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Texas has worst-ranked food stamp program (see photo)
Houston Chronicle ^ | 01/13/2010 | GARY SCHARRER
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AUSTIN — Texas has the worst performing food stamp program in the nation, the federal director for food assistance told state officials here Tuesday.
It ranks last among the 50 states and U.S. territories in processing food stamp applications and also does a poor job getting eligible low-income people to apply, said Kevin Concannon, a U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary, in an earlier meeting with reporters.
And because Texas does not even come close to the national average in enrolling those eligible, grocery retailers like H-E-B and Randalls are missing out on nearly $1 billion a year in food sales, he said.
“If I were a native son sitting down here, I would be very upset that my state was not the leader that it is capable of being,” Concannon said.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
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No wonder our country is going down the toilet. These slobs can get hair weaves, cell phones, but want me to pay fo rtheir damn food!
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Official: Texas has worst-ranked food stamp program
By GARY SCHARRER AUSTIN BUREAU
Jan. 12, 2010, 9:16PM
AUSTIN — Texas has the worst performing food stamp program in the nation, the federal director for food assistance told state officials here Tuesday.
It ranks last among the 50 states and U.S. territories in processing food stamp applications and also does a poor job getting eligible low-income people to apply, said Kevin Concannon, a U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary, in an earlier meeting with reporters.
And because Texas does not even come close to the national average in enrolling those eligible, grocery retailers like H-E-B and Randalls are missing out on nearly $1 billion a year in food sales, he said.
“If I were a native son sitting down here, I would be very upset that my state was not the leader that it is capable of being,” Concannon said.
Texas does not have enough workers to process food stamp applications and is one of only three states that fingerprints applicants for food assistance. The state also imposes a time-consuming and complicated assets test that impedes the effort to help desperate and hungry people, Concannon said.
“It bars Texans who deserve to get help from getting that help,” he said.
Getting state lawmakers to eliminate the fingerprinting requirement and assets test will require Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs “to persuade, cajole and convince a whole bunch of people,” Concannon said before meeting with Suehs. “And we are very much in his corner.”
Fraud deterrent
Gov. Rick Perry, however, has no intention of backing down on the fingerprinting and assets test requirements.
“The governor supports the continued use of fingerprinting and assets tests to protect the integrity of the program. It's shocking the Obama administration would even suggest weakening the fraud protections we have in state law,” Perry spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said.
Fingerprinting, or finger imaging, requirements should not be relaxed, agreed former state Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth, now executive director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
It only takes two to four minutes to collect a finger image, which would deter people from trying to sign up at multiple food stamp eligibility offices, she said.
“I'm mystified that people would not be in favor of deterring fraud,” Wohlgemuth said. “I hardly think that that's burdensome on anybody, and it protects the taxpayer.”
She blamed a faulty computer system for contributing to the lengthy processing time for food stamp applications.
Delays discouraging
Texas, which for months has lagged far behind a federal requirement that applications for food stamps be processed within 30 days, or seven days in emergency cases, hired more than 600 people last fall to help determine eligibility for food stamp benefits and other federal programs.
Some 43 percent of the applications were not processed on time in November, the most recent reporting period.
The long delay dissuades other eligible people from applying, Concannon said.
Suehs took over the job at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission last year.
“I am encouraged that you have new leadership that gets it and that wants to bring Texas into the 21st century,” Concannon said.
Federal officials are hopeful that food banks in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas soon will be able to initiate food stamp applications, which will catch needy Texans in a convenient location and reduce processing time for state employees when they get the applications.
The government provided Texans with about $4 billon in food assistance last year, but the state only enrolls 55 percent of those eligible to receive it, based on census income data. The average among the 50 states is 66 percent.
About 3.1 million Texans qualified for food stamps last month, including 387,764 in Harris County. It would take another 600,000 people to meet the national average enrollment rate, Concannon said.
“This is a proven way to get food into the hands of hungry people. It also would have an impact on the state economy,” he said.
H-E-B is working with the Texas Health and Human Service Commission and with non-profit groups and food banks to improve access to the program, company spokeswoman Dya Campos said.
“H-E-B is aware of the urgent situation that many Texans face with food insecurity,” she said.
Federal funds at stake
The government pays for the food. States pick up half of the administrative costs, including employee expenses.
