Lawmakers Find $21 a Week Doesn't Buy a Lot of Groceries

[Anakela]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:10pm

Four members of Congress are trying to live this week on $21 worth of groceries each- no eating at meetings, or at receptions, they're taking their own lunches to work, etc. and trying to live off of $21 worth of food for the week (which is the average amount a food stamp recipient receives in benefits).

Now we can get into the debate of it's only a week, and the food stamps debate, etc., but I just thought the idea was cool- both the fact that these four have accepted the challenge, and the fact that only these four have accepted the challenge.

Lawmakers Find $21 a Week Doesn't Buy a Lot of Groceries

[morosco]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:13pm

Updated On: 5/16/07 at 05:13 PM

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:19pm

What a great idea--I sometimes get a little testy when I see all the food stamp "credit cards" in my grocery store, mostly because I both help pay for them in my taxes and would likely qualify my damn self--I guess if people need that $21/week then they're really worse off than I am--though I could use it too!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:31pm

This is a Democrat talking point. I saw it done by the Democratic Representative in New York on tv. It was also done by a Democrat in Oregon.

The tv story was preplanned to push the Democrat's agenda. The ditz news anchor that was shopping with him was picking up gourmet items. Of course a person living on food stamps can't buy a $6 box of pasta.

The shopping amount used in NYC was $29 per week for a single person. While it requires planning, it can be done.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:32pm

Is that $21 dollars a week per person or per family? I just went grocery shopping and got a gallon of fat free milk, a loaf of multi-grain bread (corn syrup free), a package of barilla plus pasta, two jars of organic pasta sauce, a box of Kashi Honey Almond Flax cereal, 5 Turkey Brats, and a pound of Ground Turkey for about $21. Granted I didn't buy any fruits or vegetables this time around because I have some still at home, but I think I did fairly well health wise on my purchases. What really should happen if it doesn't already is food stamps credit cards should be adjusted for cost of living in an area.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:37pm

Only two others, Ryan and Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), took them up on it.
That's pretty sad. Considering half the House brags about their humble backgrounds during reelection campaign speeches ("My father was a cole miner and he taught me about hard work!"), they sure are reluctant to revisit it now they have the power to give themselves a raise every year.

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:38pm

That's only about 3 days worth of food son...for one person.

Maybe you should read the link Goth, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson from the crazy-liberal state of Missouri is also a participant.

Food stamps are also restricted--you can't buy taxable items with them for example...which limits you to food products--anything else has to be paid by the consumer...

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:40pm

"Only two others, Ryan and Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), took them up on it."

That information is incorrect because the Rep in NY had a spot on the news about it. Maybe he wasn't actually living that way, but he did the shopping on tv.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:42pm

"Food stamps are also restricted--you can't buy taxable items with them for example...which limits you to food products--anything else has to be paid by the consumer..."

Would you prefer your welfare recipients to be buying ciggies and beer?

The point of food stamps is to encourage people to get a job and get off the dole. Same with Unemployment Insurance which in NYC caps out at $400 per week.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:51pm

You can't buy diapers with food stamps. I'd hardly consider that an unnecessary luxury.

[Kringas]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:52pm

Do they cover tax in states where food is taxed?

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:59pm

That I don't know, since I've only lived in Texas and NY, but food isn't taxed there...

"Food stamps are also restricted--you can't buy taxable items with them for example...which limits you to food products--anything else has to be paid by the consumer..."

"Would you prefer your welfare recipients to be buying ciggies and beer? "

That was kinda my point, that these folks are buying food, not unnecessary junk, but thanks for backing me up Goth!

The point of food stamps is NOT to get people off the dole--who can get off the dole with an extra $21 a week in NYC? Nobody I know--the stamps are there to supplement low-income families so they have enough food to feed their kids, elderly and pregnant women--the most vulnerable in our society.

Unemployment is intended to help people between jobs, not to get them off the dole--for if you qualify for unemployment, you did at one point have a job, which meant you weren't on the dole.

