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Senate cutting food stamps to pay for Medicaid and teacher funding
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washingtonpost.com
It's the Sophie's choice of budget decisions: Should we cut Medicaid? Fire teachers? Or slash food stamps?
How about all three? In order to get less Medicaid and teacher funding than we actually need, we're cutting food stamps by $6.7 billion (and closing some foreign tax loopholes, rescinding some spending decisions and changing Medicaid's drug pricing).
The reasoning for this is, well, I'll let Rep. David Obey lay it out. "The cost of food relative to what we thought it would be has come down, so people on food stamps are getting a pretty good deal in comparison to what we thought they were going to get," he explains. But is that really a reason to cut food stamps? Obey didn't think so. "Some poor bastard is going to get a break for a change," he said.
Some background: The Recovery Act included an immediate 13.6 percent increase in food stamps (which are now known as SNAP). That increase equals out to a maximum of $80 per household -- and these are not rich households. But the price of food has leveled out, and in some cases decreased, in the recession. Meanwhile, the number of people who needed help skyrocketed to more than 40 million. For that reason, the program's costs ballooned from an expected $20 billion to about $65 billion. The new price tag scared some, so people began talking about cutting the benefits back.
And here we are. Democrats needed to offset spending on two worthy, important programs. So they're cutting another important, worthy program. But you really can't think of a worse program to cut than SNAP. SNAP is an extraordinarily well-targeted stimulus. It goes to poor households, for something they need to buy. According to Mark Zandi's numbers, it's literally the most stimulative way to spend a dollar: Better than state and local aid, or unemployment insurance. You get more than $1.70 of economic activity for each buck you put in.
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
I agree. This is a terrible choice to have to make. We certainly need teachers and Medicaid. But as Ezra Klein points out, for every dollar put into food stamps we get $1.70 of economic activity.
It's a very unpopular idea in some circles, but nothing is more stimulative than giving money to poor people. Because they are poor, they basically have to spend every dollar they get on food, medicine and other necessary consumer goods, and this money goes directly back into the economy. Rich people, by contrast, tend save large amounts of money which does not result in immediate economic stimulus.
It seems to me the middle and working classes need teachers, assistance with medical costs, and food pretty much equally. To slash any of these at this time would have disastrous consequences equal to cutting unemployment benefits. Yes, government spending is growing and so is our deficit, but why does it always have to be the little guys who have to make the most sacrifices in order to balance the budget? Many so-called populists who argue for smaller government are actually advocating policies which lead to the further erosion of these groups. Tax cuts for the rich add tremendously to the deficit, benefit only a small proportion of the population, and do not return $1.70 in economic activity for every dollar spent.
[edit on 30-7-2010 by Sestias]
It's the Sophie's choice of budget decisions: Should we cut Medicaid? Fire teachers? Or slash food stamps?
How about all three? In order to get less Medicaid and teacher funding than we actually need, we're cutting food stamps by $6.7 billion (and closing some foreign tax loopholes, rescinding some spending decisions and changing Medicaid's drug pricing).
The reasoning for this is, well, I'll let Rep. David Obey lay it out. "The cost of food relative to what we thought it would be has come down, so people on food stamps are getting a pretty good deal in comparison to what we thought they were going to get," he explains. But is that really a reason to cut food stamps? Obey didn't think so. "Some poor bastard is going to get a break for a change," he said.
Some background: The Recovery Act included an immediate 13.6 percent increase in food stamps (which are now known as SNAP). That increase equals out to a maximum of $80 per household -- and these are not rich households. But the price of food has leveled out, and in some cases decreased, in the recession. Meanwhile, the number of people who needed help skyrocketed to more than 40 million. For that reason, the program's costs ballooned from an expected $20 billion to about $65 billion. The new price tag scared some, so people began talking about cutting the benefits back.
