In U.S., 14% Rely on Food Stamps
By Sara Murray
Some 42,389,619 Americans received food stamps in August, a 17% rise from the same time a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That number is up 58.5% from August 2007, before the recession began. Ref. Source 3
Food stamp applications skyrocket in South Florida:
Nearly 1 million South Floridians need food stamps to get by - an increase of almost 200,000 in the last year alone. That jump is more than the entire population of Fort Lauderdale. Ref. Source 9
I am all for helping the needy, but I do get a little upset when I see the person in front of me in the US using food stamps to buy a basket full of junk food. A little junk food is OK, but if that is your diet then the government will be paying twice with their bad health.
Last time I was in the US, I got to watch a lady use food stamps to buy some seriously thick nice cuts of steak that I wouldn't even pay for... I am not sure that was the spirit behind the program.
There are limits...but the limits are mostly on alcohol, tobacco and beauty products.
Source 3
Also, they don't want you to use them to buy hot prepared foods on site. My sister always talks about the person that comes into the store and buys a big basket full of junk food and then drives off in their BMW or name the luxury car. It is a good program at heart that is abused relentlessly.
Based on the following from th link they do allow "junkj food" I guess as a reason for the children in a household, but if you were really limited with money would you want to spend it on "Soft drinks, candy, cookies, snack crackers, and ice cream are food items and are therefore eligible items" just because they are "food items"?
I think you answered the question with your question...
If you were really needy, would this be your spending habit? Probably, not. Which is why they shouldnt be driving a really nice new car to the grocery either in most cases. This is what aggrivates many about the program. When we get to watch all the abuses of it...
I have also been in places in Pennsylvania where there were poor that were using their food stamps and you could tell they were making that money go as far as they could...from the store they went to (ALDI's) and the car (least a 20yr old car) that they drove. In that case...the program worked as it should!
Edited: Vincenzo on 11th Jan, 2011 - 3:04am