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October 7th, 2010
03:38 PM ET
NY officials: Take soda out of food stamp program
Take sugary drinks and soda out of items eligible for purchase through food stamps, New York officials said Thursday. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to exclude sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas and sports drinks from food stamp eligibility, because of their effects on obesity. Under the New York proposal, city food stamp recipients would not be able to buy soda using food stamps for two years. “This initiative will give New York families more money to spend on foods and drinks that provide real nourishment,” Bloomberg said in a press release. The Big Apple has been the vanguard in many health initiatives – banning trans fats in restaurants, proposing the end of smoking in outdoor public areas and requiring calorie counts on the menu. The Chart: New York tries to ban outdoor smoking The city also released this graphic that showed how neighborhoods that had the most food stamp recipients reported that 32 to 45 percent of the residents drank more than one sugar-sweetened beverage a day and experienced higher obesity rates. New York’s poorest households had 30 percent obesity compared with the wealthiest at 17 percent. This trend also reflected in the rate of type 2 diabetes, which was higher in poor residents (14 percent) compared with the wealthiest at 7 percent. “The use of Food Stamp benefits to support the purchase of sugar sweetened drinks not only contradicts the intent of this vital program, but it also subsidizes a serious public health epidemic,” said Paterson in a statement. “There is clear evidence that low-income individuals have higher rates of obesity and are more at risk of becoming obese than other groups. The serious chronic illnesses related to obesity – diabetes, cancer and heart disease – take a toll on our family, friends and neighbors, but also carry a cost that we all bear, as nearly half of the $147 billion spent nationally on treatment per year is paid by Medicaid and Medicare.” Obesity-related illness leads to nearly $8 billion in medical costs annually for New York state residents, according to the press release. The USDA runs the food stamp program, known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. New York authorities say they seek to align the food stamps with USDA’s rules for the national school lunch program and the Women, Infants and Children program which does not allow for the purchase of sugary drinks. WIC provides foods and nutrition education for low-income pregnant and mothers to children under the age of five. Dr. Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University said excluding soda from food stamps program would not unfairly target the poor. "Using government funds to pay for things that so clearly contribute to ill health does not make sense, particularly when government agencies, including the USDA, are struggling to address the nation’s obesity problem.” Read his statement here.
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I have read the article over and over and over again. NOWHERE do I see mentioned the government is trying to tell you what you can and cannot eat or drink. What they are saying is FOOD STAMPS CANNOT BUY SODA. If you want to drink soda, buy it YOURSELF. I am not on food stamps, but I am realistic. If you accept money (food stamps) from the government, the government is ENTITLED to prohibit the purchase of certain items. If you don't like the rules, don't accept the money.
I was at the local food store a few days ago. The woman in front of me had a cart FULL of stuff – lots of Lunchables, multiple bags of chips, cookies, white bread, instant foods. Very few fruits & veggies, pretty much nothing that had to be prepared from scratch. At the end, she whipped out the Ohio One card and off she went. I used to work in a grocery store and can attest to the young women (mostly black) who came thru my checkout lane with small children, lots of sugary foods, junk foods and the food stamp card. These young girls also had expensive jewelry, fresh manicures, fancy cell phones, designer clothes, even some of the kids had designer clothes. These are the people who DON'T need government assistance.
I have no objection to helping out those who need it, but I strenuously object to handing money over to those making a mockery of the efforts of the rest of us.
Your anecdote is weak.
Please blow me.
since government thinks all money is theirs, and they give or allow you to have or keep what they feel is fair, they have the right to tell what you use any of your money for.
CHRIS I AGREE WITH YOU 100% THERE are those who take advantage of the system, your so right these parent's & kids dont care & if there buying junk food with the food stamps then why should soda be any different IT'S NOT THIS NEW AFFECT IS THE MOST STUPIDIST THING I EVER HEARD EITHER WAY PEOPLE KIDS IF THEY WANT JUNK FOOD & SUGAR THEY'LL FIND A WAY TO GET IT.
Chris: I don't know what country you're from or what LaLa land you live in but here on planet earth, in America there is very few, if anyone, "thriving" from welfare. Welfare is not a luxury. It's barely enough means to even survive much less "thrive". Perhaps you should research the subject before making general, degrading and false statements.