And here we are. Democrats needed to offset spending on two worthy, important programs. So they're cutting another important, worthy program. But you really can't think of a worse program to cut than SNAP. SNAP is an extraordinarily well-targeted stimulus. It goes to poor households, for something they need to buy. According to Mark Zandi's numbers, it's literally the most stimulative way to spend a dollar: Better than state and local aid, or unemployment insurance. You get more than $1.70 of economic activity for each buck you put in.
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
I agree. This is a terrible choice to have to make. We certainly need teachers and Medicaid. But as Ezra Klein points out, for every dollar put into food stamps we get $1.70 of economic activity.
It's a very unpopular idea in some circles, but nothing is more stimulative than giving money to poor people. Because they are poor, they basically have to spend every dollar they get on food, medicine and other necessary consumer goods, and this money goes directly back into the economy. Rich people, by contrast, tend save large amounts of money which does not result in immediate economic stimulus.
It seems to me the middle and working classes need teachers, assistance with medical costs, and food pretty much equally. To slash any of these at this time would have disastrous consequences equal to cutting unemployment benefits. Yes, government spending is growing and so is our deficit, but why does it always have to be the little guys who have to make the most sacrifices in order to balance the budget? Many so-called populists who argue for smaller government are actually advocating policies which lead to the further erosion of these groups. Tax cuts for the rich add tremendously to the deficit, benefit only a small proportion of the population, and do not return $1.70 in economic activity for every dollar spent.
[edit on 30-7-2010 by Sestias]
the answer to this is simple
stop paying illegals benefits
stop paying their healthcare
stop paying their social security
stop paying for their medicare
stop paying their welfare
what you people fail to realize is for every one benefit you give illegals you take benefits away from americans......
disagree with that everyone is free to.
this is one option
stop paying illegals benefits
stop paying their healthcare
stop paying their social security
stop paying for their medicare
stop paying their welfare
what you people fail to realize is for every one benefit you give illegals you take benefits away from americans......
disagree with that everyone is free to.
this is one option
Meanwhile, our stealth fighter/bomber fleet costs billions.
We never get the option to cut military spending do we???
Why???
Oh yeah.
"National Security".
What a joke this whole system is.
We never get the option to cut military spending do we???
Why???
Oh yeah.
"National Security".
What a joke this whole system is.
Originally posted by neo96
the answer to this is simple
stop paying illegals benefits
stop paying their healthcare
stop paying their social security
stop paying for their medicare
stop paying their welfare
what you people fail to realize is for every one benefit you give illegals you take benefits away from americans......
disagree with that everyone is free to.
this is one option
Although I am against the idea of a welfare state, I agree with your sentiments.
If anyone deserves to leech our $$$, it would be actual American citizens rather than illegals from who knows where...
It's a very aggravating subject indeed.
Grow some of your own food to make up for the handout. Be grateful you get foodstamps at all.
Medicaid and teachers are valid ways to spend the money too. Why should food stampers not feel the pinch of the times like the rest of us?
Not the tied illegals argument, this is not a thread about illegal immigration.
[edit on 30-7-2010 by hotbakedtater]
Medicaid and teachers are valid ways to spend the money too. Why should food stampers not feel the pinch of the times like the rest of us?
Not the tied illegals argument, this is not a thread about illegal immigration.
[edit on 30-7-2010 by hotbakedtater]
no lack of funds to throw billions in munitions on ragged tribesmen though.
stay the course- freedoms on the march.. AUSTERITY= PROSPERITY!
[edit on 30-7-2010 by p51mustang]
stay the course- freedoms on the march.. AUSTERITY= PROSPERITY!
[edit on 30-7-2010 by p51mustang]
dude illegals are a big part of this issue dont kid yourself
simple fact social security,medicare,medicaid all interlinked every entitlement is interlinked for the simple fact.
too much is being paid out and not enough in and illegals are a huge part of it.
if they are even considering cutting any program this is why.
simple fact social security,medicare,medicaid all interlinked every entitlement is interlinked for the simple fact.
too much is being paid out and not enough in and illegals are a huge part of it.
if they are even considering cutting any program this is why.
This is just NUTS!
