CNN affiliate KCRA reports from Sacramento.
WATCH:
http://michiganmessenger.com/46421/dhs-cuts-off-18000-college-students-from-food-stamps
Excerpt:
DHS cuts off 18,000 college students from food stamps
By Todd A. Heywood | 02.09.11 | 1:03 pm The Michigan Department of Human Services announced Wednesday that beginning in April college students will not be able to access food assistance programs, except in very limited situations.
Maura Corrigan, a former Michigan Supreme Court justice and director of DHS, issued a statement on the issue Wednesday morning. The program and the use of Bridge Cards by college students has come under withering criticism in recent weeks as a result of Republican lawmakers questioning the use of the federally funded program.
“We’re ready to extend a helping hand to any citizen who is truly in need – including college students who care for young children and are taking the right steps toward becoming self-sufficient,” Corrigan said in a press release. “But those who don’t meet federal guidelines won’t be able to take advantage of what is meant to be a temporary safety net program.”
The Food Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, serves almost 1.9 million Michigan residents, including more than 805,000 children. DHS administers this federally funded program and must follow federal guidelines for eligibility. Benefits are determined based on income, household size and other criteria, and can only be used to buy food.
Rep. Dave Agema (R-Grandville) last month became chair of the House subcommittee which oversees the DHS budget. At the time he declared that “fraud” by college students receiving food assistance was a top priority for him.
Here’s how the Lansing State Journal reported on a hearing Tuesday about the situation:
Though Agema is not sure how many college students are abusing the program statewide, he said he fears the state is wasting millions of dollars annually to provide the aid to students who don’t need it. Bridge Card recipients use the card as kind of an electronic version of food stamps, and critics say students of well-heeled parents are using the aid to pay for food and using their spending money for booze and parties.DHS reports that in 2009-2010 between 10,000 and 18,000 college and university students were receiving as much as $200 a month in food assistance.
“It’s an epidemic,” Agema said Tuesday at a committee hearing. “You can get this just by (applying) on the Internet.”
Agema, a former airline pilot, has also made headlines recently for legislation he has introduced to eliminate the Michigan Health Fund Initiative and shift that nine million dollars into the Michigan Aeronautics Fund. He also introduced legislation to shift 80 percent of the state’s Natural Resources Trust Fund, which pays for parks and land conservation, to pay for road and airport improvements.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_03/028615.php
Excerpt:
March 24, 2011
A NEW PLAN TO STOP STRIKES BEFORE THEY START.... Most of the union-busting schemes we've seen in recent months have come at the state level, but Zaid Jilani flags one at the federal level that hasn't generated much attention at all.
If this seems unusually punitive, that's because it is. The message these Republican lawmakers want to send is as straightforward as it is callous: if you go on strike, your family should have less access to food.
Jon Chait added, "I don't believe these members of Congress actually sought to punish the spouses and children of striking workers, but when you're waging class war, collateral damage is inevitable."
All of this, by the way, comes against a backdrop of GOP policymakers trying to cut the entire food-stamp program, regardless of a person's employment situation, while leaving wasteful agriculture subsidies alone.
It's worth noting, of course, that's extremely unlikely the Democratic Senate and/or Democratic White House would go along with the House Republican plan to punish striking workers like this, but the fact that several prominent GOP lawmakers would even consider this worthwhile says a great deal about their priorities.
http://www.familyfinancialhelp.net/foodstamps/?gclid=CKar5rKY2qgCFQwFbAodthdkIg
GOP Reps. Jim Jordan (OH), Tim Scott (SC), Scott Garrett (NJ), Dan Burton (IN), and Louie Gohmert (TX) have introduced H.R. 1135, which states that it is designed to "provide information on total spending on means-tested welfare programs, to provide additional work requirements, and to provide an overall spending limit on means-tested welfare programs."
Much of the bill is based upon verifying that those who receive food stamps benefits are meeting the federal requirements for doing so. However, one section buried deep within the bill adds a startling new requirement. The bill, if passed, would actually cut off all food stamp benefits to any family where one adult member is engaging in a strike against an employer.
If this seems unusually punitive, that's because it is. The message these Republican lawmakers want to send is as straightforward as it is callous: if you go on strike, your family should have less access to food.
Jon Chait added, "I don't believe these members of Congress actually sought to punish the spouses and children of striking workers, but when you're waging class war, collateral damage is inevitable."
All of this, by the way, comes against a backdrop of GOP policymakers trying to cut the entire food-stamp program, regardless of a person's employment situation, while leaving wasteful agriculture subsidies alone.
It's worth noting, of course, that's extremely unlikely the Democratic Senate and/or Democratic White House would go along with the House Republican plan to punish striking workers like this, but the fact that several prominent GOP lawmakers would even consider this worthwhile says a great deal about their priorities.
http://www.familyfinancialhelp.net/foodstamps/?gclid=CKar5rKY2qgCFQwFbAodthdkIg
http://www.catholiccharitiesca.org/pdfs/PovertyInCalifornia.pdf
Excerpt:
Poverty in California Our Catholic Response Catholic Charities of California 1119 K Street Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 313-4005 http://www.cccalifornia.org/
Poverty in California Our Catholic Response Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:34-40 Introduction California is a symbol of energy, vitality and the good life. Yet, despite this image millions of residents struggle daily to meet the basic necessities of life. They struggle on the farms of the Central Valley, in neighborhoods rife with gang violence, and in what appear to be solid middle class enclaves where they hover on an economic precipice. Many of them work, yet still fail to make ends meet. Children are some of the poorest. Seniors struggle on fixed incomes. And, despite the state’s reputation as the “breadbasket” of the nation, inexplicably, people in California go hungry. The Face of Poverty in California Official poverty statistics show a grim picture of the poor in California.1 One out of every five children in California is poor. Most live with a single parent, possibly even a teenage mother, who probably did not finish high school. 1 Actual statistics, reference and other pertinent data are provided on our website http://www.cccalifornia.org/. 1
California is 15th among all the states in terms of the percentage of its population in poverty. Debates rage over the accuracy of these statistics. Of most concern is that states such as California have much higher costs of living than others. Taking that into account, California is the third worst state in the entire Union. Most households living in poverty have at least one full-time wage earner and many have a full-time wage earner working a second job or two full-time workers earning minimum wage. More women are poor than men. The poverty rate among Latinos and African Americans is higher than it is for Caucasians. Among Asian communities, some groups—such as the Hmong—are poorer than others. The Central Valley of California—otherwise known as the breadbasket of the world—has the highest rate of poverty in the state.
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If you have the following net monthly income, then you can qualify for Food Stamps
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- 3 people – $1,526 or less
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- 5 people – $2,150 or less
- 6 people – $2,461 or less
- 7 people – $2,773 or less
- 8 people – $3,085 or less
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First Posted: 08/19/10 12:21 PM Updated: 10/19/10 05:12 AM