News from the Plains. All this RED can make you BLUE
Please, sirs, may we have some more?
by Barry Friedman
One in four Oklahomans participated in the federally funded food stamp program for at least one month in FY 2011, according to an editorial in Sunday’s Tulsa World.
Every Oklahoma House member voted in favor of last week's farm bill that has no funding for food stamps.
This from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
In Oklahoma and around the country, the number of school-age children who qualify for free or reduced lunches continues to grow. Presently in Oklahoma, 59 percent of all public school students fall into that category. In the Oklahoma City school district, the figure is 83.5 percent.
Oklahoma is also the fourth-hungriest state in the country, according to the USDA. Fourth hungriest. Recently, though, a
study by the Koch-brothers funded Mercatus Center from George Mason University ranked Oklahoma fourth freest in the land; so ... shut up and eat your liberty.
As the director of a Tulsa food pantry told the Tulsa World, the typical person going hungry in our state is changing "from the dirty little girl stereotype to the family next door."
Every Oklahoma House member voted in favor of last week's farm bill that has no funding for food stamps.
Oklahoma ranks 33rd among states in percent of babies born at low birthweight; 43rd among states in its infant mortality rate.
Also from the Children's Defense Fund
Number of children who receive SNAP (food stamps) 272,000
Percent of eligible persons who receive SNAP (food stamps) 80%
Number of children in the School Lunch Program 446,106
Number of children in the Summer Food Service Program 11,390
Number of women and children receiving WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program
for Women, Infants, and Children) 123,070
Every Oklahoma House member voted in favor of last week's farm bill that has no funding for food stamps.
Here, then, is the Farm Bill for those scoring at home.
The farm bill passed by the House of Representatives yesterday is pretty much a disgrace. Republicans took legislation that had historically been 80 percent food stamps and 20 percent mostly awful and antiquated agribusiness subsidies. And they passed something that is 0 percent food stamps and 100 percent mostly awful and antiquated agribusiness subsidies
How is this possible? How can Oklahoma representatives vote to block food stamps (formally known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) from going to their
own constituents? Worse--I think it's worse, but who knows at this point--they don't seem to care that everyone knows they don't care.
Frank Lucas: “It is my hope that the House will consider a package of SNAP reforms in the very near future" and that it was his hope to meet with “interested members” on and off his committee, regarding food stamps, formally titled the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
He hopes to find interested members. The GOP can be so fickle when it comes to allocating funds so the poor can, you know, eat.
First District Congressman Jim Bridenstine said, "There has been this unholy alliance between food stamps and subsidies."
Really, you're putting this in biblical terms, in the same league with spirit mediums, demons and levitating in your Nightie? For the love of Beelzebub, it's about Frosted Flakes and Velveeta!
And not for nothing, but if we had a Republican Senate and a Republican in the White House, this hartkejt would soon be law.
Here's Nancy Pelosi.
“I would say it was one of the worst things you've done, but there is such stiff competition for that honor that I can't really fully say that,” the House Democratic leader told Republicans.
Maybe you had to be there.
Maybe you have to be hungry.
Jim Bridenstine, Tom Cole, Markwayne Mullen, Frank Lucas, James Lankford, hartkejt