SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND EDUCATION
(FRAZER
CHRONICLE)
(All
the News That Nobody Else Will Print)
Today in the United States social programs seem to be taking a hit,
the spotlight may be on (the right to
work), but when there “ain’t no
jobs” what’s a body supposed to do, rob a bank? An article in today’s Al Jazeera caught my eye, written by Ned Resnikoff, and titled Food stamp benefit cut may force a million people into ‘serious
hardship’, it got me to thinking…..what really are these people
going to do?
You know me, I took the next
step and begin a little research to figure out exactly how big the food stamp
problem was, and as usual, I was
staggered by the numbers, like 46,670,373 people on the government dole
and that the cost was $71,800,000,000, and the percentage of Americans on the
program was 14%.
How can this be in the home of the free and the land of the brave,
where opportunity is around every corner? How can it be that in 1969 there were
2,878,000 that partook in the food stamp program with an average monthly
benefit of $6.63, and by 2014 that number had grown to 46,670,373, with the average
monthly benefit at $133.85?
In September, 2014 the state
of Mississippi’s overall population was 2,991, 207, and 20.8% were participants
of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. That’s a little more
than 609,000 Mississippian’s with their heads bowed, eyes averted towards the
ground…...and their hands out, seeking help.
Food and shelter are two of
the human basic needs that should never be denied no matter the circumstances.
Right next door is health care and I’m not talking about Obama’s Affordable
Care Act that’s been touted as the cure-all for American’s health care needs.
What’ll go down in history with regards to Obama-Care will be a resounding
thud…..and I’ll tell you why, the Obama Administration had the health insurance
industry design how the program would be crafted…..like the foxes guarding the
hen house against the foxes.
I’M
NOT REALLY SURE WHY BUT REPUBLICANS ARE PREDICTABLE ON SOCIAL PROGRAMS
Possibly you could call it a
difference of opinion, or misplaced priorities, but Republicans always and
forever are looking for ways to cut taxes, and it seems as if the first place
that they go is cutting back on social programs…..and educational support.
I really think that the
targeting of either social or educational programs for tax cuts is twofold, its
attention grabbing issues, and conservatives really seem intent on slashing
funds, in many cases to both. Of course the issues on both programs actually,
in a way, are similar, only I think in education, politicians view teachers and
curriculum about the same as they do those people that feed at the public
trough.
To my way of thinking both
the educational program as well as social programs are long overdue for an
overhaul. Both are heavily laden with outdated rules, regulations and thinking,
neither is connected to a bottomless well of taxpayer money, and both need to
be better regulated.
But to just arbitrarily
eliminate social programs here in the United States is, well…..un-American, I
mean in one breath its “American is the
greatest, strongest, and the most benevolent, and the world policeman, and,
and, and…..I could go I but I won’t”.
While on the other hand its “but we can’t
afford these programs, the people that partake are lazy, no-good scum, and
don’t want to work anyways…..and as far as education goes…..the teachers, and
the building renovations, and the extra-curricular programs need to be cut
back…..much of their sports anyways”.
Food stamp eligibility rules
are tightening in states across the country, and it’ll cost up to one million current
recipients to lose benefits and resulting in serious hardship for many others.
“How is this going to happen”…..you ask, well states will re-impose work
requirements they had let lapse in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
Able-bodied adults without dependents are typically only able to access
year-round food stamps if they were either working for at least 20 hours per
week, or participating in a federally approved workforce program. However,
states with elevated unemployment levels have the ability to apply for a waiver
on these rules.
Social programs in the
United States cover a multitude of problems and issues, and yet are probably as
antiquated as any problem that is confronted by the government on a daily
basis. Federal Social Welfare programs were first administered by colonial
legislatures, and then by state governments which worked under legislation
patterned after the English “poor” laws. Aid to veterans, often free grants of
land, pensions for widows and handicapped veterans, have been offered in all
U.S. wars. After World War I, provisions were made for a full-scale system of
hospital and medical care benefits for veterans. By 1929, worker’s compensation
laws were in effect in all but four states. These state laws made industry and
business responsible for the cost of compensating workers or their survivors
when there was an injury or death in connected to his/her job.
WAR
ON POVERTY
There has been a war on poverty almost since the
beginning of mankind, I say “almost since the beginning of mankind” because
there first had to be at least one person who was in need before the other
person decided to act in a helpful manner.
President Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s administration proposed to Congress federal social relief programs
and a federally sponsored retirement program. Congress followed by the passage
of the Social Security Act, which became effective in 1939. Over the years this
program has been expanded several times.
Lyndon Johnson’s Great
Society was a set of domestic programs designed to cover a multitude of society’s
problems, from economics and social conditions, to racism, civil rights,
education, health, welfare, and the arts.
The only problem with the
efforts to combat injustices, inequality, and people living in need is the fact
that those “waging the war”
aren’t usually able to understand exactly what the plight of being poor really
means. For many of those that are what might be called “the soldiers” on the front
lines of the battles are just in a feel good position…..and when the fighting
gets really tough…..they do make the obvious good choice…..they hang up the
soup ladle and apron and go home.
THERE’S
ONLY ONE THING TO COMBAT A WELFARE STATE
My father came from a poor
background, his father was an alcoholic and oft-times drank the family food
money up. My dad went to work on a farm at an early age, and sent his paychecks
home to his family to help support them.
My dad had a 10th
grade education, and was molded by his early life and lack of education for the
remainder of his life. He did grow to become a craftsmen carpenter, but always
had that inferior chip on his
shoulder…..I don’t think that my father ever felt truly fulfilled.
For anybody to say that American
education is superior, a world leader, is either fooling himself, or is a
school official. Education in American is lacking, with regards to other
systems and other countries. Here in Wisconsin teachers at public schools have
been forced to do more with less…..and not just because of the current
governor’s administration, it’s been happening over a period of time, like
three or four decades.
It’s intertwined, this
poverty problem and the educational issues that government faces today, and for
whatever reason much of the electorate seems comfortable with. Government is
not a separate entity, “they is us, and we is they”.
Just because government sets an operating budget doesn’t mean that its cut in
stone…..the taxpayers can, if they desire, stop paying taxes, effectively
shutting down Washington.
Of course that won’t happen,
but my point is simple, the American people need to get involved, need to
understand the issues, and to set a group of priorities, and then mandate
government to address each issue…..in other words, do their jobs.
Yes my friends in order to
make the situation better we’ve all got to work at it; the alternative is
little more than an embarrassment.
HAVE
A NICE DAY!
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