2008 Woodie Awards
Value Of Food Stamps Needs To Be Reassessed
Alex Sanders
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Commentary
ConnPIRG recently had their annual hunger and homelessness challenge, which yielded eye-opening results. The challenge was for students to live on four dollars a day, for one week, without taking handouts, stealing food or even grabbing a few snacks from their friends. They found that it was a challenge to live on such a meager amount
Four dollars per day is the average amount someone on food stamps receives for their groceries. If the shopper goes to Stop & Shop, he can purchase store brand whole milk for $1.49 at the cheapest, but most of the prices average around $3. With prices like that, a budget seems impossible.
Many people can survive on $28 per week but cannot eat a healthy diet. Items such as eggs, milk and vegetables are prohibitively expensive on food stamps. A Big Mac at McDonald's is cheap, but it doesn't provide nearly enough protein or vitamins to complete a healthy diet.
It is unjust that people do not get the help that they deserve. There is always going to be abuse of every public, government subsidized program, but the administration should be changed to fix that. Meager amounts will not discourage people from taking advantage of the food stamp program, but they will prevent people who need aid from obtaining it. Food stamps have to be reassessed. Inflation, location and health all need to be taken into account when placing values on food stamps.
Four dollars per day will feed a child, but it could also cause them to become obese. Burgers and fries are less than half the price of broccoli and chicken. A reassessment of food stamps is most important for children. Children need nourishment for their minds and bodies. Bodies function differently depending on what it consumes and how much sugar, fat or carbohydrates the food contains. A pint of ice cream will fill you up as much as a salad, but it will only give the body half of the energy with more trans fat and sugar. Food stamps have to be more realistic. The average family can subsist on Ramen and Sunny Delight, but they will not be healthy and there is no reason they should have to.
Four dollars per day is the average amount someone on food stamps receives for their groceries. If the shopper goes to Stop & Shop, he can purchase store brand whole milk for $1.49 at the cheapest, but most of the prices average around $3. With prices like that, a budget seems impossible.
Many people can survive on $28 per week but cannot eat a healthy diet. Items such as eggs, milk and vegetables are prohibitively expensive on food stamps. A Big Mac at McDonald's is cheap, but it doesn't provide nearly enough protein or vitamins to complete a healthy diet.
It is unjust that people do not get the help that they deserve. There is always going to be abuse of every public, government subsidized program, but the administration should be changed to fix that. Meager amounts will not discourage people from taking advantage of the food stamp program, but they will prevent people who need aid from obtaining it. Food stamps have to be reassessed. Inflation, location and health all need to be taken into account when placing values on food stamps.
Four dollars per day will feed a child, but it could also cause them to become obese. Burgers and fries are less than half the price of broccoli and chicken. A reassessment of food stamps is most important for children. Children need nourishment for their minds and bodies. Bodies function differently depending on what it consumes and how much sugar, fat or carbohydrates the food contains. A pint of ice cream will fill you up as much as a salad, but it will only give the body half of the energy with more trans fat and sugar. Food stamps have to be more realistic. The average family can subsist on Ramen and Sunny Delight, but they will not be healthy and there is no reason they should have to.
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Nate Cowan
posted 4/10/08 @ 10:49 PM EST
My girlfriend and I actually did this for a class she was in and it has helped us save money in our regular grocery shopping now. We've learned to maximize everything we use and to coupon clip. (Continued…)
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