The way the US economy is now, and with the government cutting money for unemployment, food stamps are what a lot of people have to depend on now.
I say our Federal Government should stop sending BILLIONS in aide to other countries and start looking within and see how bad off a lot of people in this country really are!
There are a lot of people in this country who have worked and lived paycheck to paycheck every week most of their lives, and now that they lost their job, they NEED food stamps until they can find another job.
There are A LOT of people, right now, who are only one paycheck from being homeless and needing food stamps in this country right now, cutting the food stamp budget is really not fair to people who paid taxes for other people to get the food stamps they needed only to be turned down now, or get so little in food stamps.
Oh yeah, I like this little part in the article, ...
Senate cutting food stamps to pay for Medicaid and teacher funding
OBVIOUSLY HE doesn't do the food shopping in his family! (and probably neither does his wife!)
[edit on 7/30/2010 by Keyhole]
The way the US economy is now, and with the government cutting money for unemployment, food stamps are what a lot of people have to depend on now.
I say our Federal Government should stop sending BILLIONS in aide to other countries and start looking within and see how bad off a lot of people in this country really are!
There are a lot of people in this country who have worked and lived paycheck to paycheck every week most of their lives, and now that they lost their job, they NEED food stamps until they can find another job.
There are A LOT of people, right now, who are only one paycheck from being homeless and needing food stamps in this country right now, cutting the food stamp budget is really not fair to people who paid taxes for other people to get the food stamps they needed only to be turned down now, or get so little in food stamps.
Oh yeah, I like this little part in the article, ...
Senate cutting food stamps to pay for Medicaid and teacher funding
The reasoning for this is, well, I'll let Rep. David Obey lay it out. "The cost of food relative to what we thought it would be has come down, so people on food stamps are getting a pretty good deal in comparison to what we thought they were going to get," he explains.
OBVIOUSLY HE doesn't do the food shopping in his family! (and probably neither does his wife!)
[edit on 7/30/2010 by Keyhole]
Originally posted by hotbakedtater
Grow some of your own food to make up for the handout. Be grateful you get foodstamps at all.
Medicaid and teachers are valid ways to spend the money too. Why should food stampers not feel the pinch of the times like the rest of us?
Not the tied illegals argument, this is not a thread about illegal immigration.
[edit on 30-7-2010 by hotbakedtater]
People who live in cheap HUD apartments have no room to grow their own food. Lack critical thinking much?
Food stampers feel the pinch like everyone else? THEY ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN!!! Of course they feel the pinch they can't even afford food without a freaking hand out!
And YES THIS IS TIED to illegal immigration 100%!!! Massive amounts of this welfare $$$ is being leeched away by them.
If we just cut the illegals off, we could save so much $$ that you wouldn't need to cut any of the other programs.
No wonder I am frustrated. We have people walking around saying complete non-sense. You are wrong about every one of your opinions and you failed to even think about them for a second.
Sorry for being a jerk but for someone who has been here this long, and still fails to think critically or logically, I am gonna have to come down on you like a ton of bricks.
Maybe think next time ??
I'd love to see you even try and debate this. Your points have been ripped to shreds.
And if these HUD welfare people wanna grow food?
They gotta buy super expensive grow lights and fertilizers and hydroponic crap. BECAUSE they own NO LAND!!
Then they will have the SWAT team kicking in their door over a mistake (Thinking they are growing pot or something), and then refusing to pay for the damages they caused.
So now you have no door at your house and have to pay to fix it with money they DONT EVEN HAVE to begin with.
Welfare people cannot afford any of this....
[edit on 30-7-2010 by muzzleflash]
They gotta buy super expensive grow lights and fertilizers and hydroponic crap. BECAUSE they own NO LAND!!
Then they will have the SWAT team kicking in their door over a mistake (Thinking they are growing pot or something), and then refusing to pay for the damages they caused.
So now you have no door at your house and have to pay to fix it with money they DONT EVEN HAVE to begin with.
Welfare people cannot afford any of this....
