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Government

Do Food Stamps Make America Stronger? (The USDA Says ‘Yes!’)

Feb. 28, 2013 12:20am Mike Opelka

This poster was downloaded from the USDA’s own website.

Image: USDA

Before President Obama took office, there were just over 31 million people on food stamps. Today, that number has grown by nearly 50%. The chart below shows the increased use of food stamps during the last two years of President George W. Bush’s second term, followed by a substantial and prolonged increase to the levels of today. According to a CNBC report filed last summer, 15% of the households in the country were relying on SNAP.

Image: Trivisonno.com

On February 8th of this year, the government reported that 47.7 million Americans were were now receiving food stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). America has more people on food stamps than Canada has citizens. To give you a reference as to how large a number 47.7 million is, consider that represents a fairly large country, larger than Argentina, Poland, Canada, and all of the countries on the chart below.

Image: Trivisonno.com

And according to the USDA’s “Newsroom” page, “Food Stamps Make America Stronger.”

Some are questioning this assertion. Does the government’s program create a dependence or is it making the country stronger?”

The Obama administration has been selling Food Stamps as a benefit to the overall economy as well as to the people receiving the assistance. From the USDA’s website:

Every $5 in new food stamp benefits generates almost twice as much ($9.20) in total community spending

If the national participation rate rose just 5 percent, 1.9 million more low-income people would be able to spend an additional $1.3 billion on healthy food. This would generate $2.5 billion in new economic activity nationwide.

The government mathematics on economic benefit is explained in another section titled: ”Why does increasing participation in SNAP make sense for your community?”

In fiscal year 2009, the average monthly SNAP benefit per household was approximately $272. These benefits, funded by Federal dollars, create business when they are redeemed at your local food retailers. Eighty-six percent of benefits, totaling $25 billion, were redeemed at the nation’s 35,000 supermarkets. The remaining benefits, totaling $3.6 billion, contribute to the viability of 121,000 other firms which include grocery stores, convenience stores, combination stores, farmer’s markets, and other retail food stores; plus wholesalers and meal services.

Last summer, the Weekly Standard noticed the increase in food stamp use as well as the government’s apparent push to make the programs more of a permanent entitlement as opposed to a temporary benefit meant to assist a person during difficult economic periods. As Weekly Standard writer Daniel Harper put it, “The key here is that the federal government is encouraging greater, not less, participation in the program.”

The facts in Harper’s story appear to support his conclusion. However, the current administration is not the only one to blame. The federal government has been encouraging people to partake in this program for some time now. In fact, it predates the Obama presidency.

In FY 2006, FNS awarded more than $1 million to 15 faith- and community-based organizations to conduct food stamp outreach. In FY 2007, FNS awarded an additional $1 million to another 14 organizations.

In 2006, FNS awarded a total of $5 million to five States through the program to help increase access. The FSP also awarded $18 million to States for improving access and increasing program participation through performance bonuses.

Three outreach tool kits designed for State and local food stamp offices, faith- and community-based partners, and retailers are available on the FNS website.

A scan of the “outreach tool kits” mentioned in the last item shows exactly who the USDA is targeting for this entitlement:

GENERAL LOW-INCOME Eligible, nonparticipating individuals and families

WORKING POOR Employed individuals and families who may not understand that even though they work, they still might qualify

NEWLY UNEMPLOYED Recently unemployed individuals who may be in a financial crisis for the first time in their lives, and unaware of resources and assistance available to them

ELDERLY People 60 years old or older who may have misunderstandings about the process and potential benefits

LEGAL IMMIGRANTS* Immigrants may misunderstand eligibility requirements related to citizenship. *Recent immigrants who are in various stages of their U.S. citizenship process could benefit from this educational effort. You may want to connect with local SNAP eligibility workers in your community to identify other distinct groups to target. Some FNS outreach materials are available in 35 languages and can be downloaded from the FNS Web site.

Where do you stand on the subject of Food Stamps? We invite you to participate via our comments section as well as TheBlaze poll.

Food Stamps In America

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Comments (82)

Vietvet1
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 7:52am
Hmmm This takes me back. Time was 1971 and I was a Soldier in Vietnam. My wife (at the time) informed me, we need to apply for food stamps so we could feed her and a baby. She received 3 months worth before I got my arse home and out of the service and back to work. I tallied up what we used in foodstamps and made a trip to the Welfare Office. I wanted to pay back the value of those stamps. You would have thought I was looking for a unicorn. There was NO PROVISIONS to repay that DEBT. After many phone calls, I was told to FUGGETABOUDIT. I have not had to utilize this or any other program of it’s ilk since then. My Immigrant Father instilled in me in broken english… ” You no work, You no eat.” It has worked well for me in the 7th decade of my life.

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potvin
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 2:33pm
How embarrassing. Obama’s America has no shame!

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TAXEVERYONE
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 1:08pm
I am amazed that with all the comments here, no one commented on the USDA’s
twisted logic and fuzzy math .
Their statement might be true if the food stamp money just magically appeared, but it doesn’t, the half of our country that pays taxes provides the money. That also means that we have less money to spend.

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bankerpapaw
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 12:16pm
Do you know you can by sodas, candy, chips and other junk foods with food stamps? I wrote a letter
to Big Mama Michelle informing her of this, but you can guess how far that got.

