This is not the headline you see this weekend. More typical is “House Republicans pass deep cuts in food stamps” like the New York Times. It is not until deep in the article you realize the “deep” cuts of 40 Million are over 10 years. That’s for a program that will still spend $700 Billion with a “B” after the deep cuts. Two other provisions included with the trimming are to drug test recipients if they want our generosity and preventing lottery winners from receiving food stamps.
No one can deny that when the Democrats control government food stamps are needed for some to get by. That is why it was so easy for Democrats to have a parade of victims who they claim would starve if a 5% cut is enacted. Nancy Pelosi stated it was a brutal cut in feeding the American people. The Washington Post claimed it hurt women and children most. David Beckman well paid president of “Bread for the World” stated the 5% cuts are doing away with all food charity in the country.
In a country whose poor are not fighting hunger but obesity is the food stamp program really run efficiently? Food stamps or SNAP comes not from the Department of Health and Human Services but 80% of the department of Agriculture’s budget. The American taxpayers deserve not only an honest assessment of each “welfare” program but that every dollar is watched carefully. Stories of abuse of the system are rampant. In response to the parade of victims below is a parade of abuses you might not have heard about.
First is the “Surfer Dude” who says work is just not for him. Watch the enclosed video as he feasts on sushi and lobster at our expense. (http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/08/10/shocking-fox-news-reporting-interview-unabashed-surfer-receiving-food-stamps )
Not as well know is our additional foreign ad food stamps provide to Jamaica, Haiti and Dominican Republic. It seems food stamps pay so well some can even feed their out of country relatives. (http://nypost.com/2013/07/21/ny-food-stamp-recipients-are-shipping-welfare-funded-groceries-to-relatives-in-jamaica-dominican-republic-and-haiti/ )
That’s just the small time fraud how about organized fraud that cost almost as much as the Republicans want to cut? (http://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/retailers-arrested-food-stamp-fraud )
Then there are the stories of fraud and abuse that don’t make the news. How many readers have stood on line at the supermarket grasping coupons to stretch your dollar behind an overweight tattooed baby momma with a basket full of the finest meats, seafood and snacks who casually swipes an EBT card before loading their bounty into a new SUV? Seeing someone become outraged and abandoning a full cart of food because “their” money was not yet on the EBT card.
If the Obamaphone program is any indication where 41% of the phones were obtained thru fraud, the Agriculture Department could use a much larger cut than 5% in the rate of growth. Don’t buy the headlines about children starving from a 5% cut in EBT growth. For every sob story the Democrats drag out there are at least three stories of abuse that can be documented. Feel free to use the comment section below to document your own experiences with EBT frustration.
