Maine Gov. LePage threatens to halt food stamp program

www.foxnews.com...

Maine's governor threatens to halt food stamp program over people buying soda. Seriously what about the vets disabled and elderly that rely on this program to survive? This guy is playing politics and grandstanding with peoples livelihoods.

What is the deal with people buying soda with food stamps? So what you can buy a 2 liter of soda for $0.99. Its cheaper to drink gasoline then it is to buy a gallon of milk.

I get it some of you think that everyone on food assistance is buying lobsters and steak. The reality is most people on food assistance need this program to survive.

a reply to: wantsome

I think the concern is over soda and other cheap foods being considered junk foods, which can lead to obesity and other health issues which are then more expensive to treat. My 16 year old son drinks about a gallon of milk a week. I live in a suburb north of Atlanta, and can typically find it for $2 something at Publix or Krogers.

a reply to: wantsome

Several governors have said similar things in the past.

States do receive the majority of their welfare funding through the federal government.

a reply to: wantsome

I agree that this program is important to some, but buying soda with the money makes no sense. It has no nutritional value and is in fact a demerit good that impairs health. Considering many on foodstamps are also on some sort of Government health care program we should not be paying for things like soda.

a reply to: Metallicus

It really is a nitpick thing to hound someone over spending a couple of their welfare dollars on soda.

a reply to: Metallicus

You can't just start nannying peoples behaviours regardless if they are getting assistance or not.

That can lead to creating poverty for the purpose of control.

Personally I think the correct approach is to get rid of all benefits and move towards a basic income. The gov having no control over how you spend the money and eliminating all the beauracracy of deciding who gets benefits.

That way when you work 40 hours they don't start taking away your safety net. Or when you go to train yourself for a better job market they take your safety net away.

Just give everyone a basic income. Get rid of the majority of the irs and all of the other benefit beauracracies.

Hayek a libertarian Austrian school economist even suggests this. As did Milton with a negative income tax.

a reply to: wantsome

If you want to buy soda, buy soda.
If you want to buy steak and lobster, buy steak and lobster.

These programs though, should have a definite time period.

it isn't sugar that is causing the pre-diabetic/obesity in people though. it's the high fructose corn syrup that they have been using to replace sugar in so many products and just about all sodas. the body has to work harder to break it down and then it's not broken down the same as sugar. meanwhile, while they have been busy substitution corn for so many other ingredients, including our gas, the price of corn has risen insanely. I used to be able to buy it a dollar a dozen. this week's sale is 3 ears for .99.. needless to say, no matter how much I like fresh corn on the cob, I'm not buying it! so much for their "we should be eating more vegetables" bit, they've managed to inflate the price of one of the most popular ones into the level of insanity, to make such things as sodas and overly sweetened cereal products cheaper.

a reply to: wantsome

He should do it.

It would be interesting to see the overall effect on his states economy. I predict half the grocery stores would close immediately, with an overall loss of jobs equal to about 25% of all full-time employment in Maine.

It would be a referendum on voodoo economics.

a reply to: luthier

Actually, you can. You see, it isn't THEIR money. At no point is it THEIR money. So, they don't get to spend it however they like. They can't buy McDonald's with it either.

a reply to: bender151
So what prevents the government from destroying jobs to put everyone on wellfare and control peoples behaviour that way?

No if you give benefits you don't take away liberty. In fact it could be an injustice that led to the need for benefits. It could even be an injustice created by the goverment. (Say accesive regulations that made industry leave the state)

So no morally and philosophically it doesn't work.

a reply to: bender151

I applied for, and received food stamps once, after a lay-off. Family of four: $529 / mo. for 6 months. It was definitely MY money, as I had worked at $33 an hour and paid about $20 per paycheck into into the system for 18+ years.

Not a single person told me what I could buy or not buy with my temporary food assistance grant, which is probably just as well.

I would have told them to go lay by their dish.

My thoughts... LePage's fat ass eats on the public dime as well - so somebody should slap the Pepsi out of his hand to show him what it's like. You know... because that's how you teach an idiot how to empathize.

Maybe they should go back to some kind of ration book. You get a book of tickets stating what basic items you can buy with them and their good for only those items. I know not everybody likes the same things and it would need some fine tuning, but it would be a starting point to get the junk food purchases under control.

Maybe they should just send "approved" food instead of credit

a reply to: korath

Maybe they should work with educators on a curriculum that allows kids to have critical thinking minds and educate people so they can think of their own.

Who gets to decide how people run their lives?

Totalitarians.

a reply to: Hefficide

My thoughts... LePage's fat ass eats on the public dime as well

isn't it ironic how people can support welfare when the person receiving the welfare wears a suit.

Wow. Just wow. When people actually take the time to investigate the food stamp program (or welfare) for misuse or fraud they typically find millions of dollars of hits without focusing on people buying soda or candy.

I cannot add anything to the argument..but I will say this..I know someone VERY close to me that receives all kinds of welfare..(housing almost all paid for and not public housing just their home..they get medical, food, electric help and other utilites..not to mention they get back like 8K/yr from EIC) There are two adults not married and four kids. It royally pisses me off because she comes to family dinners and gatherings with her children dressed to the hilt. Her daughters have very nice woolen pea coats from Crewcuts (350.00 each) Her baby wears 65 to 150$ onesies from Elfie London and other European brands even though we are in USA. She daughters also wear shoes that cost upward of 100 bucks/pair and they have a pair to match every smocked little outfit she slaps on them..

Recently I noticed a IG pic of her daughter holding a doll from Jess Brown Doll..now these dolls are EXPENSIVE like 300 effing dollars. I commented on the IG pic..and almost said something like "it must be nice being able to afford all of this while on the govt dime..but I didn't.

A few months ago they all flew to San Diego and she took the girls to Walt Disney..with custom mouse ears and all..also stayed at the hilton in San Diego..

Trust me I would LOVE to say Im making this up..but everytime I see her I want to smack her big entitled face. Either take everyone's welfare away or let some of us that bust our ass be able to have a little too. Am I jealous? YES..I am..I hate that we can barely put good food on our plate while she is galavanting all over in Crewcuts...

a reply to: Neopan100

You hater you.