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Under Obama, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, has exploded with a record number of people – 46 million and growing – getting free groceries from the American taxpayer. Adding insult to injury, a federal audit revealed last year that many who don’t qualify for food stamps now receive them under a new “broad-based” eligibility program that disregards income and asset requirements.
Obama says the food stamp extension is part of his intention to eradicate “food insecure households.” However, it’s really part of a massive redistribution of wealth. Last year, taxpayers were forced to pay more than $80 billion, including an estimated $750 million a year in outright fraud.
The term “estimated” is used advisedly here, because the fact is the government is involved in a deliberate cover-up to prevent taxpayers from learning the full truth about who receives food stamps, how they spend the money, and how much of it is going for illicit – and even nefarious – purchases. As a stunning study by the Government Accountability Institute (GAI) recently revealed, “The USDA already collects such data. So far, however, the data have not been made available to the public.”
Now, you might be wondering why the federal government would want to withhold such vital information from those who have been forced to pick up the food stamp tab. In particular, why would it be so reluctant to thoroughly investigate and expose food stamp fraud? Well, a large part of the answer lies in the title of the GAI study: “Profits from Poverty: How Food Stamps Benefit Corporations.”
According to the study, the current food stamp Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card industry is dominated by three main players: J.P. Morgan Electronic Financial Services, Affiliated Computer Services, and eFunds. Together they collect money from 49 states and three territories. In fact, since 2004, 18 of 24 states that contract with J.P. Morgan have paid more than $560 million to the financial monolith.
There is little wonder then that those three companies appear to be perfectly content with the exploding food stamp rolls – and wholly unconcerned about rampant fraud and abuse. As the GAI study observed, “The more persons enrolled in the program, the more money the EBT industry makes.” That may also help explain why, when the state of Florida initiated an eight-month program to detect and prevent fraud among its three million EBT card users, J.P. Morgan saw fit to assign just one employee to the program
And then there is this: During the 2008 election, Barack Obama received more than $800,000 from J.P. Morgan alone. After his election, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, initiated by Obama and passed by a compliant Congress, made two major changes to existing food stamp policies. First, it increased benefits by 13.6 percent. Second, it actively encouraged states to add more recipients to their food stamp rolls.
And the corporate cronyism and political payoffs don’t end there. The House and Senate Agricultural Committees have jurisdiction over all food assistance and distribution programs, including the food stamp program. So, just as one might expect, analysis by the GAI uncovered a clear trend of increasing contributions to Agriculture Committee members of both the House and Senate on the part of J.P. Morgan that clearly coincides with their entry into the lucrative EBT card, food stamp market. .
The GAI study concludes, “Increasing profits for JP Morgan in turn means increasing returns for investors.” Unfortunately, they also appear to mean an exponentially increasing food stamp bill for the American taxpayer. And Obama’s new Food Stamp Army is seen as a reliable source of new voters for the progressive agenda.
Originally posted by chiefsmom
They made such a big deal, here in MI a few years ago, about a plan to only be on it for so long, then you had to have a job, two years I think. I don't know what happened to that plan, but it sure isn't in effect right now. What is the government going to do, when the number of people on assistance is more than those working? How is that going to work?
I've been on both sides, and something seriously needs to be done, like yesterday. It should be a hand up, not a hand out.
Your threads are funny, and as Usual , missing the truth.
Originally posted by jibeho
It all changed when Obama took office.
Originally posted by sheepslayer247
Most people that receive assistance....WORK!
Originally posted by Tw0Sides
Your threads are funny, and as Usual , missing the truth.
Originally posted by jibeho
It all changed when Obama took office.
Enlighten yourself, the truth is within the Link.
You can do it Jib, open the link... www.macrotrends.org...
ACORN’s Project Vote remains highly active in registering voters on public assistance. In Colorado, for instance, Judicial Watch uncovered documents proving that ACORN/Project Vote successfully pressured Colorado officials into implementing new policies for increasing the registration of public assistance recipients during the 2008 and 2010 election seasons. After the policy changes, the percentage of fraudulent voter registration forms from Colorado public assistance agencies was four times the national average.
Our investigations also show that the Obama Justice Department is partnering with Project Vote in this campaign to register as many public assistance voters as possible, while neglecting to enforce (or outright opposing) legal requirements that ineligible voters are kept off of the voting rolls.
You can see that there are many big lies in the food stamp program. Rather than putting food on the table for poor people, the program is now about massive cash transfer payments to not-so-poor people and major corporations, greased by campaign donations – all in the hope of gaining new voters – legal or not.
I was referring to how Obama increased the Food Stamp benefit and subsequently lowered the standards to receive the benefit. That all changed with Obama. Furthermore, the numbers of those receiving benefits has repeatedly broken records under Obama as has the number of those collecting disability.
Originally posted by jibeho
reply to post by sheepslayer247
I can't disagree with you regarding the problem with our economy on multiple fronts. But at least be honest enough to explore who is getting rich off of this program. That is the whole point. The political glad handing etc etc.