[edit on 30-7-2010 by muzzleflash]
Sure the cost of food may have went down (since it's tied directly to the price of a barrel of oil).
But the grocery stores did not lower the price.
They kept the price sky high to rake in all those extra profits$$$$.
Since we were already paying those high prices, the grocery store folks figure hey why lower it everyone already pays this much anyways.
Cha-Ching- mad profits for them.
And here I am still paying over 4$ for a gallon of milk.
Prices went down my rear!!
But the grocery stores did not lower the price.
They kept the price sky high to rake in all those extra profits$$$$.
Since we were already paying those high prices, the grocery store folks figure hey why lower it everyone already pays this much anyways.
Cha-Ching- mad profits for them.
And here I am still paying over 4$ for a gallon of milk.
Prices went down my rear!!
turn the golf courses into farms.
take all the water for lawns to food production.
very soon it will be too late to change the course of events.
teach that kid how to raise food, hitch up a mule, and shoot straight.
if he-or she -is extra smart -let them figure out how to cope with shortages of everything.
[edit on 30-7-2010 by p51mustang]
take all the water for lawns to food production.
very soon it will be too late to change the course of events.
teach that kid how to raise food, hitch up a mule, and shoot straight.
if he-or she -is extra smart -let them figure out how to cope with shortages of everything.
[edit on 30-7-2010 by p51mustang]
Originally posted by muzzleflash
Sure the cost of food may have went down (since it's tied directly to the price of a barrel of oil).
But the grocery stores did not lower the price.
And in some cases, if the food manufacturer didn't raise the price of his "product", per say, he just lowered how many ounces or how much product he's selling in each box, bag, can or whatever to keep the price the same in the supermarket, so now people are getting LESS for their money.
reply to post by hotbakedtater
Foodstamps can't be cut,when you cut the foodstamps,
some kid is going to bed hungry.Cuts will have to come
from some other source.I just don't know where.
Foodstamps can't be cut,when you cut the foodstamps,
some kid is going to bed hungry.Cuts will have to come
from some other source.I just don't know where.
reply to post by Sestias
Does the quote below from the op's source
sound like this quote below.
www.thefiscaltimes.com...
Seems Rep Obey words got twisted.
Recommend everyone read these excerpts from Obey
www.thefiscaltimes.com...
[edit on 30-7-2010 by jam321]
Does the quote below from the op's source
The reasoning for this is, well, I'll let Rep. David Obey lay it out. "The cost of food relative to what we thought it would be has come down, so people on food stamps are getting a pretty good deal in comparison to what we thought they were going to get," he explains. But is that really a reason to cut food stamps? Obey didn't think so. "Some poor bastard is going to get a break for a change," he said.
sound like this quote below.
We were told we have to offset every damn dime of [new teacher spending]. Well, it ain’t easy to find offsets, and with all due respect to the administration their first suggestion for offsets was to cut food stamps. Now they were careful not to make an official budget request, because they didn’t want to take the political heat for it, but that was the first trial balloon they sent down here. … Their line of argument was, well, the cost of food relative to what we thought it would be has come down, so people on food stamps are getting a pretty good deal in comparison to what we thought they were going to get. Well isn’t that nice. Some poor bastard is going to get a break for a change.
www.thefiscaltimes.com...
Seems Rep Obey words got twisted.
Recommend everyone read these excerpts from Obey
www.thefiscaltimes.com...
[edit on 30-7-2010 by jam321]
That the government is even considering cuts in the food stamp program right now is totally crazy. I agree with those of you who have stated that
President Obama (and congress) are all too willing to give BILLIONS in aid to other countries. I agree that it is important to help others but it IS
our duty to help those in our own country first.
People are in need right here in the USA. I have some experience in the teaching business and it's just amazing to me that a lot of teachers' children are eligible for free or reduced price lunces. I can't believe this situation exists in our great country.
Where I live, there are summer programs that provide lunch meals to kids since the only meals that they might receive are from school. How is it possible that so many kids have NO meals unless they are receiving free lunches in school?
We need to care for our own FIRST!!!