Chris, are you aware that the majority of welfare recipients are white? I receive food stamps. I am also a single parent of one child and one year away from obtaining my bachelor's degree. God forbid my daughter and I came through your grocery store checkout line wearing designer clothes (which have been obtained primarily from thrift stores BTW). Everyone knows "poor" people should dress in rags and do not know how to bathe or properly groom themselves!
why do working people need food stamps, lets take 1 soda for example, the property of the sugar grower is taxed, his water , vehicles, and fuel is taxed, his income,ect, the truck driver is taxed on his fuel,income,tires,ect.,the soda processor is taxed on energy, property, income, fuel, sales, vehicles, ect, the can maker has his taxes, and the store has the same taxes plus more, from the plant to the store truck driver is taxed on everything to, his licenses, truck, tires, repairs,fuel, ect . think about this and figure how much of the cost of the soda is taxes, then add in all the wages of every one involved and how much more they have to charge to make a living because of their own taxes, now how much of the cost of this 1 soda is taxes.
now look at all metalheds taxes, fuel tax, income tax, ss tax, children tax (child support) just a guess, back taxes,power taxes, car taxes ect, you can think of hundreds in you try.
now look at governments new controls efforts, they make you need their help, then tell you what you have to do with their help or because you used their help, healthcare same,food stamps, bank bailouts, automotive bailouts, soon home owners bailouts,state bailouts, education, the more they tax the more every one needs help the more control they seize, think about it
vote Tea party
I have taken the time to read most of your opinions and when I put it all together it appears we should have agents do spot checks at supermarkets to see what is purchased and by whom. Then when a years data is compiled take it public and go from there. Or since that is too simple and logical to do and our government does not work that way, how about CNN doing it. Reporting is what they do best. As in any, system some abuse it big time and some get the short end of the stick. Or in real life terms,some get bloated and some starve. We simply do not have the people in government with the ability to work on real world situations such as this.
TYPING IN CAPS DOESN'T MAKE HELP MAKE YOUR COMMENTS BETTER.
See what I did there.
sorry Sean habit not that Im yelling Im not I just dont like small print forgive me? LOL
I agree on banning soda from EBT. I work , have 2 kids and barely make ends meet. my rent is alitlle more then half of my paycheck and not to mention having a phone bill (prepaid flat rate thankfully!), a car payment (no not new, used.) gas and a $200 light bill..(I live in deep south Tx )what am i left with at the end? and im being honest down to the T. $85.... WoW! i can really feed my army for the month huh? EBT has been great help, i try my hardest to shop healthy for my little girls and sometimes i admit i do go for the occasional chicken nuggets or t.v dinners , and those i call my "emergency food" and don't get me wrong i do not buy them ALL the time but being newly diagnosed with a disease that strains the heck out of you those might come in handy.... either way soda should be out ...before we start ditching the processes ready made crap lets think about how hard it'll be for someone when they aren't feeling their best after a long day from work. maybe a limit but not a full fledged ban....
FYI my daughter has a project to do so im on a friends computer.... basically i have no net...
$11.8 million of California's Welfare ATM cards were cashed in Las Vegas. Other popular destinations for California's poor were Hawaii, Miami and Guam...Today's issue of Nevada's largest newspaper.
I've had some delicious sodas that aren't that bad for you. Probably better than most "fruit juices." Anyone try Reed's Ginger Brew? Sweetened with pineapple, and even comes in extra ginger if you prefer.
Rather than put so much energy towards telling people what they should or should not eat, why not fight to make healthier food more affordable. For example
Grocery List 1: 2lbs of grapes=$4.00, 5 grapefruits =$4.99-$5.99, Bottle of V8 or other healthy drink: =$2.99
Total cost = $12 to $13
Grocery list#2: 1 Full size Bag of store brand chips=$1.50, 2 packs of bologna=$2.00, 1 loaf of store brand white bread $.89, 10 packs of Kool Aid=$1.00, 1 bag of sugar to put in Kool Aid=$1.50, 1 pack of store brand frozen pancakes=2.00, 1 bottle of store brand syrup=$.99, one pack of pork sausages=$1.50
Total cost = $ 11.38
Grocery List 2 ,which is filled with enough items to provide a family of four breakfast and lunch is still less than the few healthy items on Grocery List 1. Most people on a tight budget with a family will pick Grocery List #2 every single time. If these families could afford healthy foods they wouldn't need welfare.
Why were the welfare and food stamp programs designed to have a cash portion that could go toward junk, casinos, and vacations? I don't understand. Why don't they specify that it can be used only for: healthy foods, rent, utilities, a bus ticket? Why are we handing out cash or benefit cards in the form of a VISA to people? I know there would still be a lot of fraud in any case, but some of these stories are crazy.
