Maine Gov. LePage threatens to halt food stamp program amid sugar crackdown

[unfilteredJW]

The cynic in me is convinced that it'll just never go away. :/

"At the heart of every cynic, is a frustrated idealist." - Paraphrasing the late, and great, George Carlin

[Zyster]

So do you have proof that having a candy bar or a soda every once in a while constitutes an "excess amount of sugar"?

Do you also have proof that people are using food stamps to buy excessive amounts of sugary foods?

I didn't think so.

So then put in restrictions for every once in a while. Already pointed out.

[Stormspark]

Do you want to live in a free society or one completely ruled by government for peoples daily life?

Noone is saying government should rule people's lives. If you earn your own money you can buy whatever the hell you want. They're saying if you are on food stamps you should not be able to buy junk food and soda with it. Even if you completely discount all the health risks of living solely on junk food...that stuff is a TERRIBLE value for the money. The money spent on 2 bags of chips could provide several days worth of food if you bought stuff like beans, rice, and pasta.

Some people have pointed out that very occasional purchases of stuff like this is ok. That's fine. This can be accodomated. Say you can spend no more than x dollars per month on fast food type items. And it should be something small, like $5-$10.

[Orange Joe]

Yes. I am OPPOSED to them having a good standard of living when Im the one paying for it. And as for your snide comment about the 1% paying more. Their money was EARNED either by hard work, good business decisions or by family. Welfare leeches didnt EARN a cent of what they are given. How about having some personal responsibility and support yourself, even if it means living uncomfortably for a couple years while you work multiple jobs, live with roommates, and save money. Just because you are born doesnt entitle you to a cradle to the grave good standard of living

Just how much do you think you are paying?

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Some people have pointed out that very occasional purchases of stuff like this is ok. That's fine. This can be accodomated. Say you can spend no more than x dollars per month on fast food type items. And it should be something small, like $5-$10.

How would you enforce that? Gonna track every single purchase made with food stamps back to the people making those purchases? Congratulations, now you've made government bigger and more expensive.

This idea suffers from the same problem drug testing welfare recipients does....it ends up costing the taxpayers more instead of less.

[Caolela]

Republicans are for limiting government to what you need not fluff items. There's a difference there. This kind of policy change is completely in line with the republican platform.

Then the Repubs should be against giving billions to corporations that don't need it because they're making record profits. Let's start there if you want to "limit" government.

[Vash The Stampede]

I agree, woman need to look more like cheerleaders and not like fat feminists. No more sugar for you! Wait, this isn't one of those threads?

[JohnBrown1917]

Or just go with the kind of welfare we get in Europa, or is that too communist for America?

LePage is right. People shouldn't be able to buy sweet drinks or confections with other people's tax money. The whole idea behind these food programs was that they are supposed to be temporary but we all know how that turned out.

Thanks to shitty min. wage, yes.

[unfilteredJW]

Then the Repubs should be against giving billions to corporations that don't need it because they're making record profits. Let's start there if you want to "limit" government.

It's hysterical.

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I agree, woman need to look more like cheerleaders and not like fat feminists. No more sugar for you! Wait, this isn't one of those threads?

Tennisface is still gone I think

[JohnBrown1917]

Ah, Republicans are so much fun. They don't get their way, and their first instinct is always the nuclear option.

Seriously, some poor people buy a candy bar and mountain dew every now and then...this is a reason to freak out?

And people wonder why I have hard time taking many Republicans seriously anymore...

Fuck the poor, dude. Getting them to beg on the streets for food is the only solution in this case!

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How does that work in the US? Is there a specific amount (Cost) you can 'buy' with foodstamps?

Here in the Netherlands we have 'food banks', no idea if that's the correct English name, but let's just leave it at that for now. You go there, I think once a week and bring back your groceries for free. Fruit, vegetables, bread, diary products, meat and plenty of stuff you can store for a longer time. You can get 'unhealthy' products every now and then. But in general (Atleast where I live) there's barely any crap like soda, candy and stuff like that. Most of the stuff is healthy.

It's also not a replacement. You might have to buy some additional products with your own money to complete a recipe or something.

Seems kinda fucked up that you could technically buy all the unhealthy stuff and only gain more weight. You will never get out of it then.

Pretty sure the food banks here are charity though, had a short internship at the IT section of one of them(they also repair donated computers to give out to poor families). Completely staffed by volunteers or people on welfare trying to get back into a working life.

It can't really be compared to the US food stamp system.

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Oh good. I was wondering when we'd start comparing candy bars to methamphetamine.

This thread is truly golden.

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You're just drawing arbitrary lines.

"EBT recipients should just receive bread, rice, and chicken, because that's all they need to survive."

We live in a first world country. We can afford to treat the poor a little bit better than that, no?

