General Assembly Pre-Game Show: April 28-30, 2015
OK. Let’s put a stop to the idiocy that was the rumor that Gov. Markell would cut some kind of deal with the Rethugs on ‘Right to Work For Less’. It never made sense. Why? Because the bills won’t pass the General Assembly, and will not get a single D vote. Plus, the governor has little influence over the General Assembly any more. He would have zero if he made that move. ‘Multiple legislators’, Nancy? I call bullshit. Any legislator who would float that rumor should recognize that doing so makes it less likely, not more likely, that HB 50 would pass.
Yes, Monsignor Lavelle’s SB 54 is scheduled for ‘consideration’ in Wednesday’s Senate Labor & Industrial Relations Committee. Now, before you conspiracy theorists get your collective knickers in a bunch, here is the membership of that committee:
Chairman: Marshall
Members: Cloutier
Hocker
McBride
Peterson
Poore
4 D’s, 2 R’s, one of the R’s generally votes with labor. Now, do you really suppose that Jack Markell asked Marshall for a ‘solid’, and that Marshall agreed? Markell emasculated Marshall’s last minimum wage bill, and tried to privatize the Port of Wilmington over his objections. Use your heads, pipples. You’re better than this.
Only one bill on today’s Senate Agenda, but it’s a notable one. HB 56(Potter) places a moratorium on the granting of new school charters until 2018. I think the bill is more notable for what it is, rather than what it does. It is a belated legislative recognition that the charter school movement has gotten completely out of hand. Charter schools were supposed to provide alternatives for those who do not learn best in a traditional classroom format. Of course, Charter of Wilmington was founded on the premise that really smart kids shouldn’t have to go to school with kids not of their…ilk. So, from the very beginning, elitism was coin of the realm, emphasis on coin. We now have schools specializing in certain disciplines, which was never the purpose of charters. We have deep-pocketed ‘educators’ like Charles Bouvier de Flanders Copeland, and less deep-pocketed ‘educators’ who have ended up lining their own pockets at the expense of the schools they were supposed to run. And, uh, the taxpayers. In many ways, much of what passes for the charter school movement has been little more than a perversion of public education. All sanctioned by the state. And given advantages that public schools don’t have. Time to call a permanent time out. HB 56 at least provides for a temporary time out.
The House Agenda is highlighted by HB 3(Longhurst), which ‘requires that employers receiving contracts from the State shall certify in that contract that, in addition to already mandated fair business practices, the contractor shall ensure that its employees receive equal pay for equal work without regard to sex. The language permits pay differentials when they are based on a seniority system, merit system, or where pay is based on production factors.’ Seems like a good bill. However, I’m curious as to the relative lack of senate sponsorship. Maybe there’s something that I’m missing. Anybody?
HB 90(Longhurst), which ‘requires all public school employees to receive 90 minutes of training each year on suicide prevention’, is also scheduled for consideration. The bill has no fiscal note, and I wonder why. How will this bill be implemented w/o paying for trainers to, um, train?
Senate Committee highlights:
Banking Committee: SB 66(Townsend). Would ‘allow any Delaware jurisdiction with a long-term residential vacancy rate above 3%, including a county, to form a land bank, where such jurisdiction determines that a land bank would help it address the problem of vacant and abandoned real property within its jurisdiction‘. Please click on the bill and read the entire synopsis. Looks like a great piece of legislation, especially for Wilmington. Gov. Townsend, anyone?
Children, Youth & Families Committee: HB 46(Barbieri). ‘Sets forth the rights of abused, neglected and dependent youth in DSCYF Custody’. Has passed House unanimously.
Executive Committee: Nominations, including two notable ones:
Public Service Commission: Manubhai Karia
University of Delaware Board of Trustees: Chaitanya Gadde
I’d like to think that the committee would want to hear Karia’s philosophy on utility regulation, and that members would ask Gadde about opening up UD’s records to the public.