Yessah Massah Bloomberg – I be following your commands as I be your slave. You can tell me anythin you wants me to do – and I be doing it.
Our soldiers families are on foodstamps too – as far as I am concerned – a soldier can buy anything he d*mned well wants to and I am good with that.
AS for bloomberg the moron – we are in a RECESSION trying to dig out – and this moron is going to put business halting initiatives in place against AMERICAN business manufacturers? Really? What's next? WHITE bread -as it also has little nutrional value. Or how about pizza. Or how about ice cream. Or how about boxed sugared cereal? Have you looked at toaster pastries for breakfast – nada in the nutrition value (no vitamins even enriched).
thank you CR3 – well said. I agree.
THANK YOU FOR POINTING THIS OUT!!!
For those of you who've never worked for a US social service agency I'm going to let you in on a little secret, more than 85-90% of the people who receive welfare benefits are VETERANS(their spouses and children), DISABLED Americans and SENIORS. A very small portion goes to welfare moms and illegal immigrants. But our media rarely shows the real faces of welfare. I’ve noticed whenever they do a story about a welfare recipient, it's always some black or Hispanic woman with 5 kids. But the reality is these women are the exception, not the rule.
geezzz – No wonder the democrats ADVERTISED that the Communist Party was going to be one of the groups at the Washington Rally last week.
For all of you who think food stamps are for lazy people . . . you'll be happy to know this. Just for grins, google Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits (that's the new name for food stamps). You'll see that an individual gets about 4.50 per day for food, but this is being cut by the Obama Administration. The 2nd month on SNAP will be much less than 4.50. I wouldn't worry too much about people buying sodas with their four bucks – and when this legislation passes it will be less than that. Also, Google "military and food stamps," and see how much we don't "Support Our Troops!" Keep your lousy tax dollars and starve a soldier. booyah!
I spent 14 years in the military. I think I was paid VERY well. I've been over-seas, lived on and off bases, I was paid extra to live off some bases, I was active during war and during peace time. I think the military paid me well for my time. The problems I've seen with military people on government assistance is NOT because they aren't paid enough, it's because they don't spend their money wisely. I couldn't begin to list the individuals that I've personally known that enter military service, runs out and gets married, starts having kids, buys that new house and feels the need to buy a new car every couple years. Most have non-military spouses who do not hold a job on the home front, whether they live on base or off base. ...For one thing, NO WHERE does that contract state that the government will pay for a spouse and children. NO WHERE does it say that it will pay for a new house. NO WHERE does it say that it will pay you for any and all children you may choose to have in the present or the future...and on and on. I FULLY support our troops, at home and abroad. They are, at this very moment dying and dealing with hell on a daily bases. I know, I've been there...What one can not forget is that no one twisted any arms or forced any enlistments. It's all on a volunteery bases. I'm most concerned about the care and support they get when they come back home. And if they don't, well that's another story. But it's still like any other job you choose to do. You look at the pro's and con's, you consider any and all entitled benifits that job offers. If it looks like a decent job, you take it. If not, well, find something else. Because you choose to elevate your standard of living above and beyond what you can actually afford does not mean the government should pay the difference to you. Believe me, the military won't ever ask you for any more than what your contract originally stated before you signed it...and that's your actual LIFE if needed! So...people, think about that before you obligate yourself.
Amazing republican flawed logic again. Trying to micromanage other people's lives when they cant even stop misguided wars or Wall Street thieves. Soda or so-called "healthy" drinks...carbs equal sugar....body doesnt care what you call it.
New York's time would be better spent studying how to stop that hideous mosque from being built..and not worrying about
how your hard earned money is being spent feeding people in THIS country. Guess the republicans need the cash to start another war or arrange another bailout for their Wall Street friends... OBAMA may be slowed down by this bunch of cowards in congress but Im going to vote Democratic all the way....Its a whole lot better than returning to Bush style politics that got you there.....Everyone can stop whining...we knew before Obama even took office that we were in deep deep trouble...the housing bubble we knew was coming....followed by millions of foreclosures...NO ONE can expect it to be turned around in two years..KEEP the democrats in and we have a better chance of survival.
Sir – 2 suggestions for you..
– Please learn to write in sentences.
– Please research the significance of glycemic index.
