Thread: Republicans hope Trump amenable to food stamp restrictions

Originally Posted by Judy

... So is the bottom-line for you that you want to continue a federally-funded food stamp and free school lunch program that costs combined over $80 billion a year when we have "charities" that take in $1.4 trillion a year but find ways to spend their "charity" on things other than feeding the hungry in the United States?

There are some changes I would like to see as I've said before. Again, I would like to see restrictions that prevent people from applying public assistance as a subsidy for starting or expanding family size. This I think is the real problem that is at the root of both our immigration problems and endemic poverty.

Originally Posted by Judy

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Too many people with opinions on this subject are too far removed from what's happening on the ground with this program. And doctors would be top of the list. They have no clue. In fact, our medical profession has been so downgraded through J-1 Visas, I'm not sure who is even speaking on behalf of the medical profession any more, but I don't think it's American Doctors.

Yes, this is definitely a problem. The same lack of standards that is corrupting our food supply is also corrupting our medical establishment and labor in general in this country. The quality of work that we are getting from immigrants -- illegal or otherwise -- is pretty inferior, another galling effect of our derelict immigration policy. Also further evidence that our immigration problems are not all labor market related.

I've always supported all of our safety nets. But over time, I've come to realize that states have enough money and more flexibility to solve many of these problems themselves. When it's federal money, they see it as outside money pouring into their state to boost their economy on the back of federal debt, so there's no incentive for the states to solve the problems that cause the poverty to begin with, they feed off the federal money instead. If the states are required to deal with the problem out of their own money and there is no outside money pouring into a gravy train of revenue for their economy, they'll not only pay for it themselves, they'll develop new policies that solve the problem in their states so they don't have to pay for it, because the problem no longer exists.

The exception of course is poor disabled and retired workers, there's nothing the states can do about that, that's just the way it is, so these groups should be qualified for federal assistance including food assistance. But those residents who are of working age, those people need jobs, that jobs and wages are a fundamental basic responsibility of the states. Yes, we need good federal policies that ensure job retention and job creation, and it is the states who elect Presidents and set the federal agenda. So, these food programs for non-disabled and non-retirees should be funded by the states, counties, cities, churches and other "charities" in those states. They'll figure it out and do a great job at a much lower cost and with a much better shorter term outcome by helping those who need jobs to have them and find them much sooner. It will also change the way some of these states look at illegal aliens and surplus excess immigrants and other bad policies as well.