Health & Social Services Committee: This may be a first for me…a bill sponsored by Sen. Colin Bonini that I like, at least in principle. SB 38:
“allows a terminally ill patient, and his or her treating physician, to decide if they will pursue treatment with an investigational drug, biological product or device, which has successfully completed Phase One of a clinical trial. This Bill does not obligate manufacturers to provide an investigational drug, biological product or device upon the patient’s request. It also does not obligate health insurance providers to cover the expenses of, or associated with, the use of an investigational drug, biological product or device. The Bill also protects all involved parties from being held liable for any loss, damage or injury that results from the use of investigational drug, biological product or device, and prevents state interference in the implementation of this policy.”
Why not do this? What do you think?
Ladeez and gentlemen, time for the Worst Bill of the Week. While there are several strong contenders, nothing, IMHO, comes close to HB 94 (D.Short), which is in the House Health & Human Development Committee. Now, kids, let’s remember that Rethuglicans pride themselves on being the party of limited government. What defines ‘limited government’ any better than requiring that food stamp (SNAP) recipients only use SNAP to purchase government-approved food? Jeez, you’d think that we’re still stuck in the Reagan era memes of the welfare queen driving the Cadillac and lazy & shiftless (and ‘able-bodied’, forgot ‘able-bodied’) food stamp recipients eating steak every night of the week. Yo, Rethugs, I guarantee that you’ve got neighbors using SNAP now that all the jobs have disappeared. I’ll betcha that they’re at least as well-equipped as you fucking elitists are to select nutritional food that fits their budget. Better, actually. They’ve had to do it.
“Under this Act, future SNAP benefits could be used only to purchase items designated as having beneficial nutritional value.” Sometimes the only response is a hearty “Fuck you.” Which the committee will deliver Wednesday.
Other tidbits from this week’s House Committee Schedule (Memo to the General Assembly website: Please enable us to provide links to each committee notice):
Business Lapdog Committee: HB 109(B. Short), a real good right to privacy bill. The bill ‘makes it unlawful for employers, subject to certain exceptions, (i) to mandate that an employee or applicant disclose password or account information that would grant the employer access the employee or applicant’s personal social networking profile or account, or (ii) to require or request that employees or applicants log onto their respective social networking site profiles or accounts to provide the employer direct access.’
House Education Committee: Welcome back to the 1950’s. HB 52(Hudson) ‘will make the teaching of cursive writing a requirement for all public schools in Delaware’. Uh, will handwriting analysts now vet prospective teachers for those positions? Are there that many nuns still left? Only Monsignor Lavelle knows for sure.
House House Administration Committee: HB 105(Jaques) is the first leg of a Constitutional Amendment that would eliminate restrictions on absentee voting.
House Judiciary Committee: Here’s an interesting bill. HB 102(Barbieri) appears to address attempts to intimidate witnesses by making addresses public, and placing informants at risk. The bill “prohibit(s) persons from publicly posting or displaying on the Internet, or soliciting, selling, or trading on the Internet, specified personal information of a (Department of Justice Address Confidentiality) program participant with the intent of inciting another person to imminently use the information to commit a crime involving violence or a threat of violence against, or to cause great bodily harm to, the program participant or any member of the program participant’s household.” All I can say is ‘good luck with that’. I hope it works, but I don’t know if it will.
Breaking News (of the dog-bites-man variety): The cops are holding up legislation to decriminalize marijuana. I’m sorry, it’s time to put an end to the stranglehold that these Nixon-era culture warriors have on public policy. Gee, I wonder how often these guys bail out a drunken fellow officer by covering up the offense. They seek to impose standards on others that they would never consider when it’s one of their own. They should have no special voice in this debate. I think Rep. Keeley should just bring the bill up for a vote. These guys are supposed to enforce the law, not make it. Stop negotiating with these buzz-headed hard-asses, who cares what they think, or even if they think?
