http://prospect.org/article/food-stamps-get-licked-cuts
Why is it always welfare programs and schooling that get cut first by politicians and not the over-bloated DoD?
Some interesting numbers from the article:
The House bill would cut $20 billion over five years from the program’s $80 billion-a-year budget. The Senate's version would trim $4.4 billion from food stamps. The House bill gets most of its cuts by getting rid of program that allowed states to streamline the ways they provide assistance to the poor; the Senate bill would make changes to the program that would cut some people off food stamps.47 million people have been enrolled in the food stamp program in any given month, or about 13 percent of the population, and even more cycle in and out of the program throughout the year. The number of people on food stamps is smaller than the 18 percent of families who, according to FRAC, reported that they struggled to afford food last year.Before the mortgage crisis, only about 54 percent of eligible households received them. During the recession, the participation rate rose to about 75 percent. That means a substantial number of people are living in poverty but forgoing help.All of this is happening at a time when advocates who work with the poor say people need more help, not less, despite the recession’s official end. A majority of the jobs created—58 percent—have been in the low-wage service sector. That means people are working at places like Wal-Mart or chain and fast-food restaurants, where their wages keep them below the poverty line. The reason states have been raising the income limits for programs like food stamps is that incomes—even those above the outdated federal poverty line—no longer cover basics like food, shelter, and care for children. More than half of the families with children who receive food stamps are working, and 90 percent had worked in the previous year.Right now, the maximum food stamp benefit for a family of four falls $100 short of covering what the government considers a healthy diet. That’s if the family can shop at a supermarket. When the small stores and bodegas poor families are more likely to have access to were taken into account there was a $200 gap.Major reform is needed within the budget, this is true, however not at the expense of our people. Cut funding from the DoD as well as from all the salaries of the politicians.The House’s cuts are $4 billion more than the agriculture committee cut food stamps last time. In a Pew poll, more than 70 percent of people support increasing or holding steady the amount of money the government spends on aid to the needy.