Government programs should address sources of poverty, stop wasting funds
ABC News recently reported in an ever-growing number of states, if someone craves Taco Bell or KFC, he or she may soon be able to pay for it with food stamps.
"Yum! Brands, based in Louisville, Ky., which operates a string of restaurants that includes Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver's and Pizza Hut, are among those applying for inclusion in the food stamp program, saying that elderly, disabled and homeless people have difficulty preparing meals," ABC News reported.
The number of businesses approved to accept food stamps has increased by a third from 2005 to 2010, and funding for the program has jumped from $28.5 billion to $64.7 billion in that amount of time, according to a USA Today report. Now, fast food restaurants want their slice of the food stamp pie.
It's a fair argument that the inclusion of fast food restaurants into the realm of acceptable food stamp purchases would increase obesity and only further America's unhealthy eating habits. It is a general consensus that all Americans could stand to eat better, so why should tax dollars go toward tacos and fried chicken? Some argue instead of subsidizing less healthy options, our time and money would be better spent educating all Americans on better nutrition choices. Although the logic resonates well on paper, it isn't realistic to assume people on food stamps would change their eating habits, and it would be impossible to regulate whether a person went to the grocery store and bought grapes instead of a pack of Oreos.
After all, even without fast food, those who use food stamps are still able to walk into the grocery store and load up the shopping cart with cholesterol-filled, sugar-saturated junk that isn't any better for their bodies than a pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut.
The fact is, the food stamp program is in need of massive welfare reform that spans far beyond the debate over fast food. Food stamps are just one of more than 70 means-tested aid programs that provide cash, food, and housing to poor and low-income Americans. This year government will spend more than $900 billion on these programs.
The federal government already faces an uncertain future with unsustainable deficits, and even though food stamps will undoubtedly still be spent on unhealthy food, actively promoting a policy that encourages it is a gross waste of taxpayer money.
The food stamp program should be redirected to address the sources of poverty rather than just the symptoms. Many able-bodied food stamp recipients do not work and are not even actively looking for a job; both should be conditions for receiving help.