Welfare IS intended to get people off the dole--to give them enough money to survive so that they might be able to find a job and contribute to the tax base.

And if it was a Democratic talking point, why aren't more than 3 Dems in the entire country talking about it?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 5:59pm

"You can't buy diapers with food stamps."

Food stamps aren't the only aid that families get. I went to college with a woman on welfare and in addition to food stamps she was given cash to buy extras. She was given enough that she could feed herself, her baby, and have guests over regularly. I ate at her house quite often when I was in college.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 6:46pm

Gotham knows his stuff. Now, I don't think that government aid in this country is all that great, but it isn't horrible. The problem is that there are poor people to begin with.
It’s a very sad day indeed when Democrats need to demonstrate anything after Katrina. Could there be a more clear wake-up call?

The system is shaky at best. If you take a step back and look at what really is broken then maybe it could work better. The problem is that recent governments have allowed the middle-class to disappear. More and more people are taking to government aid. (We have more than enough money in this country to feed and cloth everyone.)

Labor/Factory work has virtually dried up and went overseas, we have huge companies like Wal-mart that employ people only part-time with no benefits, and an infrastructure reliant on slave labor (Mexicans).

Blaming the poor will get you nowhere.


PS: Poor people end up forced to by food rich people turn their nose at. When was the last time you saw a welfare mom at Whole Foods or D&D? Wait she was probably working there.

Updated On: 5/16/07 at 06:46 PM

[Anakela]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 7:22pm

The point of food stamps is to encourage people to get a job and get off the dole. Same with Unemployment Insurance which in NYC caps out at $400 per week.

Um, I collected unemployment once after I left a job, unemployment that my/my former employer's taxes paid into and paid for. Besides that time period I have always worked, even when I was in school, and I never once considered myself 'on the dole' while I was collecting unemployment. Your mileage may vary.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 5/16/07 at 8:16pm

I had a coworker in Tennessee that had two children. She lived with the father of her children. They chose to not marry and they lied about where he lived so she could get more assistance. She would brag that she got enough to buy her groceries for the month and what was left over, she gave to oher mother to purchase HER groceries. She was also on WIC. Each week she would go and get every free thing she was allowed, even the things she and her children didn't eat and then give it to friends. She and her children were on the free state healthcare, even though our company had healthcare. She went to college for free as a single mother.

At Christmas we took up money for another employee who was having a hard time and wanted a nice holiday dinner for her family. The first coworker I mentioned took up the money and was to give it to the second. I found out after the holiday that she didn't give her the money to buy the dinner, but instead, showed up at her home with a turkey and all the trimmings. She had used her foodstamps to buy the dinner and pocketed the rest. While the system needs improving, they really need to find a way to catch those playing the system.

[avab802]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 5:12pm

I agree with JerseyGirl. I'm all for helping people who really need it, but when some people abuse the system it hurts all of us (taxpayers). When I see people in the grocery store with all the latest electronic devices attached to them (cell phone, iPod, etc) whip out their foodstamps card or their WIC checks it just screams to me that the system needs more regulation.

[lildogs]

Posted: 5/17/07 at 5:20pm

I don't see anyone in my hood with PDAs and food stamps--yes, people cheat the system, but so do high-income families who use their wealth to avoid paying taxes...

Too many people use a few examples of people who abuse the system but ignore that most people likely need and use the aid in the right way--just like most people pay their taxes properly.

WIC cards are only used for certain types and certain BRANDS of food--all essentials....usually for milk, eggs, juice and other staples. And when i worked in the grocery store, they had to choose a brand that wasn't too expensive--there was a limit on price per item.

mejust--as long as there is capitalism, there will be poor people--you cannot have wealth unless you have poverty--the amount of money is limited--if some people have millions, then there are millions without enough money to go to the doctor when they get sick. That's capitalism, warts and all....