food stamps

[jaman]

CNSNews.com) – Since taking office in 2009, food stamp rolls under President Barack Obama have risen to more than 47 million people in America, exceeding the population of Spain.

“Now is the time to act boldly and wisely – to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity,” said Obama during his first joint session address to Congress on Feb. 24, 2009.

Since then, the number of participants enrolled in food stamps, known as the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP), has risen substantially.

When Obama entered office in January 2009 there were 31,939,110 Americans receiving food stamps. As of November 2012—the most recent data available—there were 47,692,896 Americans enrolled, an increase of 49.3 percent.

According to the 2011 census, Spain had a population of 46,815,916.

Furthermore, between January 2009 and November 2012 the food stamp program added approximately an average 11,269 recipients per day.

President Obama will deliver his fourth State of the Union address Tuesday evening. Obama is expected to focus on jobs and the economy.

obummer claim to fame

[stonewall67]

A sad statistic.... I would venture to say that the overwhelming majority have a car, flat screen tv, cable, cell phone etc yet consider themselves poor and deserving. I'm all for a hand up but the system has become a handout that fosters generational dependence and not self sustainment!

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

***///***///***///

...he also said if he couldn't fix it in 1 term,

there would not be another for him....

we've had more than a belly-full of his deception.

[Deltori]

A sad statistic.... I would venture to say that the overwhelming majority have a car, flat screen tv, cable, cell phone etc yet consider themselves poor and deserving. I'm all for a hand up but the system has become a handout that fosters generational dependence and not self sustainment!

Yep I've seen it myself. And these same poeple of course spouting off on Facebook about how you're stupid if you don't vote for Obama (this last election) Naturally I chimed in on those comments and shut down every ignorant claim they made. Naturally I don;t receive a thing other than tax demands from the government.

Another sad thing is that the truth (like what you just stated willnever see the light of day with this media) so the public is once again asked not to look at the man behind the curtain. Truth no longer matters, results no longer matter, prosperity is no longer yours...UGH I'm so sick of this administration, hell all politics in general are a bunch of liars, theives and whores...

[jaman]

A sad statistic.... I would venture to say that the overwhelming majority have a car, flat screen tv, cable, cell phone etc yet consider themselves poor and deserving. I'm all for a hand up but the system has become a handout that fosters generational dependence and not self sustainment!

sorry stone, you forgot the free cell phone.the whole world laughs at us

[dog53]

Well to make matters worse the money to pay for the welfare sys in this country is borrowed on a quarterly basis from Yep you guessed it.

China

China is feeding our mass now.

We use to feed the world.

Now the world feeds us.

My god what have we become.

[keepmwlknfny]

You know what they say.....if you cant beat them, join them! LOL

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

Yep you guessed it.

China

China is feeding our mass now.

.

***///***///***////

DOG... the chinese make poisoned DOG and BABY FOOD....!

We are doomed....!

[dog53]

You know what they say.....if you cant beat them, join them! LOL

La Choy makes chinese food american.

[slb]

The Food stamp President would have been fired from any credible business about 3.5 years ago.....

[Rayzur]

ITs no surprise that food stamp use is going up given the economy. I was curious as to stats on who was receiving food stamps....so did a little digging. So far, I've found:

We asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition service for month-by-month figures going back to January 2001. And they show that under President George W. Bush the number of recipients rose by nearly 14.7 million. Nothing before comes close to that.

And under Obama, the increase so far has been 14.2 million. To be exact, the program has so far grown by 444,574 fewer recipients during Obama’s time in office than during Bush’s.

I am horrible at math, but it seems like the number of recipients is increasing during the second term to equal that of Bush's record? Stats are always a product of expert manipulation, so its hard telling if folks are comparing apples to oranges, or merely reporting grapes (in either report) to serve the foundation of an argument. Unfortunately, no one ever tells us what is behind the numbers or where they come from.

Just who is actually on food stamps? The statistics listed below were put together by from a recent report from the Department Of Agriculture:

• 47 percent of beneficiaries were children under age 18.

• 8 percent were age 60 or older.

• 41 percent lived in a household with earnings from a job — the so-called “working poor.” Further research shows that Walmart far out paces any other company with the number of its employees on food stamps.

• The average household received a monthly benefit of $287.

• 36 percent were white (non-Hispanic), 22 percent were African American (non-Hispanic) and 10 percent were Hispanic

Continuing on. in drilling down on these stats...