I’ll catch you on the Al Show, 10-12 noon today. You can tune in right here.
Tags: charter schools moratorium, cursive writing, El Somnambulo, Featured, marijuana decriminalization, Right to work for less, Sen. Bonini, Steve Tanzer Delaware
Danny Short represents an area where many use their SNAP money to purchase expensive seafood from Harbor House, while others trade them for rent, drugs, etc. In much of impoverished Seaford, they are not that far removed from cash payments. I do consider myself a liberal, but why not limit what can be purchased to more common sense items? Do they really need scallops or $15 / lb tuna steaks? Of course not. And yes, I recognize that many, if not most, do not abuse this…but then you simply include lots of “good” food that is allowed and nothing will change for those who already do not abuse the system. We control what women get with WIC already…why is this any worse? **Ducks head for having a Republican-like thoughts**
There’s a classic case of the alleged anecdotal becoming empirical. Danny Short knows who is on EBT? And he knows that some sort of critical mass is buying ‘expensive seafood’ from Harbor House? And, uh, yes seafood is expensive, but it would almost certainly be on any list of approved nutritional items. Unless the government says that “You can only eat carp or some other bottom dweller”.
And ‘trading’ for rent, drugs, etc., has been an illegal use of food assistance since the beginning of the program.
Bit by bit we are criminalizing poverty. Just as our fellow shitty third world countries have always done.
Bags of frozen fish – yes. Bushels of crabs – no. Not hard to figure out nutritionally sound, bang-for-buck items. Harbor house isn’t the problem…expensive and/or non-nutritional items are. People down there are fairly open with it…no anecdotes required. I’m wholly against the criminalization of poverty, but I am also against subsidizing a middle class standard of living by people who have made bad choices and refuse to live with the consequences. Realistically, most SNAP benefits aren’t enough to pay for high end items…those that do probably run out at the end of the month and that is tragically sad. No one in our prosperous nation should go hungry. So why no regulate what they can buy to help them help themselves? Limit the items but increase the amount of the benefit as a trade off. Unlimited flour, rice, cheerios, milk, etc.
The bill doesn’t address that issue. The bill has the government determine what is nutritional. And “I am also against subsidizing a middle class standard of living by people who have made bad choices and refuse to live with the consequences”? Like expecting the company you worked for to live up their promise of paying your pension? What ‘bad choices’ are you referencing?
And what middle class standard of living are you talking about? Nobody on SNAP enjoys a middle class standard of living when it comes to food.
I don’t think you have a clue as to what living on SNAP is all about.
BTW, ‘unlimited flour’ does not constitute the best in nutritional value, far from it.
yeesh ElSom. Why call out the messenger?
I CLEARLY wrote out the back and forth comments here from Mike Matthews (April 24 at 7:54pm) facebook thread to end the confusion your blog had fostered.
https://www.facebook.com/downwithabsolutes/posts/10103188103841223?comment_id=10103189543600933&offset=0&total_comments=56&comment_tracking={%22tn%22%3A%22R2%22}&pnref=story
Why is this post now pointing at me when THE AUTHOR OF THAT STATEMENT about multiple legislators and source of the rumor is Mike Matthews and then doubled down HERE by DE DEM? (And you don’t even bother to link to his April 25th post!)
I bothered to comment on the DL post for YOUR BENEFIT IN ORDER TO CLARIFY that Cerron Cade unequivocally stated that the Governor was not considering such a deal.
What the fuck are you people smoking over here?
Don’t pull the old liberal “you don’t understand because you’re not there” crap on my…i’m a liberal too and I know the trick. lol.
Let’s be real…we’re not talking about older people with no pension here….obviously they are not poor as a result of their “choices.” But reality is that some other people are. They chose not to focus in school and graduate, they chose not to pursue a higher education, some have previously chosen a life of crime and are now stuck where they are. Some chose to have relations at a young age and get pregnant. These are, largely, choices. We all make choices. I don’t blame folks for them, and I realize that most people are doing the best they can with what they have. These folks would also not object to a law like this, because they despise people who abuse the system just as much as anyone else.
