No soda on food stamps?

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kiryan
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No soda on food stamps?

Postby kiryan » Mon Oct 11, 2010 3:36 pm

I'm actually somewhat in favor of the proposal by NY to limit the purchase of sugary drinks using foodstamps. I thought I read at some point that it might cover candy bars too.

I'm 100% in support of this push. If you are on food stamps you should not be buying candy bars and you should be drinking water or milk. Also, I don't think you should be buying expensive bottled water. The only caveat I will add is that soda is often cheaper than the alternatives. As a matter of fact, we should cost / waste analyze food stamp purchases and use that data to change food stamp recipients buying habits. If they spend too much on drinks or soda or candy or high priced crap / over priced stuff bought at convenience stores, they should have their benefits reduced.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... ns_newyork

Messrs. Bloomberg and Paterson have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to bar the use of food stamps by city residents to purchase sugar-sweetened beverages.

The proposed change would be a two-year trial, during which the city would study the impact and whether it was improving the eating habits of food-stamp recipients.

There are about 1.7 million food-stamp recipients in New York City, and federal officials say nationally about 6% of food-stamp purchases are sugary beverages.
...
Nearly 40% of city public school students in kindergarten through eight grade are overweight or obese, according to city officials.
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Re: No soda on food stamps?

Postby Corth » Mon Oct 11, 2010 4:32 pm

How about lobster and filet mignon? If you have sufficient resources to keep yourself fed for the month, and still have food stamps left over for upscale foods, then you are either getting too much public assistance or shouldn't be getting it at all.
Having said all that, the situation has been handled, so this thread is pretty much at an end. -Kossuth

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kiryan
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Re: No soda on food stamps?

Postby kiryan » Mon Oct 11, 2010 4:43 pm

agree.

but then if you want to go there, maybe we should just go back to having the food distribution centers where we could audit what is bought and negotiate for better pricing for buying good, healthy food in bulk.

Oh wait, that would harm their dignity. which now that I think about it, is really a throwback to culture 30 years ago in my opinion who would almost rather starve to death than be on a government program. Today we're all on government programs.
teflor the ranger
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Re: No soda on food stamps?

Postby teflor the ranger » Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:39 pm

Food stamps shouldn't be abused by their recipients. However, it is another thing to ensure that they don't using the full force of the Federal government. Perhaps SNAP could benefit from an inventory system such as the one used by FSAs, where stores must install inventory equipment that says what SNAP benefits can purchase (FYI, SNAP is the food stamp program).

But, the fundamental problem is that you can't subsidize a standard of living that emphasizes freedom of choice without releasing control ... including control over the costs of such a program and control over how the people use it.

So the crux of the problem is about the nature of welfare programs. Are we providing assistance, or are we subsidizing a way of life? Are all Americans entitled to the American Dream? Or should it be for the people that work hard for it?
Teflor does. Teflor does not.
kiryan
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Re: No soda on food stamps?

Postby kiryan » Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:45 pm

still waiting for a liberal. come on there must be some problem here with infringing upon the rights and dignity of the poor. but since no one is biting, I'll just jump to my counter argument.

Why is it ok for Obama to tell the banks and the car companies how to run their business since US tax dollars bailed them out, when we can't tell poor people how to eat and live when US tax dollars bail them out.
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Re: No soda on food stamps?

Postby Sarvis » Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:49 pm

kiryan wrote:still waiting for a liberal. come on there must be some problem here with infringing upon the rights and dignity of the poor. but since no one is biting, I'll just jump to my counter argument.

Why is it ok for Obama to tell the banks and the car companies how to run their business since US tax dollars bailed them out, when we can't tell poor people how to eat and live when US tax dollars bail them out.


You realize that you just admitted you're trolling right? Because none of us argued against your post, you argued against it yourself. Seriously dude, at least Teflor puts up a better front.
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teflor the ranger
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Re: No soda on food stamps?

Postby teflor the ranger » Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:55 pm

As Teflor does not feel, Kiryan does not care.
Teflor does. Teflor does not.
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Re: No soda on food stamps?

Postby Ragorn » Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:25 pm

Sarvis wrote:You realize that you just admitted you're trolling right? Because none of us argued against your post, you argued against it yourself. Seriously dude, at least Teflor puts up a better front.

We know he's just trolling. That's why I basically just troll him back in the threads I choose to participate in.
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Re: No soda on food stamps?

Postby Sarvis » Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:28 pm

True, but wanted to call him out on poor quality of his trolling at least. :P
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