Single mothers whose minimum wage jobs don’t provide enough income to purchase food to feed their children represent the largest number of food stamp recipients. The second largest group are families who care for their ill or disabled seniors whose social security checks don’t cover their living expenses.

I'm certainly not thrilled with the new tax increases. Not even remotely. But for me, and this is just personally for me, I would have a hard time looking myself in the mirror while at the same time, denying a kid food instead of sharing part of my good fortune for having a job. And I of course would love to be able to identify where my tax money went, or how it was spent, in feeding our kids and senior people, but at this point, I can't say how I would do it different, as I've not really studied the issue, or how its handled.

Some of our close family members on DV have lost their homes and jobs since we first came together, and I for one, would not want them to think I wouldn't be willing to share with them and their families.... though I think it would be very cool if we got more of a tax write off for direct participation like that (the 500.00 charity is bull and not sufficient ).....

I think aging baby boomers are going to be the next big challenge as they continue to age, and didn't plan well for retirement. There were also many many BBs that lost their jobs at the tail end of their career path, 10-15 years short of their age 65 plan to work, and as an older population, just can't compete with the younger unemployed kids in getting the few jobs out there. I've seen that all over the place and really feel for those in their early 50s to early 60s unable to find work, no retirement plan, and now no income. I personally think its going to become far more significant in numbers over the next 10-20 years as this population continues to struggle with this horrendous economy at a time they should be winding down and enjoying the fruits of their labor. Hopefully, most of them will make it past the 10 year gap between that and where they are now....

Its been said that many of us are merely a paycheck away from living on the streets... and its seems we're in a time wherein this is becoming even more evident?

[endeavor1]

Wow! U .I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for providing all my need these many years! I have 11 children, the oldest is 24 and mentally ill. I've worked all my life, we don't have gov't. support for my son. We never did file for rental support. We never did file for food stamps. I paid for all my children's education, homeschooling all these yrs. , still am,, we never went to "gov't." for foodstamps or anything! I almost was accepted for financial aid to buy a home but my credit was bad, if I got help frim the gov't. these many years I might've been accepted. But now I'm older & wiser, I couldn't bear the thought of asking the gov't. to help me buy a home. All praise to God and the Lord Jesus Christ for building a great country using great Christian men & women who were commoners & hard working. Although I'm inupiat eskimo, I have enough sense to know our American history. God has blessed us.Also, thanks to our veterans who sacrificed their lives for this great country. It's "ungodly" lifestyles that are ruining our country, its time to get back to the Bible or back to the jungle! 2 chron. 7:14

[PD41]

[Thaiexpat]

Wow, how do you follow that?!? OK, so I'm not a govt allocation-expert, however, anyone who thinks its "gumbernents" job to provide support ,assistance, etc is sadly misinformed or plain stupid. For anyone to think govt is here for our benefit is completely misguided. If you think it is OK for govt to STEAL your money to provide welfare to others (and I am talking REALLY people in need) is a very confused person. I provide assistance and medical care for poor people all the time. I do it from my own heart- of my own free-will. I have worked for years in foreign countries giving my all to help people without pay and even using my own money to buy medicines that those folks couldnt afford, must less buy themselves a decent meal. When my money is finished, I go back to work to stock-up my funds and do it all over again.

So many times, I have talked with people (educated-types) who truly believe it is part of a function of govt to provide for them. The system has deluded the masses to thinking govt is our friend and only wants to help us. Once on the "teet" of govt, you are its SLAVE and the best slaves are those who dont know they are slaves. I only hope more people can wake-up and see the slavery that is among them. Wake-up and realize that govt's business is to STAY OUTTA my business. Wake-up and discover that there is NO nexxus between you and the state-they provide NOTHING, are good for NOTHING and will lead to NOTHING but harm in the end.

Dunno, just saying....Peace and may all the gods bless you and your family.

[tigerstripes]

Wow, how do you follow that?!? OK, so I'm not a govt allocation-expert, however, anyone who thinks its "gumbernents" job to provide support ,assistance, etc is sadly misinformed or plain stupid. For anyone to think govt is here for our benefit is completely misguided. If you think it is OK for govt to STEAL your money to provide welfare to others (and I am talking REALLY people in need) is a very confused person. I provide assistance and medical care for poor people all the time. I do it from my own heart- of my own free-will. I have worked for years in foreign countries giving my all to help people without pay and even using my own money to buy medicines that those folks couldnt afford, must less buy themselves a decent meal. When my money is finished, I go back to work to stock-up my funds and do it all over again.