No potatoes? How can a man survive of no potatoes?


Heresy, I say.

[Damajin]

Ah, Republicans are so much fun. They don't get their way, and their first instinct is always the nuclear option.

Seriously, some poor people buy a candy bar and mountain dew every now and then...this is a reason to freak out?

And people wonder why I have hard time taking many Republicans seriously anymore...

And some poor people buy nothing but candy bars and mountain dew, so the point is valid though would be better addressed at the federal level but that's a bipartisan problem there, neither side actually wants to curb the corporate welfare that comes from welfare to the poor.

[Zyster]

I think that if the Governor was actually serious about treating this as a Public Health Crisis...he'd be looking at solutions that affect more than a small percent of the population of his state. Instead he'd be looking at way sto help people make better choices. Preventing people from buying candy and coca-cola isn't going to make them suddenly eat healthier. The real problem is it's not easy to eat Healthy on the cheap.

I mean, the State representaive Drew Gattine summed it up perfectly:

True. The treatment as a public-health crisis would be a bit foolish.

[Beet]

What kind of logic is "if we're going to spend money on something we shouldn't consider where the money goes because we are losing the money either way". The whole premise of a food-assistance program is directing a part of the government budget into a regulated purpose (to buy food). There's no reason that purpose can't or shouldn't be further narrowed down (to buy food that is less likely to contribute to a massive public health crisis).

Because it's food either way. Why do you give a shit if some fatass drinks mt dew or water? Do you think things will change if we stop them from buying soda and shit? He's going to get his sugar treats anyway. It's a pointless effort and just leads to more government oversight. And I thought conservatives were supposed to be against that. Too many fucking RINOs.

[Tinykong]

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegu.../ucm385663.htm

Is just one source disagreeing with you. Here is another just in case you want more.

http://www.livescience.com/36188-sugar-bad.html

Of course I shouldn't have to had provided any of this for you unless you have being living in a box your entire life.

Eating a candy bar isn't unhealthy.

I shouldn't have had to emphasis that.

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Instead of presenting a strawman caricature of the argument, why don't you think a little? 40% of people on food stamps are obese. Why are they obese? Unless you have broken the laws of thermodynamics, it all comes down to calories and thus diet. Who is more likely to consume too many calories, the guy eating chicken breast and broccoli for dinner or the guy eating deep-dish pizza with a bottle of mountain dew on the side? I seriously don't understand why it's so hard to realize that many obese people buy tons of high-calorie processed shit that greatly contributes to them being fat. Seriously, how do you think obesity happens?

This is a meaningless statistic.

40% of Americans are obese, food stamps or not.

[Tempguy]

Starving and need help? What did you spend the last bit of cash we sent you?

Candy and soda? $1.29 bottle of coke and a 60 cent bar of candy? And not milk? Okay buddy, you're cut off.

[Tinykong]

Starving and need help? What did you spend the last bit of cash we sent you?

Candy and soda? $1.29 bottle of coke and a 60 cent bar of candy? And not milk? Okay buddy, you're cut off.

2% milk has more calories per serving than soda, not to mention cholesterol and sodium.

What about people who are lactose intolerant? Man, it's almost like we just need to let people make their own choices when it comes to what they eat.

[Zyster]

Eating a candy bar isn't unhealthy.

I shouldn't have had to emphasis that.

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This is a meaningless statistic.

40% of Americans are obese, food stamps or not.

The government should not be a part of your unhealthy habits. I shouldn't have to emphasize that.

[Deleted]

The government should not be a part of your unhealthy habits. I shouldn't have to emphasize that.

So why do they legalize unhealthy habits, like alcohol and whatever drugs they see fit?

You are hiding behind a thin facade of just wanting to hold down poor people, really.

[Zyster]

So why do they legalize unhealthy habits, like alcohol and whatever drugs they see fit?

You are hiding behind a thin facade of just wanting to hold down poor people, really.

Yeah. I make 30k a year and hate poor people. Preventing them from buying candy bars and soda is evil. Obama takes away your healthy options and he is bowed down to. Big bad republican mentions it and want to just oppress you. Oh wait, this isn't a real argument. Come back when you have one.

The government also doesn't give you money to go out and buy things for your alcohol or drug problem.

[Deleted]

Yeah. I make 30k a year and hate poor people. Preventing them from buying candy bars and soda is evil. Obama takes away your healthy options and he is bowed down to. Big bad republican mentions it and want to just oppress you. Oh wait, this isn't a real argument. Come back when you have one.

The government also doesn't give you money to go out and buy things for your alcohol or drug problem.

Works differently in different countries, at least in countries where we are not busy defending how we are poor AND have to work our asses off, we don't regulate what people spend their money on.

Cause, you know, we don't see the need of authoritarian govermental rule, and we don't defend being F'ed in the A.