According to Tuerk, about 6,000 people in the Pa. 7th are among the 4 million people who have lost benefits so far. And this is just the beginning.
Under Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states will have to assume more of the administrative costs and implement work requirements. If Arizona is any indication, people are in for a rude awakening. In that state, which implemented changes ahead of schedule, half of its food stamp beneficiaries are now off the rolls. This is not the result of fraud elimination but is instead the result of staff shortages and paperwork errors.
Tuerk referred to these during his interview:
"I talked to a woman outside a bodega last week who was on a two-mile walk back from the county assistance office. She had just filed her SNAP benefits renewal paperwork. She's going to have to keep doing that, and at some point, she’s not going to fill out the right form, or something's not going to happen the right way. She’ll lose her benefits."
Tuerk, who grew up using an orange card so he could eat lunch, said his family relied on food stamps to get by. He explains how the loss of this benefit would affect Allentown:
"When people are facing food insecurity, it changes everything. If they were counting on SNAP benefits to offset the cost of food, and now they can't count on that, it exacerbates rent challenges and can contribute to homelessness. People who are food insecure face health challenges that show up for our emergency responders.
"When our chief of police looks at an environment in which people don't have ready access to food stamps, his concern is that there'll be greater instances of retail theft as people do what they have to do to put food on the table."
I've seen those who always have an angle and know how to milk the system. They will sell their food stamps for cash or cigarettes. But I see many more who simply do not get enough.
54 comments:
What is our Country coming to when the President and his family can enrich their wealth by billions and on the other hand deny food to the poor and needy? Where are the rest of the Republican Senators and Congressman? Why aren't they speaking up? My wife and I know a single mom now in her 80's who's only income is a measly Social Security check and food stamps and she cares for her mentally retarded daughter age 59. She can barely walk anymore and needs all the help she can get. Not every one on welfare is a scammer.
Despite any attempt to downplay the existence of fraud in the SNAP program, there IS a nationwide problem of ineligible people receiving benefits. I have no problem with such entries being removed from the rolls. Doing so would make more funds available for those who truly are deserving of assistance.
Every state should be onboard with making sure the recipients on their rolls are legally eligible. It’s OUR tax dollars being spent.
Cry me a frigging river, get a job and quit living of hard-working citizens
Allentown is dangerous and crime ridden. Tuerk should be more concerned with the job he actually has - keeping the public safe. Start by keeping the streets safe.
trump is trying to help you man-up and set yourself free, but no these no self-respect wimps would rather live of the government than work.
These drains on our society obviously have no pride
We shouldn't have accepted so many newcomers in such a short timeframe. Turk is partially responsible for this. He reminds me of a kid who made a mess and refuses to clean it up without help. Our poorest are overweight and scroll on iPhones. The problem isn't SNAP.
Food stamps should be a hand up. A temporary helping hand. Not a generational way of life. There is no way we should have 42 million people on food stamps with a 4.3% unemployment rate.
Dem. politicians enrich themselves too!
Every morning, you can count on the comments for a daily dosage of blaming and shaming. It's almost like a public service.
Yes be like Trump and inherit $400 million plus hidden amounts.
That’s a good career plan.
They're taking what they're given cause they're votin for a livin.
Tuerk virtue signals about food insecurity but the underlying issue is those "benefits" need to keep rolling in to keep the free shit army appeased. There are tons of issues to be solved in Allentown and Tuerk as usual goes after the lowest hanging fruit and then pats himself on the back for being compassionate. With other peoples' money.
When people like Bernie, who squandered his gifts and settled into a lazy life on the arm in subsidized housing, are vacuuming up tax dollars, there's less and less left for the truly needy. Hateful and sinful.
No one disagrees there are legitimate people with needs. It's those who have abused the system that caused this not anyone else. Its not adminisyrations fault. The system needs to be designed to assure fraud is not present. Howver I personally have seen many take advantage of SNAP thus depriving others who truly have need. In the story the woman walks two miles to apply for benefits. Two miles would tell me she is capable of working more to feed herself and family.
I’m a proud three-time Trump voter.
I wanted higher prices; endless war, crypto corruption and the demolition of the East Wing.
He has delivered!
My BS-o-Meter was ringing loudly when I read this article.
First, a story from Arizona with a link that is to an OPINION piece. Then the story of a woman and what MIGHT happen if the democrat-run county assistance office makes a paperwork error. Not an actual story of something that HAS happened, but a story to build unwarranted fear.
But the most telling part of the article comes in the second paragraph, which states "According to Tuerk, about 6,000 people in the Pa. 7th are among the 4 million people who have lost benefits so far."
I might be mistaken, but Tuerk is the Mayor of ALLENTOWN, not the PA 7th. This tells me that 1) he's either campaigning for the current democrat candidate in the PA 7th on the taxpayer's dime, or 2) he's trying to campaign for himself for a future run for the PA 7th, again doing it on the taxpayer's dime. Either way, his focus should be on the many CITY problems in Allentown which he directly responsible for and could fix with policies that actually work.
But the final paragraph says it all: "I've seen those who always have an angle and know how to milk the system. They will sell their food stamps for cash or cigarettes. But I see many more who simply do not get enough."
That's the problem in a nutshell. We've all seen the fraud in the system and it does need to be eliminated. Nobody wants to see anybody go hungry, but there should be work requirements for those who can and there should be safeguards to protect the taxpayers from being ripped off.
Unfortunately, Tuerk doesn't want to do ANYTHING about the fraud. In fact, he's gone out of his way to avoid cooperation with the federal government to find those who are in this country illegally and could be defrauding the system by illegally collecting benefits. Tuerk and his ilk are ASSISTING IN THE THEFT from the truly needy by his actions that protect those here illegally. He has no credibility on the issue until he changes the city's policy on THAT.
