not snapping in tune to a song I am listening to; so what I am talking about - SNAP.
SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the new Food Stamps program in a nutshell.
We are all (ok maybe not ALL of us) ecstatic with the departure of the Bush regime, and the welcome change to President Obama. In the midst of all our celebrating, I'd like you to take a minute to think about SNAP.
Currently 1 in 10 Americans are receiving assistance from SNAP, in numbers, that's about 28 million people per month. In the land of plenty, that's a pretty high number of empty stomachs and open mouths to feed.
Now, lets look at just what SNAP can do for you, should you pass all the stringent criteria to be able to receive assistance (basically you can own nothing and you must be penniless or damn near close to it). The average monthly benefit in 2007 was $96 per person and $215 per household.
President Obama's proposed economic stimulus plan may have the ability to increase the funding for food stamps, or as it's now known, SNAP.
Many people feel that food stamps and public assistance is a crutch. I am not saying that it is not sometimes abused, but I do not feel it is a crutch, more-so a mechanism to ease the economic pains of the non-working and the working poor.
Our For You To Ponder - Could you feed yourself sufficiently on $96/month? Could you feed your household on $215/month? After reading the numbers, how do you feel about SNAP overall?

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:06 AM

    I'm confused, I know alot of people that are getting way more than 215 a month in food stamps. how do they do that? I'm ok with people getting food stamps but its the ones that abuse the system that make it hard to get more money for the system

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  2. Anonymous12:41 PM

    I will admit to being a person who used to oppose the whole food stamp welfare deal but in recent years, especially the last of the Bush years my opinion has changed. Many hard working Americans have found themselves without a job and without a means to support their family. A program like SNAP has been good at keeping families fed until people are able to return to work and supporting themselves.

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  3. Anonymous1:40 PM

    Money being spent overseas on war related things should be diverted back to the US to handle economic strains such as this.

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  4. Anonymous6:25 PM

    I'm guessing the republicans will oppose Obama's stimulus package because it contains things like making more funds available for programs like food stamps. No way the for the rich to make a buck on a stimulus plan so they will fight it.

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  5. Anonymous8:24 PM

    Instead of renaming the food stamp program why not revamp it so the number of hungry children in America decreases.

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  6. Anonymous6:03 PM

    Red, to answer your question on why some get more than others, its because there are many variables in deciding the amount a person or family will receive. The numbers quoted in the blog were probably an average.

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