The government could cut funding to Texas if it does not improve the program, but Concannon said he is hesitant to do that because hungry Texans would get hurt.
Pending litigation should influence state leaders to fix things, Concannon said, because Texas “flat out is not meeting our federal law.”
“The most hopeful, expeditious way to solve this is for the state to act in good faith and good will to get the resources they need,” he said.
gscharrer@express-news.net
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Unfreaking real. The govt is complaining that people are not signbing up for welfare fast enough!
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I don't mind the hair weaves.
I don't mind the cell phones.
But I have to draw the line at finger and toe nails looking like some kind of kindergarten art project with glitter, rhinestones, paint jobs that look like something Xibit from Pimp My Ride would do.
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I don't mind the hair weaves.
I don't mind the cell phones.
But I have to draw the line at finger and toe nails looking like some kind of kindergarten art project with glitter, rhinestones, paint jobs that look like something Xibit from Pimp My Ride would do.
Check out the slob in the upper right corner. Does that pig looks like she is not well fed?
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Check out the slob in the upper right corner. Does that pig looks like she is not well fed?
If she had stuck to just giving blowjobs like fat girls are known to excel at (they work harder to help compensate for weight and beauty impairments), she wouldn't be standing in that line waiting on her "gubment cheese".
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If she had stuck to just giving blowjobs like fat girls are known to excel at (they work harder to help compensate for weight and beauty impairments), she wouldn't be standing in that line waiting on her "gubment cheese".
Bro - would you let that come near you?
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Bro - would you let that come near you?
Hell no.
She isn't pretty enough to make it as a Ten Minutes To Two Princess.
Like when you been drinking in a bar all night and it is ten minutes before closing time and all the half way decent girls have left hours ago and you really really got to have SOMETHING to take home cause you beer horny....
Well she isn't good enough for that criteria.
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My answer to this is so what? There are 49 other states, I'm sure one of them can meet their food stamp needs ::).
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it may surprise you to know that Austin is actually a liberal haven in Texas...who knew?
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it may surprise you to know that Austin is actually a liberal haven in Texas...who knew?
Put those people on a farm and teach them to grow food.
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it may surprise you to know that Austin is actually a liberal haven in Texas...who knew?
My disgust for free loaders isn't affected by party affiliation.
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My disgust for free loaders isn't affected by party affiliation.
agreed and it was just a side not but to deny that the majority of govt dependents lean a certain way politically is ignorant. ;)
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agreed and it was just a side not but to deny that the majority of govt dependents lean a certain way politically is ignorant. ;)
Serious, why dont we put these people on farms and teach them food growing and work?
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Serious, why dont we put these people on farms and teach them food growing and work?
What?! Are you insane? You expect someone to work! Have you no heart man ;D
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Austin is ranked as one of the best and most livable cities in the world. Probably because it's a liberal place.
There are always two sides to this 333. One is yes those who should use their funds on food rather than cellphones, hair etc. But then there are those who need the food stamps and who are missing out on their most basic human need - food. These are the people we should be concerned about and it is those people who i think this is all about.
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Serious, why dont we put these people on farms and teach them food growing and work?
That would be great but then they'd be forced out by some corporate owned farm who does it cheaper and with illegal labor. Not to mention the need to buy only from one company for your seeds and not be able to save said seeds so you must buy new ones each and every year. Talk about corruption and monopoly's.
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That would be great but then they'd be forced out by some corporate owned farm who does it cheaper and with illegal labor. Not to mention the need to buy only from one company for your seeds and not be able to save said seeds so you must buy new ones each and every year. Talk about corruption and monopoly's.
I'm totally against all of that. We need to get back to basics.
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I'm totally against all of that. We need to get back to basics.
Not a chance of that happening 333. The food industry lobby owns both parties. Look at how many republicans own farms that get 'subsidies' and the like. Look at how much Monsanto gives to dems and how much influence it has on food committees etc. Its deplorable to think that one company can have so much unchecked control and power and that the very govt suppose to protect the people is in fact doing the opposite.
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Austin is ranked as one of the best and most livable cities in the world. Probably because it's a liberal place.
