› Budget101 Discussion List Archives › Budget101 Discussion List › Potential Food Stamp Legislation . . . No More Junk!
- This topic has 13 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated January 7, 2013 at 9:56 pm by .
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January 5, 2013 at 2:45 am #313621
Melissa Burnell
I came across an interesting article this evening . . . the Governor of Maine is proposing that certain foods be “illegal” to purchase with Food Stamps, namely Soda. Although it seems certain that if it’s passed more “foods” will follow.
Here’s the article:
WGME 13 – News – Gov. LePage proposes ban on purchase of soda with EBT- Potato Chips
- Cookies, Cakes, Pies
- Sugar?
- White Flour?
- Little debbie cakes?
Who decides what is “healthy” and what is “Junk”… and where does it end?
If you’re a low carber, pepperoni is a fine food, but if you’re a low fat dieter, you wouldn’t touch the stuff and may even look upon it as crap.
So.. who is right, who is wrong? What are your thoughts?
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January 5, 2013 at 12:22 pm #436059
wilbe95
Just my opinion here:
wic requires specific food allowed to be purchased and helps in so many ways. it isn’t such a bad concept to limit foods that could be purchased with ebt’s. not allowing chips, pop, candy, etc could improve the lives of many.putting time, energy and money back into teaching kids how to appreciate foods and prepare them healthy is what will work. since cutting of cooking classes in schools and the increase in fast foods kids have no idea how to cook anything other than opening a box and throwing it in the microwave for a few minutes. i learned math, science, reading and writing through cooking.
i might not be genius but i am not ignorant on being able to function in day to day activities. the government should focus on bringing back the cooking and life skills classes for all students and not worry so much about scores on a test.
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January 5, 2013 at 4:36 pm #436066
MrsPaws
Personally, and just my opinion, i don’t think sodas, energy drinks, chips, , pop tarts, cooked deli goods, pre cooked cakes, pies, pastries, candy, frozen fries, ice creams, pre packaged cookies, and such foods should be allowed to be purchased using food stamps. ((of course, if i was enrolled in such a program, i may have a different mind set, cause sometimes i do buy these, but then again, i’m not any type of gov’t program, it’s all on us.))
i do have a relative who receives food stamps, and i try to talk her into making better choices at the stores, that the ‘money on her card’ will go much further, but…::shrugs::
if being limited to only buying basic staples, basic cooking know-how will be required and will take much more effort than just opening an package or running through the local drive in…but in the long run, it’s more health conscious and economical.of course, that could bring up the unholy debates of whether it’s fair or legal to limit what can be purchased. would it be an infringement on other’s rights…who is qualified to determine either sides?
that being said, i can honestly say, i don’t think i would appreciate anyone telling me what i could or could -not- buy for my family.
hhhhmmmm…. -
January 5, 2013 at 7:31 pm #436064
Melissa Burnell
The government should focus on bringing back the cooking and life skills classes for all students and not worry so much about scores on a test.
- Cooking & Baking
- Menu Planning
- Budgeting
- Basic Accounting
It continually amazes me when the kids have friends over and they have NO concept of cooking/how to measure certain ingredients (like packing brown sugar and NOT scooping flour out of the bin with their measuring cup!!). It amazes me even more how the school district pushes Algebra to the nine, but the kids are unable to balance a checkbook. My son can write a polynomial expression, but had to ask how to fill out the deposit slip for his paycheck.
Are we bringing up a generation of kids without common sense basic skills?
Of course, that could bring up the unholy debates of whether it’s fair or legal to limit what can be purchased. Would it be an infringement on other’s rights…Who is qualified to determine either sides?
That being said, I can honestly say, I don’t think I would appreciate anyone telling me what I could or could -NOT- buy for my family.
Hhhhmmmm….It’s hard telling how I would feel, we don’t get FS either, but I’m not a fan of “convenience items”. Perhaps all new recipients of FS cards should have to take a mandatory Nutrition/Basic Cooking Class.
The problem with that idea (or should I say one of the problems) is that I’m not overly fond of what our Government “deems” nutritious. For example, milk is shoved onto every lunch tray, but the “health benefits” of it are extremely questionable.Perhaps if we added some basics back into our school curriculum, we wouldn’t have these increasing issues.
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January 5, 2013 at 8:15 pm #436072
MrsPaws
I agree also with needing the cooking and life skills classes back.
In our local school systems, the classes were “Home economics” I, ii, and iii, and “parenthood”.
ironically, when i was in school and these classes were available, there was very few teen/high school pregnancies. very few. in my -large- graduating class of 1985, there was a total of 2.
*and liss, i truly understand about your son not knowing how to fill out a deposit slip.
my son graduated with honors, and had no clue how to write a check, balance his check book, or fill out the deposit slip.as a matter of fact, i had to “educate” him on the issue of outstanding checks. sheesh…that one was fun. grrrrr
between the two of you, ((liss and wilbe95)), it sounds as if there are some very good ideas that could actually help alleviate some of these specific issues…
hhhhmmmm, maybe one or both of you should contact the powers that be, and pose your suggestions to them. it’s a thought… -
January 5, 2013 at 8:45 pm #436073
Urallee
She will be out of stamp funds before the end of the month and have to go to the food kitchen for her meals. In another line a man in front of me was buying wisely and had oranges, canned tuna, some type of formula, and other basic supplies. He went over the amount he had on his card and was trying to figure out what to put back.