So many times, I have talked with people (educated-types) who truly believe it is part of a function of govt to provide for them. The system has deluded the masses to thinking govt is our friend and only wants to help us. Once on the "teet" of govt, you are its SLAVE and the best slaves are those who dont know they are slaves. I only hope more people can wake-up and see the slavery that is among them. Wake-up and realize that govt's business is to STAY OUTTA my business. Wake-up and discover that there is NO nexxus between you and the state-they provide NOTHING, are good for NOTHING and will lead to NOTHING but harm in the end.

Dunno, just saying....Peace and may all the gods bless you and your family.

So, in your alternate reality universe, exactly what do you see as the role of government?

[Thaiexpat]

So, in your alternate reality universe, exactly what do you see as the role of government?

Role of govt clearly should be LIMITED in nature. Unless, of course, YOU FEEL that govt should provide you with everything since you are ENTITLED to crap from them. Where does govt get the funding to provide you with free stuff? What does govt product? What business are they in (besides organized crime)? so what can govt provide that the private sector cannot (or should I say, better handled)? National DEFENSE force? Border security? Copyright and treaty enforcement? sure, OK with that. What do you see the role of govt is in your imaginary reality? Control you at every level? Tell you what to eat, how to "protect" yourself from yourself? Burden the people with endless regulations? Thanks, but you can keep that. I would rather make my own decisions for family and not let some govt "worker" (god, what an oxymoron) regulate me. Good luck to you. Hope you find that cradle-to-grave paradise you need to survive. Dunno, just saying.. peace

[tigerstripes]

Role of govt clearly should be LIMITED in nature. Unless, of course, YOU FEEL that govt should provide you with everything since you are ENTITLED to crap from them. Where does govt get the funding to provide you with free stuff? What does govt product? What business are they in (besides organized crime)? so what can govt provide that the private sector cannot (or should I say, better handled)? National DEFENSE force? Border security? Copyright and treaty enforcement? sure, OK with that. What do you see the role of govt is in your imaginary reality? Control you at every level? Tell you what to eat, how to "protect" yourself from yourself? Burden the people with endless regulations? Thanks, but you can keep that. I would rather make my own decisions for family and not let some govt "worker" (god, what an oxymoron) regulate me. Good luck to you. Hope you find that cradle-to-grave paradise you need to survive. Dunno, just saying.. peace

So, I assume you are saying that government is best equipped to provide national defense and border security, and copyright and treaty enfrocement. Okay.

So government should provide those things and nothing else?

National roadway network?

Local Police Force?

Firefighters?

Libraries?

Maintenance of National Parks and Wildlife areas?

Are these things that should and could be handled better by private enterprise? And by private enterprise I mean corporations that are in the business of operating on a FOR PROFIT basis.

Could you cite some examples of where the above are handled better by private enterprise?

After you have provided the evidence of those things being better in the hands of private enterprise than ones funded by Government, perhaps you could then list the examples of where social welfare programs such as SNAP are handled better by private enterprise compared to government.

[Thaiexpat]

sorry that my last reply was of limited nature. I didnt want to write on about ALL the things that govt should provide. And sorry if I answer your question with a question, but I feel it would be the best way to illustrate a point: (again, I know it is bad form)

Have we EVER tried to operate things thru the private? difficult to site an example when no example exists (or least to my knowledge at this point in time) to support a point. however, it doesnt mute the point. Do i FEEL private enterprise could operate things better (and possibily cheaper, again, its never been tried, so who is to say it wouldnt?)? Yes, in most cases. now, to the point of private sector is "for profit". how does this influence its operation of something? Govt is a FINE example of running something within a proper budget? I think NO ONE in their right-mind would concede that. As for welfare programs, does this mean people will starve? I doubt it. I give freely of my time and energy to some of the poorest people in the world-all at my own expense. There are plenty of caring people. I resent the idea of govt FORCING me to give to others thru robbery, eh, I mean taxation. Are you OK with your efforts being dictated by others? Are you able to tell me what to do as an individual? How is it then, that 50 of your friends get together and are able to tell me what to do? How did you get such magical powers over me? So, the real issue is when did I get under your "ideas" (and I dont mean "you" personally)? how did I form a contract with guberment? Where's the contract? where's the nexxus? Location, citizenship, etc are not factual basis for a contract that I never signed. You might have and good for you. happy you have a contract with your master. Again, sorry that I tried to answer your questions with more questions. Just trying to explain my point-o-view. Dunno, just saying....Peace

