The Weekly Food Research and Action Center News Digest highlights what's new on hunger, nutrition and poverty issues at FRAC, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around the network of national, state and local anti-poverty and anti-hunger organizations, and in the media. The Digest will alert you to trends, reports, news items and resources and, when available, link you directly to them.
1. Fact, Not Myth: SNAP/Food Stamps Stimulate the Economy (The New York Observer, February 3, 2009)
In this column, Joe Conason writes that the airtime given to cable hosts and radio personalities on the economic stimulus bill only allows for them to "regurgitate ideas they barely understand" as they "out-shout" with "ignorance and mythology" the facts and wisdom of President Obama's stimulus plan. He warns that "urgent action that could prevent enormous suffering and damage is delayed by all the same old agendas that have dominated Washington for the past three decades." The fact list includes:
Tax cuts return low economic stimulus: "[U]nless they are targeted toward lower-income workers, who will spend them immediately," the promise of cuts benefitting wealthy investors is "contradicted by recent history and basic economics." Economist Mark Zandi "has pointed out repeatedly" that these cuts create the smallest stimulus, while getting money into the hands of those who need it most creates the largest stimulus.
Assistance programs (SNAP/Food Stamps, etc.) promote growth: Boosting demand in the economy is the real purpose of a fiscal stimulus package, along with guarding against a "deflationary spiral" by preventing the prices of goods and services from bottoming out. "Giving money to families that will purchase things immediately is the best kind of boost," noted in studies by Moody's and the Congressional Budget Office.
Conason concludes by stating "What we ought to learn from this episode is that extreme inequality reduces national economic stability." Working families must rely on credit to maintain and improve their standard of living as their wages fall. "Restoring the American dream means putting a floor under family incomes and reducing the gap between the richest and poorest," not only for simple justice, but because it's the "most reliable economic policy for the nation as a whole."
2. States Need SNAP/Food Stamp Stimulus Boost Immediately (NPR, February 10, 2009)
More than a half million people have been added to Florida's SNAP/Food Stamp caseload in the last 20 months; now 1.8 million in the state receive the benefit. Many of the new recipients - plumbers, electricians, and carpenters who are struggling with the housing crash - have never received benefits before, said George Sheldon, head of the state's Department of Children and Families. While the department's phones and staff are overwhelmed with callers, SNAP/Food Stamp applications have been processed in the required 30 days. "That's not fast enough," said Sheldon. "I mean, people don't plan to be hungry 30 days from now or seven days from now. If people are hungry today, they need help today." Many states are in the same boat, with skyrocketing applications while at the same time downsizing staff because of budget cuts. Both House and Senate versions of the economic recovery bill would provide $300 million to states for administrative costs of SNAP/Food Stamps, and the House version would increase benefits by $20 billion, while the Senate gives less, $16 billion. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack notes the funding will stimulate the economy and feed families at the same time. The SNAP/Food Stamp increase is important to battling the problem of hunger across America, said Jim Weill, FRAC's president. "We're talking about letting people buy enough healthy food to get them through the month, rather than just three weeks into the month," he said. Weill said that this and more needs to be done if we are to meet the goal of eliminating childhood hunger by 2015.
3. Hunger Following Unemployment in Fort Myers Area Community
(The New York Times, February 8, 2009)
More than 200 families wait in line for free bread at a church, as laid-off construction workers search through bags after a home foreclosure in Lehigh Acres, Florida. This once middle-class "exurb," where home construction boomed, is now the scene of plummeting real estate prices, with homes selling at 80 percent of their peak prices. The area once had more jobs than employees, but now SNAP/Food Stamps go to one in four residents, four times the number that received the benefit in 2006. Demand increased last winter at the food pantry run by Lehigh Community Services (LCS) as hunger followed unemployment. Charlotte Rae Nicely, executive director at LCS, began using magic markers to cover up the UPC symbols on cans because people were taking donated pantry food and "returning" items for cash at grocery stores. "We even had to do that on the toys for Christmas," she said. Such limits had to be put in place in order to serve the neediest families. "I can't be sure I wouldn't do the same thing if I was a single parent and my kids were hungry," said Nicely. 4. Hunger Cannot Continue in Nation with So Much Wealth, Says Panel on Food Insecurity (Center for American Progress (CAP), February 6, 2009)
