Soft Drinks No. 1 Purchase by Food Stamp Recipients; $357,000,000 From 1 Grocery Chain

[jmyrlefuller]

I've always proposed two potential solutions:

- Bottle deposit: In states that have it, you can buy your soda, put the deposit on the SNAP card, drink it or dump it out, then get the return back in cash. By requiring deposits be paid in cash, you can erase that.

- No food stamps for the obese: Simply get the BMI of any prospective applicant, height/weight. If the BMI is over 30 (obese), no food stamps.

It is ridiculous that in this country, our poor people are fat.

[geronl]

And that is zactly the reason why we need to convert all their freebies into cash and pay them every 2 weeks until they check out of the net...which won't take long.

We wouldn't even need to cut the benefits (converted to cash), we'd save many billions getting rid of all those myriad welfare programs

[montanajoe]

 

I know this is not a popular view in " Conservative" circles but in my view if the gubment gives a benefit, then the folks receiving it should be free to spend it however they want. the idea in my mind is to get people out of peoples lives by making them self dependent. Adding another level of government bureaucracy to keep track of the last level of bureaucracy makes no sense in my opinion.

Address the problem at its roots..

[ConstitutionRose]

Soft Drinks No. 1 Purchase by Food Stamp Recipients; $357,000,000 From 1 Grocery Chain

(CNSNews.com) - Soft drinks were the top commodity bought by food stamp recipients shopping at outlets run by a single U.S. grocery retailer.

That is according to a new study released by the Food and Nutrition Service [1], the federal agency responsible for running the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as the food stamp program.

By contrast, milk was the top commodity bought from the same retailer by customers not on food stamps.

In calendar year 2011, according to the study, food stamp recipients spent approximately $357,700,000 buying soft drinks from an enterprise the study reveals only as “a leading U.S. grocery retailer.”


Source URL: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/357700000-1-grocery-chain-soft-drinks-no-1-purchase-food-stamp

I believe that.  We were between houses for a bit and lived in a short term lease apt in a "transitional" neighborhood.  The nearby  Walmart Express was an eye opener.  In addition to soda and chips, I was astounded at the number of prepared frozen meats.  Not just meatballs or breakfast stuff, but a whole aisle in the frozen section of meat entrees in bags.  Like the local population had no clue how to slice chicken into stripes and season it.

Don't drink sodas either.  Coffee, tea (hot and cold), lemonade, limeade and water.

[mountaineer]

In addition to soda and chips, I was astounded at the number of prepared frozen meats.  Not just meatballs or breakfast stuff, but a whole aisle in the frozen section of meat entrees in bags.  Like the local population had no clue how to slice chicken into stripes and season it.

Back in the 1960s and 70s, my mother complained about the people she observed buying nothing but the most expensive frozen stuff, like Stouffers dinners, with their food stamps while she scrimped to feed us on my father's income.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I've always proposed two potential solutions:

- Bottle deposit: In states that have it, you can buy your soda, put the deposit on the SNAP card, drink it or dump it out, then get the return back in cash. By requiring deposits be paid in cash, you can erase that.

- No food stamps for the obese: Simply get the BMI of any prospective applicant, height/weight. If the BMI is over 30 (obese), no food stamps.

It is ridiculous that in this country, our poor people are fat.

I'd like to get rid of all social benefits and replace it with a guaranteed income, personally.

[Gefn]

Regarding BMI- I had a physical last week.

My doc doesn't hold much stock in it. It does not take in bone structure, or the fact muscle weighs more than fat.

My goal weight for my height would put me as anorexic. However, I looked great and felt great when I was about 8 pounds over that, and it gave me curves when I was in my teens and twenties.

I'm on a diet now and my goal weight would be about 10-15 pounds more than what my BMI says. I think that will be ok for a woman past 40, and this way I can have the five pounds to play with.

[kevindavis007]

I think there should be limits on what foods in what people who is receiving money from the Government.

[geronl]

I've always proposed two potential solutions:

I don't think new levels of government and government control is the answer.

[geronl]

I think there should be limits on what foods in what people who is receiving money from the Government.

Should apply to government employees too. lol

[kevindavis007]

I don't think new levels of government and government control is the answer.

Well if you are on public assistance your freedoms should go bye-bye

[EC]

I keep two cokes in the fridge. Don't particularly like them, too sweet, but they kick the aspirin into high gear when I have a headache.
Otherwise, one coffee a week (white, no sugar) and several dozen cups of tea a day (milk, no sugar) is my choice.

[geronl]

Well if you are on public assistance your freedoms should go bye-bye

I disagree. The Constitution is the same for the poor as it is for the wealthy.

[jmyrlefuller]

Regarding BMI- I had a physical last week.

My doc doesn't hold much stock in it. It does not take in bone structure, or the fact muscle weighs more than fat.

