I read crap like this, and it makes me so angry that I’m afraid I’ll have a heart attack.
Check out this Associated Press article that talks about how “well” a family of four can eat on $68.88 per week. They even get 2 professional chefs and a magazine food editor to “prove” their point. Here are two points that this article doesn’t even come close to addressing:
The first is the matter of nutrition. That this article doesn’t mention if these “chefs” even reached appropriate portion size notwithstanding, people on food stamps are generally undernourished. While thinking that giving poor people a carrot a piece to chew on constitutes a balanced diet, it falls way short of the body’s recommended daily allowance (RDA) for fruits and vegetables. Sure, some is better than none, but some is often inadequate.
Think of it like this. You’re stranded in the desert, and your only chance of survival is someone giving you some gas so you can drive yourself out (you’re not allowed to abandon your car). You’d like to get the gas can full of gas that the Democrats would like you to have, but you have to settle for the Dixie-cup full of gas the republicans were willing to compromise on. Both will get you out of the desert, but since you had to push your car the last 5 miles because the Dixie-cup ran out, your body will suffer from weakened bones, lessened brain capacity, and all the other conditions that come with an undernourished body. That sound like something you’re anxious to sign up for?
The second point this article never addresses is the issue of MENUS. What can a family of four expect to eat? After all, we are talking about 84 meals here. Are they going to be expected to share the same pot of beans and ham all day long? Do they share a pot of beans and ham 3 times a week to stay within the budget? Here’s what the conversation at the dinner table sounds like: “You just had a glass of milk 5 weeks ago, stop your crying!” These genius chefs also didn’t mention how much time they spent preparing their spam-on-a-shingle. Both parents working 3 or 4 jobs between them leaves exactly how much time to act like the Galloping Gourmet?
It’d be nice if the media people who commission and write these kinds of articles had even the first freaking clue about what it’s like to be a poor, working family in America, 2010. So the question is:
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