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LightvsDarkness
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:59am
Universal health care is not enough for the democrats/communist. Universal food stamp for every american, just to guarantee that every american can eat….. its coming down the pipe.

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Envrmtn
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:57am
Gov’t employees are being threatened with being furloughed….losing 20% of their pay per month…and I read this???!!!??? Sucks to be me, I guess.

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Vickie Dhaene
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:04am
Reported last night that gas station owners seeing cards swiped with balances of 7,000.00 and 9,000.00. They come in driving New Mercedes.
This is ludicrous!!

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Inform
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 9:03am
“Every $5 in new food stamp benefits generates almost twice as much ($9.20) in total community spending”

LOL. There’s some voodoo math by the libs to justify this garbage.

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- Outlaw_Josey_Wales
  Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:51am
  For every dollar a food stamp recipient receives, it cost the tax payer $3 in taxes. Have to pay for the government bureaucracy. The real winners in the food stamp programs, are government workers. Unionized high pay and benifits public sector employee’s who get a nice government pension after 30 years, while the working person has to pay for it!
  
  Also, for every dollar donated to a church to help feed the hungry, would save the government $3. The IRS has reduced the amount you can write off on your taxes with charitable giving. The federal government want the power to be in control of everything.
  
  Report this comment
- Envrmtn
  Posted on February 28, 2013 at 10:58am
  Yeah, maybe we CAN spend our way out of debt. HUH????
  
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Inform
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 9:02am
We have too many leeches in this country sucking it dry. Liberalism is going to lead to the downfall of this country.

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123456beatriz
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:38am
This is embarrassing and proper from mediocre people.!

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Southernsoul
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:34am
No unending dependency on government makes us a stronger people. Because now and then we could all need help, government assistance should be limited to 5 years in a lifetime. If you can’t get your life together in 5 years, its never going to happen.

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zoro51
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:32am
in the SOCIALISTS world yes they do IN the real world of life they DO NOT. food stamps are thre to HELP n at times as such is now they do help many BUT MANY MORE LIE CHEAT STEAL FOR STAMPS to feed thier own LUSt or sell for drugs n sex.. millions of LEGAL americans are on f/s/ to HELP survive.. many CAN WORK refuse to n let uncle tom obama make others PAY for thier LAZYNESS… this program needs fixing BUT at the same time it needs a HEALTHY dose of 250 each family to MAKE it towards the end of the month.. MANY are on f/s/ not of thier own choosing. but to make america stronger NO it does NOT that IS A SOCIALISTS LIE

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PlanetReality
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:25am
How when we r only taking money from one pot and redistributed it in another pot aka society it only makes gov stronger!! simple tells us the pot never grows just leaves one pot overflowing while the other pot becomes empty!!!!!
imagine if that money was put into a system where all americans can benefit which includes those americans working and contributing instead of taking and redistributing then america would be some strong country they way it was suppose to be!!!!
Now lets try to think of system that isnt flawed, abused or over compensated that we could add that imaginary dream to?????? How sweet the dream and of course that would mean a real fine oil running machine full speed ahead for all hardworking americas and why isnt america running like that should be everyones question!! ???

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kaydeebeau
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:22am
Well let’s see – people have to eat so I suspect that people would still buy food at their local retailer whether they had food stamps or not (at least responsible people would) and would instead forgo the flat screens, air jordans and other luxries that are not necessary for life to continue…..Og I forgot – the pool od responsible folks is growing smaller.

While there is a need to provide assistance to those who have fallen on hard times – there are too many getting benefits that do not need to be getting them. There are private charitable food banks (like my church) who provide food

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GuruMeditation
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:19am
Sad.

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noslave
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:17am
the relaxed foodstamps issue ,increaseing those on the dole,allowing obama to hire more union supporters as paybacks,giveing them a place to go and have coffe while the taxpayers carry the added load,obamas idea is to have all his pals employed on the backs of the pesant taxpayers that didn’t support him,like marie antoniettes crew,spat on the pesant rabble?

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ferggie
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:16am
If you are a legal imigrent to this country and can’t support yourself without the help of the US goverment (taxpayers) then take your @$$ back to your own country. You can’t support yourself you don’t deserve to live in this country. YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HERE!

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RANGER1965
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:08am
You can make anything believable if you control the definitions.

Food Stamps are now like War Bonds. Those that are on them, are patriotic Americans helping out our country. You should go to the store proudly. In fact if you’re not on them you should do what you can to be on them.

Those that don’t use food stamps are likely rich, maybe even the 1% and should be viewed with suspicion.

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theBru
Posted on February 28, 2013 at 8:04am
Thank you Big Gov’t for believing your own lies…I know people need help, I know we are a nation of giving people…what I would like to know is, when will this ever end, and the people that are getting helped actually do something to earn their way? Why can’t they pick up trash along the highways and streets, there is always some work that needs to be done around the cities and counties in this country that gets left out due to low revenues…I don’t mind helping people who in turn will help themselves and their community, but for those that lay around, watch TV, and make more dependents all day, every day, are the ones I do not want to help…Let’s ALL be proud Americans and do what is right!!!
Please “Do Not Feed the Bears” as they will become dependent and will be unable to fend for themselves once you stop feeding them…hence the food riots that are fast approaching…

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