Embarrassing Americans: Guess who’s on food stamps?

Newt Gingrich is really getting a lot of love for calling Obama the food stamp President. I don’t see it as a racist comment, I see it as a tagline that can’t be broken down in detail because then politicians in general become the villain and reason on why Gingrich can even say such a thing. The reason people, more people, are on food stamps is because most of the new people that qualify now are former middle class people who have become part of the long term unemployed or the jobs they have now aren’t paying well. The issue is food stamps has always been associated with people mostly minorities and mostly African Americans being lazy and not wanting to work. I remember in 2010 people wanted to not even say food stamp, there was some offbeat label attached to it that I can’t remember right now. The way I see it those who are applauding and laughing at the food stamp President label are part of this “class warfare” talk the Republicans have brought up. It’s saying that those cheering are doing well and they have no idea nor care to know about how all these new people who have now found themselves dependant on food stamps got there. What we are hearing are white people who want to work or are working and the jobs don’t pay well so they can qualify for food stamps. Most of those people just didn’t go to sign up for it they just tried to work it out without assistance but if you have children that means you have to swallow your pride.

If Gingrich really wanted to make a point about food stamps why not talk about how it is the government that gives people from other countries that move here legally food stamps as well as have no taxes taken out of their checks. So now if you take away those who are unemployed or underpaid you still have a lot of people on food stamp and some of them if they were born and raised Americans wouldn’t even qualify for food stamps. You can’t bring that up because that becomes a government issue. Again most people are underpaid which falls back on wages that neither party really wants to take on. That also brings up outsourcing jobs that if here could not and should not be low paying jobs. No one is bringing that up. It’s easy to blame any President or politician for all these problems but not having answers that will help all Americans seem to be where the Republicans fall short. The last major idea that looked good was the 999 plan. That was flawed but at least there was an idea thrown out there. Right now the GOP are finger pointing as they have been doing since Obama took office, but now it’s time to truly layout an alternative that will get all these people off food stamps and get them back to work with jobs were the wages won’t have Americans qualifying for food stamps. Until Gingrich does that he’s do nothing but the same old GOP plan they’ve been doing for four years and that’s preaching to the choir.

Bloomberg wants to stop New Yorkers from buying soda with food stamps

New York Mayor Bloomberg is really going after soda for some reason, his new move is to stop people from buying soda with food stamps. This isn’t just a soda issue either by the way this also goes against Kool –Aid. His reason is that he wants people to eat healthier, that sounds good but this is a bit too in the next mans business don’t you think? If Bloomberg was to get his two year trail run on such an extreme idea what else would be on the list, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, how about sugar in general as well as anything sweet? If the idea was to reshape the thought and content of what is food and then place a ban on some things I feel people would look at that in a logical fashion.  That isn’t the case and this idea isn’t new. I read that Minnesota tried this a while back and failed at getting such a restriction on what foods stamps can be spent on.

 What if Bloomberg gets his way then what? I mean we know why poor people eat unhealthy, it’s because they choose not to eat healthy and they can’t afford certain foods anyway. It’s why the fresher and healthier foods aren’t found in inner city areas. If those products were as affordable as a two liter soda or five to six packs of Kool-Aid MAYBE people would buy that the healthier alternative. Looking to stop the purchase of certain products only solves half of the problem. It might be wise to try to get all grocery stores on the same page and then figure a way to get corner stores on board as well. The people Bloomberg will be targeting sometimes aren’t even shopping at grocery stores, it is the corner stores that they get the soda from. Address that as well the harm soft drinks and Kool-Aid has on people’s health might change a few things.

 I’m all for natural juices but those natural juices aren’t cheap, and to be honest can still cause obesity. Trust me I’ve gotten whole of big bottles of Cranberry Juice and went thru it in less than two days a few times. I think people are so quick to go after the products that they overlook a person’s consumption of something. I’ve kept two liters sodas in my refrigerator unopened a few times for almost three months because I bought them on sale and really never had the taste for it at that time, which was also the time I was Ocean Spay and Tropicana Juice drinking heavily. I felt just as full and heavy as I would have if I had drank the Pepsi, I know the sugar might not have been such a big deal but still weight gain is weight gain. Right now I’m all about Nantucket Nectars again and will spend close to three dollars for one 17oz. bottle whereas on an average day I can get a two liter soda for half the price and 15 to 18 packs of Kool-Aid for the same three bucks.  Again you have to consider a persons budget, I mean Bloomberg is targeting those who use food stamps…