Food-stamp usage at all-time high, becomes campaign issue

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
9/5/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Too many middle-class families struggling, critics say

As the Democratic Party holds its convention this week, President Barak Obama's handling of the economy has been held under the microscope. The president's critics point to the fact that food-stamp use reached a record 46.7 million people in June. Participation was up 0.4 percent from May and 3.3 percent higher than a year earlier and has remained greater than 46 million all year.

Food-stamp spending more than doubled in four years to a record $75.7 billion in the fiscal year that ended in September in 2011 and is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's biggest annual expense.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "Too many middle-class families who have fallen on hard times are still struggling," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an email. "Our goal is to get these families the temporary assistance they need so they are able to get through these tough times and back on their feet as soon as possible."

Food-stamp spending more than doubled in four years to a record $75.7 billion in the fiscal year that ended in September in 2011 and is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's biggest annual expense.

Republicans in Congress have long criticized the cost of the program. The House budget plan approved in April sponsored by Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the party's vice- presidential nominee, would cut expenses by $33 billion over 10 years.

"We need a new direction," Amanda Henneberg, a spokeswoman for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, wrote in an email. "Democrats are desperately trying to convince voters that they are better off than they were four years ago. But the opposite is true," as evidenced by the number of recipients, she said.

Food-stamps have also remained a point of contention in debate over a farm bill to replace current law that expires Sept. 30. The U.S. Senate in June passed a plan that would lower expenditures by $4 billion over 10 years, while the House Agriculture Committee the following month backed a $16 billion cut.

Former Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich declared Obama as "the best food-stamp president in American history." When the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People called his statements "inaccurate" and "divisive," Gingrich dismissed the complaints as a smear from "modern liberals" who are "off the deep end."

In an interview, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions says that the increase in food-stamp enrollment is rising partly because the USDA is pushing higher participation too aggressively, giving government money to people who may not need -- or want it.

"This administration has been hawking food stamps," the Alabama Republican claims, who has called for lower spending on the program. "Every additional dollar in this program is borrowed money," he said. "It's one more example of government incompetence."

America's two most populous states, California and Texas, had the most recipients. California was tops with 4.012 million, a 0.8 percent gain from the previous month and 7.3 percent more than the previous year. Texas was in second place, while down 0.4 percent from the previous month and 1.4 percent lower than a year earlier.

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Food stamps, unemployment, economy, Republicans

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1 - 3 of 3 Comments

Gerald Grosek
7 months ago
Our economy is a result of 30 years of economic activity, not 3 years.
RichStine
8 months ago
Food Stamps usage is at an all time high in PART because of the job market/economy.
One of the benefits of being a tax payer, is, when people like ME, who, since a child of 12, has worked as hard if not harder than many adults, and paid my taxes. As a 2-branch, US Military veteran, Honorably Discharged at completion of commitments, and unemployed for >year, I can tell you, I was grateful to be able to get food stamps.

It is amazing, though, how ashamed and belittled I felt, and still do, having to go that route. I should not feel guilty even an iota for accessing a program of relief when I have paid in to it for so very long with my taxes from wages earned through my own efforts. One of the reasons I pay taxes is not because the government owns me. I pay taxes because it is my duty to do my share as part of the government. You know the one. For the people, BY the PEOPLE. I qualify as a 'people'.
I finally landed a job after long, arduous search, of 8/hrs a day (usually more), 6 days a week.
I am qualified to make a 6-figure income. I make 7.35 US Dollars an hour, 15-20 hrs a week now, because that's the only job, so far, I was able to get.
I'm almost 50, so that makes me old. People assume folks my age are basically computer illiterate. It's true that I did not know how to turn a computer on until 1999. But thanks to my military training, I'm contemporary in my technological literacy. I'm as good as some of those who are in their 20's.

I am personally affronted when being lumped into a category of: 1. being too lazy or apathetic or just plain pathetic to work. 2. That I 'expect' the 'government' to bail me out. 3. That somehow I am a burden to society because I need to draw upon the resources I stashed away via paying my taxes and working hard, at such a time in my life, as this.

To blacklist a program and the President because of a dire situation we are in, mainly because of Republican stupidity, is an affront to those who would follow the law, and follow Christ's teachings to help his Mother, his Brother, his Sister. (see: http://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/lectio-matthew-1246-50 ) or Matthew 12:46+ .

The faithful who are duped by ear-tickling rhetoric of those in current Republican circles (Republicans weren't always this way) who claim to be "Right", show their colors by their fine craftsmanship of scaremongering.

Jesus instills hope. Whom shall I fear? Certainly not the Democrats, because, for all their shortcomings (yes, they have them), they are not using faith terminology and rhetoric to manipulate those who feel that unless they vote for them, they aren't real Christians.

I do not fear Republicans, but they certainly have made me switch parties after I made the mistake of supporting GWB the first term.

So say what you will about Food Stamps. I will not be using this resource always. I am not a parasite, at least in that sense. the idea of humanity as parasites to the planet, as a whole, is worthy of an entirely separate rant of its own! Because I am working for a paycheck that is hardly a "living wage" (can YOU, dear reader, live off of $7.35 X 20hr/wk???), I need help to eat. I paid my dues. I paid my taxes. I served my country. My pride is beneath me, my skills are not being tapped, I am being discriminated because of my age (even part time jobs prefer pretty, young girls as waitresses and front-liners, not white, old people like me. Admit it.)

Knock it off, please, with the assertion that there's something wrong with a society or government that has in place a resource for people like me.

Thank you.

RichStine
Marie
8 months ago
Food stamps are at an all time high because people are not working. Someone who has not had hard times will not understand that. Makes me wonder about some Republicans that I have to vote for because of the babies. Babies need milk and food. It is different if it is fraud that someone is committing by getting food stamps. The goverment may waste a lot of food so why don't they give it to the food banks instead of subsidising the way they do and possibly throwing it out. Government needs to cut spending elsewhere! Cuts could be made in travel, committies that yack and cost money, stupid grant programs as to why people do things. I'm sure if the Republicans really looked they could find a lot of things to eliminate besides food stamps.

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