HOT OFF THE PRESSES!!!
So this morning while on my way to work, I was preparing to do some crazy blogging! However during my breakfast and coffee ritual, I saw something about President Trump cutting food stamps.
As a former recipient, I thought about all the millions of others still in the system trying to get by. More importantly, folks are still out here starving…poor folks, my folks!
Early today, The Trump administration said it aims to tighten food stamp restrictions for some American recipients after Congress failed to do so.
The move could inflame political divisions over the program – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – which provides free food to some 40 million Americans who qualify, or about 12 percent of the total U.S. population.
President Donald Trump’s administration has argued that many Americans using the program do not need it given the strong economy and low unemployment and should be removed as a way to save taxpayers billions of dollars.
The Trump administration said late Wednesday that the proposed rule would save American taxpayers $15 billion over the next decade.
Ok… WTF??
I cannot with this administration. Honestly I am no politician or economics guru. So while yes federal funding and welfare as a whole needs to be tightened and straightened out, it makes me wonder who will really suffer?
While many folks fraud the system, there are many who do not. Some folks albeit physically able to work may not possess the mental capability to work. How does the government know when they want to take away or mandate waivers that allow extensions on those without qualifying dependents?
And despite the SNAP program being in place, Google says that there are 564,708 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the US. 36,907 (6.38%) are children, 47,725 (8.33%) are veterans, and 269,991 (47.6%) are disabled and unable to work. [The Alliance to End Homelessness].
The official poverty rate is 12.3 percent, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 estimates or roughly, 39.7 million people: But let’s really look at the numbers.
Poverty Rates (US Census)
1. Twice the Poverty Level: 29.7% (95.7 million people)
Percentage of people who fell below twice the poverty line—$49,720 for a family of four—in 2017
2. Half the Poverty Level: 5.7% (18.5 million people)
Percentage of people who fell below half the poverty line—$12,430 for a family of four—in 2017
3. Child Poverty Rate: 17.5% (12.8 million people)
Percentage of children under age 18 who fell below the poverty line in 2017
4. Women’s Poverty Rate: 13.6% (22.3 million people)
Percentage of females who fell below the poverty line in 2017
5. African American Poverty Rate: 21.2% (9.0 million people)
Percentage of African Americans who fell below the poverty line in 2017
6. Hispanic Poverty Rate: 18.3% (10.8 million people)
Percentage of Hispanics who fell below the poverty line in 2017
7. White Poverty Rate: 8.7% (17.0 million people)
Percentage of non-Hispanic Whites who fell below the poverty line in 2017
8. Native American Poverty Rate: 25.4% (700,000 people)
Percentage of Native Americans who fell below the poverty line in 2017
9. People with Disabilities Poverty Rate: 24.9% (3.8 million people)
Percentage of people with disabilities ages 18 to 64 who fell below the poverty line in 2017.
What pisses me off are that the people that are affected most by poverty are non-white people and the disabled. Please don’t tell me that these numbers are not a problem! I will not debate it because the shit sucks! At the end of the day, you can’t tell people you are taking away something that helps them without giving them hope first. If a combat vet is war-stricken and has PTSD but has no access to programs to help him, what hope is there of finding a job? We do not provide prison rehabilitation and we do not offer jobs that can actually support anyone once released from jail or discharged from duty.
So what this will “save money” because I am not impressed. And just where is the 15 billion going to go? Not to the middle American and damn sure not to the poor American. Because let’s face it, the last few tax cuts benefited those who made more money.
But whatever… What do I know? Like I said, I’ve been there before. On the very low side of poverty and Lord knows somedays I feel like I am a paycheck away from that but I pray that I won’t be. What about the rest of my people who cannot climb from despondency?
We still have not address the senseless violence in this country but yeah…food stamps are the plight!
Well until next folks…
Shalom and Be Awesome
Drunken Insomniac Writer 