I knew the clerk and nodded to her that I would cover his balance. Just to indicate the difference in attitude of the users.
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January 6, 2013 at 12:57 am #436082
MrsPaws
Education, from schools to Food Assistance Orientations, seems to be the general consensus so far and something I think is desperately needed.
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January 6, 2013 at 2:05 am #436076
splashangel
I’ve been on food stamps and was VERY greatful for them when we had them. This is a tricky topic. Food Stamps are not free food for all of us.
should we tell the little old lady down the road, who worked and payed taxes when she could, that she can not buy a box of oatmeal pies?
But then there is the couple down the road, who don’t work and ain’t gonna work. For them, food stamps is free food. And ciggerettes.And Beer. Etc. You see the kid’s eating potted meat and snack cakes while Mom and Dad smoke pot off money they made selling their stamps.
Yes, the old lady should be told she can not buy them. And no, we shouldn’t have been able to buy soda with them.
Just like everything else,the people trying to do right carry the weight for those who do wrong.They shoplift, we have to have a hack saw to open a bag of peanuts. Pay higher prices and have security eyeball us like we may be stealing.
T.V.dinners are not healthy but they keep a lot of kid’s and old folks fed.
It’s much better to eat a peach cobbler made from scratch than a peach flavored, pre packaged, chemical filled, snack cake.
I think all pre-packaged candy,cookies, chips, cakes ,pies and sodas should not be allowed on food stamps and People receiving food stamps should have to be educated on cooking from scratch with real food. -
January 6, 2013 at 4:54 am #436091
jrodgers
In our state, you can get cash back on your EBT (food stamps) card to buy other necessities.
I don’t think we are going to get anywhere trying to legislate nutrition. Nutrition education, how to budget, knowing where the best buys are to stretch our dollars (regardless of the source of the money we have available for food) makes a whole lot of sense.
We have provided groceries only to see the bags go across the street to “Grandmas” where they were exchanged for drugs.
On Thanksgiving, there were some families we did not give turkeys to for them to cook their own meal. We cooked the meal and had them invite their friends and then we served the whole group. We knew that the kids and their parents would not have gotten a meal otherwise, because drugs were their master.
In every group you discover that there are all sorts of people. Those on welfare may be hard working people who need some help, or druggies, or the teen mother who is a bit confused about what to do next. Even the very rich are not exempt from drug addiction, alcoholism, run-ins with the legal system or other problems.
When we stop looking at the group as a whole and throw away our stereotypes we discover that people are pretty much the same. Some make good choices, some make poor choices, this is not likely to change because someone creates a law to restrict junk food – sadly we just end up paying for the enforcement of yet another law with no real change in behavior.
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January 6, 2013 at 11:19 am #436095
wilbe95
Problem though when the government has to make a decision on money and funding programs and more and more people are in need of help they pull money from the education portion and use it to help feed more or cover other expenses. If you are one who likes looking at the bills passed the Farm Bill is moving $100,000 from the educational portion into covering the cost of milk expenses. Many politicians have lived on food stamps for a week to “understand” the situation, yet they really can’t get the full picture…they know that when that week is over they have money to buy the foods they desire.
It is a vicious circle.
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January 6, 2013 at 8:49 pm #436108
jrodgers
think of the cost of the ingredients that go into a tv dinner – salisbury steak, gravy, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables and a small desert. it is cheaper to cook at home, but only if you can afford to have the ingredients on hand, and those ingredients aren’t in individual serving sizes. it takes a few weeks of saving to purchase sugar, flour, oil, milk, baking powder, rice, beans, spices while still feeding the family on that amount.
the other obstacle is that many young mothers haven’t learned to cook from scratch, nor do they have access to space to garden, or a good knowledge of nutrition. it takes them quite a bit of time and effort to survive.
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January 7, 2013 at 12:37 pm #436123
lmitchell
I don’t see a problem with them restricting certain foods, such a soda, ice cream, cookies, etc. But they should allow flour and sugar, the basics to bake with.
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January 7, 2013 at 4:02 pm #436134
jrodgers
We also need to consider the elderly people who are on Food Stamps. One of the problems that faces the elderly is that their sense of taste is minimal and they forget to eat. Ice Cream, or a snack cake is a cheap way to supplement their calorie intake so that they don’t lose weight and end up decreasing their muscle mass.
Most of the weight loss came while he was in the hospital and receiving home health care after a minor stroke. My Aunt lost 12 pounds after a knee replacement during hospitalization and physical rehabilitation. Dad is almost 89 and my Aunt is approaching 93.
Both are active seniors and they need the snack food to boost their caloric intake.
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January 7, 2013 at 8:16 pm #436144
lmitchell
@jrodgers 265252 wrote:
Nutrition is not a one size fits all proposition, and that is why legislating nutrition ends up costing more than the benefits received. We took the snack and soda vending machines out of the schools, but most schools did not replace them with healthy food (unless you consider Gatorade and Power Drinks healthy!)
my son loves salads and fruit and yogurt…granted he’s starving when he gets back home, which i think is the reason behind her stopping the salads. but, we sent a note about that.
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January 7, 2013 at 9:56 pm #436147
jrodgers
Our cafeteria used to throw away lots of food especially fruit and salad everyday, because it was paid for with money specifically to feed students, by law it was illegal to feed anyone else so it had to go in the trash. What a tremendous waste of food.
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