Cut in Food Stamps Forces Hard Choices on Poor

[unhappycamper]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/us/cut-in-food-stamps-forces-hard-choices-on-poor.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Cut in Food Stamps Forces Hard Choices on Poor
By KIM SEVERSON and WINNIE HU
Published: November 7, 2013

CHARLESTON, S.C. — For many, a $10 or $20 cut in the monthly food budget would be absorbed with little notice.

But for millions of poor Americans who rely on food stamps, reductions that began this month present awful choices. One gallon of milk for the kids instead of two. No fresh broccoli for dinner or snacks to take to school. Weeks of grits and margarine for breakfast.

And for many, it will mean turning to a food pantry or a soup kitchen by the middle of the month.

“I don’t need a whole lot to eat,” said Leon Simmons, 63, who spends more than half of his monthly $832 Social Security income to rent a room in an East Charleston house. “But this month I know I’m not going to buy any meats.”



unhappycamper comment:

And here are three days of the 57 percenters whining about the five percent budget cuts:

http://breakingdefense.com/2013/11/service-chiefs-take-on-sec-hagels-scmr-study-rosy-assumptions/
- http://www.stripes.com/news/new-restrictions-placed-on-marines-tuition-assistance-program-1.250947
(CNO: Long-Term Sequestration ‘Will Prevent Navy From Executing the DSG’) http://www.seapowermagazine.org/stories/20131108-sequestration.html
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-defense-cuts-20131107,0,502541.story
(Service Chiefs Warn of Reduced Presence in Asia-Pacific, Smaller Forces) http://www.seapowermagazine.org/stories/20131107-hearing.html
http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20131107/NEWS05/311070025/Odierno-Pentagon-budget-can-t-absorb-more-cuts
http://hamptonroads.com/2013/11/military-chiefs-warn-budget-cuts-could-raise-casualties
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20131107/NEWS/311070040/Amos-Sequestration-costing-Marine-Corps-billions
http://www.stripes.com/news/fewer-troops-less-gear-service-chiefs-lay-out-specifics-of-budget-crunch-1.251660
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/11/05/hagel-says-cuts-to-pay-and-benefits-are-needed.html?comp=7000023467940&rank=2
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/11/07/odierno-says-iraq-a-lesson-for-afghan-withdrawal.html?comp=7000023467962&rank=2
http://breakingdefense.com/2013/11/pressure-snowballs-to-fix-pentagon-buys-kendall-outlines-scrub-of-all-acquistion-laws/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/07/pentagon-weapons-idUSL2N0IS1CC20131107
http://hamptonroads.com/2013/11/military-chiefs-warn-budget-cuts-could-raise-casualties
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20131107/NEWS/311070040/Amos-Sequestration-costing-Marine-Corps-billions
http://www.stripes.com/news/fewer-troops-less-gear-service-chiefs-lay-out-specifics-of-budget-crunch-1.251660
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/11/05/hagel-says-cuts-to-pay-and-benefits-are-needed.html?comp=7000023467940&rank=2
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/11/07/odierno-says-iraq-a-lesson-for-afghan-withdrawal.html?comp=7000023467962&rank=2
http://breakingdefense.com/2013/11/pressure-snowballs-to-fix-pentagon-buys-kendall-outlines-scrub-of-all-acquistion-laws/
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/07/pentagon-weapons-idUSL2N0IS1CC20131107


Doncha see? They need the big bucks to get ready for ????????

On a personal level, I would like to see the DoD budget cut by at least 40%.

[kdmorris]

1. My daughter was forced to take a crappy job

in order to continue her schooling. She was told she could never have children... then, SURPRISE, she got pregnant. She gave birth to a little boy who disrupted her quest to become a nurse for a year. Then, she went back to school. They tried to live on her fiancee's $13 an hour salary while she went to school to get a better job someday.

Then, she got diagnosed with pre-diabetes and celiac disease... neither one of which she can afford to have. It's very expensive to eat gluten-free/low carb and still be able to feed their 22 month old. Then they cut her food stamps and she decided to continue her schooling via tele-schooling and get a crappy job as a telemarketer. It sucks and they treat her awfully, but she needs to get through school so that she won't have a need to get food stamps anymore. They are still forced to rely on the food pantry too much for her liking.

I'm appalled that these assholes think that cutting food stamps is even close to humane. After my divorce in 1992, I was on food stamps (and welfare) for 4 years while I went to school and tried to make a life for my daughters and I. It was nothing compared to being on food stamps (or welfare) now. I can't imagine how people survive.