One of the great things about this country, up until now, is that there's a safety net for families in dire financial straights. But authoritarian Donald Trump is cutting holes in it. His council of economic advisers have declared that we've won the war on poverty, but that's what he likes to call "fake news."
Let's look at the Lehigh Valley. According to a recent analysis by The National Association of Counties, $46.6 million in SNAP benefits (we used to call them food stamps) were paid in 2017 to 11,700 households. In Lehigh County, $73.6 Million was paid to 18,700 families. The number of children living below the poverty line was 8,531 in Northampton and 14,900 in Lehigh.
Under current law, an adult without dependents can only receive three months of SNAP benefits over a three year period unless enrolled in job training or school.
Under the latest farm bill, these benefits will be reduced about 1.7% over the next ten years.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Tuesday, February 05, 2019
41 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
And just where is the safety net even now? We have an elderly woman freezing to death inside her mobile home in Upper Mt. Bethel Township within the past week. Go to Lehigh Valley Live and look at the comments on that article - see how difficult it is to utilize the assistance through emergency LIHEAP, even if one is lucky enough to be granted it. When I was on my own with children some years ago now, I had to crank back the heat so low, I burst the pipes in the baseboard trying to save money in my poorly insulated old house. The safety net is just not there for the working poor. I still work three jobs, one full-time and two part-time, trying to make ends meet and recover from that very lean time.
ReplyDeleteGood. Public assistance is not designed to be lifetime or generational. It is for short term to help people get back on their feet.
ReplyDeleteAnd public assistance is NOT designed to help illegal aliens. The only thing they are "entitled" to is to breathe air as they are removed from the United States as expeditiously as possible. Their kids are not entitled to education, illegal alien children are not entitled to get food on SNAP Cards, or ANYTHING ELSE on the public dime.
ReplyDeleteWhat on Earth? Nobody said anything about illegal aliens. If you peeled yourself away from Fox News and actually went outside, you'd know that there are much bigger problems than preventing the undocumented from getting government services.
ReplyDelete1:58 By removing illegals from government assistance, it will make more funds available to those American citizens who are actually entitled to it when needed.
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious where this discussion is going. Everyone is running to their respective corners. I think it is wholly appropriate to repeat a comment from an earlier post. It applies to all these hard core believers.
ReplyDelete"It is a shame that the two political parties are now controlled by their extremists. The Republicans are controlled by xenophobic, science denying fascists. The Democrats are controlled by leftist progressive socialists.
Meanwhile the vast majority of us want neither purist agenda."
Amen!!!
Feed the hungry
ReplyDeleteSo, let's just keep importing 1.5 million immigrants per year and pretend we're not $22 trillion in debt. Let's ignore vets and homeless who are here while we import new Democrat voters. That's progressive compassion. How about we pull up the gang plank until liberals announce that everyone here is properly cared for? Nah. Screw the vets and homeless. Open borders is where it's at.
ReplyDeletethere are millions of jobs being created, yet it is true that many workers dont want more hours for fear of losing their government benefits, employers complain about a shortage of workers with a job participation rate of 63%. I believe benefits can amount to near 30,000 a year, in some states much more. The idea is to compassionately wean many off of government assistance into a productive and meaningful life. It sounds like the Trump administration is on the right track.
ReplyDeleteUndocumented immigrants aren't eligible for government assistance.
ReplyDeleteEnough with the Welfare State mentality already.
ReplyDeleteEspecially after eight long, long years of Comrade Obama.
Trump 2020.
Record low unemployment, record economic growth, increase in take-home pay thanks to tax cuts, bringing American troops home after decades of endless war on foreign soil.
Thank you for Making America Great Again, President Trump!
Yes, this should be a temporary stop gap.
ReplyDelete1. If you cannot take care of yourself, keep it in your sneaker/keep your legs closed.
2. Join a church. Feeding the hungry is the Christian thing to do. Plus they are great networks for gainful employment.
3. Rare is the sight of a SNAP recipient with a healthy BMI. I know this is anecdotal and some folks heads will explode.
Unfortunately I've lived in and near poverty myself. I know folks that cannot provided for their children but always have a cell phone, cable, plenty of camel cigarettes, and multiple pets. All the while collecting SNAP benefits and LIHEAP. One woman had the nerve to complain when she made too much money to qualify for LIHEAP!
My siblings helped my parents grow and can food and raise protein for ourselves. Grants and Student loans saw all four of us graduate from four year schools. There is no reason a person cannot work hard and realize the American Dream. My parents didn't dwell on our lowly station in life they focused on education and aspiring for a better life.
Oh, and to add to my comment above (7:46). This isn't about party. Most poor white folks I know vote republican. My best and most successful friend from my youth votes Dem. People need to stop simplifying peoples politics.
ReplyDeletepoliticians have screwed everything up and they will continue they are me people who thinks they know how to run a country
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to watch struggling former members of the middle class complain about $150 a month in food benefits for poor families. Then you have the boomer scum that depend upon benefits won by "progressive socialists" like FDR while they try to rip the same system up for future generations that they rely on themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty clear what is wrong with this country, billionaires rigging the system for their benefit and the destruction of labor unions.
