Just let this program die!

Subtract an ad? It doesn't add up:

Participation in the federal Food Stamp Program has dropped 30 percent in recent years, so the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to use the language of the marketing world, is trying to reposition the program.

The USDA is stressing that food stamps are an aid to proper nutrition. It also is trying to get more people - especially the working poor - to apply for this benefit.

"Aid to proper nutrition," my ass.

If you want food stamps to aid proper nutrition, you only let them apply to fruits and vegetables.

Not Chee-tos.

Why does the government do stuff like this? If people don't have enough initiative to go get food stamps, I guess they didn't need them that badly.

But like any federal Goldilocks program (so named becuase they never go away), it has taken on a life of its own.

It's not going to let itself get defunded because people don't need it anymore.

Hell, the government still has the mohair subsidy (which ABC's Sam Donaldson uses to rake in thousands of federal dollars) and the Helium Fund (setting aside a strategic Helium reserve to prevent Germany from filling its dirigibles in WWI).

Besides, in the bizarre logic of big government, dependency is good.

Who would doubt that?

If you want to save a quick $20-30 billion a year, gutting the Department of Agriculture would be a good start.

It should be inspecting food, and that's about it. No agricultural subsidies, no sweet deals with ADM, and - God help us - no food stamps.

(Hat tip to the wife....)
- posted by total @ 3/25/2004 05:45:00 AM .