People are in need right here in the USA. I have some experience in the teaching business and it's just amazing to me that a lot of teachers' children are eligible for free or reduced price lunces. I can't believe this situation exists in our great country.
Where I live, there are summer programs that provide lunch meals to kids since the only meals that they might receive are from school. How is it possible that so many kids have NO meals unless they are receiving free lunches in school?
We need to care for our own FIRST!!!
Well this is a turn of events, that makes every thing that the federal goverment is trying to do, to be in short ineffective at this time frame.
Consider the following, they pushed forth a health care bill, as they want to make sure that everyone has access to affordible health care, the first
lady has put forth an anti obesity program, making junk and fast food to be the evil of the day. Now the federal government is going to cut the one
thing that would tie and make it so that poor people and those who would need to get a healthy meal possible, removing the question of people eating
healthy. In the process of doing this, it makes one wonder what are the people in the federal government thinking if they are going to cut the budget
for food assistence? It will drive the very people they are saying that need to eat healthy, back to eating unhealthy, as such food is cheaper and
more readily avaible to the general population, of as in some cases, force the mass migration of the population from one part of the country to the
other. The very idea of this is reminiscent of trying to kill off the general population of the country, slowly through starvation.
Trillions for illegal corporate wars and billionaire bankers but they have to cut back food for the poor.... if this doesn't prove to Americans that
their government is totally evil and insane.....
I am a Disabled single mother...Who Has to have food stamps to be able to survive...
I asked my Case Worker...about the amount that is set that we are able to draw...She told me..." You draw One Third of what you need to survive..."
I have a teenage son...We draw $ 200.00 ...A month...(foodstamps)
It cost Over $ 6 ...For a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk ...
I am grateful and feel blessed because I know many on this planet starve to death every day...Which is a crime against humanity IMO...
That is what the government should do...Keep taking from those people who are barley surviving as it is...While they Waste money every day...
I asked my Case Worker...about the amount that is set that we are able to draw...She told me..." You draw One Third of what you need to survive..."
I have a teenage son...We draw $ 200.00 ...A month...(foodstamps)
It cost Over $ 6 ...For a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk ...
I am grateful and feel blessed because I know many on this planet starve to death every day...Which is a crime against humanity IMO...
That is what the government should do...Keep taking from those people who are barley surviving as it is...While they Waste money every day...
Originally posted by muzzleflash
Originally posted by hotbakedtater
Grow some of your own food to make up for the handout. Be grateful you get foodstamps at all.
Medicaid and teachers are valid ways to spend the money too. Why should food stampers not feel the pinch of the times like the rest of us?
Not the tied illegals argument, this is not a thread about illegal immigration.
[edit on 30-7-2010 by hotbakedtater]
People who live in cheap HUD apartments have no room to grow their own food. Lack critical thinking much?
Well, despite personally attacking me and thus invalidating your argument, I will respond.I have grown plants, and food bearing plants, in each cheap HUD apartment I have lived in, and now that I am blessed, in my condo. I believe it takes research and critical thinking to grow in odd spaces, but it is done each day.
Food stampers feel the pinch like everyone else? THEY ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN!!! Of course they feel the pinch they can't even afford food without a freaking hand out!
Well in my opinion you adapt change or you deserve what you get. If you know you depend on food stamps for your very life, grow some seeds (food stamps pays for them) and get on with finding alternate ways to feed yopurself. I have a book I got at goodwill that has sections on urban foraging in it. How critical is your thinking when you expect the governemnt to feed you?
Here you go, debated and in my opinion, well rebutted, with critical thinking.
No wonder I am frustrated. We have people walking around saying complete non-sense. You are wrong about every one of your opinions and you failed to even think about them for a second.
Sorry for being a jerk but for someone who has been here this long, and still fails to think critically or logically, I am gonna have to come down on you like a ton of bricks.
Maybe think next time ??
I'd love to see you even try and debate this. Your points have been ripped to shreds.
BTW you do know critical thinkers debate without personal attacks?
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