Bill would limit use of food stamps for junk food

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Wisconsin: Bill would limit use of food stamps for junk food

MADISON, Wis. -- The state should not tell people who receive food stamps what they can or can't eat, representatives from food companies, grocery stores and food banks told Wisconsin lawmakers during a Tuesday hearing on the Capitol.

They spoke in response to legislation introduced last month by Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, to reduce the amount of food stamps spent on junk food. Kaufert wants to limit the portion of benefits people can use to buy items such as potato chips and soda. His bill, however, does not identify any specific foods and would essentially require the state Department of Health Services to develop a pilot program to meet that goal.

Kaufert has said he wants to promote healthy eating among participants in FoodShare, the state's nutrition assistance program, but those who testified said it would shame participants and burden businesses.

Brandon Scholz, president of Wisconsin Grocers Association, said that allowing the state to decide which foods are healthy and which aren't would open the door to potential product placement requirements, bans and taxes. He also said it could lead to embarrassing and even contentious moments when cashiers have to tell people what they can't buy.

Alicia Pavelski, administrative coordinator at Heartland Farms Inc., which grows potatoes and vegetables, said the bill would unfairly stigmatize chips as junk food. About a quarter of the potatoes grown at the farm where she works in central Wisconsin go to chip makers each year. She noted that potatoes are high in certain vitamins.
"They are not completely junk, even in the form of chips," Pavelski said.

Gina Wilson, director of agency services and programs at Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, said many food stamp users already have limited access to large grocery stores, and she feared the bill would unfairly label those people as unable to make good food choices.

"There is no wide standard to judge the healthfulness of individual foods," Wilson said. "Limiting the choices for the food people can purchase would only raise that stigma."

FoodShare uses federal money to help low-income individuals and families buy almost any food but not alcohol, cigarettes or restaurant meals. About 15 percent of Wisconsin's population, or 850,000 people, got such benefits in February.

The program has been criticized amid reports of participants selling their benefit cards and applying for free replacements.

Kevin Moore, deputy secretary of the state Department of Health Services, said the department received hundreds of complaints about the misuse of benefits in February and suspended 17 people from the program. He said Kaufert's bill would help the department better identify and prevent such problems.

Kaufert said he also has heard stories about participants buying large bags of chips, packs of soda and expensive tenderloins, which he said are not appropriate.

"If it's your money, you can spend on whatever you want," Kaufert said. "We're just hoping to help families make better purchasing decisions."

But opponents of his bill said that instead of blacklisting certain foods, the state should use incentives to encourage people to buy more fruit and vegetables and invest in nutrition education.

"Rather than creating hurdles, the state should make healthy food more affordable to FoodShare users," Wilson added.
http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_2 ... opposition

[Dattebayo]

Most states already have pretty extensive limits on what EBT can be used for. My good friend is on the program and can't get sandwiches from the supermarket deli, how does that make sense? Sure, he can buy the pre-packaged ones from a manufactured brand, but how about a bowl of hot soup? NOPE.

The logic is beyond me. Bu food stamp privileges are abused anyhow you do it, so what am I trying to say here?

[WDRacing]

People on food stamps and welfare aren't exactly known for making the best decisions. Let them eat what they want I suppose. I feel bad for children growing up in families that can't afford decent food.

[kouki munster]

I have a buddy that worked at a gas station for a while, he saw people come in on a regular basis and use their ebt card to pull cash from the atm and then buy beer and cigarettes with the cash.

[Looneybomber]

People on food stamps and welfare aren't exactly known for making the best decisions. Let them eat what they want I suppose. I feel bad for children growing up in families that can't afford decent food.

I'm with you. Give people freedom to buy chips and processed foods. Besides, what would the guidelines be for healthy vs unhealthy?

[Jesda]

Bill must really hate junk food.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I dunno, if you want to be a slave to the government, then you better be prepared to be a slave to the government, especially if you're going to be mooching off health care that I pay for in the near future.

I actually feel bad for the people that are trying to do it right but can't always afford good food/have time to make it.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Bill must really hate junk food.

and I see what you did there. VERY SNEAKY.

[SBC 240Z]

If WIC limits what a mother can get to just healthy and/or essential foods then why should people on food stamps be any different?

[Lowes11]

I agree, people should be able to purchase what they want, however, I do think there should be some kind of label like WIC label on groceries. I know of a guy that gets ebt and pays his rent with it! He lives friends and they agreed to take the ebt card instead of cash.

[Jesda]

You can buy alcohol with EBT by purchasing a jug of apple juice and fermenting it into a potent apple wine. All you need is a latex glove and a rubber band to wrap over the top of the container.

Don't ask me who I learned this from.

[Looneybomber]

If WIC limits what a mother can get to just healthy and/or essential foods then why should people on food stamps be any different?

Because food stamps and WIC are different. Once you make them the same, you may as well combine them. Food stamps are there to get foods not covered by WIC, or to get more WIC covered foods that WIC won't provide.

You can buy alcohol with EBT by purchasing a jug of apple juice and fermenting it into a potent apple wine. All you need is a latex glove and a rubber band to wrap over the top of the container.

Don't ask me who I learned this from.

Add sugar, boiled bread yeast as yeast nutrient, and some live bread yeast and you can make a fairly good drink with just a little more kick than plain apple juice, up to about 10% AbV. And, it's about 25-30 bucks for a 5gal batch!

[WDRacing]

Easier to buy drugs than make your own alcohol. I "know" people that will take things other then cash for drugs. They aren't hard to find in any city.

[Looneybomber]

Oh no doubt. In theory, I used to work with a guy that would buy alcohol for people for food stamps. He'd get $2x worth of food and get them $x alcohol.

[Ace2cool]

"If it's your money, you can spend on whatever you want," Kaufert said. "We're just hoping to help families make better purchasing decisions."

Right. If it's your money. It's not. It's my money that the government gave to you.