They were out there again today, demanding fifteen bucks an hour to work in fast food. The restaurant industry is violently against it, of course, claiming it will raise the price of our burgers and "destroy jobs."
Let's just take a closer look. First of all, fast food workers, these days, probably are not high school students earning a little gas money. Lots of them are adults. Plenty are single mothers, fitting in whatever work they can while their kids are in school. They qualify for food stamps (SNAP) and Medicaid.
That means taxpayers are subsidizing McDonald's, Domino's, Burger King, and other multibillion dollar corporations that contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other conditions that elevate health care costs. If the dollar menu goes to a buck twenty-five, and that results in fewer sales to poor people, we all come out ahead.
Other retail workers are in the same situation. Wal-Mart actually helps its "associates" apply for food stamps and Medicaid; and who's paying for it? We are – the taxpayers.
I'm angry. Are you?
Showing posts with label food stamps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food stamps. Show all posts
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
The Farm Bill
Some people are just evil, and a lot of those evil people "serve" in the House of Representatives.
The radical effort by right-wing Republicans to separate SNAP (food stamps) from farm subsidies turns my stomach. Clearly, their intent is to secure the benefits corporate agriculture is accustomed to while setting up an opportunity to "compromise" on severe cuts to SNAP. Apparently, they think the best approach to dealing with poverty is to let the poor starve.
Isn't it time for Our President to get out there and say he will veto any Farm Bill that does not include SNAP, maintained at least at its current level? It won't happen. (As you may have noticed, I have absolutely no confidence in Obama. Maybe, someday, we'll get a president who really is black, or a Latino who isn't a son of the Cuban plutocracy from the Batista era. Okay, I'm not holding my breath.)
It's just evil. If the right-wing Republican Old Testament god were real, and not a piece of shit like his admirers, he'd be striking them down with boils and toads and the Angel of Death. If Jesus is out there watching, he's most likely puking his guts.
Like me.
The radical effort by right-wing Republicans to separate SNAP (food stamps) from farm subsidies turns my stomach. Clearly, their intent is to secure the benefits corporate agriculture is accustomed to while setting up an opportunity to "compromise" on severe cuts to SNAP. Apparently, they think the best approach to dealing with poverty is to let the poor starve.
Isn't it time for Our President to get out there and say he will veto any Farm Bill that does not include SNAP, maintained at least at its current level? It won't happen. (As you may have noticed, I have absolutely no confidence in Obama. Maybe, someday, we'll get a president who really is black, or a Latino who isn't a son of the Cuban plutocracy from the Batista era. Okay, I'm not holding my breath.)
It's just evil. If the right-wing Republican Old Testament god were real, and not a piece of shit like his admirers, he'd be striking them down with boils and toads and the Angel of Death. If Jesus is out there watching, he's most likely puking his guts.
Like me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)