FRAC President Jim Weill joined CAP Policy Analyst Joy Moses, New York City Coalition Against Hunger's Executive Director Joel Berg, and PolicyLink's President Judith Bell at a recent CAP panel discussion on food insecurity in America. Coinciding with the Hill debate on the economic recovery bill, the event called for a new U.S. commitment to end food insecurity and hunger across the nation. Joel Berg, author of All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?, spoke about the 36.2 million Americans dealing with hunger today. "Hunger should be on the same level as what people thought about cholera, malaria and yellow fever," he said. "These have all been eradicated with the government's help," he said, and added that food insecurity could be wiped out in a few short years.Policies focused on strengthening support for working families and the poor will have the largest impact on hunger, noted Jim Weill. "Current food insecurity is often a choice between food and rent, or between food and health care," he said, and added that experts "almost unanimously agree we need to boost food stamp programs. Dollar for dollar, they have the best value."Judith Bell said that "food stamps were the only federal program to work after Hurricane Katrina struck the GulfCoast in 2005." But although they work, she concluded that "with the $28 a week average food stamp benefit available to individuals, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to maintain a healthy diet." The panelists all agreed that the federal government is key to leading Americans out of hunger.5. SNAP/Food Stamp Boost in Economic Stimulus Important to Florida
(Associated Press, February 2, 2009)
Florida Department of Children & Families Secretary George Sheldon sees reviving the safety net as critical to economic stimulus. With the recovery package, the state would receive money for SNAP/Food Stamps and other social services. This kind of spending is stimulus, said Sheldon, because every dollar spent on SNAP/Food Stamps generates [nearly] $2 in overall economy stimulus. Florida Governor Charlie Crist supports the economic stimulus package and has been lobbying congressional members in both parties. Crist also formed a Federal Stimulus Working Group to hit the ground running when the bill is signed, as some provisions carry time limits. 6. SNAP/Food Stamps Help More During Economic Crisis (The New York Times, February 1, 2009)
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), the revamped welfare system signed into law in Clinton's Administration, may have worked during the boom times, but the program is having difficulty assisting the needy during the recession. Despite rising unemployment and a worsening economy, 18 states cut their TANF rolls last year. Michigan cut its TANF list by 13 percent (although the state had a 9 percent unemployment rate in October), and Rhode Island cut TANF numbers by 17 percent. Critics call the program "obstacle ridden," and say it chases off possible recipients, even during difficult times. Mark H. Greenberg, co-director of a poverty institute at GeorgetownUniversity law school, sees this as evidence that "[t]his is…a strikingly unresponsive system." TANF has fixed federal financing despite increased caseload, a structure that "may discourage" states from serving more people since they bear all of the increased costs. By contrast, the federal government pays for most of the costs of SNAP/Food Stamps, and every state added recipients to SNAP/Food Stamps last year; nationally, the program grew 12 percent. In Georgia, TANF rolls decreased 11 percent, and SNAP/Food Stamp numbers grew 17 percent. SNAP/Food Stamp numbers usually grow faster than cash assistance during recessions, but the contrast during this recession is stark. 7. Benchmarks Needed Before Automated SNAP/Food Stamp System Expands in Texas (Austin American Statesman, January 31, 2009)
A legislative panel in Texas issued a report that "strongly recommends" the state meet benchmarks before expanding a computer system that enrolls residents in SNAP/Food Stamps and other public assistance programs. Advocates for the needy reported that the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) caused multiple problems for eligible residents. In addition, the Medicaid fraud division experienced a server crash, losing a significant amount of data for the attorney general's office; IBM had not backed up the data, which was a requirement in the contract. Ensuring the call centers answer calls within three minutes and that there are enough state workers trained in the computer system are two of the items on the checklist of benchmarks the report suggested to the Health and Human Services Commission before it expands the project beyond the 23 Central Texas counties. Celia Hagert, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities in the state, is disappointed with the report. "They're glossing over the biggest challenge facing the system, which is lack of (state) staff." 8. WisconsinCounty Denying SNAP/Food Stamps to Many Eligible Residents (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 30, 2009)
Unfair denials of SNAP/Food Stamps in Wisconsin rose to 11.5 percent in FY 2008 according to MilwaukeeCounty regional administrator Ollice C. Holden. In MilwaukeeCounty, officials are pressuring the public assistance office to improve provision of services for SNAP/Food Stamp and medical help. At issue is a troubled call center and the county's response; callers have been getting busy signals due to staffing shortages at the center. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the state and county for unfairly denying benefits, and the county admits that only a fraction of the monthly total of several hundred thousand calls get answered. According to the attorney for the plaintiffs in the case, Anne DeLeo, said the call center is just a part of the problem. According to DeLeo, the entire human services system has fallen short in processing applications. 9. Sam's Club in Georgia Starts Taking SNAP/Food Stamps
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 1, 2009)
In Georgia, and in some other states, Sam's Club is accepting SNAP/Food Stamps after learning members were experiencing job losses and other financial difficulties during this recession. According to Sam's Club spokeswoman Kristy Reed, "A lot of [food stamp recipients] are members already. So they were asking if they could use the benefits at the club. It's the first time that I know of where we're responding specifically to economic conditions." She also said that nonmembers can visit the club on a one-day pass. 10. Oregon SNAP/Food Stamp Workers Outstanding in Dealing with Surge in Applications (Salem Statesman-Journal, February 1, 2009)