My goal weight for my height would put me as anorexic. However, I looked great and felt great when I was about 8 pounds over that, and it gave me curves when I was in my teens and twenties.

I'm on a diet now and my goal weight would be about 10-15 pounds more than what my BMI says. I think that will be ok for a woman past 40, and this way I can have the five pounds to play with.

There's some truth to that; especially, the taller you go, the more BMI skews against you; hence why I would put a purposely high number (obese, and not overweight) on it to try and keep it as fair as possible.

[jmyrlefuller]

I don't think new levels of government and government control is the answer.

I understand that. I know one of the memes on the right is to drug-test potential recipients; I really don't think that does much other than give drug-testing companies a nice boost in business. Drug dealers don't usually take EBT (it's not like the old days when you could swap those paper food stamps on the black market for anything; nowadays you have to turn over the entire card and PIN if you want to do that, which raises a lot more complications).

The deposit rule literally costs almost nothing to implement. The BMI ruling is enforceable by using a simple scale. I deliberately am trying to keep enforcement of this as simple as possible so that it can be handled within the existing social-services structure, which is plenty big enough as it is!

[geronl]

and this way I can have the five pounds to play with.

 :nometalk:

[17 Oaks]

I know this is not a popular view in " Conservative" circles but in my view if the gubment gives a benefit, then the folks receiving it should be free to spend it however they want. the idea in my mind is to get people out of peoples lives by making them self dependent. Adding another level of government bureaucracy to keep track of the last level of bureaucracy makes no sense in my opinion.

Address the problem at its roots..

I don't think so.  Which is why I support just cutting them a check...its the FAR LEFT that wants to control their spending.  When I turned 16 my daddy put me on an allowance of $100 per month (this was in the 60's.  That was a lot of money (or so I thought).  Then he told me what ever I did that cost came out of this money, new clothes for school go to a movie anything.  Of course I also worked for it on the ranch and trust me I worked HARD.  When it was all said and done that $100 bucks did not go far.  I did ask my daddy one time why did he pick $100 bucks?  He said he added up what he spent on me all years and figured $100 bucks he would be saving money and he did....I learned a LOT from that.


The arguement is that if you give them all that cash they will just buy drugs and booze, to that I say, YEA prob so, that is their choice and freedom in life and as cold as it may seem them dying of an overdose just removes one more from the gene pool.  Its called tough love.

[bigheadfred]

The arguement is that if you give them all that cash they will just buy drugs and booze, to that I say, YEA prob so, that is their choice and freedom in life and as cold as it may seem them dying of an overdose just removes one more from the gene pool.  Its called tough love.

The old kill them(selves) with kindness trick. I like it.

Just add in they have to pay for their own treatment, if they decide they need it. No ER visits, cut off the medicaid for drug problems, etc.

[17 Oaks]

The old kill them(selves) with kindness trick. I like it.

Just add in they have to pay for their own treatment, if they decide they need it. No ER visits, cut off the medicaid for drug problems, etc.

How in the world did America become the strongest most wealthy and successful nation in all of time and do so in less than 200 years, we have done more since WWII than all the countries of the world combined in all of known history.


All these social programs most did not come about until the 60's and yet after spending TRILLIONS of $$$ on social programs the result is just more people on the dole, more people in poverty.


Time for Tough and very HARD love.

[ConstitutionRose]

The old kill them(selves) with kindness trick. I like it.

Just add in they have to pay for their own treatment, if they decide they need it. No ER visits, cut off the medicaid for drug problems, etc.

My daughter worked for years for the primary provider of mental health services for TN.  She says they had 3 kinds of patients.  1.  Those who were truly mentally ill.  2.  Those who were faking the system for drugs and then selling them on the street.  3.  Those who were just axxh0les.  Number 2 was an enormous problem because Nos. 1 and 3 would also sell their drugs sometimes. 

[Idaho_Cowboy]

You must not have squash vine borers where you live. Those bastards get my zucchini every year, no matter how hard I try to keep therm away. I get three or four great zucchini, then the plant just rots away.


I take your point, however. Growing and preserving food is a great way to supplement your food stores. A bit harder to do in the big city, but not insurmountable.

Never heard of those, that's terrible. We get some square little beetles that can wipe out squash if unchecked, but they haven't beaten me yet. I sprinkle my old coffee grounds around plants to help keep the bugs away. I wonder if that would work on your bugs.

My bane is the cabbage butterflies in my cabbage and the quail in my lettuce. Those cute little bird try to pick my garden clean. 

[rodamala]

I'd like to get rid of all social benefits and replace it with a guaranteed income, personally.

You friggen Commie!  I would rather there be guaranteed starvation for the millions in this nation that are unwilling to work.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

IIRC the coke in Holland is the original recipe  when coke made it into a soft drink, so it does not have the cocaine in it, but it what I drank as a kid and Mexican coke is about as close as we can get to the old taste.  I was paying about $40 per case for the stuff out of Holland, I only drank about a case a year, most of that after a hard hot summer day with a chainsaw in my hand and that real Coke, so cold that when you pop the cap it turns to slush really felt good....






