No Sweets for Food Stamp Recipients: Government to regulate the diet of the poor
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Florida would have food stamp recipients buy no sweets with Senate Bill 1658 would Prevent the Misuse of Public Assistance. This is supposed to encourage better eating habits. According to the Senator Ronda Storm, this money is to feed hungry people. Instead it is giving them junk food and they are gambling with it. This is how she chooses to regulate it. New York also plans on doing this. And they cite obesity and diabetes as a reason.
This is ridiculous. How can a politician know what is healthy for these food stamp recipients? Diabetics must keep their blood sugar at a certain level and therefore eat candy. Is Florida going to stop all of the food stamp recipients from buying the candy they need to make this healthy choice? Where does this control over the poor's diet go next? Should we limit their intake of red meat? Red meat has a better chance of leading to obesity than sugar does.
Maybe Florida should stop letting all the poor eat any food that people are allergic too? They want them to be healthy? Well, get rid of the dairy, nuts, soy, and wheat? Sure everyone is different and there is no telling what is healthy for one person and whether it would be healthy for another or not.
But, while Florida is violating the poor's rights and invading their personal lives and their personal freedoms and personal choices, they might as well make them eat food whether it is good for them individually or not.
And no Florida and New York politicians, don't bother to research the health of any of the individuals you are limiting. Take your hypocrisy out to the nearest steak house. Be sure to have wine with your dinner, coffee and dessert afterwards. Charge it to the state and then sign some other bill telling someone to be healthy. This bill was introduced by Senator Ronda Storm. I am sure she herself has healthy eating habits. If you follow the link to her homepage, you can see the Senator at the Christmas Cookie swap. Way to set a wonderful example Senator!
Obviously since food stamps recipients are poor, they are also ignorant. They can't possibly make a healthy decision without a politician doing this for them. I say if we regulate food stamps, we also regulate the dinners and receptions politicians hold and pay for with our tax dollars.
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People do not currently stop them but it is in their plans to stop food stamp recipients from buying candy. And I would not know how many people have this issue but neither do the politicians. And if we do not want poor people eating junk food perhaps we should not let our richer politicians drink or eat this food either. The point is, its not our business what they eat just because they are poor. If it is our business because it is tax money so is every other person eating nay food with state or federal money. As a person who has worked for the state for over a decade, I can assure you there are many, many receptions of donuts and cookies. And as a private citizen, I feed my child much healthier than the government run school systems do. School lunches are making our children fat and the state would point the finger and say our citizens are fat cause they are poor and ignorant. It is your bitterness against food stamp recipients for having junk food you can't buy that is blinding you from the fact that the poor are not wasting our money on junk food as much as our own government is.
I think that food stamp recipients should have the choice as to what to buy with them. Although I am not on food stamps, I have been in the past and it sucked already. Let's try to make things as comfortable as possible for the less fortunate that way they can focus on more important things like getting back on their feet. None the less, great hub, voted up and interesting and I hope you like my hubs as well!
I agree Finance Hub. I am not on food stamps either but people in this situation do have big enough worries.They are already n the position of people passing judgement because they are on food stamps without their diet being under scrutiny as well. It is not a crime for someone to have a coke and a smile.
Papergrl: I don't think the issue here is that people who are poor and getting help from the government are eating too good (Gods forbid), it is that the government thinks it can step in and regulate a private citizen's personal diet. It is ridiculous. If you don't want poor people to eat lots of candy and other treats, than you need to make a law which prohibits a certain weight class from obtaining government assistance. You are getting pissed off because some person (who could in all probability be living in some dump apartment with none of the things we have which we take for granted such as cable, internet, nice clothing, washer and dryer, dishwasher, etc. etc.), buys some lobster or steak with their stamps. "Whoa, that's crossing the line lower class, get back to your hovel and eat rice and beans like you deserve, think you can enjoy anything in your life, hell no, stay miserable"! That is your attitude papergrl? You shouldn't be worried by the poor getting a few stupid perks in their life, you should worry about the corporations making the money off of the welfare system itself! Look into it, it's enough to make you sick. Or all the money these corporations basically steal from the US citizens through our tax money. They use the population as their own personal piggy banks. They save it all up when the economy is going good and then "crack!" they break us when they need the money and they cut or outsource all our jobs, take the money and run, leaving us in a recession and more people on welfare buying lobster and steak. Excellent hub leann.
Thanks CM. I agree completely with your statement. The government likes to use the working class fatigue to their advantage and blame many problems on the poor. This is not a matter of whether the government wants to spend its money on junk food. It is a matter of the government controlling its private citizens.
Great hub voted up useful, awesome and interesting! I'm living in New York and am well aware how the government not only looks to step in and tell the poor how to eat and live but they do it to the rest of the citizens too. We have a sugar tax here in New York City and city schools are not permitted to put anything other than health food in their snack and drink machines, but yet parents are encouraged to let their kids eat the sodium-rich, fatty microwaved school food for lunch. The problem is the people need to speak out. This is supposed to be a government run BY the people FOR the people, so it's about time we start speaking up and taking control. Again, great hub!
If they take away the right to buy candy with food stamps it is only a matter of time before they start buying more sugar and cocoa to make their own. I do believe people on food stamps could benefit from taking a class on how to eat healthy on a budget. Sometimes a simple informed decision is the best route.
