Food-stamp tally nears 40 million, sets record

[Ponce]

Food-stamp tally nears 40 million, sets record
Fri, May 07 13:28 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly 40 million Americans received food stamps -- the latest in an ever-higher string of record enrollment that dates from December 2008 and the U.S. recession, according to a government update.

Food stamps are the primary federal anti-hunger program, helping poor people buy food. Enrollment is highest during times of economic distress. The jobless rate was 9.9 percent, the government said on Friday.

The Agriculture Department said 39.68 million people, or 1 in 8 Americans, were enrolled for food stamps during February, an increase of 260,000 from January. USDA updated its figures on Wednesday.

"This is the highest share of the U.S. population on SNAP/food stamps," said the anti-hunger group Food Research and Action Center, using the new name for food stamps, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). "Research suggests that one in three eligible people are not receiving ... benefits."

Enrollment has set a record each month since reaching 31.78 million in December 2008. USDA estimates enrollment will average 40.5 million people this fiscal year, which ends Sept 30, at a cost of up to $59 billion. For fiscal 2011, average enrollment is forecast for 43.3 million people.

[Ifyouseekay]

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[zusn]

Why should we continue to give people free assistance?

I'm for putting them to work on socialized farms, or something of the sort if they want my tax dollar.



It's not much different than sending tons of food to Ethiopia. Lets feed the starving masses so they can add more to the number of starving. Not much motivation to improve your situation in life when the gov is willing to give you free hand outs.

Like grandpa says, "hunger is a great motivator."

[mtnman]

More than 10,000 of those on foodstamps are Military.

[Ponce]

Soon there will be no food at whatever the price.......or at a very high price.

$768.000 more dollars to buy food today.......that will give me another 6 months of prep or three more bullets in the back....or.....whichever comes first.

[madfranks]

Food stamps are the primary federal anti-hunger program, helping poor people buy food.


Oh really?

Hipsters on food stamps (http://www.salon.com/news/us_economy/index.html?story=/mwt/pinched/2010/03/15/hipsters_food_stamps_pinched)

They're young, they're broke, and they pay for organic salmon with government subsidies. Got a problem with that?

By Jennifer Bleyer

In the John Waters-esque sector of northwest Baltimore -- equal parts kitschy, sketchy, artsy and weird -- Gerry Mak and Sarah Magida sauntered through a small ethnic market stocked with Japanese eggplant, mint chutney and fresh turmeric. After gathering ingredients for that evening's dinner, they walked to the cash register and awaited their moments of truth.

"I have $80 bucks left!" Magida said. "I'm so happy!"

"I have $12," Mak said with a frown.

The two friends weren't tabulating the cash in their wallets but what remained of the monthly allotment on their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program debit cards, the official new term for what are still known colloquially as food stamps.

...

Mak, 31, grew up in Westchester, graduated from the University of Chicago and toiled in publishing in New York during his 20s before moving to Baltimore last year with a meager part-time blogging job and prospects for little else. About half of his friends in Baltimore have been getting food stamps since the economy toppled, so he decided to give it a try; to his delight, he qualified for $200 a month.

"I'm sort of a foodie, and I'm not going to do the 'living off ramen' thing," he said, fondly remembering a recent meal he'd prepared of roasted rabbit with butter, tarragon and sweet potatoes. "I used to think that you could only get processed food and government cheese on food stamps, but it's great that you can get anything."

***more at link

[mick silver]

to cut the cost of buying food they need to make them buy beam and rice and other food that they have to cook and it better for you ... and if i ever needed stamps i bet i would never get them