The Big Net
From the WSJ, one out of every seven people in this country is on food stamps. The boom started with the party of pretend small government, the GOP:
The food-stamp boom began with the George W. Bush Republicans, who expanded benefits in the appalling 2002 farm bill.But the supercharger was a 2008 bill out of the Pelosi Congress that goosed eligibility and rebranded the program as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to reduce the stigma of being on the dole. Then there was the 2009 stimulus, which expanded the program again.
Liberals argued then and still do that food stamps are one of the most effective ways the government can juice the economy. Really, they claim to believe this. The USDA's Economic Research Service estimates that food stamps have a "multiplier" of 1.79, meaning that every dollar in transfer payments boosts gross domestic product by $1.79. So why not have the feds put everyone on food stamps for three squares a day and really get the economy cooking?
The Romney camp won't say this because they'll be accused of being cruel, but having one in every seven Americans dependent on food stamps is not a sign of compassion. It is a sign of economic failure. Recall Paul Ryan's great line from the GOP convention about "the best this Administration offers--a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next, a government-planned life, a country where everything is free but us."
There used to be a sense of shame in being "on public assistance," which is a polite way of saying "There goes your neighbor to his job to work to support you."
So here's what we've got: We subsidize farmers to produce certain crops. Then we subsidize the purchase of those crops with food stamps. Seems legit.
And yes, W blew it big time on the farm subsidies issue. Clinton made good progress on eliminating farm subsidies, but W threw it all away in an attempt to pander to farm states.
Cousin Dave at September 5, 2012 6:52 AM
As much as I liked W. at the time, I now regret having voted for him the second time, and the previous piece about the nature of the White House reinforcing a President's ego. Also, I know that I knew much less about politics and economics 8 years ago, and regret that unfortunately, there is not a viable third libertarian party in this country.
spqr2008 at September 5, 2012 8:21 AM
There used to be a sense of shame in being "on public assistance,"
The prevailing argument that I've heard from more liberal acquaintances is "why should you be ashamed to ask for help that you need?"
The problem is not in getting help you need, it's in getting on the dole, and never getting off. Too many people get on assistance, and maybe they do "really need it," but then there isn't any kind of check down the line to see if they still need it, and there is no incentive to get off.
Jazzhands at September 5, 2012 8:59 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/09/the-big-net.html#comment-3321819">comment from JazzhandsWhen I was starting out as a writer and needed money and freelance work had dried up, I worked some awful jobs. In one, I worked as a mover for an all-girls moving company, and let's just say I am not Hercules' big sister.
Amy Alkon
at September 5, 2012 9:17 AM
There used to be a sense of shame in being "on public assistance,"
Until it became to be seen as a right.
Before public assistance (yeah there was a time), we had charity. Hard to insist that charity is a right.
See what we did to ourselves.
Dave B at September 5, 2012 9:27 AM
"why should you be ashamed to ask for help that you need?"
Of course, the answer is that you shouldn't be putting yourself into situations where you need that kind of help. Of course there are always situations that are unavoidable (some friends of ours had a house fire a few weeks ago and lost everything), but those are rare, and if that was all there was to it, helping those poeple would be no problem. Going on welfare or asking for any form of charity demonstrates, at the very least, poor planning. Nobody wants to associate with people who are always needy and untrustworthy.
Cousin Dave at September 5, 2012 10:21 AM
Leave a comment