By middle class standard of living, I mean that they try to buy products beyond their actual means and fall short at the end of the month. And flour was simply an example…you make lots of food with flour. But of course vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, etc. must also be included. Crabs and t-bone steaks…maybe not. I think that’s all this is really about.
Poverty sucks, and I understand many are the victims of it in that they are stuck in a cycle that disadvantages them from birth to adulthood. I’m not arguing we should take away their benefits, only their their benefits could be more beneficial if focused on items that are economically and nutritionally sound.
“Don’t pull the old liberal “you don’t understand because you’re not there” crap on my…i’m a liberal too and I know the trick. lol. ”
You know what? In my job, I have occasion to see precisely what people purchase with EBT every day that I work. They buy a hell of a lot more produce than I’d ever want to eat. You really don’t have a clue, sorry.
And, do me a favor. Don’t paint yourself as a liberal when your words give you away. Words like this:
“They chose not to focus in school and graduate, they chose not to pursue a higher education, some have previously chosen a life of crime and are now stuck where they are. Some chose to have relations at a young age and get pregnant. These are, largely, choices.”
Right. They all had the same opportunities that you and I did. They just chose to be losers. Unlike a tough-love liberal like you.
Uh, Nancy? I read your screed again. You posited a conspiracy theory that Lavelle switched his vote on SBA, and that this is the payback.
That’s BS. Markell has no influence on what the Senate Labor Committee considers. The bill will be tabled in committee, and that will be it.
You cited the MM statement about multiple legislators as part of your scenario. You’re right. Mike said it, not you. You just repeated it.
Bill’s not going anywhere. There’s no conspiracy.
Apparently you missed my last paragraph. Please read the whole post before responding. But yes, public school is available to everyone…perhaps not in equal quality, but it is there. Grant money for higher ed is more readily available to the poor than to middle class Americans. Crime is ALWAYS a choice, and birth control is available at local clinics and planned parenthoods at little to no charge for lower income people. So yes, choices do matter. Poverty is not destiny. I busted my ass through high school to earn scholarship money for college and have worked two to three jobs since I’ve graduated college to support my family. Those were my choices, and I’m proud of them. People make mistakes, yes, and I think we should have programs in place to help them to overcome them. But it should be a two way street…they should have to work to overcome them, too. I believe government can be a force of good and can help its citizens conquer poverty…that is why I proudly call myself a liberal. However, I see no problem with attaching a few strings to any help provided.
Produce should be available in unlimited quantities…my concern is those who spend too much on other junk and don’t buy produce. Again, I don’t see why if the options available are varied, nutritionally sound, and economically reasonable that there should be objection.
Look, realistically, we’re arguing about something that isn’t going to happen. I’d rather the current system than none at all. But I also do not object to mature conversations about how to best help those in poverty get out of poverty. You and I probably agree on 90-95% of things…i just don’t see that status quo changing anything for the good, so perhaps some new solutions are in order. Is this one a good one? Maybe not, but I think we need to start thinking outside of the box a bit to fight the spectre of poverty that haunts our nation.
Oh, oh my…
There’s a reason I go on and on about high poverty schools. The children at these schools are not getting the same educational opportunities as their middle class, suburban peers. It has nothing to do with a lack of focus.
Choosing a life of crime? Like… Hmmm, what should I choose? To be a criminal or a doctor? This “chosen life of crime” is directly linked to high poverty schools.
And access to birth control can be extremely difficult and expensive.
You hit the trifecta here.
1. They are lazy (not focused)
2. They choose to be criminals
3. They are recklessly promiscuous
And you even alluded to Reagan’s greatest hits – strapping young bucks using public assistance to buy T-Bone steaks, or scallops/crabs.
Given your comment history, I’m not sure you meant to come off this way.
