A New York state Senator thinks she knows exactly what those on food stamps should and should not be able to buy with their SNAP benefits.
Senator Patty Ritchie of Oswegatchie introduced a bill on Wednesday that would limit the kind of things that could be purchased if a person was participating in the food stamp program.
The bill introduced by Ritchie would target what she calls “luxury food items” such as steak, lobster, decorated cakes, and energy drinks. This from a woman who calls herself a “small government” conservative.
In a memo accompanying the bill, Ritchie states:
“Many of these items aren’t just unhealthy, they’re also expensive. This legislation would not only help low-income families and individuals stretch their food budgets further and promote health and nutrition, it would also protect taxpayers from abuse of a program that’s intended to help those who have fallen on hard times.”
Instead, Ritchie would require SNAP benefits be spent on fruits, vegetables, and granola bars.
No one can argue with wanting all Americans to eat healthier, but had a bill been introduced that would have added taxes to things such as sugary cereals and carbonated beverages, how much do you want to bet Senator Ritchie and her fellow Republicans would have begun shouting that it was an attack on free choice in the grocery store?
Ritchie’s bill has no chance of passing in the Democratic-controlled New York assembly, but just the fact that the GOP is once again attempting to declare war on the less fortunate in our society is further evidence that they have no idea just how difficult and degrading it is to try and live on public assistance.
So here’s a counter proposal for the Senator: We should have a law which states anyone who wants to tell others what they can spend their benefits on must live on food stamps for a year in order to give them a better appreciation of what they have compared to others. Then we’ll see how eager these extremists are to punish the the poor.
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