This is why people should opt out & NOT get food stamps get the check instead then you can buy what you want Yes u can still work & collect so whats the difference is no difference IF it were me I would rather take the monthly check not the food stamps & then you can buy whatever since certain food & paper products you cant buy God forbid if I need something at Staples or Walmart & cant buy it with food stamps come-on getting the monthly check is way better
this article is about sodas not food and drinks no need for deep convo
I hate to burst the bubble of all the compassionate folks out there...but I worked in both the Food Stamps and Medicaid departments at a county social services agency in NC. The VAST majority of recipients of those entitlement programs worked LESS than 30 hours a week, they had more than three children with as many daddies, none of whom they married or got child support from, and they were quite overweight and so were their children. ALSO many illegal aliens received benefits and it was illegal for us to even ask them if they were here illegally. I quit after a year because I could not stand it. People would come into my office and essentially demand food stamps, with a rude tone of voice and aggressive manner. They had no qualms about telling me how cheap the "guberment" was for not giving them more money. "How am I supposed to feed my kids with just $800 a month in Stamps?" they'd screech at me. And they were never interested in the free food bags from the local food banks, because those bags contain, in fact, only healthy staples such as oatmeal and potatoes.
There was a requirement that the parent work 20 hours/week if she (it was always single mothers; I did not work with the over-65 group) had children school age or older. But they were almost always pregnant or had a new baby–I am not exaggerating; many of my clients had ten children or more–again, with 5-10 different men and not one of them a husband.
So now that you have the facts instead of your own fantasy conjecture, do you still think unlimited, unregulated food stamps are a good idea?
Not only should people on welfare not be buying sodas with taxpayer-funded food stamps, they should be allowed to purchase only approved healthful foods. I understand any of us could be in that unfortunate position of need and don't begrudge helping those who are - I don't have any problem with helping to pay for the less fortunate to purchase fruits, vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, meat, fish, eggs, juice, hygienic supplies, etc.
However, junk food/drinks (chips, crackers, cookies, convenience desserts, sodas) as well as items such as paper plates, cups, etc., are non-essential. Items like flour, sugar, cocoa, baking supplies should be allowed; then, if they want a dessert, make it themselves - but no prepackaged junk food. When you're taking a hand-out, you should spend what you get responsibly on items that are needed to promote and maintain health, not frivolous food or other items.
Providing for people in need so they have the essentials is important. Making it not-so-comfortable and easy to purchase unnecessary food/items with taxpayer money helps limit the time spent on welfare and gives incentive to try to make better choices. In addition, refusing to pay for junk food limits our ending up having to pay even more for health care for these individuals and their families.
There are so many families struggling and juggling bills and paying taxes - so many who are NOT on welfare who can't afford to buy junk food or extras. So why should someone accepting welfare be able to spend frivolously on these items when people who pay their own way many times cannot?
This is where charity of family, friends, community, church, etc., comes in. That's where food stamp recipients should turn if they want a handout for junk food/sodas. I would give someone the shirt off my back and bake them a dessert myself, but it's selfish and irresponsible for someone to take other people's money and buy crap with it.
Bloomberg is Satan's Toe Jam!
So let's look at things you can't get with Government Benefits:
Cigarettes, Alcohol & Soda?
Brilliant! Boy, he's really making new York a better place everyday! That makes sense.
I've drank soda almost everyday, for decades, and I have all my teeth, and am nowhere near overweight.
Soda is not the problem
Did you know that Apple Juice has as much as 50% more sugar in it than Soda?
Fruit punch, citrus drinks, and lemonade also have significantly more sugar
The city, and state, are bankrupt.
And this fool thinks it's because poor people are buying too much soda?
I'm confused. Is Bloomberg a Mayor? Or is he Lord of what we eat?
Rusty
Mike – today the average food dividend is $4.50 per day per person. That is being cut even as we speak. SNAP recipients do cook – they have to when all they can afford is beans, noodles, tomato paste, macaroni/cheese and potato. Go live on $4.50 a day and let us know how you make out. You hard workin' tax payers that resent poor people need to realize that food stamps are a subsidy-not something a person can live on. Most people who collect food stamps are our working poor, elderly, children under the age of 5, and our military – yep, those soldiers fighting for your freedom of speech that lets you bad mouth your government. "Support our Troops! Take away their food stamps!"
This is so great! Food stamps need to be ran just like WIC is. If the government is paying for someone's food, then it needs to be healthy. ESPECIALLY when that food is going to their growing children as well, and when we are footing the bill for some of their medical bills. I do not have any problems with supporting our needy in the country, but I am not okay with allowing them to feed themselves and their children unhealthy food, which can then cause medical problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. I also think drug tests should be mandatory for people on any type of government assistance. The spectrum of food and medical services available to people has changed immensely in the last decade, and government assistance programs need to be revamped to accommodate those changes.