I’d be happy if they just banned soda purchases with SNAP.
Unfortunately the USDA does not currently collect point-of-purchase data about the foods that are bought by SNAP recipients. Nor do they make available information about where benefits are redeemed. Consequently we are left with anecdotes and supposition as the only means to validate our opinions and beliefs. I think we are missing out on valuable information that could provide real insight. I also think that no one really wants the data because they are so invested in their position and the data could easily refute that position. Although collecting such data is a lot more difficult than just deciding to do it, until then we are left with belief, which is no way to legislate. Still, if they are buying nutrition with SNAP benefits, would the proposed bill have any negative effect? I mean, isn’t there general agreement on nutrition?
It shouldn’t be hard to track anything with a bar code on it.
Of course there’s agreement on nutrition, but shopping the perimeter of the store is way more expensive than 10 for $10 aisle deals.
@Geezer, True but remember they have to gain agreement and acceptance from the stores, as well as a mechanism/system to manage the data. USDA did a study a few years ago on what it would take to collect the data. It was not impossible but it was a lot more complex than just having stores send in data tapes (including stores that don’t even collect data themselves)
@Dave: I understand. I was just pointing out that bar codes make everything trackable. How much that would cost and whether it’s worth the expense are different questions.
SNAP is a small amount of money. If people make unwise decisions and blow it on expensive or frivolous foods, they run out of money faster. The republicans want freedom from government intrusion except for the people they want to harass.
“The republicans want freedom from government intrusion except for the people they want to harass.”
Word.
If anyone would like more insight into one of the thousands of reasons poor black people are in the streets of Baltimore setting cars on fire, reread this comment thread.
Pandora, I appreciate your consideration of my comment history, truly, before blasting me. I don’t mean to come off as condescending or without understanding. Frustrated is a better word. I’ve worked among it and have seen first hand people abuse the system. I could point you to an individual who has done each and every thing I discussed…not exactly a Reagan tale, but the reality that I lived and worked among for a number of years. I’ve seen people blow opportunities clearly laid out for them through actions they take and choices that they have made, even when given support by others, myself included. Is that the case for everyone? I doubt it. Fair enough. Data would be tremendously useful and would probably back one argument or the other.
Would it matter though? Realistically, we’re here debating how to better treat a symptom of a disease that isn’t being addressed at all. Changing our food stamp structure isn’t going to fight or address poverty in any way. Should it be discussed? Perhaps, but the legislature and perhaps we ourselves would be better served trying to solve the root causes rather than tangential details.
Charter moratorium passes Senate, heads to Governor:
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/firststatepolitics/2015/04/28/senate-charter-school-moratorium/26534557/
House unanimously passes teen suicide prevention bill:
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/firststatepolitics/2015/04/28/delaware-lawmakers-teen-suicide-prevention-passed/26530401/
I’m surprised nobody has yet talked about “food deserts” in low-income areas. Let’s envision a situation where SNAP benefits are limited to whole, wholesome, nutritious and fresh food: Whole wheat bread, yogurt, milk, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, apples, rice, chicken…. Where the hell are people with no reliable transportation and odd-hour jobs supposed to get these items?!?! There are 2 grocery stores inside the whole of Wilmington; i can’t even imagine where you would shop for red peppers within walking distance of Ellendale. Struggling folks buy what they can, and after working a 14 hour shift and having your babies cry because they are hungry, you probably run to the corner market/lq and buy doritos because its the best you can do.
I’d be happy to support limiting SNAP benefits, as long as we can subsidize 24-hour markets that sell real food; one every square mile throughout the state. Until then, STFU.
Good point. Maybe Sen. Greengrocer Hocker would care to address it.
Bryan Townsend introduces a “No More Mark Murphys” bill:
http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/vwLegislation/SB+72/$file/legis.html?open
That’s going to leave a mark.