There are always two sides to this 333. One is yes those who should use their funds on food rather than cellphones, hair etc. But then there are those who need the food stamps and who are missing out on their most basic human need - food. These are the people we should be concerned about and it is those people who i think this is all about.
LOL its liberal for Texas, so take the term liberal with a grain of salt kc ::)
its also a smaller city, the capital so state funds to get funneled to it and in a great area geography wise...it being a nice city has little to do with there being a lot of liberals in the area... ;)
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LOL its liberal for Texas, so take the term liberal with a grain of salt kc ::)
its also a smaller city, the capital so state funds to get funneled to it and in a great area geography wise...it being a nice city has little to do with there being a lot of liberals in the area... ;)
I found it to be pretty liberal Tony. Not sure if you've spent much time there but i have a few friends in IT who work down there every now and then on a contract basis. I've spent quite a bit of time visiting them and experiencing the city and to me it feels like a bit like a mini SF at times but with much better music and co eds ;)
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I found it to be pretty liberal Tony. Not sure if you've spent much time there but i have a few friends in IT who work down there every now and then on a contract basis. I've spent quite a bit of time visiting them and experiencing the city and to me it feels like a bit like a mini SF at times but with much better music and co eds ;)
LOL the co eds are nice ;D
ya ive spent a lot of time there have a few friends who graduated from UT and live in austin so I get up there often. I live in houston so its only about a 2 1/2 hour drive.
and Im not saying its not liberal while there are a good number of liberals there its still probably what I would consider moderate leaning left all the ppl I know that live there are conservatives though. What Im saying is that it being a nice city has little to do with the liberal inhabitants.
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Personally, I found the city to be a bit too humid for my liking.
How one can endure that humidity day after day is beyond me.
it was especially bothersome because as a rule, I don't like a/c.
and Im not saying its not liberal while there are a good number of liberals there its still probably what I would consider moderate leaning left all the ppl I know that live there are conservatives though. What Im saying is that it being a nice city has little to do with the liberal inhabitants.
Nah, it's niceness has to do with it's tendency to lean left. Conservatives have been known to shit where they eat.
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Personally, I found the city to be a bit too humid for my liking.
How one can endure that humidity day after day is beyond me.
it was especially bothersome because as a rule, I don't like a/c.
Nah, it's niceness has to do with it's tendency to lean left. Conservatives have been known to shit where they eat.
You live in an igloo in the arctic. Of course that is too hot for you.
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Unbelievable.... :o
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Personally, I found the city to be a bit too humid for my liking.
How one can endure that humidity day after day is beyond me.
it was especially bothersome because as a rule, I don't like a/c.
Nah, it's niceness has to do with it's tendency to lean left. Conservatives have been known to shit where they eat.
LOL you should come to Houston if you think austin humidity is bad, and ya it can certainly be a bitch especially during the summer
as for the 2nd comment you madam are an ignorant ass :P and everything you project and despise in conservatives is shown in your posts here ::)
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Personally, I found the city to be a bit too humid for my liking.
How one can endure that humidity day after day is beyond me.
it was especially bothersome because as a rule, I don't like a/c.
Nah, it's niceness has to do with it's tendency to lean left. Conservatives have been known to shit where they eat.
I thought negros liked the humidity? Aren't the jungles pretty hot and huid?
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perry is still talked about as a Vp or prez candidate for 2012. it's possible.
Dems being up that seccessionist talk he made, every chance they get, to taint the voter pool for him.
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Actually it makes perfect sense, you want to get the non-productive out of your state, you make welfare/food stamps...... hard to get. Why should an able bodied person be leaching of the state?
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Actually it makes perfect sense, you want to get the non-productive out of your state, you make welfare/food stamps...... hard to get. Why should an able bodied person be leaching of the state?
We need work farms.
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We need work farms.
Yeah good luck with that, we can't even make prisoners work anymore, it might infringe upon their rights. Personally I have no sympathy for probabaly 90% of these people. There was a time in this country when this bullshit was looked down upon and people would only take assistance from the government as a last resort. I guess it comes down to having a little pride.
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perry is still talked about as a Vp or prez candidate for 2012. it's possible.
