RFK Jr. says he’s working to stop food stamps buying soda and candy
RFK Jr. says he’s working to stop food stamps buying soda and candy
Uhhhhhh... It already does. Snap changed from actual stamps to a digital card that declines any purchase that does not fit in the categories that justify a snap purchase. I worked a couple of years ago with a non-profit org that helped the needy, and I distinctly remember being at walmart with someone was buying groceries, when they used their snap card the payment covered everything but junk food and the person I was with had to pay with their own money for the rest of their things.
In short RFK is working on stopping something that never has ever existed.
Problem is a lot of shitty food is cheaper than good food.
Also, if you grew up around shitty food you don’t know how to prep good food from whole, cheaper fresh or bulk foods.
There was time in my life when most of my food came from a public pantry. I know it's not the same as stamps, bit same principle.
Anyway, birthday rolls around; didn't think anything of it cuz I was in the "it's just another day..." phase of life, and even if I wanted to do something for it, I wouldn't have been able to afford it. Roll up to the pantry for that week's pickup, and they break out a fucking cake and a hand-written birthday card! Nothing crazy - maybe 6-inch diameter, enough for the wife and I to split. But that shit pulled my ass right out of a depression spell like nothing else came close to before or since.
When I finally got a reliable income coming in and paid off the critical stuff and got a little bit of savings, my first 'splurge' was a $1k donation to that pantry with a note saying that their assistance pretty much single-handedly saved me from homelessness and probably from suicide; and enabled me to take the steps I needed to get the job I have now and ultimately become self sufficient.
Food is more than just nutrients; and junk food is more than just food that's junk.
And pantries are bad ass. If anyone reading this is struggling and not yet using one, GO SEE IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE! Many people are resistant to ask for help prior to hitting absolute rock bottom, but a little help now (even if you only-kind-of need it) could save you from needing a LOT of help later. They're also an awesome source of info on local resources - whatever your unique situation is, they can probably point you in the right direction to start getting shit under control.
...I should make another donation - shit's extra fucked nowadays.
This is the kind of BS that leads to you being unable to buy warm food with food programs. A box of fried or baked chicken costs $26 for 24 pieces, which can feed me for 2-3 days, saving me money in the long run. A hot pizza is $13. A rotisserie from CostCo is about $6.
People should make the decisions about their food stamps, because they are familiar with how to best feed themselves. Your typical WalMart employee has to rely on food stamps and other benefits, because WalMart doesn't want to pay a living wage. An initiative like RFK's is designed to punish the poor for failing to be born with a silver spoon.
This isn't about helping people to make better decisions, it is about depriving them the good things in life.
The problem is that there is no will of trying to educate the recipients to help them choose healthier snacks. There will be a way for the snap recipients to get what they want through loopholes. Putting a band aid on the problem of poverty obesity won't solve it.
A chunk of my clients from low socio economic backgrounds live on soda and candy. It's how they're raised, a massive packet of crisps, can of coke and chocolate bar is their dinner. Realistically they'll just sell their stamps to buy the food THEY want.
The result of this is parents will sell stamps, have less to feed kids and kids will go short.
Heaven forbid someone enjoys their life. I'd rather pay for this than billionaire tax cuts and the bloated military budget.
RFK jr is a broken clock that became sentient.
It's like painting over murals at detention centers where kids are housed... with gray paint. It definitely sends a message.
I used to live in a kinda poor area. Lots of people on some sort of program. And that program had really restrictive rules about what you can and cannot buy. For example, you could buy Skippy peanut butter but not Skippy light peanut butter (whatever that is). It caused great confusion for the people who needed food, huge amounts of labor for the poor grocery person, and a long wait for the other shoppers in line - just so the government can save a few cents. Unbelievable.
ITT: "You don't deserve candy if you're poor"sorry that was meanLike, yeah, its bad for me. I was hooked on it as a kid and I'm trying to cut back except so many people in my life eats shit-tons of sugar. I'm working on it, but I do not need the government telling me what I can and can't eat just because I'm poor. I dunno, that seems mean. Maybe RFK should work on just banning them all together (unless you're rich ofc). If its bad for me, its bad for you, too.
Someone has to police that though guess RFK jr won't be picking up that cost.
Oh good, we'll have slightly less sugar-related inflammation while we all fucking die of bird flu
What goon-affiliated product will they be able to purchase with food stamps instead? Lee Greenwood Bibles? My Pillows?
Truly the land of the free, lads.
Sorry Timmy, the Easter bunny could only afford some potatoes this year.
Interesting, why not start branding and labeling better that more products that have high content of X
Where’s those fucking DOGE cunts when there’s real waste?
Look, I don’t want to subsidize people’s beetus diets, but, fuck me, do we not have better shit to do with our time and money?
Every single republican can fuck off and die.
I thought it was already blocked? 🤔
Huh, guess not.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Households CANNOT use SNAP benefits to buy:
Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco
Vitamins, medicines, and supplements. If an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase.
Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store).
Foods that are hot at the point of sale
Any nonfood items such as:
Pet foods
Cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies.
Hygiene items, cosmetics