Comments on: What Hath Big Government Wrought?

By: mom2oneson

mom2oneson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:48:35 +0000

Here are the full benefit and gross income levels to qualify. You can see how the # of children drives up the benefit for what I wrote about about above.The first number the household size and the second is the benefit amount. It might be different for AK and HI and PR.

1 $ 200

2 $ 367

3 $ 526

4 $ 668

5 $ 793

6 $ 952

7 $ 1,052

8 $ 1,202

Each additional person… $ 150

By: mom2oneson

mom2oneson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:34:11 +0000

Most women I know on fs or not under 45 that are single have a boyfriend that helps them in some way. I only know a handful that don’t have a boyfriend or go from bf to bf. OTOH She could be married and maybe it’s a parents or relatives car. I know the same thing where a married women will not work to keep public assistance benefits for the household (even though she may be sanctioned herself from only her food stamp allotment for not working) and she may have “help” from her or his parents like maybe it’s their car she is using. I guess I’m saying I doubt she owns it but has access to drive that vehicle. Public assistance only counts income and assets and it’s just a paper trail. Someone could be living with a boyfriend but have them sign then they are “renting” a room (to show the shelter expense) and it’s acceptable to the caseworker.
The prepared food/high quality food is becuase the allotment amounts are sometimes high compared to how much food they need especially if there are young children in the household. Young children do not come close to eating how much their allotment is, especially with WIC buying milk or formula. The larger the household the higher the benefit amount. I do think that is one thing that should be changed, for young kids the benefit amount should be reduced some. IF they are in daycare or preschool or school they are probably eating breakfast and lunch there too. Some schools are sening home snack bags for the weekend too. That could leave a situation where the mother has more allotment than she coudl realistically eat if she only bought basic foods. There is no reason for them to spend less than what they are given, the full benefit appears again the next month. The full benefit amount of food stamps is pretty high. Combine that with a small child, WIC and school food and there is plenty to spend. If someone gave you $600 or $800 a month to spend on food and only food and you really couldn’t eat that much buying rice and beans and chicken it would change anyone’s buying habits.
In defense of those on public assistance I’ve found people of all income levels not real interested in cooking basic foods or learning how to coupon or stretching what they buy. I’ve met a lot of people that were comfortable for a LONG time with now reduced incomes that don’t really know how to deal with it and aren’t too interested in learning but think they are really bad off when there is a lot more they could be doing. So it could just be a reflection of our culture in some ways too. I sound really judgemental but I don’t mean to be. I’m just talking from the few experiences I’ve had this past year. The exception here are Mexican immigrants, they seem to well with making rice and beans and basic foods.

Sorry your wife has to deal with rude people I bet she is mentally and physically exhausted at the end of her shift. It’s hard to deal with the public and I bet people are especially rude being rushed to get out of a grocery store.

By: Satori

Satori — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:47 +0000

I understand what you’re saying, although I don’t necessarily mean creating more active policies. Reducing subsidies is a policy change in and of itself. When Congress next takes up an agriculture bill, they need to feel pressure to not continue to create incentives for unhealthy food production.

I’m sure we disagree on Congress’ role in creating other incentives, but I’m fine with having allies on the other side to get rid of the screwed up incentives currently in place.

By: VizBiz

VizBiz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:46:48 +0000

In addition to our small business, my wife took a part-time job at large grocery chain. She comes home with ridiculous food stamp stories. Yesterday she checked out a young lady using food stamps for extremely high quality food. She had multi- colored hair and a fresh tattoo on her FACE! My wife then watched her get in her brand new Range Rover (30 day tags). She was also incredibly rude. My wife said that only a third of the people she sees on food stamps appear to actually need them. Sigh……

By: hickorystick

hickorystick — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:52:13 +0000

I bookmarked it. My daughter also has the same condition. The diet among other things has worked wonders. We keep the diet very strictly. We added corn to the restriction because it seems to help. We cook almost everything from scratch.
I also agree with your second posting. These subsidies keep prices artificially high. They also buy a lot of prepared foods of poor nutritional value. I have always marveled that a person on food stamps buys anything but raw ingredients. If they are desperate enough to ask others to subsidize there food, why would they also pay the additional cost for the food to be prepared for them too?

