The GOP just can’t quit its desire to keep bashing the poors. It’s evil. From the “you can’t make this shit up” files, here’s the new proposal out of Ohio’s GOP-controlled Senate:
The Ohio Senate added to its budget proposal a provision requiring the state to cut off food stamp assistance for poor Ohioans if their households save up $2,250 or more.
It also imposes a requirement known as “change reporting.” This forces Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program clients to report every fluctuation in income — things like extra shifts at work or picking up odd jobs — worth $500 or more within 30 days.
That’s right. And lest you think for a moment there’s some other rationale here — some conspiracy theory about fraud or tax implications or technicalities — nope. It’s just that someone who can cobble together $2,250 just isn’t poor enough, period. Senate Republicans stated that the new measure was needed to “ensure the food aid only goes to the truly needy.” (Also: “$2,250”? Not even a round number?? $2,500 was just too high? Amazing.)
Of course the pushback is easy. This warps financial incentives — why try to save and get ahead if you’ll just be penalized for it? It makes it impossible to make large purchases that might help you advance your life, like a reliable car — if it’s not a used POS, owning it will literally mean your food supply may be cut off. And so on and so forth.
But that’s ok, right Senate GOP? The real problem, as always, is fraud. Cheaters. Sorry, poor cheaters. Because rich cheaters are never attacked like this.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Senate President Steve Huffman, R-Lima, said the goal of the policy is to get people who “take advantage” of the social safety net out of the system.
“There are a lot of folks who can afford to pay for a variety of things who are still receiving these benefits,” he said.
Today’s GOP really is a lifestyle brand, not a political party. And to continue to be a part of that gun-toting, fear-mongering, Trump-happy brand, a great many working poor Ohioans (especially from Appalachian and other rural areas) will continue to vote in the types of state GOP representatives that want these policies to exist. They’ll vote down Democrat after Democrat because they talk about climate change, or want common sense gun reform, or support abortion rights, or want to raise taxes on corporations — or just because they have a D by their name — and instead let their GOP rep cut their benefits again and again and again. It’s maddening.
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Process note: Ohio’s budget is due by July 1. Since the GOP controls both chambers, the conference committee that reconciles budget changes is fairly unlikely to strip out these kinds of late additions, but one never knows (this is a Senate addition). Ohio’s GOP Governor Mike DeWine is then the last part of the process. Ohio’s process does give the Governor line-item veto power, which is traditionally used almost every cycle, and DeWine and the state GOP have been at odds over many items recently. But it’s entirely possible this becomes Ohio law in less than a month.
Lastly: before you write us off, remember: Ohio is a purple gerrymandered state, not a red state. And it has a history of electing advocates for workers. Just look at Sherrod Brown! Congressman Tim Ryan appears to be emerging as close to a party consensus choice to run for the open Senate seat being vacated by the perpetually pearl-clutching Rob Portman. If you want to help Ohio turn the tide, send some love Tim’s way. He’s somewhat in the mold of Senator Brown, a rust-belt working man’s Democrat of the old school. What an upgrade over Portman he’d be.