BDBoop
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Congress beats up on the hungry - Chicago Sun-Times
I guess all I can say is I am glad my grandparents are dead, and nobody in my extended family is in need. I cannot think about those who will be affected. My government refuses to - so I can't.
I do hope everybody sees the disconnect between "this is a Christian nation" and "we are done feeding the hungry."
Nearly 1 Million Vets Face Food Stamps Cut | Military.com
Anybody else wondering why corporate welfare is good, but helping our fellow Americans is bad?
Starting Friday, food stamp benefits will be trimmed back because a temporary boost from the 2009 stimulus bill is expiring. More than 47 million Americans one in seven will see less food on their plates. A family of four, for example, will get $36 less a month. That might not seem like much until you consider the average household monthly benefit is only $287. The Congressional Budget Office expects spending on food stamps in fiscal 2014 to fall by $5 billion.
As a result, the Illinois Hunger Coalition says, more than 2 million Illinois residents including about 349,000 seniors and 886,000 children will have to tighten their belts just as home heating bills are about to soar.
And it could just be a step on the way to more cuts. Both houses of Congress have passed bills that would further trim food stamps, technically known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The House would cut food stamps by $4 billion a year and would tighten eligibility. The Senate bill would cut just $400 million. Talks on a compromise bill began Wednesday afternoon.
SNAP critics, alarmed that the governments tab for food stamps has more than doubled since 2008 to almost $80 billion, say the program needs to be scaled back. But thats not taking into account how many people are struggling financially. Although about 20 percent of the increase is due to the stimulus, which is ending, much of the rest is due to the struggling economy, as more peoples incomes drop to levels at which they qualify for aid.
I guess all I can say is I am glad my grandparents are dead, and nobody in my extended family is in need. I cannot think about those who will be affected. My government refuses to - so I can't.
I do hope everybody sees the disconnect between "this is a Christian nation" and "we are done feeding the hungry."
Nearly 1 Million Vets Face Food Stamps Cut | Military.com
About 900,000 veterans and 5,000 active duty troops face cuts in their food stamp benefits beginning Thursday as $5 billion is automatically trimmed from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program for low-income families.
"The coming benefit cut will reduce SNAP benefits, which are already modest, for all households by 7 percent on average, or about $10 per person per month," according to an analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
"Nationwide, in any given month, a total of 900,000 veterans nationwide lived in households that relied on SNAP to provide food for their families in 2011," according to an analysis of census data, the Center's report said.
Anybody else wondering why corporate welfare is good, but helping our fellow Americans is bad?