“food deserts”
Good point! Have there been any efforts to analyze that problem and understand what it would take to eliminate food deserts? I think an amendment to the bill is in order. The bill would require the state to analyze the availability issue to determine the scope of the problem with recommendations to eliminate food deserts and the key provisions of the bill would only kick in once the state has demonstrated that the problem was mitigated.
This should be done regardless of whether HB94 even exists. Has the state done any work in this area?
The “No More Mark Murphys” should stipulate that teaching Pearson sales seminars doesn’t count.
I answered my own question. UDEL has some pretty good data on food deserts.
http://www.ipa.udel.edu/healthyDEtoolkit/foods/fooddeserts.html
http://www.ipa.udel.edu/healthpolicy/healthycommunities/built_environment/DEHEAL_forum2011/FoodDesertMapping.pdf
Not sure what the limit is on links. I’ll put the next one which is the actual mapping in another comment.
http://www.ipa.udel.edu/healthyDEtoolkit/foods/maps.html
I look at the large one in Sussex County, which happens to be in an area where I live so I am pretty intimate with the area. Lots of part time summer homes and financially comfortable full timers. Driving is a necessity for the area but not sure of the demographics regarding income for everyone. I think maybe the USDA guidelines may be more applicable to urban areas than this particular area.
Thanks, Dave. Real good stuff.
Back to an earlier point. Does anyone really believe that SNAP fraud and/or “misuse’ (however we care to define it) is really any kind of problem? Will “solving” it really solve anything?
We take the mechanics of capitalism, which are theories about how to organize an economy, and try to organize a society by those precepts. The entire premise makes no sense.
The people who need assistance have been “laid-off” from the American Corporation (A.K.A. society). They’ve been rendered obsolete and redundant. Like most lay-offs it’s not really the person’s fault. There was a merger or an economic downturn. We can nickle and dime them on their severance and wonder why they are no longer capable of finding employment, or…
We can stop treating American society as a business and stop using an economic theory to cure social and cultural problems…
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/08/david-simon-capitalism-marx-two-americas-wire
“Does anyone really believe that SNAP fraud and/or “misuse’ (however we care to define it) is really any kind of problem? Will “solving” it really solve anything?”
No and no. But, I often follow the lemon lemonade cliché. If the bill doesn’t solve a problem, why can’t we reshape the bill so that it does solve a problem? Why not amend the proposed bill to require something be done about food deserts, which is a problem. If Short wants the bill to pass, then you say to him that if you create the means to provide access to nutritious foods to those who use SNAP then you can restrict the EBT benefits to those things. One of two things will happen, he could agree and a start could be made on solving a problem or the bill could be defeated.
And if food deserts are a problem, isn’t there something the progressives in the GA should be putting on the table that moves the state towards a solution regardless of this bill?
Fair point. I see where you’re going. I could buy that.
You are obsessed with the EBT and SNAP issue, but don’t have much to say about Michelle Obama and her restrictive (and wasteful) school food initiative. Both are tax payer funded. Oh, GDP at 0.2% and the weakest recovery since the 1930’s (FDR) stumbles along……….how is that “hopey changey” working out for everybody?
All I need to do is cut and paste my earlier comment from the Tea Party Hypocrisy thread… in less than two hours the idiot brigade go to the same tactic.
Dorian Gray says:
April 29, 2015 at 10:04 am
Haha! Lovely. I so adore the ping-pong game of ideological catchphrases. It’s like old MTV show with the clay-mation grudge match. Stupid avatars of stereotypical characters fighting to the online death! It’s an absurd waste of time, but incredibly entertaining. And I think some of you actually think it makes you look witty and well-informed. What a fucking joke…
Changing the subject to some talking point you heard on the radio isn’t an argument. But it does clearly illustrate your lack of capacity for argument… Go on… Please…
Oh, by the way, I’m no Obama fanboy… but if you lot want to stick with this idea that the last 7 years have been a failure. Knock yourself out. Personally I think it’s a great strategy.
