Note to Newt: Many Food Stamp Families are Working

[웃 910]

Note to Newt: Many Food Stamp Families are Working

Newt Gingrich has accused President Obama of being a "food stamp president." Yesterday he broadened the attack to include Mitt Romney, after the ex-governor said that he would fix the safety net if people were falling through the cracks. (Ironically, Romney's actual campaign proposals would shred the safety net.)

About Obama, Gingrich said, "He will always prefer a food stamp economy to a paycheck economy and call it fair." The implication is that people receiving food stamps aren't working. While it does appear to be true that most households receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP is the new name for food stamps) are out of the work force, a significant fraction do have earnings and most of the rest are poor elderly or disabled households or single parents with children. Only one in six SNAP households in 2010 is a nonworking family without kids or an elderly or disabled family member. (See chart below, based on Table 3.3 of this report prepared for the USDA.)

The USDA also reports that 28 percent of adult participants in SNAP were employed. Another 24 percent were unemployed and looking for work. When the economy recovers, there will be many fewer unemployed people who need assistance. But a more fundamental problem is that so many people work in jobs that don't pay enough to support a family. The former Speaker's proposalsamount to giant tax cuts for the wealthy and removal of regulations, which will surely help the rich do better, but there's no reason to think they will raise wages for low-skilled workers.

Over the long term, improving education is the most promising approach to raise wages, but the Gingrich campaign does not list education as a priority (in sharp contrast with Presidents Obama and Bush).

In the short term, keeping the minimum wage from declining in real terms would help. Mr. Romney has supported indexing the minimum wage. Mr. Gingrich opposes that.

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http://www.forbes.co...es-are-working/

Edited February 5, 2012 by ☠

[Tim/Mav 305]

Newt and Romney are focused on the rich in this election. See the news. Money for campaigns... Obama has also failed.

Americans don't want promises and we are used to being let down after an Election. Results are better and I don't see it from anyone of them.

The Goal is Power/Ego. Commander in Chief. Look at them, pay attention to what they say.

The American people find themselves saying "Well I got to vote for one of them". Ene Memie Nino Mo. (Or not Vote at all)

Newt is going to take food and housing from the low income and Romney don't know what to do. Obama is watching them fight and loving it.

[MyLittlePony 340]

President Obama never gave me any food stamps i missed my boat.

[mawilson 2,133]

If they are working, take away their food stamps.

Otherwise it's fraud - like working and claiming unemployment benefits.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

If they are working, take away their food stamps.

Otherwise it's fraud - like working and claiming unemployment benefits.

How so? There are way too many people putting in an honest day's work but still fall below the poverty line and hence qualifying for the benefit. The days where an honest day's work offered a paycheck that one could live one are long gone. You know that, don't you?

[mawilson 2,133]

How so? There are way too many people putting in an honest day's work but still fall below the poverty line and hence qualifying for the benefit. The days where an honest day's work offered a paycheck that one could live one are long gone. You know that, don't you?

I don't buy it.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I don't buy it.

You know what the minimum wage is, yes? You know that not everyone that works a job gets to work a full 40 hours a week, yes? I know you can add and multiply. There's nothing to be bought here. It's a simple calculation not a purchase.

[Tim/Mav 305]

The minium wage is not really the question here to fix anything. It does not even come close to the Consumer Price Index. (Everyday Cost of Living)

Pay Rent, Utilities, Insurance to drive your vehicle, put gas in that vehicle to get back and forth to work. Oh you have to eat too.

Then, congradulations. Your off public assistance now and paying taxes on $9.00 an hour now. Which would mean: Your take home is about $ 7.20 cents per hour.

Your no better off as the Goverment works today then to just stay home.

Oh, I left out Daycare. Thats its. The end factor. (Average cost: $3.00 per hour for one child) OF YOUR NET INCOME. Average full-time and driving. 9 to 10 hours a day 5 days a week for Childcare.

