Congressmen taking the 1 week Food Stamp Challenge

[quote name='Msut77']I have read what you wrote three times and you seem to think there is a difference where there is no distinction to be made.

I am trying to be polite but WTF?

They are not getting decent food because they are allocated about a dollar a meal.[/QUOTE]


Okay, the "average" person gets $21 worth of "Food Stamps" for their food budget through government assistance per week, correct?
 
[quote name='UncleBob']Okay, the "average" person gets $21 worth of "Food Stamps" for their food budget through government assistance per week, correct?[/QUOTE]


Did you read the article, or anything in this thread?
 
I'm trying to help you understand my previous statement.

So you understand that the "average" person gets $21 worth of "Food Stamps" for their food budget through government assistance per week, correct?
 
[quote name='UncleBob']I'm trying to help you understand my previous statement.[/QUOTE]

I am not the one who needs help understanding anything.
 
I think people on the food stamp program deserve better food. You can't possibly believe that people can eat healthy on it. Their income is what got them on the food stamp program to begin with. They don't have THAT much extra money for food.
The first three weeks I was getting sick because I wasn't getting protein. I started the egg in ramen soup based on the advice of a co-worker. I was previously only eating the shit (tasty though) food ramen noodles and cereal.
 
[quote name='Msut77']I am not the one who needs help understanding anything.[/QUOTE]

I disagree.

Now, since you refuse to answer the question, I'm going to assume that you do understand that the "average" person gets $21 worth of "Food Stamps" for their food budget through government assistance per week, correct?

Now, this "program" that is referred to in the OP is about Congressmen eating on a budget allocated to them of $21/week for food. Which is equal to what the average person gets for their food budget through government assistance.

However, since the $21 worth of Food Stamps is meant to *assist* individuals and families with their food budget, not replace their entire food budget, $21 is unfairly represenative of what an individual who uses Food Stamps has to spend on food.

Now, you say "The point is they are not getting enough food and what they are getting is not nutritious at all."

However, if that was the point of this program, then the Congressmen could allocate themselves more than $21 for their food budget, since, again, no one expects individuals on Food Stamps to only eat $21 worth of food a week.

This program is centered around the $21 worth of food (or worth of "food stamps") that individuals who receive this type of government assistance. The type and amount of food that they are able to purchase is completely centered around this false amount of $21.

Let's look at this statement you added in:
[quote name='Msut77']The sensible (healthy and relatively cheap) foods are priced just outside of their range, a modest increase could let them purchase at least tuna or soy products.[/QUOTE]
So, a "modest increase" in the $21 worth of assistance they receive for their food budget would allow them a more healthy choice in foods.

Let's take the $21 they receive in assistance and combine it with the amount that the individual should contribute toward their own budget, would that be enough for them to make more sensible choices?
 
[quote name='UncleBob']I disagree.[/QUOTE]

I don't care.

The way prices on everything (including food) have been going up then yes 21$ is all most might very well have to spend on food.
 
[quote name='Msut77']I don't care.

The way prices on everything (including food) have been going up then yes 21$ is all most might very well have to spend on food.[/QUOTE]

But you see, the point of Food Stamps is to *assist* an individual or family with their food budget. Not replace it.

Here's the deal, you have to keep in mind that the magic number of $21 is an average. This means that some people are getting more and some people are getting less.

Ideally, those who absolutly, just cannot contribute toward their own food budget are probably in the group that gets more. And those who can contribute are getting less.

Either way you look at it, no one is expecting individuals to live off of $21 worth of food a week. Thus this entire "Food Stamp Challenge" is a farce.
 
[quote name='UncleBob']But you see, the point of Food Stamps is to *assist* an individual or family with their food budget. Not replace it.[/QUOTE]

So now you are arguing irrelevant semantics.

Great.
 
Uncle Bob, do you have any idea that people with limited budgets don't have extra money? And what do you propose anyway? That they spend any extra money on halfway decent food instead of saving it? People should live paycheck to paycheck, if they're not already?
 
[quote name='Msut77']So now you are arguing semantics.

Great.[/QUOTE]


[quote name='Msut77']According to the dictionary it is still charity.[/QUOTE]

---

FoS: Again, if an individual just absolutly does *not* have any money of their own to set aside for their food budget, then, as I said before, they are likely to be receiving an amount higher than the average $21 for their assistance.

And yes - before you start saving money for a rainy day, I do think it is wise to spend that money toward healthy, nutritious food. It doesn't make sense to save for the future if you aren't taking care of yourself in the now.

If someone is living paycheck to paycheck, they need to get a different/better/second/third job, sell some items they've got around the house (selling the TV might help save on your electric bill!). Hell, back when my mother was working two jobs, we would go out and pick blackberries that she'd make into Homemade Jam and we'd sell it (pretty good stuff). Also, get rid of any pets you might have - that's just yet another mouth you don't need to be feeding.

Additional government assistance isn't going to help these people in the long run - they're going to have to make some major changes in their own life if they want to change their life. Government assistance is there to *help* individuals get by. If the individuals don't make the sacrifices they need to make, they're just going to be living pay check to pay check.

I would like to take this time to reccomend everyone to check out Dave Ramsey.
 
unclebob is saying his family just needed the help to get by, everyone else is a fucking parasite who deserves to die.