Yes, because being dependent upon the government means doing everything they say and having no control over your own life. It also means the forfeiture of all of your freedoms and liberties. Right on.
Ive been scanning the groceries of many customers for over ten years at a major US food chain. I've worked over 10yrs to get to earn $12/hr as of now. When I see Food stamp program recipients buying choice meats and steaks and high priced foods, it makes me wonder how they get to eat better than I do because I have to bargain shop for the generic brand foods to have enough to pay the bills and survive. A very high percentage if not all of those customers I ring up with food-stamps are overweight for reasons unbeknownst to me. It's good that someone is looking into this. However, what really makes my blood boil is when I see that same Food Stamp customer come into our Liquor Store and utilize the cash allotment amount of the food stamp card to purchase liquor and cigarettes and I have to let the sale go through. Think about that all you hard working Americans who pay taxes along side me.
When I was in college, I went to a local kroger with the $27 that uncle sam let me keep out of my paycheck to buy groceries that had to last a month. $27 for a month's worth of food. The woman in front of me in line was buying all kinds of fresh foods, meats, liquor, and all that. She also had a small bag of dog food... the clerk said she could not buy dog food with the food stamps, so she threw the bag of dog food on the floor (causing it to burst open and spill everywhere) and proclaimed that her dog would just have to eat steak.
This is yet another step in the complete government takeover of private life. Once you are dependent upon the government, you will eat what they say you can eat, drink what they say you can drink, do what they say you must do, and bow to their every whim. After all, they now control whether you live or die, and eat or starve.
Bahaha! Seriously? Food stamps are government assistance! If you want soda, go buy it with your own money. The government is not saying you can't have soda, but they are saying that it is not a RIGHT, like healthy food is. Why don't we let people on food stamps go use them at Red Lobster according to your line of thinking? Why don't you try a reply based with FACTS and DATA. The data here says that people who use food stamps tend to be obese, use sugary carbonated sodas that are bad for them, and also tend to be on Medicaid or Medicare. And if you don't want to the government telling you what to do with the money you get from them, then feel free to move to different country. Maybe they'll give you their citizens hard earned money and let you do whatever your little heart desires with it. Try Mexico, looks like things are really awesome down there in the land of little government control!
If you don't want the government to control your life, then get off of government assistance. Learn how to earn a living. Then you will have freedom.
graham how about, social security, welfare of other types,military retirement, government pensions, health care,tax refunds, should this money also be restricted in its use, and where does it stop organics are better for you than others, hot dogs can be worse than soda?
graham how about, social security, welfare of other types,military retirement, government pensions, health care,tax refunds, should this money also be restricted in its use, and where does it stop organics are better for you than others, hot dogs can be worse than soda?
Umm, yeah. Let's start with government health care. No, you can't go get a boob job or rhinoplasty with your medicaid. Second: retirement, tax refunds and pensions are NOT government assistance, it's your own money you are ENTITLED to as you put in the time, money and work. Third, I don't think you should be able to pull social security if you use drugs, murder people, steal candy from children or talk loudly in movie theaters! Let's not try to compare cats and dogs like they are the same species. Any money that the government gives you for a single purpose, like...oh let's say feeding your family, should be used for that purpose! You tell me someone you know who needs pop to live. And try to do a little reading about why pensions and retirement funds are not the same thing as food stamps or WIC before you make any more comments.
Food stamps should be for what is needed to survive. Soda, Junk food, candy, and beer not included. We are lucky to have this in America and it should not be abused, be grateful, and buy healthy food with it!
I wouldn't call soda a food .. It is basically sugar water with caffine.. They'd probably still make it with cocaine if it was legal..
Support! I don't think they should use food stamp for lobsters, king crabs, luxury items, and etc.
I pay tax and I can afford walmart chicken only.
WIC already has this requirement. Only beverages you can buy with WIC are milk and 100% Juice. You know what, I haven't heard anyone complaining about it. Most people who are getting it are just glad that they can get something healthy for their kids. Many buy sodas and sugary drinks for their kids, not because they want to, but because those are cheaper and they can't afford juice for every day. Maybe the foodstamp program needs to shift to the same format as WIC, where you get specific types of items rather than just a dollar amount. Then the people forced to use the program can be sure that they can get healthy food, rather than being forced to trying to figure out how to get the most food they possibly can each month regardless of how much prices of healthy foods shift around.