Edited February 6, 2012 by Tim/Mav

[mawilson 2,133]

You know what the minimum wage is, yes? You know that not everyone that works a job gets to work a full 40 hours a week, yes? I know you can add and multiply. There's nothing to be bought here. It's a simple calculation not a purchase.

So if they don't work a full 40 hours a week, how's that "an honest day's work"?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So if they don't work a full 40 hours a week, how's that "an honest day's work"?

Have you ever managed low wage work forces? Ever faced the mandates from corporate to keep them under 35hrs a week or whatever the threshold happened to be for them to actually qualify for whatever lousy benefits the company supposedly offered? These people don't work 32hrs a week by choice or because they're lazy. They work 32hrs a week because that's all they can get. Get a different job? Sure. But the next employer will be no different. That's the reality. I've seen it. Up close and personal.

[EAbbas 213]

Not to mention larger companies are opting to use temporary services meaning those individuals may work 35-38 hours per week with no benefit package. Saves the company money but shortchanges the employee... Some companies use the service as a temp to see if the employee will work out and then offer a long term employment with benefit packages but some keep the employees on the temp service to save money.

So include those costs of out of pocket medical insurance or lack thereof (having larger medical bills to pay) into the cost of living for those working and getting food stamps. And now, lots of medical departments, doctor offices, urgent care, and hospitals expect the pay upfront or within a few months of service. Depending on the circumstances that could wipe out that family financially.

[slim 1,514]

The days where an honest day's work offered a paycheck that one could live one are long gone.

Works just fine for me.

Oh, I left out Daycare. Thats its. The end factor. (Average cost: $3.00 per hour for one child) OF YOUR NET INCOME. Average full-time and driving. 9 to 10 hours a day 5 days a week for Childcare.

I fully agree with you. Poor people shouldn't have kids.

Have you ever managed low wage work forces? Ever faced the mandates from corporate to keep them under 35hrs a week or whatever the threshold happened to be for them to actually qualify for whatever lousy benefits the company supposedly offered? These people don't work 32hrs a week by choice or because they're lazy. They work 32hrs a week because that's all they can get. Get a different job? Sure. But the next employer will be no different. That's the reality. I've seen it. Up close and personal.

I do it every day.

And there's nobody to blame but them. They're lazy, stupid and incompetent people who won't work any harder to get ahead in life because they don't have to. Surprisingly though, they're resourceful enough to figure out how to buy $150 shoes and purses, have big screen TVs and X-Boxes at home, and keep all six of their kids fed.

Seems to me like anyone smart enough to figure that out ought to do just fine without my money.

[mawilson 2,133]

Have you ever managed low wage work forces? Ever faced the mandates from corporate to keep them under 35hrs a week or whatever the threshold happened to be for them to actually qualify for whatever lousy benefits the company supposedly offered? These people don't work 32hrs a week by choice or because they're lazy. They work 32hrs a week because that's all they can get. Get a different job? Sure. But the next employer will be no different. That's the reality. I've seen it. Up close and personal.

So they basically work part-time and don't make enough. Fair enough, but don't call it an honest day's work. More like half a day's work. They can get a second part-time job and make more.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Unemployment checks and working under the table servicing boilers works for me.

Some peeps want to see this country go third world for the fact they are either the 1% or they come from a dirt poor background and they don't know any better.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So they basically work part-time and don't make enough. Fair enough, but don't call it an honest day's work. More like half a day's work. They can get a second part-time job and make more.

30hrs - 35hrs a week is not exactly half a day's work. A second job? Sure, if you can juggle the schedules between these two jobs week after week. So let's say you work a f/t job at 8.00/hr. Then you're looking at $320.00/week before taxes (yes, you do pay taxes on this). That's 1,200.00/month to take home if you don't sign up for benefits. Small apartment and utilities and you're out 2/3's of that already. Leaves you with $100.00 week to eat and pay for and maintain the transportation you need to get to work. Good Luck with that. Throw in a kid and you will need help.