I don't care what party you are a member of, if you oppose living wages or organized labor, you are part of the problem.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/census-confirms-63-percent-of-non-citizens-on-welfare-4-6-million-households
ReplyDeleteYou want an open border? Free college for no working people that are coming in in droves? Take the locks off your front door and hand that illegal half you pay and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI love how we have to say "undocumented" NO they are criminals who have broken OUR laws.....They like before should be REQUIRED to learn english and if you dont like it go back to where you came from and fix that-
ReplyDeleteEveryone of you responding to this blog can be thankful you were born in America and are probably white. Very few of you know what it is like to grow up not knowing if there would be enough money left over at the end of the week for shoes or food. Sure, we all survived somehow, but it is getting harder and harder every year due to the gap between the wealthy and poor. Be thankful you were born in America, Be grateful you aren't worrying if your wife, husband, mother or father, and your children are five dollars sick or five thousand dollars sick and you have to make a decision to go to a doctor or take food off the table. There is a God and on judgement day he will surely remember your generosity. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. That can be applied to our government officials and the waste in government programs, but these young children living in poverty didn't pave those roads.
ReplyDeleteAmerica remains a land of opportunity, if you want to work, if want to be an asset to your employer, particularly in the biggest companies. Unions promise mediocrity, assume no responsibility, get paid by extortion. There is a thirst in this country for people who want to get the job done. If you want to be a clock puncher, continually claiming your rights, you will be a low or medium wage person your whole life. And in the future maybe not even employable.
ReplyDeleteThe far right Trump cult members are rattling their cages today, I see.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is now considered far right to advocate for work and self sufficiency over idleness and dependence.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we don't need Pharaoh's ego-stroking "best forensics center in the state." Perhaps we should just a good one o regionalize with Lehigh, and use the extra money to feed people and stop the abuse at Gracedale. Priorities ....
ReplyDeleteThree DACA workers arrested by district attorney Adams while district attorney Martin helps employ these fine young DACA participants of lehighcounty. While there benifactors are cashing there snap benefits at the corner bodegas with a stack of access cards. With all the crimes locally there will be these high quality people eating the free lunches with Bernie next week.
ReplyDeleteSpend the money. Who cares that we're upside down in debt. Our kids will get the bill and most of them are assholes, anyway. Like a good dine-and-dash, we'll get the last laugh, while they try to figure it out. It's not our problem if we make it theirs.
ReplyDeleteWith a 22 Trillion dollar debt and 100's of trillions of pension and other obligations, does america really have a positive net worth.?
ReplyDeleteHow many police officers were killed during the Christmas holidays by members of Trump's campaign staff?
ReplyDeleteHow many police officers were killed during the Christmas holidays by illegal immigrants?
Anytime you are ready to give us all the correct answers, Anonymous 3:40.
so try
ReplyDeletehttps://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/07/11/congress-unlikely-expand-military-food-stamp-eligibility-year.html
"A 2016 Government Accountability Office report citing U.S. Census Bureau data said that about 23,000 active-duty troops received food stamps in 2013.
About 751,000 food stamp transactions, or almost $80 million in purchases, were completed at military commissaries in 2015, the latest year for which data were readily available."
so even serving members of the armed forces will get screwed.
so those folks that want people off SNAP must not like the defenders of America
4.53
ReplyDeletewell there were more of Comrade trumps folks charged with crimes then cops who have killed people for no reason.
Can we end the corporate safety net for drug companies, banks and wall street in general. the massive tax breaks fro farmers and the huge welfare paid out to generational white poverty in southern states. I agree!
ReplyDeleteBernie , resently ,a co - worker of mine from Easton and me were food shopping , I m retired from the Easton Fire Dept. Along with 3 other pensions now. Anyway ,we’re in the Walmart super center At the base of Rt. 22 and Rt ,17 North - in vacenity of Mertle Beach ,S.C. Were in-line behind these big fat people and they use a WICK card it buy 2 Carts of grosseries. There was all kind of stuff in there. These people had to weigh about 700 lbs between them . So - as we go out to parking lot ,we see them still loading vehicle up ,after we come out ,guess what she was driving? A New Chevy Suburban with with big wheels that cost about as much as a half double in Nazareth. About 74,000 usd This is why the Trump Administration is cutting back - fraud everywhere. People that weigh over 200 lbs should not eat anything for awhile. Obesity is costing the healthcare system billions.Stop eating.
ReplyDeleteYou make the Easton fire dept look really bad. For their sake, stop commenting or just stop claiming them. For real.
Delete6.21
ReplyDelete"People that weigh over 200 lbs should not eat anything for awhile. Obesity is costing the healthcare system billions"---so Comrade trump is not eating?
Also i guess those NFL players over 200 lbs are just obese?
Is convinced !
ReplyDeleteLiam Neeson
ReplyDeleteWhatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.....
ReplyDeleteJesus Christ.
He who does not work, shall not eat, St. Paul
ReplyDeleteI have a tenant whose rent is paid by Sec 8. She just got back from Columbia after spending a month there getting her $15,000 butt lift. Also she was struggling to get out of her new brand new sporty Mercedes Benze. Her rents going up $50 a month real soon.
ReplyDelete1120 - not so ,Members have done serveral great things for the less advantaged both as a unit and personally. Sign your name and we can compare recipes about how much we both gave personally away to the disadvantaged,in food , rubber tires ,clothing ,checks .,paid credit hours at school and personal time. We have several people in association that help others every time they can . Evan during govt shutdown what did you do for enybody ? What you got to show. . You are critical . Then we would know “how bad “ we look . Step up sign your name .
ReplyDeleteYou didn't answer either of the two simple, direct questions asked, Anonymous 3:40 / 5:06.
ReplyDelete11,20 where are you ? Did you pay for anything to help anyone in need? Where is your response? Did you buy tires for your neighbor ? Pay for any school ? Or give a funeral to a veteran? Where are you? How about a coat for a kid at the winter bus stops? Did you ? GFYS.i sign my name because I’m not ashamed to make a mistake.
ReplyDelete