It is sad that being poor means no candies for kids. All of us, whether poor or obese, need to indulge our cravings once in a while. Otherwise, what is the whole point of living? You have made a strong case here. Voted up.
Hear Hear Skylar! That's exactly what I mean. This government should be run by the people for the people...all the people including the poor.
Tams, I think every citizen or no citizen should take a class on eating healthy on a budget.
This bill isn't about eating healthy. Its about people not wanting the poor to get a "free ride" so make them pay for it by admitting they are unhealthy and ignorant...even if they are not. There are people who do actually need extra calories.
Thanks hoteltravel. I am glad you enjoyed it. I agree completely. Let the kids on food stamps have the same junk food as the other kids do.
Right on Leann2800!! I am clapping loudly and commend you for writing this. I think you state your issues quite clear and concise. While I would hope anyone receiving benefits make the best out of the pennies their government gives them for a monthly food budget, they will balance out the "sweets" with other options, but the government has no right to allot lower income families' homes their foods of choice. Let's look at the school lunch program shall we, that is regulated by the government...Saying pizza can be counted as a vegetable to cut costs, serving chocolate milk with excess fat and sugar, labeling potatoes "healthy" enough to be eaten on a daily basis that have been covered in salt.
Where's the justice or reasoning for that?!
Amen sister, well done!
I know what you mean jenubouka. I can't believe the same government that is pumping our kids full of sugar has come up with this bill. its crazy, right? thanks for reading jenubouka
This is a good topic to discuss and it should have been a forum.. I don't know I'm going to say if you're given food-stamps to provide for the feeding habits of your family.... isn't candy part of it? shouldn't the children be treated too.. i don't know.. don't beat me down with a stick.. but I think so long as you dont buy booze or smokes.. have at it.. yeah?
Hi Frank. There actually is a discussion in one of the forums about it.
Obviously, I agree with you. I don't think they should get booze or cigarettes or abuse the food stamp privilege. But, people who abuse such privileges will continue to do so. It is the innocent people who are down on their luck this will hurt.
Awesome article and very informative. I think if a person wants to buy sweets then that's there choice. Here in AZ some fast food restraunts take food stamps which shocked me at first because I thought it wasn't allowed but hey when your hungry you need to eat. Thanks for sharing.
Hi GlstngRosePetals. I think your comment is really insightful and strikes to what the real issue was...Some people just don't want others to get food stamps and they think they should not get the same food that people with money do. They want to punish them because they are getting a "free ride" they don't get. They don't take food stamps in restaurants here or for prepared food in delis here. But, really whats the difference in the food at subway and a sandwich from the grocer. Why not let them use it there when hungry?
I agree with you in essence, Leann. It's humiliating enough for the people compelled by poverty to buy food with food stamps, without telling them the specific foods they can have or not have. Leave them that personal choice that everyone else makes about what to eat. Candy isn't a contolled substance like tobacco or beer.
It's amazing that everyone blames their problems on the poor. Believe it or not some people work that receive food stamps. If the government would make minimum wage more people could survive. Even certain jobs that require training are paying 10 or 12 a hour that is not enough to support a family. Some people had good paying jobs, but with all the lay offs they had to take a less paying job. And because of all these circumstances their children do not deserve a piece of candy just because their parents can't afford it. I hope everyone who is for this never loses their job because most people are just 2 paychecks away from being poor. And as far as the drug testing for welfare recipients only 2% of them tested positive for drugs. Also they are not leaching off the government they are not allowed to sit at home and collect the money. They have to volunteer for 35 hours a week to receive 300 a month no matter the size of their family. The government receives 140 hours worth of labor for about 2 dollars an hour. If you want to find out where the missing money is go locate all the rich people who don't pay their taxes. Why do all the government officials have free insurance they are rich. These are things to think about. Most of these politicians are given free money to let other rich people do whatever they want. God bless america.
I totally agree Nikkie and when the majority of them work, I don't like to call it free money either. They pay their taxes and don't have the lawyers rich people do to evade those taxes. Shouldn't their taxes benefit them too? Or should we only spend our tax dollars bailing out banks and other countries.
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PaperGirlFLA 3 months ago
LeAnn,
No one is stopping Food Stamp recipients from buying candy. But why should they be allowed to use their government subsidized food allowance to do so. If they want candy, by all means, purchase it. Shop wisely and you can get it fairly cheaply. Think Big Lots or WalMart, or even after season sales - Valentine's candy will be 50-75% off in less than a week.
If individuals receive government money, they should understand that misusing that money can and should lead to some strictures being put in place.
On the flip side, I am sure everyone has seen the emails going around where a food stamp recipient used their weekly food allotment to purchase lobster and ribeyes - really??? I am pretty sure that was not the intention of the program.
Sadly when a system becomes abused, it often must be moderated. I would be fine with the program running more in line with WIC - you get a defined amount of each particular food group each week.
I work full time (and then some), have two young sons and proudly, stubbornly pay my bills on time, everytime. Some months it is a struggle to make it happen. I can't afford candy, lobster or ribeyes except on special occassions. Why should people who receive government subsidies be able to purchase extravagant items?
I understand your argument on Diabetes, but really, what percentage of food stamp recipients do you think truly have this issue? By the way - a glass of orange juice is just as effective and I'm sure no one would balk at food stamps paying for orange juice.