WIC program seems to work well to a point. It can be fustrating though. I've worked in grocery stores for awhile. I see were people will come in and get their full allotment of milk or cheeses or formula on WIC in one visit for that time period and then have the audacity to tell you that they keep a gallon of milk and sell the rest for cash! That stinks! And why can you purchase a gallon of chocolate milk on WIC? At some stores, thats over $5 a gallon! The stupid thing is, when a customer wants infant cereal and they have to buy it in two's or three's and the store only has two of the plain and one with banana's, we're not supposed to let them have the one with the bananas because the WIC certificate states "plain cereal". Most registers set up to except WIC coupons won't except scanned items if their not the exact item stated on the coupon either. We have lots of problems with that. I'd much rather see an infant eat cereal with bananas in it then know that they may be drinking chocolate milk instead of the cereal......
Now that's what I'm talking about! Thank you Mayor Bloomberg and Gov Paterson, may I have another!
Who gets to decide what's healthy and what's not? Soda may seem unhealthy and it probably is, but it's a slippery slope. Are eggs healthy? How about Mac -n- cheese? Who determines the diet for poor people these days? What about Chocolate? If you're unemployed and poor, and you spend every day looking for a job, couldn't you use a treat every now and then?
All you have to do is read the labels. Mac n' cheese is Terrible for you in terms of fat calories and sodium. Eggs in moderation are fine but if you eat too many, you will have cholesterol issues. It's not a matter of "deciding" what is unhealthy, it is what the nutrition content actually is.
And when you are on government assistance, they have a right to control what you buy. If you truly want freedom, go to work. Then you can buy all the chocolate and mac n' cheese you want and gain 100 pounds from it all.
Dean – These people do not "live" on $4.50/day. Just as you said, this is a subsidized program that is based on their current income. The average person gets this low amount because they work and do have some income to live and buy food already and the government is assisting to help them bridge the gap. You are trying to make it sound like they only have $4.50/day for food – period – which is not accurate.
How about we stop giving them transactional items like stamps? Why don't we give them boxes of nutritional food.
I worked in a food store (Safeway) 2 years ago. I could not find a job anywhere back then. Besides being the most thankless job I ever could imagine having I was totally shocked at what people on food stamps bought. I had noticed several grocery carts filled with maybe $200 worth of junk food and no good food at all. This happened so often I started to resent people on food stamps. I rarely saw a cart with anything healthy in it being purchased with food stamps. This food makes them sick eventually and then we pay for their medical care. The should ONLY be allowed to buy staples, meat, veggies and NOTHING prepared. Some of these people also had on big diamonds, owned expensive cell phones, had fake nails recently done, had fake hair or expensive weaves in their heads. Disgusting. One lady in particular (as common as mud) used to come in with new hair, jewelry, fancy expensive clothes and try to convince me how rich she was and she paid with food stamps. I started closing my line when I saw her coming and I didn't care. Safeway was the most petty company I have ever worked for, Mgt is non existant, the employees were out of a movie too (Denver, Colorado). I will never shop there again.
YES !!!!!
All you folks wailing about this should read this VERY closely!!!
I guess what this country once stood for is being taken away very slowly.....FREEDOM!!
You can have Freedom when you pay for it, when other's are paying for it FOR YOU, there comes a price! As an exaggerated example, if my mother cam to me and said she needed $50 for food, and I found out that she purchases soda, cigarettes and booze..... i'd be pissed and I bet you would to, because she would be right back at your door asking for more.
You shouldn't feel entitled to the freedom to use MY money that I paid in income tax to buy whatever tasty snack you want! Pitifully disgusting.
Well ,i think its great the government wants to step in about soda,yeah but who cares what they listen to or watch right .Would you like it if the government said you cant drive a certain car or wear certain clothes people get a life who cares what they eat or drink.
doesn't the government and the people have better things to worry about then who is buying soda and junk with food stamps....and i thought this was a free country.....must of changed
I think that the government has a right and even an obligation to tell food stamp recipients what they can or cannot buy with my tax money.
The stamps are for food. Soda pop is definitely not a "food". People who need help should get it, but with that help comes the responsibility for using the help as it was intended and not just buying junk food. The food stamp program is so rife with fraud that you can sell the stamps in any city. More regulation is needed, not less.
