Particularly disturbing: Anti-food stamp Congress people have collected farm subsidies from over half a million dollars to over $1.7 million. Any Congress person receiving farm subsidies should have no vote on food stamps, or better yet, be tossed out of Congress.
The argument against myth 6 "people buy cigarettes and alcohol with food stamp money" is not very convincing. Money is fungible and having food stamps frees up money for cigarettes and alcohol. ~ Ilene
6 Absurd Right-Wing Lies About Food Stamps
By Dave Johnson at AlterNet
In the middle of the worst economy and job situation in decades Republicans in the House voted to cut $40 billion from food stamps. This will kick 3.8 million people out of the program by 2014, then 3 million more each year after.
Republicans in Congress have blocked every effort to help the economy. They block bills to create jobs by fixing our crumbling infrastructure because it’s “government spending.” At the same time, right-wing outlets (accurately) complain that the economy is so weak that millions are hurting. And then the same Republicans who blocked efforts to help the economy cut assistance to the people who are hurting, claiming they don’t really need the help. No shame. In the months leading up to this vote, right-wing outlets such as Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, RedState and the rest of the far-right propaganda machine invented a number of justifications for cutting the program. Here is a take-down of some of those myths and lies.
Myth #1: Food stamps are “growing exponentially” because of waste and fraud.
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) recently said, “Throughout the Obama presidency, we’ve seen the food stamp program grow exponentially because the government continues to turn a blind eye to a system fraught with abuse.”
Interestingly, a number of members of Congress disparage food stamps while receiving farm subsidies. Rep. Vicki Hartzler (R-MO) said, “This program is known for waste, fraud and abuse.” (Halter has received $516,000 in farm subsidies.) Kristi Noem (R-SD) said, “Loopholes and fraud …have led to federal spending on SNAP to increase 270 percent.” (Noem has received $503,000 in farm subsidies.) And Rep. Doug Lamalfa (R-CA) said that churches are more “accountable” at helping the poor than government. He said government has “failed” at helping the poor, so we should “retract” the program. (Lamalfa has received more than $1.7 million in farm subsidies.)
And other conservatives call President Obama the “food stamp president” because the program has grown since the recession hit.
Actually, the SNAP (food stamp) program is doing exactly what it is supposed to do and what a democracy would ask of it. It is helping people who need the help…
