Ms.Taber hit the nail on the head. And it’s inspiring to see someone stick to
their principles instead of giving in to the prolific waste and abuse that
exists in government welfare programs.
During
2011, SNAP served roughly 45 million people, or about one in seven Americans.
The
Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program
is supposed to help “low-income families buy the food they need for good
health.”
How
does SNAP work? Households with a monthly gross income less than 130 percent of
the Federal Poverty Level, roughly $2,422 for a family of four, can receive SNAP
benefits. The monthly benefits are provided in the form of an electronic debit
card. In Illinois, this is called a “Link card.”
The
card is used to purchase food, seeds and plants at authorized retailers. There
are some restrictions, though. SNAP benefits cannot be used for ready to eat
foods, foods intended to be heated or eaten in the store, vitamins, medicines,
pet food, alcohol or tobacco.
Snacking
on fudge brownie bars, take ‘n’ bake pizzas and “Kake that tastes as good as it
looks” are just a few examples of how SNAP benefits can be used in some of
Illinois’9,212 SNAP authorized stores, three of which include:- Papa Murphy’s in
Springfield: Take ‘n’ Bake pizzas are eligible for Link card purchase. But to
some it was a real shocker when pepper shakers and pizza cutters didn’t make
the list.
- Eve’s Treats in
Carbondale: “A specialty treat company, where quality is priority.” Their menu consists solely of cookies, fudge brownie bars,
artisan bread, heart healthy granola, muffins and mini-loaves.
- Krazy Kake House: “It’s
the Kake that tastes as good as it looks.”
The abuse
that takes place in the SNAP program is one of the many ways in which taxpayer
dollars are wasted in Illinois. Keep your eyes open for more examples of waste
in the forthcoming 2012
Piglet.
