Posted on 05/18/2007 5:20:57 AM PDT by radar101
Washington Post had an article yesterday on the Food Stamp Challenge, in which four members of Congress are attempting to eat on $21/week - the average per person allotment for food stamps in this country. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA.) and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO.), who co-chair the House Hunger Caucus, called on all law makers to take the challenge though only two Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Janice Schakowsky (D-IL) stepped up to the plate.
Not surprisingly, the lawmakers found it nearly impossible to build any protein of fresh produce into their diets on the budget. (Note that they will not be eating or drinking anything at fundraisers or other events). Tim Ryan’s diet this week is limited to the following:
Yellow cornmeal $1.43
2 jars strawberry preserves 4.80
1 jar chunky peanut butter 2.48
2 packages angel-hair pasta 1.54
Chock Full o’ Nuts coffee 2.50
3 cans tomato sauce 4.50
2 containers cottage cheese 3.00
1 loaf wheat bread 0.89
1 head of garlic 0.32
Total: $20.66
That’s not much for anyone, much less for Ryan who is pushing 6′4″ (I know this because I have a mini-crush on him and met him at a DCCC fundraiser last year. I like tall Midwesterners like myself - sue me!)
What I found interesting about this great effort is the way that the members of Congress are utilizing social media tools to promote the initiative. McGovern, his wife and Ryan are all blogging on their daily experiences. Many of the posts are thoughtful and lengthy - generating dozens of comments a piece as individuals offer encouragement, or advice on recipes, rationing and purchases. Tim Ryan has also posted a video of his CNN interview on the challenge to his YouTube channel (though it’s not tagged well and doesn’t come up with a search of Food Stamp Challenge). The effort has also generated some buzz in the blogosphere where dozens of bloggers have mentioned the Challenge in the past few days.
Good to see a reminder that politicians can use new media not just to get elected, but also to advocate for change issue by issue.
(Via We’ll Know When We Get There)
What's the change? More welfare? Cut out food stamps altogether and then we won't need stupid politicians to make these stupid grandstands.
Yellow cornmeal $1.43
2 jars strawberry preserves 4.80
1 jar chunky peanut butter 2.48
2 packages angel-hair pasta 1.54
Chock Full o’ Nuts coffee 2.50
3 cans tomato sauce 4.50
2 containers cottage cheese 3.00
1 loaf wheat bread 0.89
1 head of garlic 0.32
Tim Ryan doesn’t know how to shop worth a durn. That much for tomato sauce and pasta? Why get preserves at all?
At a dollar per meal - breakfast - oatmeal, milk, raisins, walnuts, tea - about 50 cents.
Lunch - peanut butter sandwiches or left over from dinner, piece of fruit, about a dollar.
Dinner - rice and beans with vegetables, cook Mexican or Indian for flavor, about 1.50.
Throw in a cheap multivitamin for a few pennies.
Mrs VS
10 pounds of chicken leg quarters is $4.60, rice and beans ar cheap. Frozen veggies, which are nearly as good as fresh are less than $1 a pound.
Anyone who is willing to take the time and price check, and then (horrors) actually cook, can survive on $21 a week.
Average allotment is a meaningless number, because it presumes the recipient is supplement his normal food purchases with food stamps. His actual food purchases would be higher. These political hacks should be using the maximum allotment.
Good points, and if you shor at the local dollar store, you can get your dry goods pretty cheap
Food Stamps are a supplement designed to help families with their food bills. They were never intended to provide for ALL of a family’s nutritional needs.
Is it asking too much to expect citizens to take some responsibility for their own well being?
Well... I suppose it is... judging from this idiotic exercise in government nannyism.
Food Stamps, plus a little enlightened consumerism, will go a long way toward providing good nutrition.
For example, I buy ten pounds of long-grain rice for about 35 cents a pound. If you buy the small package of convenience rice you’ll pay up to $3 pound. And it’s all right there on the supermarket shelf clearly visible to anyone with two brain cells to rub together.
All you need is some peanut butter/jelly and milk to get all the protein you need.
Grow and freeze your own veggies too.
Of course.
Actually, I’m not against giving any politician any dose of reality :))
Take away food stamps and welfare altogether and watch how resourceful people are. Suddenly, that landscaping/dishwashing/cashier job isn’t so bad after all.
Zoning laws don’t help either.
If people had to care for a goat and chickens to rely on a food source, that might instill some responsibility.
People aren’t supposed to *live* off food stamps. It is for short term *assistance* with food needs.
It’s a crime to charge people for food. Let the tax payers pay for it.
May the PR stunt commence. Those poor congresscritters, my handkerchief is saturated by my tears of sorrow. 'Tis a shame they have to go through this.
You make good points about the cost of food. I suspect that many food stamp recipients are likely to have a diet of high fat, high sugar (unhealthy) foods. Just go to McDonalds and see who eats there. I sometimes stop for the senior coffee.
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