Trump's "American Harvest Box"
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:14 am
http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/12/news/ec ... index.html
So, the short version is, Trump proposes to change food stamps by replacing half of them with a pre-selected, government issued box of non-perishable goods, such as canned meat, canned fruits and veggies, peanut butter, cereal, pasta, etc.
1-Allergies? That's...a huge issue here. Wheat allergies (especially since wheat products are used as filler in a lot of canned goods), peanut allergies, etc. Heck, my friend has a NICKEL allergy, which means basically anything that comes in a can is poisonous to him.
2-This could be a big fuck you to anyone who is keeping kosher, halal, or vegetarian.
3-Screw you to anyone who is on a specialized diet to lower their blood pressure, build muscle mass, reduce risk of stroke, etc.
4-This is less flexible, so it's harder for families to make the right choice for their situation, buying staples in bulk, taking advantage of sales and discounts, maintaining ethnic food traditions, etc.
5-This hurts small businesses by removing the ability of recipients to deal with their bodaga, their ethnic grocery store, etc.
6-Poor people have way more experience in getting buy on limited food than those in power. They know better how to stretch a dollar or manage a meal plan than somebody who just points at servants.
7-Limiting access to convenience food by going with basic ingredients instead is disastrous for the working poor. After pulling a shift packing two boxes a minute at amazon, then staying on your feet for hours at McDonalds, you don't really have the energy to cook an elaborate meal and it's good to be able to zap some EZ mac or a frozen pizza so that you can refuel in time for your next shift.
8-Nobody should have their food choices restricted by a man who lives on diet coke, big macs, and well-done ketchup-slathered steaks.
Of course, all these "problems" are only problems if you aren't a bitter cynic. I think it's more likely that the point isn't to help people at all; it's to punish them for being poor.
So, the short version is, Trump proposes to change food stamps by replacing half of them with a pre-selected, government issued box of non-perishable goods, such as canned meat, canned fruits and veggies, peanut butter, cereal, pasta, etc.
1-Allergies? That's...a huge issue here. Wheat allergies (especially since wheat products are used as filler in a lot of canned goods), peanut allergies, etc. Heck, my friend has a NICKEL allergy, which means basically anything that comes in a can is poisonous to him.
2-This could be a big fuck you to anyone who is keeping kosher, halal, or vegetarian.
3-Screw you to anyone who is on a specialized diet to lower their blood pressure, build muscle mass, reduce risk of stroke, etc.
4-This is less flexible, so it's harder for families to make the right choice for their situation, buying staples in bulk, taking advantage of sales and discounts, maintaining ethnic food traditions, etc.
5-This hurts small businesses by removing the ability of recipients to deal with their bodaga, their ethnic grocery store, etc.
6-Poor people have way more experience in getting buy on limited food than those in power. They know better how to stretch a dollar or manage a meal plan than somebody who just points at servants.
7-Limiting access to convenience food by going with basic ingredients instead is disastrous for the working poor. After pulling a shift packing two boxes a minute at amazon, then staying on your feet for hours at McDonalds, you don't really have the energy to cook an elaborate meal and it's good to be able to zap some EZ mac or a frozen pizza so that you can refuel in time for your next shift.
8-Nobody should have their food choices restricted by a man who lives on diet coke, big macs, and well-done ketchup-slathered steaks.
Of course, all these "problems" are only problems if you aren't a bitter cynic. I think it's more likely that the point isn't to help people at all; it's to punish them for being poor.