Coffee it's not just for breakfast anymore.
I have drank coffee since I was about 12. I drink it black and I like it robust (flavorful).

Over the years I have drank it for a lot of reasons. In my Army Infantry days I often drank it in the US, Europe and Korea to warm an ole soldiers frozen hands and body as I stood in knee deep snow in Germany or in the bitter howling wind and rain on the DMZ of Korea in January. Or the hard dry cold on the mesas of Ft Hood, Tex. In those times a Mess Sgt would take several lbs of coffee, dump it in a (hopefully) well cleaned garbage can add water, some salt and egg shells, bring to a boil and yell coffee is ready. We would dip our canteen cups into the boiling cauldron and the first cup would be used to clean and kill whatever lives in that canteen cup we wore on our hips. The coffee was bitter, acid, thick and most of all hot and that was good.

Its been a long road since then and today I have developed a more refined taste and approach. To that end here is how I make my 'cup o' joe' and many thanks to those days when it was anti freeze for an ole soldier...

Good coffee is a result and the steps along the way are each important to arrive...the means justify the end.

Beans: I experiment with a lot of beans, but I keep coming back to Starbucks beans. They are of excellent quality and remain the same over time.

The Roast: The darker (longer) the roast the more flavor you extract from the bean, the lighter the roast the more the flavors or the beans orgin (country, area, soil etc) arrives at your taste buds. I go for the darkest of all roasts, Italian, the next darkest if French, trust me there is a taste difference. NOTE: Darker and longer roast = LESS caffeine, which is why I can drink 2x 18 oz cups each morn and not get the shakes or ringing in my ears...

The Grind: If you want more flavor then the grind comes into play and for that the finest (granularity) is Turkish grind, almost like dust.

The Steep: I steep about 10 min, steep to long and it will get oily, to short and it lacks flavor and becomes almost dry and tasteless .

The Water: Pure, flavorLESS, if you are getting it from you kitchen faucet then you are making anti freeze to warm you on a cold morning, nothing else.

The Mechanics: To bring out the high notes flavors then it is a French Press, nothing else will deliver like it does. But they are not all good, many if not most allow far to much of the grind to pass thru its filter system into the coffee...you want to drink it, not chew it. When it comes to the French Press a start up company has perfected it. Its stainless steel, vacuum insulated and has a patented double filter and that is the secret: http://espro.ca/espro-press

The Cup: Ceramic or stainless steel, period!

TIPs: Wash your stainless steel/ceramics in bleach-soap in order to insure you remove the residual coffee oils.
Experiment with steeping time to arrive at YOUR perfect cup.

Preparation Espro French Press: I have a 18 oz press and I use 2x level coffee spoons. I place it inside and tap the press on the side near the bottom to stack the coffee on one side. Then pour boiling water into the stack using a fast hard pour to mix the coffee into the water, slow as the rises and halt just below the fill line, then slowly bring it to the fill line, try not to go over. Let steep, the push down slowly on the press, I let it settle for about a min or so then pour into your cup of choice.

The Results: MY coffee notes. Rich: Notes of chocolate and molasses. Earthy: Caramel, toffee and tobacco. Fruity: Fig and Cola.

ENJOY!

Sounds like you know your coffee. I've heard a lot of good things about the French Press method, but haven't gotten one yet. There's a ton of difference between a drip machine and a good ole fashioned stove top percolator. Fresh ground beans are also a must in my book, with one exception. French Market/Cafe Du Monde with Chicory and this not only makes the best hot coffee it makes the best iced coffee, there's an almost chocolate flavor to it which I think must be the Chicory.

I stick the coffee pot in the fridge if there are left overs and later take poor the cold coffee over ice and add some milk and a little sweetener. If I'm making it from scratch I brew some double strength coffee so the ice doesn't water it down. I like stevia to keep the calories down plus I've found that stevia will dissolve in cold liquids unlike sugar, if I'm really feeling fancy I'll throw in a 1/s tsp of vanilla extract. No need for $5 frapa-whatcha-ma-call-its around here.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

You friggen Commie!  I would rather there be guaranteed starvation for the millions in this nation that are unwilling to work.

I think they'd get real willin' in a hurry. Hunger is not only the best sauce, its a durned good motivator.

[EC]

Sounds like you know your coffee. I've heard a lot of good things about the French Press method, but haven't gotten one yet.

You are in the right season, anyway, assuming you have a Ross, or a TJ Max, or another consignment shop somewhere in your neck of the woods. They are always dirt cheap after Christmas. Just make sure you get one that has a metal press, not plastic. They are buggers to clean anyways and the plastic strips it's threads about the 4th time you take it apart.