The no more Mark Murphy’s bill only means the governor, any governor, can appoint an equally incompetent public servant, they only need a better CV.
The real solution is a bill to make the state board elected and the secretary a hire/fire of that board. Sec Ed should be removed from the cabinet. Schools and political appointees rarely work. Just look at the last 7 years of crap.
Lest there had been any doubt, here’s the fate of the ‘right to work for less’ bill:
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/firststatepolitics/2015/04/29/democrats-right-to-work/26591073/
“The state has lost more than 20,000 manufacturing jobs since 1990.” So we have to assume the status quo is going well.
Let them eat the dog shit they are forcing our kids to eat in school.
Three years ago when looking at how to make better quality food appear on SNAP family’s tables, we ran into an obstacle. With Republican cut backs now amounting to 40% of what was received 3 years ago, it is now impossible…..
It was put to us personally this way…. You have $10 left to last 14 days… Do you stretch it out by buying whole wheat bread for $2.99, broccoli for $3.39, and milk for $3.59?
Or, do you push the calorie count by buying 10 bottles of soda for $10, giving you a rough total of 10,000 calories to augment whatever you’ll eat elsewhere over that time frame… Remember your body needs sugar just to work.
The problem was that there were a myriad of choices and as planners it is impossible to determine every possible outcome. People tend to make the best choices for themselves for the most part, because they know what they need from trial and error. A well meaning attempt to improve nutrition, in fact had disastrous consequences…
===
So what’s new in SNAP? Well there is a proposal (which certainly needs buoyed in today’s Republican political climate), to simply put no SNAP limit on produce… When the other SNAP money runs out, beneficiaries can continue living on produce…. This is probably the greatest new idea in the history of the program, especially to those concerned with national nutrition.
It has multiple side benefits. One being whereas the current system penalizes people for buying produce with SNAP benefits (money disappears too fast), this would encourage it. Secondly, due to the huge economic power SNAP has and its far reach into all sectors of society (except of course, the top 1%), more vegetables would need be grown (or imported) and we are talking about gigantic economics of scale here, it would thus lower produce prices for all, no matter what your income. And if you had sufficient political muscle to push a certain health angle, organic produce would then become more of a rule at America’s tables, than an exception. It follows that with more availability and cheaper prices, our national appetite for more produce would grow significantly, contributing to a small or minor loss of market share currently owned by the sugar industry.
The Sugar lobby will fight this… But this is exciting to dream about in its initial stages, simply because barring a drop in sugar’s stock prices, for everyone else, this is a win win win situation.
Pretty notable House Agenda Thursday (today), including:
HB 3: An equal pay for equal work bill, mostly;
HB 5: E-cigs, including amendments that would exempt vape shops from the Clean Indoor Air Act;
and
HB 92: Would strengthen auditing requirements for the Auditor of the City of Wilmington, but would not require an elected city auditor.
“put no SNAP limit on produce”
In concept, it’s a carrot for both the recipients and the grocers/farmers. However, it doesn’t necessarily eliminate food deserts. The premise is that recipients don’t buy the right kinds of foods because it is too expensive and not available. A 2015 USDA study found that it is unclear whether SNAP influences purchases and if restrictions on SNAP purchases will have any impact on individual intakes and that the differences in sugar intake for example, may be the result of the demographic differences. Additionally, money is fungible and SNAP is often not the only income source for recipients.
Still, I could support such and idea of no limit on produce as long as we collect data and sunset it to provide some means of adjusting the program based on the data. I think we need to respect the fact there is a range of behaviors based on the totality of few choices and poor decisions. Being poor is not something anyone would choose and I wonder if we do enough to help people not be poor versus facilitating subsistence of their condition.
Or we could use the food we throw away because it isn’t pretty enough. Watch this video for the “Just Eat It” documentary.
We have the means (and the produce) to solve this problem at very little cost.