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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Food Stamps/ Food

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  • From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Food Stamps/ Food
  • Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 21:11:44 -0400

At 11:56 AM 5/29/2008, you wrote:

I don't want to debate the definition of "need", but we know that statistically the working poor and disabled face much higher cost of living relatively in the basics like food, shelter, utilities, transportation. Not many want to depend on handouts. Things like check cashing stores, rent to buy appliances, and payday/title loans rip off those on low income. Low income people already pay a much higher proportion of their income for food, rent and transportation, and without established credit people pay higher prices on everything.
<snip>
That said, one way out is to become more self reliant in food and skills and not need the stores and paid help for every little thing. We need an immunity to the incessant call to buy all the new! improved! crapola that keeps us in debt and keeps us peasants on someone else's land.

Thank you, you said all this much better than I could have. I deal with this attitude frequently from store owners who are struggling to make ends meet, and resent people coming in with food stamps that they aren't eligible for themselves. I understand their feelings. It's easy to blame others when you're doing the best you can, and it isn't enough. But the days of the "food stamp queens" are long over with, if they ever actually existed at all. Food stamp recipients have to meet pretty tough criteria. That said, the program isn't perfect. But it keeps people from starving.

Amen to your last paragraph.

Liz in SW VA
http://life-as-a-spectator-sport.com




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