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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Wed Dec 28, 2016, 06:12 PM Dec 2016

Fox News wonders whether we should cancel food stamps because 0.09% of spending is fraudulent

By Philip Bump December 28 at 12:16 PM

A bit over 44 million Americans participate in the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly referred to as food stamps. That's a higher number than in most years past, representing about 13.7 percent of the U.S. population, but it's down from the high of 47.6 million in 2013, 14.9 percent of the population that year.

What's incensing Fox News, though, is that 2016 saw a record-high level of fraud in the system, with $70 million wasted. The network hosted a discussion Tuesday morning with a simple conceit: Should the program therefore be ended?

In December 2013, a poll conducted by United Technologies with the National Journal asked Americans whether they thought that changing the rules to limit food stamp availability should be approved, even if it kicked 4 million people off the support system. Two-thirds of Americans said that was acceptable. How many would accept booting all 44 million isn't clear.

But it's useful to consider the broader context of the question before we consider scrapping the program in its entirety.

For example, the amount of fraud reported in the SNAP system is a tiny fraction of overall spending. The cost of providing nutritional assistance to those 44 million people (on average each month) is $70.8 billion. In other words, the amount of fraud is about 0.09 percent of all of the money spent. Visually, that looks like this.

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/28/fox-news-wonders-if-we-should-cancel-food-stamps-since-0-09-percent-of-spending-is-fraudulent/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_fix-fox-350pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.03e0560d13f2

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Fox News wonders whether we should cancel food stamps because 0.09% of spending is fraudulent (Original Post) DonViejo Dec 2016 OP
Fox News should be canceled Angry Dragon Dec 2016 #1
For sure because 99% of their "news" Island Blue Dec 2016 #12
Faux Snooze is a lot more destructive. lpbk2713 Dec 2016 #2
What next? yallerdawg Dec 2016 #3
My first thought too. safeinOhio Dec 2016 #9
Evil bastards. smirkymonkey Dec 2016 #4
That's conservative methodology; spending 80% of their time and effort on a 20% problem ffr Dec 2016 #5
Fox News is 80% bullshit should it be cancelled? MattP Dec 2016 #6
How about we cancel CORPORATE WELFARE 1st because it costs WAY MORE AmericanActivist Dec 2016 #7
The Food Stamp Program is Corporate Welfare delisen Dec 2016 #11
Yes; let more children suffer Chasstev365 Dec 2016 #8
Fox is the first safeinOhio Dec 2016 #10
Perhaps if someone explained to the Fox"News" crew that more white people ... 11 Bravo Dec 2016 #13
not gonna happen... handmade34 Dec 2016 #14
Ok, fair enough. TheCowsCameHome Dec 2016 #15
Fox News is deplorible and the people that watch it are deplorible. nt doc03 Dec 2016 #16
By that logic private corportations should not be allowed to run any healthcare csziggy Dec 2016 #17
So they'll question the validity of food stamps but not that of a stolen election. Great. Initech Dec 2016 #18
Keep it up republiCONS.. coco22 Dec 2016 #19
Mother Jones has a good article graphicnomad Dec 2016 #20

ffr

(22,649 posts)
5. That's conservative methodology; spending 80% of their time and effort on a 20% problem
Wed Dec 28, 2016, 06:21 PM
Dec 2016

A 0.09% problem must really be sending them off the deep end.

Idiots!

delisen

(6,039 posts)
11. The Food Stamp Program is Corporate Welfare
Wed Dec 28, 2016, 06:34 PM
Dec 2016

When Newt Gingrich wanted to destroy the Food Stamp program in the 90's, the AG Industry rose up in its defense.

I don't know whether their position will be different now.

11 Bravo

(23,922 posts)
13. Perhaps if someone explained to the Fox"News" crew that more white people ...
Wed Dec 28, 2016, 06:43 PM
Dec 2016

than people of color receive SNAP benefits, they might re-think their editorial position.

handmade34

(22,755 posts)
14. not gonna happen...
Wed Dec 28, 2016, 06:43 PM
Dec 2016

corporations, small grocery stores, farmers all benefit as much (or more) than the vilified food stamp recipient


http://www.eatdrinkpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/FoodStampsFollowtheMoneySimon.pdf

and...

Food industry groups such as the American Beverage Association and the Snack Food Association teamed up with anti-hunger groups to oppose health-oriented improvements to SNAP...At least 9 states have proposed bills  to make health-oriented improvements to SNAP, but  none have passed, in part  due to opposition from the food industry.


csziggy

(34,120 posts)
17. By that logic private corportations should not be allowed to run any healthcare
Wed Dec 28, 2016, 07:13 PM
Dec 2016

Since they are responsible for most Medicare fraud!

coco22

(1,258 posts)
19. Keep it up republiCONS..
Wed Dec 28, 2016, 07:25 PM
Dec 2016

they think they want a civil war they may get more than they bargained for. They are giving away the peoples money all over the place but when the people need it there is always a problem example: unemployment Paul Ryan says no,a bomb he says yes,health insurance and raises for congress and senate yes, luncheons and other get together free food for them and on and on and on.

They say we need weapons to keep us safe, for what, they are killing us,they seem to not realize that if it effects us they and their families will feel it too we all live in the same world.

What good is it to have all of those riches when they need to worry about someone trying to steal or kill because they don't have. I guess they think all of those people will lay down and die because they can't get food for their families.

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