College and post-grad students are joining the swelling ranks of food stamp applicants.
And a related story from Salon.com, detailing 'hipster' couple Gerry and Sarah's big city smorgasbord of mint chutney, roasted rabbit and gourmet ice cream on food stamps.
But these aren't your parents' food stamps. In 2008, the Department of Agriculture renamed the food stamp program Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance (SNAP) and issued electronic debit cards instead of coupons. That way, people like these poor hipsters won't have to suffer the indignity of taking food coupons up to the cash register.
But maybe that's the idea.
Used to be that students who couldn't use their good graces with their parents to send them money actually went out and worked to get their food money. The old, "I put myself through college" appears to be morphing to "Obama put me through college." The unspoken part, "...with everyone else's money." Ahhh, the positive effects of government programs. Reminds me of that famous: "Work ethic? We don't need no stinkin' work ethic."
ReplyDeleteI have no real problem with people who are out of work applying for food stamps (or SNAP). What is irritating is the choices they make. You can shop and eat without purchasing the most expensive items available. You can maintain a healthy diet in the average grocery store. The people in this story buy what I consider luxury foods. They have it backwards. Find a job and then buy luxury foods; not buy luxury foods and hope to find a job.
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