So Tuerk's old man didn't take care of his family? There's your trouble.
Tuerk puts on another clown show and attempts to pawn off his act as governing.
He is a pathetic actor.
Tuerk, up from the mean streets of Boulder Colorado, having regaled the public with his tales of world travel as a teen, now reinvents himself as a hard scrabble kid scrounging for his next meal before continuing his world travel.
If pathos was effective management Allentown would be a center of good government in motion.
Ahh - the many hats and talents of Mayor Tuerk. Now he determines SNAP eligibility too just because “he knows” it. Talk about multitasking while Allentown becomes one of the worst cities ever. The All American city is anything but that.
You’re just disappointed that you didn’t get Harris/Waltz.
Come on now, it’s okay to admit it.
Put Mayor Ed back on the fifth floor.
Make Allentown Great Again.
On my way home from WORK I stopped at the grocery store. At the checkout in front of me there she was sliding her "benefits" card. Funny she had the latest iphone, ear buds and Apple watch. And talking on the phone, they are always on the phone.
I didn’t care for Bil Heydt personally, but along with Ross Marcus he knew how to manage.
Matt should skip the walk-a-bouts, get into the office early, stay late and get about the actual work of running the third largest municipally in the Commonwealth.
If Donald Trump could figure out a way to line his pockets by funding programs like food stamps that program would never ever have to worry about funding. But until the scumbag finds a way to line his pockets people will continue to suffer. I don't wish any bad luck on anyone, but when he does finally die, I hope it's from an ingrown asshole because that scum bag should suffer the way he makes others suffer.
Bring in Alan Jennings, he’s already saved Allentown once or twice.
Ask him, he will tell you.
Let's be clear, if you even mention the word fraud, you are a hateful racist. Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Deport the man back from whence he came, and you don't ever have to feed him again; leaving plenty for the needy who are already here legally.
Inherent in the use of any good thing is some abuse.
Not everyone on welfare is a scammer but most under age 65 are. Estimated scammers on welfare is in the 94-95 % range.
Blame Trump.
Blame guns.
Blame poverty.
Don’t blame a City administration that can’t enforce the basic quality of life issues.
You’re a dope.
Very true. But the level of “enrichment” has reached unprecedented levels during this administration and that’s concerning.
Also the endless stream of welfare checks have been a big help for you. You little commie rag. Who's your daddy? Please don't ask Mom cuz the truth gonna be hurtin' ya.
Tuerk is seen on previously released interviews claiming that he personally brought billions, billions with a B, of dollars worth of investments into the Allentown area.
Surely with such an illustrious background in development he can find a way to cover any shortfall in SNAP dollars.
Something doesn’t compute here.
I remember Ed Rendells motto about welfare, when in doubt give it out!
“Governing” loves Matt. He’s a colorful character, good for a quote. They eat up his bu11sh1t.
Once 'food stamps' became permanent under LBJ's Great Society, it created, like many other initiatives under that scheme, an infinite loop of dependency.
Today, there is SNAP, food banks, food drives, WIC, 'free' meals at many schools, and who knows what else. The more initiatives there are, the more dependents that are created.
12:08, please provide a link to this claim. I’d say scammers are about 5%
In Allentown public schools, they force all families into the free lunch program, regardless of income levels or need. Somehow the district is able to get more money by having everyone on the free food bandwagon, regardless of need.
I don't know if that's fraud at the district level, or if it's waste built into the federal system, but either way it's stealing money that could be spent on those who really need it.
The Allentown Chief of Police should concern himself with addressing quality of life crime.
Once I saw a black kid with an iPhone. That proves there is no income inequality and no racism.
Both he & Wee Willie Reynolds are terrible Mayors! The only Mayor in the Valley that is doing a good job is Panto.
I agree 100%. Unless you're disabled, it should be a lifetime benefit. I know too many that are gaming the system.
He's an embarrassment!
Heydt knew what he was doing- Tuerk has no clue, and it's almost comical watching him contort himself to the latest woke issue.
when in doubt, hand it out- you need your constituents!
Allentown & Bethlehem are both trending downward- fast! Go to Easton, it's downtown is exciting & vibrant!
the mayor runs and rides a bicycle and then says a woman had to walk 2 miles to a store. Does he have no concept of distance? 2 miles from center city is Dorney Park or LVH,
Cry me a frigging river, and wake the F——- Up, you inconsiderate Moran. If the wealthy American would pay their fair share of taxes instead of hiding their monies overseas or hiring accountants to find them loopholes to keep their ill gains, our country would be as healthy as the top 20 industrial countries around the world.
Yes ill gains, nobody is worth over $10 million a year. CEO’s makes their salary from taking money away from their employees. In both hourly wages and defined pensions. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
And by your comment you are agreeing that the wealthy earn evert penny they make.
Just an FYI, We are the only industrialized nation in the world that doesn’t provide universal health care.
I’m a hard-working citizen who worked both unionized jobs and management positions for non-union corporations. If we keep going on with this corporate agenda of greed our children will grow up to be poorer than us. Wake-UP an read our history and constitution.
It is always the poor stabbing the poor I the backs, whereas the rich are helping each other out. What books have you read this summer?
Yes I agree, the wealthy are paying little to no taxes and the middle class is getting wiped out. Because they’re voting for a living, paying lobbyists Millions to take money out of your pockets. How do you like it?
And you can't define what a woman is. Pathetic.
TDS much?
Every kid should be able to eat a free meal and not feel guilty or ashamed about it. People bitching about that notion really need to feel some discomfort themselves. And lots of that is coming our way. Now pass the bread and shut up.
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