BTW the other money they may get is for other things.
 
seems like alot of people are missing the point.
i am totally against free handouts to people who refuse to work.
but i am for helping those poor folks who have a job and are having a hard time making ends meet and feeding thier families at the same time.
the fact is it is impossible to feed yourself for a week with $21 .some of you should try that sometime and let me know how you make out.. for the folks suggesting things like celery and lettuce for salads you must realize that items like these have very very very low nutritional value and celery itself has negetive calories ( you waste more energy chewing it than you get from eating it)once you add dressing to it ( of almost any kind) your essentially just having fat.
i myself have a unique perspective on this i grew up up in a very poor household for a portion of my life when i was young. my mother was recently divorced and soon after our house burned down leaving is with only the clothes on our backs ,my mother worked 2 jobs to try to get us back on our feet
and learned the hard way it was near to impossible. having no other choice
she turned to public assitance the first time she tried to get some help she was promptly told that since she owned a vehicle(needed to get to her jobs) she could not get public assitance of any kind ( yes its like this in some states). after days of phone calls and visits to local agencies she finally got some help from a local church to get the assitance we needed.
the system needs to be changed to make it easier for the people who deserve and need the help get it.
personally im all for the "if your on public assitance you should be made to take drug tests" thing. alot of the people on it are just looking for a free ride . but its not everyone .
but in the end my brothers ,mother and i have worked hard to try to make sure our family does not end up back there again . but we are glad for the help we got when we needed it even though it was hard as hell to get.
but feeding a family of 4 on 80 bucks a week is a job itself.
 
[quote name='UncleBob']---
And yes - before you start saving money for a rainy day, I do think it is wise to spend that money toward healthy, nutritious food. It doesn't make sense to save for the future if you aren't taking care of yourself in the now.
.[/QUOTE]
I don't think that's entirely true. What's more important, good food or making sure you're not fucked if your car breaks down and you can't make it into your job?
 
[quote name='UncleBob']---

FoS: Again, if an individual just absolutly does *not* have any money of their own to set aside for their food budget, then, as I said before, they are likely to be receiving an amount higher than the average $21 for their assistance.[/quote]
actually no

And yes - before you start saving money for a rainy day, I do think it is wise to spend that money toward healthy, nutritious food. It doesn't make sense to save for the future if you aren't taking care of yourself in the now.
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again i have to say no things like gas for your car heat in the winter shoes for your kids feet etc all cost money and are needed things . while in the summer you might be able to save a few bucks from the heating bill it doesnt mean you can go out and spend it because wintoer is comming back around again and odds are it will be even more exepnsive than last year was....not to mention car breaking down kids getting hurt/sic etc...

If someone is living paycheck to paycheck, they need to get a different/better/second/third job, sell some items they've got around the house (selling the TV might help save on your electric bill!).
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you do realize in alot of cases its hard enough getting 1 job without taking time from the 1 job you do have to try to get another one... without losing the job you already have that is..although i do agree that the luxuries you can do without till you get back on your feet.
Hell, back when my mother was working two jobs, we would go out and pick blackberries that she'd make into Homemade Jam and we'd sell it (pretty good stuff).
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and you do realize that without the proper documentation. vendors license health inspection etc this is actually ILLEGAL and could hurt you more than it helps.
Also, get rid of any pets you might have - that's just yet another mouth you don't need to be feeding.
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agreed


Additional government assistance isn't going to help these people in the long run - they're going to have to make some major changes in their own life if they want to change their life. Government assistance is there to *help* individuals get by. If the individuals don't make the sacrifices they need to make, they're just going to be living pay check to pay check.
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and just how are these people gonna make these changes to help themselves if they are dead from starvation?additional assitance does help and i can prove it. in my case the additional assitance paid for my mother to be able to go back to college and a few years later she was a school nurse who also runs a daycare and is no longer on public assitance of anykind........
 
[quote name='madpsp']we are glad for the help we got when we needed it even though it was hard as hell to get. but feeding a family of 4 on 80 bucks a week is a job itself.[/quote]
Indeed, the washington post article cited that there are more people, nowadays, who receive food stamps *and* hold jobs. The working poor are increasing in numbers, and it is a difficult position to appreciate (without having gone through it, or having family members go through it.)

From Rep Tim Ryan's blog entry today:] As several people have mentioned it the comments said:
That's another dimension to the problem, which I am glad Ryan has now experienced, first-hand. Having your options in grocery stores sharply limited in ADDITION to the constraints of a limited budget...that's quite a double whammy.
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[quote name='RBM']the lack of low-cost food stores in an easily accessible area.

That's another dimension to the problem, which I am glad Ryan has now experienced, first-hand. Having your options in grocery stores sharply limited in ADDITION to the constraints of a limited budget...that's quite a double whammy.[/QUOTE]

Well I'll agree with that. I pay probably 50% more at my grocery store in the city than I did when I worked in the suburbs.
 
Whups, I take it back. Ramen was already on the menu:

jan_day1to4_3.jpg


It is disappointing that they allowed free use of condiments, during the challenge ("Then I found out that for the purpose of the Challenge, I could use condiments which include mayonnaise and relish.")
 
[quote name='RBM']It is disappointing that they allowed free use of condiments, during the challenge ("Then I found out that for the purpose of the Challenge, I could use condiments which include mayonnaise and relish.")[/QUOTE]

That's because you can get free condiments by sending your kids into MickyD's while you wait in the car... ;)
 
Dear Mykevermin.How can you tell someone there full of bullshit.It is not just the"war" the goverment wastes money on.There are so many things we could list them for days.Yes there are many people who need food stamps,and many more who abuse the system.

I have a Idea.Instead of just throwing good money after bad and raising taxes to increase the amount of food stamps people receive,take that money and find the people who are on food stamps and do not need them.then take that money and split it up among the people who do.
 
[quote name='browneyedgal68']I have a Idea.Instead of just throwing good money after bad and raising taxes to increase the amount of food stamps people receive,take that money and find the people who are on food stamps and do not need them.then take that money and split it up among the people who do.[/QUOTE]
I think they already try to do that.
 
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