Wow. This is a poorly written article that chooses to slam all that's good in our world and is spitefully written not to inform, but to scare. And I LOVE that your "references" refer to your own source watch page and not to any reliable website. Which seems to be the case in every article written by a pr watch writer. Gotta love how pr watch hurts more than it helps. Keep up the lies, they're extremely humorous.
My mother and I are on SNAP right now. My mother is a diabetic, and I have metabolic syndromes. We make our own breads because the breads in bags at the store are chock full of sugars and carcinogens and we literally can't eat them. According to the WIC list, we can't buy our own ingredients - flour, baking soda, yeast, buttermilk, and other ingredients are considered junk food. We can't buy whole grain breads or tortillas for my mother, even though she HAS to eat them. Canned soups (cream ofs or anything else) are not allowed either, and we cook with those a lot during cold weather. Raw ingredients are not just used for breads and such, but they are the glue that makes meals work. Herbs and spices are also not on the list, either.
This change will completely change the way my family eats. We don't need legislated obesity help. We need food.
The middle class's wages have stayed constant in real terms. It has not absolutely declined. It's a relative decline. The problem isn't the rich getting richer, it's the fact that many in the working and middle-middle class don't have the access to good educational institutions (whether k-12 or beyond) that would allow them to have the job security many upper-middle class and upper class workers enjoy.
Part of what the moribund U.S. environmental movement needs -- and in particular the fractured and chronically outclassed anti-fracking movement -- is an angrier soundtrack, not bogged down with musical baggage from old, hippy-dippy environmental campaigns. Here's a new American anthem guaranteed to stir the soul of any red-blooded environmentalist, as well as lure a few emotionally sensitive people over from the dark side. Feel free to use it. Scream your anger!
http://biffthuringer.bandcamp.com/track/to-america
This is ridiculous. I have used EBT benefits when I was in law school with a growing family, with some work we were able to make our benefits last every month and even had a sizable surplus when we were able to stop participating in the program. I say this to say that I am no stranger to the program, how to use it, where to use it and the other benefits attached to it. I have seen what many people buy using the benefit provided, this includes tons of soda, fast and easy highly processed foods and sugary snacks and the like. At first I judged those people for what I perceived as a waste of taxpayer provided benefits, as my wife and I were cutting coupons and trying to not abuse the program that literally allowed us some breathing room during school. But I am a big believer in free will, so let the people do as they will regarding the benefits. I am no fan of restricting the range of products available for purchase in either direction, but I think you can use incentives to incentivize the living of a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps a program that gives extra coupons or benefit money if you can show that a certain amount of your allotted money goes towards fruits and vegetables. Or perhaps giving cash vouchers for participation in healthy eating contests, etc.
An unhealthy society on public welfare costs more to us because they also participate in publicly provided health care.
You would think with this idea in mind you would want to incentivize the purchase of as many healthful and organic products as possible, not limit them by calling them junk food and the like. This change in the language is stupid and frankly irresponsible.
Contact me if you would like more ideas or help rewording.
Pages