Dems being up that seccessionist talk he made, every chance they get, to taint the voter pool for him.
wouldnt last one second, he will be out next election...alot of conservatives have turned against him due to a good number of his policy decisions and proposed plans...
you know he wants a high way from mexico to the states built by a mexican company?(something like that) coming in at neuvo laredo...the town with all the drug cartels... ::)
trying to create toll roads on already existing public roads to create revenue...etc...
he will be out next election and will never have a chance at president
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what the hell do they need food stamps for... cheapest groceries ever down there. fuckers are lucky as hell for some reason. or they have friends in high places. I was shocked to see the prices down there. like going back in time to a grocery store circa 1980. lol
hey huggy how expensive is food where you live?
Ive traveled pretty extensively inside the US but have never lived anywhere other than Houston and College Station so just curious how much more expensive food is where you are.
like the staple BB foods ;D
dozen eggs?
chicken breast?
NY strip steak...hmmmm I want a steak now...
veggies?
just curious
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i used to bounce at a club in dallas years ago and once this 400 lb black woman came in and tried to pay cover with her food stamp card, when we refused she called the cops and said we were racist lol she drove an infinity and i was told that the purse she had was about 300 dollar coach but yet she was on welfare wtf???????????????????????
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maybe 333367 we should go on welfare so we could also have fresh 180 nike shoes, bluetooth, ipods, iphones, weaves, True religion jeans.. ;D.
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Do food stamps work at GNC?
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Do food stamps work at GNC?
hahah shit they should or at least a certain amount, i mean its food supplements right why not.
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hahah shit they should or at least a certain amount, i mean its food supplements right why not.
Yeah :D
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I'll get the exact prices when I go to the store tomorrow. except for the veggies, I'm not going to write all them down :D I just bought 1 small tomatto today for 75 cents. I know the last time I went to Texas, the prices were roughly half to 3/4 what we pay in Colorado and Wyoming. even on name brand shit which I would have though would be the same.
thats cool, just curious mostly on the eggs and chicken breast/canned chicken thats what I eat the most of.
I love steak to but that can get expensive so I only eat that once a week or so...but its usually a good cut like strip or a filet but I do love me some skirt or chuck steak too.
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Texas has worst-ranked food stamp program (see photo)
Houston Chronicle ^ | 01/13/2010 | GARY SCHARRER
________________________ ________________________ ___________
AUSTIN — Texas has the worst performing food stamp program in the nation, the federal director for food assistance told state officials here Tuesday.
It ranks last among the 50 states and U.S. territories in processing food stamp applications and also does a poor job getting eligible low-income people to apply, said Kevin Concannon, a U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary, in an earlier meeting with reporters.
And because Texas does not even come close to the national average in enrolling those eligible, grocery retailers like H-E-B and Randalls are missing out on nearly $1 billion a year in food sales, he said.
“If I were a native son sitting down here, I would be very upset that my state was not the leader that it is capable of being,” Concannon said.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
________________________ ________________________ _________________
No wonder our country is going down the toilet. These slobs can get hair weaves, cell phones, but want me to pay fo rtheir damn food!
I like how the pic focuses on the two black females, when from that angle there seems to be more whites in the room (and huge ones at that--they can afford to be fat), great way to perpetuate the stereotype, yet avoiding the obvious that is in front of the photog's eye.
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I could care less about race. Those white pigs are probably worse and gaming the system even more blatantly.
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I could care less about race. Those white pigs are probably worse and gaming the system even more blatantly.
Ive seen a Latina get into a Jaguar, right after using food stamps in front of me (I was in line), in one of the richest counties in the nation.
And I'm talking about the XJ8, 2007 vintage.
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A great rule for food stamps would be healthy one also. If it comes in a Bag a Box or a Can.....then its not allowed. Its like a good clean diet....(Stick to the outside aisle of the store) for basic produce, dairy, breads. Imagine if they had to actually put the meal together and cook it!! OMG, that would cut down on food stamps huge!!!
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A great rule for food stamps would be healthy one also. If it comes in a Bag a Box or a Can.....then its not allowed. Its like a good clean diet....(Stick to the outside aisle of the store) for basic produce, dairy, breads. Imagine if they had to actually put the meal together and cook it!! OMG, that would cut down on food stamps huge!!!
I like this idea alot, it should be implemented immediately
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I like this idea alot, it should be implemented immediately
Thats it Tony. We're running for office! 240 will be our strategist.! 8)