Attacking The Nation’s Poor People

REPRESENTATIVES WANT TO TAKE FOOD FROM THE HUNGRY

In the recent debate about Food Stamps - also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP - Tennessee Rep. Stephen Fincher quoted the New Testament: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) It was a horrible misrepresentation. St. Paul was criticizing apocalyptic Christians who were so sure of Jesus’ imminent return they quit their jobs.

Our current problem is too few jobs. During the recent recession the ratio of available jobs to available workers fell to one job for six applicants.

This May, corporate job openings averaged 250 resumes.

For millions of Americans, it’s not a matter of unwillingness to work. It’s a matter of unavailability of work.

The hypocrisy of Rep.

Fincher’s proof-text is magnified when you know he is the managing partner for a large agribusiness that receives millions in government farm subsidies.

On July 11, the House voted on a Senate bill that cut $4.1 billion from SNAP and made other savingsby limiting aid to farmers with incomes of more than $750,000 per year.

The House cut SNAP out of the bill completely and reauthorized the money for big agribusiness.

This is a reversal of the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. It flies in the face of everything Jesus said about the poor and the wealthy.

Rep. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has pledged not to vote for any farm bill that includes SNAP. Let’s take a look at the people he’s got in his crosshairs. They are poor. Their average gross monthly income is $744.

About 83 percent of the households are below the poverty threshold ($19,530 for a family of 3). Almost 90 percent are children and their caretakers, the elderly, and disabled adults.

Almost half of the SNAP households report having to choose between utilitiesand food.

More than half of new enrollees leave SNAP within 10 month. The elderly tend to stay longer, as do singleparent families, people with disabilities, those without a high school diploma or without income.

Some people slander the poor by implying they are living in lazy luxury on the government dole. SNAP benefits average $4 a day.

Try funding three meals for $4.

We know at St. Paul’s Church that SNAP families run out of stamps by the third week of the month because we see our Monday and Wednesday Community Meals increase signifi cantly.

Studies show 90 percent of SNAP benefi ts are redeemed by the third week of the month. The fourth week is a hungry one.

SNAP includes work incentives, with requirements for ablebodied recipients ages 16-59 to register to work unless they are in school. There are strict time limits for unemployed workers. And the benefits are structured to encourage going back to work, with measured declines that reward improving incomes.

SNAP is eff cient. The 5 percent administration costs include job training programs, and SNAP has a 96.2 percent accuracyrate, most mistakes being caseworker errors, not fraud, and many of them are underpayments.

There’s a long history.

Since the Depression, agriculture and nutrition interests have joined together to promote farm prosperity and food access for all Americans. The 1935 Agriculture Adjustment Act helped farmers when prices plummeted by purchasing surplus commodities that could be distributed to the poor. Some form of stamps or commodities continued until the modern food stamp program evolved in the 1960’s.

SNAP is a good program that works to give justa little help to the most venerable and poorest of our neighbors. And SNAP is under attack.

A radical group is seeking to break the farm-nutrition collaboration as a fi rst step to destroying SNAP. The agricultural community solidly disagrees with them.

More than 530 agricultural groups, who often fi nd themselves on dift erent sides of issues in the complicated world of ag policy, all urged the House not to split SNAP from the Food Bill. The House did so nevertheless.

SNAP is the kind of program that every enduring religion would endorse as a compassionate response to the poor and hungry. The only “religion” I can think of that would condone its demise is the Objectivist philosophy of atheist Ayn Rand whose writing inspired Congressman Paul Ryan to go into politics. Rep. Ryan is the chair of the House Budget Committee, and he writes budgets that only Ayn Rand would love.

It’s time for all religious people in all political parties to reclaim our heritage from extremists who challenge humane values by attacking the poor and hungry. Please, speak up!

LOWELL GRISHAM IS AN EPISCOPAL PRIEST WHO LIVES IN FAYETTEVILLE.

Opinion, Pages 11 on 08/04/2013

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