In the wake of the worst recession since the Great Depression, Congress voted to cut $11.9 billion from long-term food stamp financing to fund an emergency state-aid bill that benefits Medicaid and teacher funding. This could be the worst blow to the poorest people in the U.S since the beginning of the recession. What’s more, the bill couldn’t have come at a worse time. The number of those needing food stamps is on the rise. A record high estimate of 40 million receives benefits and that number is projected to increase substantially within the next fiscal year. A cut of this magnitude could decrease the monthly allowance of 400 dollars for a family of four to 350 dollars. The already meager allowance of an average $4.50 a day isn’t enough to buy a single meal for some. This new cut will be a first in the food stamp program’s history. Serious scale backs have been made in the past but none have gone insofar as to cut month to month allowances. So why the cut? The bill aims to save teacher’s jobs and give funding to Medicaid. But the bill does not come without consequence. To counteract the deficit the bill will create congress decided to take the funding from the food stamp program. This cut will devastate the ever increasing poor population. Food stamps are the only income to more than 6 million that are ineligible for unemployment insurance, Social Security, disability or other programs. With these cuts just on the horizon we will see more people going from the supermarket to the soup kitchen. Congresses bill is just taking from one hand and giving to another. This is a poor solution but hardly avoidable. Although the bill will save thousands of jobs for teachers, police officers and other public servants, it’s just treating the symptoms of a bigger problem. Eventually the funding will run out and those jobs saved by the bill will be just another casualty of this recession, creating more need for food stamps. So when the cuts take effect in 2014, the poorest of poor will have to give up food for health care and education, what a life.
After reading Briana Zak post “Food Stamps getting the Boot” I have to say I was very informed on this topic. I think she wrote a very informative post, I can tell that she did her research on the subject and did a good job on the delivery on the blog. It was a good post on a subject that affects a lot of Americans and government, very good job.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Briana Zak's post "Food Stamps getting the boot" I have found that I am an aid in this proposition to cut food stamps to aid the reform for health care. I believe there are a lot of people that need food stamps but, there are a lot of people that abuse the system as well. As a tax payer , of course I do not like to see my money given away to people that are physically capable of taking care of themselves but , I do understand that we are in a recession and I do believe that we should save our resources ie. our teachers and police officers . People that serve us for a better cause and a promising future . Why not fund our future ?! Yes it is terrible to see our people suffer but let's have a positive outlook on things maybe the cut in funds will make job seekers more eager to better themselves and their families.
ReplyDeleteIn Briana Zak's article, Food Stamps Getting the Boot, she explains the possibility of future cuts to our nations Food Stamp program. Furthermore, Briana goes on to explain the negative effects this would have on the country and why. Briana is a fellow Government student who created the editorial for a class assignment; her intended audience included her fellow classmates as well as professors. With that said, Briana researched the topic at hand thoroughly and presents the reasons for the possible cuts. She represents both sides of the argument of supporting or not supporting the cuts, while integrating her opinion on the subject throughout the article. Ms. Zak supports her opinion by touching base on the current state of the economy as well as the now average for food assistance pay out vs. the cost of food.
ReplyDeleteMs. Zak's article explains that cutting the Food Stamp program would only create bigger problems in the long run because it would take away from much needed supplies for some families. I agree with the author's argument. Taking away from funding that is already scarce will only traumatize the families in need of food. While we may be saving some state jobs now there is still the existing threat that those jobs may still be lost due to the recession in the job market.