It is a matter of economics. People eat healthier they are less likely to be sick or obese,which costs the government more. You can still buy healthy,still have things such as pudding,jello,etc for "snack" foods vs chips,frozen foods,etc.
Patti, this government is now in the business of heathcare. Since it is now the largest provider/dictator of health services, you betcha they're going to start to care how much of the diabetic/fat non-working poor are sucking the sugary teat with food stamps for sodas!
I agree with this. Pop is not a necessity. There are so many better choices out there than pop. Also, whatever happened to just plain old water? Is there some reason people can't drink the water out of the tap? It is filtered and most bottled water is actually overly processed tap water. I mean yes, water is boring, but when you've got no money, you take what you can get.
And yes, I agree that food stamps should be for staples like non-processed meat, veggies, fruit, toilet paper, toothpaste, etc. Not candy or potato chips. If you want non-necessities, get a job. Mow people's lawns if you have to. Shovel snow in winter. Clean houses. Babysit. Just do *something*, even if you can't find a good job. Eventually, the economy will pick up.
Don't live off the public dime if you can possibly help it.
My husband is disabled (amputee) with many bone and skin issues related to the loss of his leg (hit by a teen driver) ... He gets Disability but we've always turned down food stamps when offered ... I used to think it would be embarrassing, that people would look down on us, judge us after reading the posts here, I see that I was absolutely right. For the record there is plenty of stuff you can't get with food stamps and all of you 'witnesses' who see all junk food purchases, well I don't know where you live but we shop at the end of the month too when my husband gets his Disability benefit and we see families with food stamps with hamburger, bread, cheerios, cheese, oatmeal, milk and canned goods not Oreos and Pepsi .... always the cheap crap and none of it particularly healthy. You stop soda and they will likely buy cheap sugary drink mixes because you get more for your money than trying to buy OJ or Juicy Juice or some other 'healthy' alternative to soda.
@ old enough to know.....I understand that there are plenty of decent people, like yourselves, using food stamps and just trying to make due until things get better. But believe me, there are also PLENTY of people out there using those same food stamps to buy junk. I just watched a couple purchase a $35 cheesecake with food stamps. I mean, come on!! I LOVE cheesecake, but there's no way I'd be able to afford $35 for one! I can buy a box mix for a couple of dollars and make one, though. Why can't they? And I've also witnessed many, many younger kids using their parents (I assume) FS card to purchase goodies at the local convenience station. Happens a LOT....
Your taxes pay for these food stamp programs. Why should you hesitate to use what you have paid for. It's like Social Security, you have paid into it so why be embarrassed to withdraw from it? Go apply for the help that you need and deserve.
We chose not use them, mostly out of embarrassment, we've also been offered toy programs for our kids in the past (they are adults now) and have turned that down as well. Maybe things are just different here but there is no way you'd get $35 dollar cheese cakes with food stamps.. you can't even buy deli cheese, you have to get processed packaged cheese (sign has been up at our local grocery deli announcing this for months now) I'm not so much against the soda not being covered as to the reason.. it's not healthy.. they will buy Koolaid or other powdered drink mixes that are just as bad if not worse. Also the notion that anyone is footing the bill on any sort of personal level... honestly by the time our tax dollars are actually divided up into the various programs and projects ... how much of it is really going to food stamps per person? Everyone pays taxes in some form or another throughout their lives the high horse mentality lately that seems so prevalent I personally find frightening... no one gets what it's like until it's you that needs the help and so many think that will never be them, or someone they care about. I just don't get it.
For all of you saying, where's my Freedom! You can have Freedom when you pay for it, when other's are paying for it FOR YOU, there comes a price! As an exaggerated example, if my mother cam to me and said she needed $50 for food, and I found out that she purchases soda, cigarettes and booze..... i'd be pissed and I bet you would to, because she would be right back at your door asking for more.
I believe it is a slippery slope to tell people what they can and can not drink. It amazes me how outraged people are when poor people appear to be getting a little something they don't deserve. However, we the people sit back and give out corporate welfare like there is no tomorrow. Why are most of the items in my home made in China. That is a shame!!!! These companies who out source jobs should have an import tariff so high their heads should spin. Then the money should be used to support and help the working poor.
Most of the items in your house made in China are there because you decided to buy them – even though they were made in China. Try looking at the country of manufacture rather than just the price tag.
The WIC program mandates what a person can/cannot buy. We have large groups of people who are buying these empty calorie products,high in sugar etc and then we spend millions trying to help them get back their health.
