There is this thing called the SNAP Challenge.
Whats the SNAP Challenge?
The SNAP Challenge encourages participants to get a sense of what life is like for millions of low-income Americans facing hunger. By accepting the SNAP Challenge, you’ll commit to eating all of your meals from a limited food budget comparable to that of a SNAP participant $1.50 per meal.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) provides monthly benefits to supplement the food budgets of families in need, but in many cases these households still struggle to put food on the table. While it is impossible to fully comprehend the difficult decisions low-income families face, sharing your experience with the SNAP Challenge will help raise awareness about the issue of hunger in America.
$1.50 a meal seems like very little, doesnt it? Most think so.
I decided one day to see what I could get from the state in the way of food stamps. Missouri has a website that estimates what a person would qualify for.
Just so you know, when I went through the interface, I put in the number of children I have (six), the amount I pay for my mortgage and what my utilities are and assumed I had nothing coming in for income.
Heres what it told me:
GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!
Wow. That is a lot of loot.
And heres something more: thats only $1.42 a person.
So, continuing on with the SNAP Challenge, I know that I just renewed our membership at Sams Club, so I can shop there for another year. And bonus:
I had my wife sit down at the computer and do some virtual shopping. Her limit was $1,137.
Heres what we could get if we took the SNAP Challenge:
Get rid of the shipping and tax and youre looking at right around what wed be given on food stamps.
Take a close look at that list.
Thirty dozen eggs.
28 gallons of milk.
AND 25 POUNDS OF BACON!
Im told we could live on that for more than one month.
Democrats take the SNAP Challenge and fail. This isnt an indictment of the program, but an example of either their inability to manage money or pure propaganda:
Key statement: It barely provides enough to keep the hunger pangs away for half the day.
Does my list look like it would keep the hunger pangs away for half a day?
I think if I were going to be on the road all day, Id maybe start the day with a six egg sausage and cheese omelet and pack a pound of bacon and a couple hamburgers for the road.
Im pretty sure Id make it through the day on that.
The question I keep asking myself is, Why shouldnt I sign up?
I qualify. Maybe not for $1,137, but Id get quite a bit of loot.
Other than my own set of beliefs, theres nothing stopping me.
Its an incredible temptation. I can see how easy it would be to let the government pay for all my food.
I mean, if I were getting $1,200 a month for groceries, why would I get a job? What job could I get where I could afford to live like that?
See the danger?
UPDATE:
Lachlan Markay of the Washington Free Beacon Markay clan pointed out these great quotes from Democrats worried about living on the SNAP Challenge:
“It’s tricky. You know, I just got done having lunch and I’m hungry again,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D., Wis.) told Politico.
Rep. Robin Kelly (D., Ill.) said she is “really relying on the peanut butter.”
New York City’s Democratic comptroller John Liu, who is running for mayor and participating in the challenge, tweeted pictures of himself eating Campbell’s soup directly from the can, and a loaf of sliced white bread.
Heres a great quote from Anthony Weiner:
Weiner will live on $1.48 per meal for one week — the average benefit for city residents enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
“I doubt I’ll be able to do that at any restaurant in the city,” said Weiner.
Yeah, no kidding. Its SUPPLEMENTAL. Its not supposed to pay for a night out, you clown.