By: Erick Brockway

Erick Brockway — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:52:17 +0000

By: mom2oneson

mom2oneson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:33:09 +0000

from year to year? Why do republicans keep voting for food stamps and this subsidies? I think food stamps hurt the poor in some ways especially those that don’t use them because it increases food prices. If you go to a store where everyone uses food stamps you will see this. The prices would have to drop if so many people didn’t have a basically unlimited food budget each month. It’s the same thing with medicaid and schip the price of pediatrician visits would drop so many did not have the gov payment.

By: mom2oneson

mom2oneson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:28:18 +0000

for the same reasons – my son’s diet but not the same needs as your daughter. I wanted to post this site, she is is the one that started hillbillyhousewife but has this site now that is GFCF http://www.frugalabundance.com/

That is so funny you said that no fat at the healthfood store that is so true. I am always the only plus sized person in there.

By: hickorystick

hickorystick — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:27:33 +0000

had to go on a Gluten free, Casein-free and Corn-free diet. I began to read labels carefully. Unbelievable the amount of things either corn or wheat is put into. We have been shopping at Whole Foods and PCC because they put products on the shelf that do not contain harmful ingredients. It’s a little weird shopping around people wearing hand-knit wool caps etc. but gotta admit, they aren’t fat.

By: silverbelle1008

silverbelle1008 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:28:03 +0000

The seventies also introduced the microwave,highly processed foods that could be zapped, Mom’s went to work and we became a society of two family incomes – all unintended consequences….

By: Menlo

Menlo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:40:48 +0000

I just respond to the grocery store sales rather than the market prices (assuming there is a difference).

By: Menlo

Menlo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:28:59 +0000

I had to quit soft drinks because they were too bloating. Besides the carbonation, fructose can be difficult to digest and thus gas-producing. Otherwise, I don’t eat anything with a long ingredient list, and I don’t eat out.

I am stunned by people I see consuming these ENORMOUS drinks and these HUGE servings of food given by restaurants. I don’t know how they keep their stomach from rupturing.

I have to admit I am very thankful for regular corn syrup and maltodextrin, both of which came long before HFCS.

I do believe it is people’s own fault who choose to ignore nutrition and ingredient labels or to remain ignorant. Nearly all Americans continue to enjoy a big enough selection of any food in the world for most anyone to get anything he or she could want any day of the year, and anywhere in the country at mostly affordable prices. That was not always the case.

By: antisocial

antisocial — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:23:29 +0000

Another example that shows why regulation/control is bad. These policies have destroyed the balance.

By: Vladimir

Vladimir — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:00:38 +0000

The lesson that a conservative takes from this tale is not to look to Congress for guidance.

There may be some smart individuals in Congress, but when they act collectively, they’re a bunch of imbeciles. They never foresee the consequences of their actions.

One thing for sure, take the highest estimate of the cost of National Health Care, triple it, and you probably have a conservative estimate of the real cost.

By: Vladimir

Vladimir — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:55:44 +0000

…and even commercial storage lockers for bulk meat purchases.

By: VizBiz

VizBiz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:34:07 +0000

Nice to have a conversation with a liberal instead of a face off. Respectfully I disagree to the extent that more policy creates these situations. Conservatism means to provide the opportunties for businesses and protections for the consumer. It’s a delicate balance. Glad to have you aboard.

By: smitch61

smitch61 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:17:16 +0000

Great read…. You took me back quite a few years too!! I remember the news stories on the price of food… I had not thought of that in a very long time. I can vividly remember my parents asking : ” Did you here on the news about the price of meat today?” The would shop accordingly… and remember, we did not have deep freezers back then to stock up when the prices were good.

By: Satori

Satori — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:06:07 +0000

I’m a liberal, although I read RedState and a couple other conservative blogs to keep a balance on my information intake. But I gotta say, I agree with this diary 100%.

Agricultural policy in this country is completely out of whack, and I’m glad to see that people on the right are seeing it, too. There are definitely those on the left that want to see changes in these policies, as well. Maybe activists on both sides can start pressuring Congress to develop a better food policy in this country.

By: nickinvirginia

nickinvirginia — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:55:16 +0000

Then watch the Documentary Food Inc., which explains how the corn/farm lobby in this country combined with fast food restaurants and our poor sense of nutrition in general, has created a self-perpetuation of poor food quality. Also, becaus we simply give all of this excess away to other countries in aid, thy have stopped a lot oftheir farming, which is detrimental to their own well being. It’s a fascinating documentary….sort of like Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle”, but for the 21st century.

By: Third Street

Third Street — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:30:26 +0000

They actually stock Mexican Coke in stores here in south Louisiana. A small fringe benefit of illegal immigration.