Well it is a big deal, what...if your poor and out of luck next you can only buy unflavored tofu and cold gruel and like it?
God let people have a little comfort in their snacks and foods. Fraggin A it's not like they spend 200 bucks of groceries all on soda...
Wasn't it Bloomburg who told us all to chill out over the islamic center near ground zero and that it was a freedom of religion and speech yet he wants to tread on other freedoms. Im glad you folks in NYC reelected this condecending jerk as your mayor so the rest of us don't have to deal with him.
This has nothing to do with nutrition, it is Patterson attacking the soft drink industry. If it was about nutrition they would also ban candy, twinkies, slim jims, and other non-nutritious foods.
Don't you worry. We'll get those next. Just a matter of time. Everyone that is using the stamps to buy Twinkies are too fat/sick/diabetic to put up much of a fight anyway.
Yeah Mel, screw the old, ill, disabled, you only get to be free if you can afford to pay for it. Such compassion and empathy.. why not just gas them all who can't afford to live here and be done with it, just remember this when it's you who can't walk, can't work, had chemo (or just goes home to die if you can't afford it or insurance says no more) had a child born with a birth defect or simply get too old.... I'd love to be around when someone decides you don't get any 'freedoms' because you can no longer afford them. Capitalist America... gotta love it.
Hey New York........What about the $35.00 cheesecake I watched someone purchase last week with food stamps? Or..oh yeah...that candy bar, slim jim and bag of cheetoes the two young kids bought with their parents (I am assuming) card? So tired of standing in line with my very hard earned and carefully budgeted cash to buy a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread, only to watch these sleazeballs do the above mentioned, or better yet, stand in line to buy $50 worth of scratch offs.
BRAVO !!!
For decades I have witnessed my in-law relatives (on food stamps) guzzle gallons of taxpayer financed soda & mountains of taxpayer financed junk food. Naturally, they become grossly overweight, diabetic, etc, etc and require more medical care (courtesy of Medicaid). I have repeatedly chastized these people and refused to enable their poor choices (by purchasing it for them at their request) and enduring the wrath of my spouse.
It's about time our elected officials stop subsidizing bad decisions. Fruits and veggies – no problem! Junk food and pop – no way!
I happen to agree with this and have been hoping for yrs it would happen. i do not fault any one that has have to rely on food stamps to buy food,and with today's economy more are needing them. But when I go to the grocery store and see carts loaded with more junk food than good food it is a waste of money. A cake mix and some frosting can be a snack for a family of 4 for 2 days,and costs less than 2 bottles of soda and chips. If the WIC program.also federally funded can put restrictions on food ,the so can the Food Stamp program.This should be implemented nation wide.
Foodstamps are a tax payer hand out for those unable to afford the cost of living, its meant to get you by till you can get on your feet, not make you fat. I actually had a family offer me $250 worth of food stamp currancy a month to allow their out of state cousin a couch to crash on for a few months while he looked for a job. Its like a second currancy given to those unable(which is fine) or unwilling (which is complete BS) to live.
Plain and simple, this is just another way for the GOVERNMENT to control everything you do in life. Don't eat this, don't drink that, only wipe with one sheet of toilet paper and make sure it's one ply only so we can save the earth from destruction. I feel sorry for the man/woman who has a family and loses his/her job and has no choice but to ask for help, especially if they have been working for 20 years plus. I think that they've put enough of their hard earned tax dollars into the system and if they want a soda, they damn well should be aloud to have one!
Then use their wallet to do it, not mine. Also, whats wrong with Kool-aid? Kool-aid got to make a living also.
Problem is,some do not buy A soda. Carts are loaded with 4.5.6 bottles of soda,no milk,no juice,and that presents health issues down the road. Wouldn't it make more sense for them to buy good healthy choices,rather than down the road we spend double on health services?Wouldn't a healthy snack for the kid who is 20.30lbs be better than handing him a glass of soda and a bag of chips?
I agree that they should eat healthy, but this is America and freedom is not supposed to be regulated. That's all I was saying. Do you want anyone telling you what's good for your kids? Can you not figure it out on your own as a parent? If your kid is fat then do something about it. Why should everyone else have to suffer for it? What happened to self accountability in this country? Every time something happens that they don't like they regulate it and people, like sheep, buy into it and this is the result! We SHOULD be outraged!
This is the same city (under $Bloomberg$) that contracted soft drink companies to run vending machines in public school cafeterias and playgrounds. Go figure.