Why?

Adventures of a Modern Day, Middle-Aged Hero, on the Glory Road(to family security)

9.11.2013

I'm okay with this.

It's rare that my wife and I agree 100% on something. I would say we usually agree on about 70% of things...and even when we agree on things, we don't always agree for the same reason.  The other day though, we came to complete agreement about Washington EBT cards...in particular, things we didn't like about them.

The conversation began at a gas station, when I must have walked out shaking my head after pre-paying for some gas.  My wife asked me what was wrong, and I told her how I had been in line behind a lady that was buying 6 Slurpees(one for herself and each of her 5 kids), and she had been using her EBT card to pay for them.  We rapidly both came to the conclusion that we both felt there should be limits on what type of food you should be able to buy with your EBT card. I've got a hard time believing that even Kennedy or Johnson intended purchases like that when they promoted food stamps programs.  In fact...from the research I have done, it seems the first programs in the early 60's were to promote the consumption of surplus vegetables. 

So...on the heels of that conversation, and maybe proving I am 'cutting edge' for once, the GOP have introduced a bill that would block food stamp users from buying junk food, essentially limiting them to food which meets the nutritional guidelines of the WIC program. 

Yeah...I'm 100% okay with this.  There was actually a 6-month period early on in my marriage where my wife and I qualified for, and collected WIC benefits...so, it would be very hypocritical of me to say 'destroy all these programs'.  However...WIC was VERY specific about what you could purchase in their program, going to the extent of specifying certain types of cereals that didn't qualify(no Frosted Flakes!)...and that made sense to me, and it is a standard that would make sense to me now. 

Heck...as my wife pointed out, I don't think either one of us have ever spent real money for something like a Slurpee...so, we don't have much sympathy for someone who would consider one a necessity.

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