A recent story on the surge in SNAP/Food Stamp applications that have overwhelmed Oregon assistance workers prompted Jeff Kleen of the Oregon Food Bank to comment in this letter to the editor that "current staff should be recognized for their outstanding work in handling record caseloads with only a negligible increase in errors that prevent clients from receiving appropriate benefits." Oregon's unemployment rate reached nine percent in December, and the state is hiring 60 temporary employees to help with the sharp spike in SNAP/Food Stamp applications. "The state runs an exceptional food stamp program with staff who are dedicated to accurately and effectively meeting the needs of those who struggle against hunger," noted Kleen.11. Free and Reduced-PriceSchoolMealsBenefitSchools and Families (Cresco Times-Plain Dealer, February 3, 2009)
Administrators in Iowa's Howard-Winneshiek School District remind families whose incomes may change during the year that their children could become eligible for free and reduced-price school meals - even if they have not been eligible in the past. Families can apply at any time during the school year for meals served under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Afterschool Snack Program. Students and their families aren't the only ones benefitting. Schools receive federal reimbursements at a higher rate for meals served to students receiving free and reduced-price meals. According to Superintendent Brian Ney, "The additional income helps offset food and labor costs and may very well delay future lunch price increases. Both the school and the families come out ahead in this situation." 12. Universal Classroom Breakfast a Success for County's Schools
(Cumberland Times-News, January 30, 2009)
Maryland's AlleganyCounty ranks in the top five counties in the state for the number of school breakfasts served, reaching nearly 60 percent of low-income students. The other top Maryland counties for breakfast participation are Somerset, Dorchester, Kent and Washington. Across the state, 44 percent of eligible low-income children ate breakfast, while 46 percent nationally got the morning meal, according to Maryland Hunger Solutions. George's Creek Elementary recently received a School of Distinction award, and although the principal, Dan Clark, said there's no way to identify school breakfast as the one factor that's led to success, "the fact that all our kids are eating a meal in the morning has to be contributing," leading some to say the program should be expanded. According to Maryland Hunger Solutions, the Maryland Meals for Achievement (MMFA), a program that serves breakfast in the classroom, is key to higher participation in the breakfast program. Only 193 schools in the state receive MMFA funding, which is in addition to the federal reimbursements they receive for the national School Breakfast Program. Funding for MMFA this year is less than last year's $3.1 million, and Maryland Hunger Solutions notes the state is losing money by not expanding the program. Administrations and teachers stand by the program too. "When it was first introduced to me I thought, well, it's going to infringe on the instruction time," said WestmarMiddle School principal Todd Eirich. "But it's really such a smooth process now. We have breakfast in homeroom. They sit down quietly and eat." Pre-kindergarten teacher Kim Kyle noted a difference in her students. "The last couple of years it's helped remarkably with their attention and learning," she said. 13. Classroom Breakfast Could Bring Back Recess for OneSchool District
(Athens Banner-Herald, February 3, 2009)
Georgia's JacksonCounty elementary students have had schedules based on an established 300 minutes of direct instruction a day, which means that they haven't had recess for years. In a move to find the time for recess, the district is considering moving breakfast from the cafeteria to the classroom. The move would prevent the school day from instituting earlier or later starting times, which officials had first considered. However, "our elementary, middle and high school bus routes are so intertwined," said Superintendent Shannon Adams. "So we felt if we're going to find a few minutes to lengthen the school day, it's going to be at breakfast."
14. J.P. Morgan Report Urges WIC EBT Adaptation at Broadest Scale Possible (J.P. Morgan, February 2009)
In this report, titled WIC EBT: The Future is Now - Moving Government from Policy to Results, J.P. Morgan points to recent developments that make it possible for the WIC program to embrace EBT, and urges the federal government to adopt EBT for all WIC participants. The report outlines steps that policy makers can take to help WIC's adopt EBT, contains a review of the benefits of EBT cards over paper vouchers, discusses the advantages of magnetic swipe vs. smart card technology, and focuses on legislative and regulatory matters raised by the move to EBT. To request an email containing a copy of the report, visit J.P. Morgan's Web site. 15. Guide Helps Employers Inform Working Families on Federal Assistance Programs(PRNewswire, February 2, 2009)
Corporate Voices for Working Families released its 2008 Employer Guide: Educate Your Employees About the Benefits They Earned, a resource which helps employers inform low-wage employees about federal benefits available to them. Detailed information in the Guide covers SNAP/Food Stamps, EITC and the Child Tax Credit, LIHEAP, SCHIP and other programs. It also contains corporate best practices on how to best use the Guide and link employees to programs. The Annie E Casey, Ford, and Hitachi Foundations fund the guide, which can be downloaded at www.cvworkingfamilies.org.