Love the interaction. Cheers

[tigerstripes]

sorry that my last reply was of limited nature. I didnt want to write on about ALL the things that govt should provide. And sorry if I answer your question with a question, but I feel it would be the best way to illustrate a point: (again, I know it is bad form)

Have we EVER tried to operate things thru the private? difficult to site an example when no example exists (or least to my knowledge at this point in time) to support a point. however, it doesnt mute the point. Do i FEEL private enterprise could operate things better (and possibily cheaper, again, its never been tried, so who is to say it wouldnt?)? Yes, in most cases. now, to the point of private sector is "for profit". how does this influence its operation of something? Govt is a FINE example of running something within a proper budget? I think NO ONE in their right-mind would concede that. As for welfare programs, does this mean people will starve? I doubt it. I give freely of my time and energy to some of the poorest people in the world-all at my own expense. There are plenty of caring people. I resent the idea of govt FORCING me to give to others thru robbery, eh, I mean taxation. Are you OK with your efforts being dictated by others? Are you able to tell me what to do as an individual? How is it then, that 50 of your friends get together and are able to tell me what to do? How did you get such magical powers over me? So, the real issue is when did I get under your "ideas" (and I dont mean "you" personally)? how did I form a contract with guberment? Where's the contract? where's the nexxus? Location, citizenship, etc are not factual basis for a contract that I never signed. You might have and good for you. happy you have a contract with your master. Again, sorry that I tried to answer your questions with more questions. Just trying to explain my point-o-view. Dunno, just saying....Peace

Love the interaction. Cheers

No worries - interaction is all good.

The problem that I have with your notion that tax is theft, is that if you believe that, then there is absolutely no minimum level of taxation that is acceptable.

If you believe (as I do) that taxes are what we pay for the benefit of living in an advanced society where the government does provide certain things for the BENEFIT of the SOCIETY as a WHOLE. And yes, I mean that to include such things as safety net programs like SNAP.

If you don't like the way the government handles its tax receipts you are always free to relocate to another country that views taxation in the same way that you do. I think you will find however, that the majority of developed societies have progressive taxation systems in one form or another and also provide some level of safety net such as the dole, food support etc. As a rule, I would suggest that it would be really, really bad to be poor in a country that doesn't provide these things. It may be okay to be really wealthy in those countries, but I would like to think that in advanced societies such as ours, most people are in favour of providing some assistance to those that need it.

To put it in a harsh way, you either accept the society that you live in, and the government policies of that society, or you leave. Or you could try to convince as many people as you can that your ideas are better, and with the support of those people, you get the government to change its policies or you democratically remove them. If you can't convince enough people that your ideas are better, then you must concede that your ideas suck, and move to somewhere that is more in line your ideas.

My main issue with private enterprise running things "for profit" is that I think that there are certain things in a society that should not be run "for profit" but should be provided for the good of society as a whole. I know that people will call that "communist", or "marxist" etc etc. The issue I have with those people's arguments is that they argue for the government to provide some things and not others - depending on their view as to what benefits society.

[Thaiexpat]

I agree with you on this issue (for taxation) and, in fact, that is my goal. I am planning to renounce my citizenship to the US (I am not from that country to begin with and accepted it when I joined the Marines-ah, stupidity in my youth). However, it does take time and $$$$ ( A lot, in fact). However, again, the saying, "Well, that's what you have to pay to live in this society" is, in my opinion, a non-excuse. Forced taxation (which is really theft) doesnt excuse the cause/reason. Your claim that I reap a benefit from this society is a conditional reason. I have gained no benefit from being a US citizen in a number of years. I dont live in the US, dont visit the US and, to be truthful, am rather embarassed to be a citizen. See, in order for there to be a "nexxus" or, at the very least, a loosely based contract between govt and I, there has to be a "service" provided. Now, since I dont live in CONUS, what service can it claim it gives me? At the very least, it should be able to claim "safety", however, since that is not 100% either, I can see nothing to form a contract between the "parties". However, I am still obligated to "pay" for this "service"?!?!?! Sounds to me, and I know you dont agree (which I totally respect, by-the-way), like the no-neck thug coming to my business and "recommending I get insurance".

Lysander Spooner examines the relationship between free man and govt, as does Marc Stevens.(to name a few). To be free is a wonderful feeling. To be obligated to those YOU CHOOSE to be obligated to, is being free. Thanks for the nice views and clear explanation of what you think. I hope I have done the same. Sorry, English isnt my orginial language. Cheers and Peace