Friday, September 20, 2013

House Votes to Cut Food Stamps by $40 Billion

House Votes to Cut Food Stamps by $40 Billion. (2013 September 20) Huffington Post.
1.  Category of problem: Consumer/Financial; Health/Medical; Food Safety
2. Level of problem: National
3. The article concerns: The potential huge cut in food stamps, up to $40 billion will be cut from the food stamp program. Also, starting in 2014, people will be denied if they do not meet the proper needs.

4. Why is this important to families/individuals OR how does it affect individuals/families?
·         Less money will be available to each family. This will cause multiple issues for the families both financially and health related. Portions will be smaller and less nutritious.
5. What are your views on the issue/policy?

·         Millions of people suffer from lack of food and nutrition today. Most of people living in poverty rely on food stamps to supply their well-being. The government plans to cut the amount of money that goes to the food stamp program by about $40 million dollars over the next 10 years. People living off of food stamps these days are already being underfed and are not getting enough nutrition. It seems as if processed foods are what are more readily available to their food stamp budget. Not only are people missing out on nutrition, but they are also not able to eat the amount of food that they would prefer. Such a tight budget leaves things such as fruits and vegetables, or even a second serving, to be out of the question. The government also plans to deny those that do not meet the proper standards to have the right to food stamps. The article states that “It would require more beneficiaries to pass income and asset tests to prove their poverty. It would allow states to require drug tests. It would allow states to deny benefits to able-bodied adults who don't work or enroll in training for at least 20 hours per week.” Though I feel that income and asset tests may be a good idea, I feel that drug tests and work training programs seem a little intense in order to feed your family. Though the government is trying to avoid supporting “junkies” and “low-lives” by providing them with food stamps, I feel that these measures may be a little drastic. I think that having better background checks and viewing ones income could be the basis of determining if one receives food stamps. I think that cutting $40 billion from this program is also drastic. There needs to be some kind of compromise between the two. They maybe need to cut the programs funds back a little bit, but not as much as $40 billion. They also need to deny more people that are not necessarily in need, such as the surfer mentioned in the article, and allow families and other individuals to take his place. Proper guidelines should be set in order to determine if one is eligible for food stamps or not. 

1 comment:

  1. I liked that you picked this article because it is really important to know and understand what is happening with food stamps in the US. It is outrageous that the government plans to cut a large amount of money for the next ten years. There are many individuals and families that heavily rely on receiving food stamps and many of them don’t get enough to eat proper nutritious meals on a daily basis.

    Families struggle everyday to put a meal on the table to feed all members, but sometimes there is not enough or they may not feel full at the end of the day. The government can not plan to deny people without proper standards from receiving food stamps. I know that if your income is under $23k you are considered living in poverty and those people are usually the ones to receive food stamps but that is always not the case. But the truth of the matter is that the government shouldn’t limit people from receiving it but it should allow those who desperately need it to receive assistance. Individuals live off on eating highly processed junk unhealthy foods that cause many health problems and can lead to obesity. America has the highest rate of adults and children who are obese.

    The government shouldn’t require drug tests or other such kinds of tests to see if they can be approved for food stamps. I honestly feel it is coming down to the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. I know there are many people who do cheat the system of receiving food stamps, but for those that desperately need it, such as children who go to school hungry, pregnant mothers it is not fair for those people to be punished and not simply be taken into account first. I believe when it comes to mothers and children the government should give enough and adequate food stamps that will last for the whole month and when I say enough food stamps, I mean a balance to cover nutritious healthy foods, like organic products, fruits and vegetables.

    It is unfortunate to see that is going to happen to many families and individuals. As it is they are struggling to provide food and stay healthy, by cutting funds from food stamps many people will be devastated and will lead the US into turmoil. I understand that this will encourage people to look for employment but reality is that there aren’t enough jobs in the workforce or many are disabled and unable to work.

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