Trump's Harvest Box

[demi-conservative]

Make Welfare Great Again!

The Trump administration is pushing what it calls a "bold new approach to nutrition assistance": replacing the traditional cash-on-a-card that food stamp recipients currently get with a pre-assembled box of canned foods and other shelf-stable goods dubbed "America's Harvest Box."

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney likened the box to a meal kit delivery service, and said the plan could save nearly $130 billion over 10 years. But the idea, tucked into President Donald Trump's 2019 budget, has caused a firestorm, prompting scathing criticism from Democrats and nutrition experts who say its primary purpose is to punish the poor.

Healthy meals, good!!!

[Starlight]

Healthy meals, good!!!

Not particularly healthy... they are talking about canned foods including canned meats. It is not fresh fruit and veges that they are talking about delivering.

While I'm generally a supporter of Big Government^TM and programs designed to make people healthier, I'm surprised to see you, Demi, in support of Big Government controlling what these people eat and taking away their Freedom^TM to choose what foods to buy.

I don't think this program is particularly likely to get off the ground because it's just going to be too complex to implement:
- They're not supplying a full diet, merely some 'shelf stable's, so they'll have to continue to give some money in addition to the food box, and that just makes it more administratively complex because the person is receiving two different types of things.
- The administrative overheads of trying to standardize the products in these boxes across all of America, and get them delivered regularly to all the people on the program would be a nightmare. You'd have to sub-contract out to companies in various different states, and then if the people didn't receive their food box one week there'd have to be someone they could ring up to complain to, etc. It just wouldn't be worth it from the amount of bureaucracy needed.

At the end of the day, an automatic money transfer into their bank account is just easier for everyone - less red tape, less bureaucracy, more freedom.

If the government wants the nation to be healthier, they would be better off subsidizing (or reducing sales taxes on) fresh fruit and veges sold at retail outlets nationwide, and seeking to address the existing issue of "food deserts" (where people in some areas of the country don't have good access to fresh food being sold close to them and so are 'forced' to settle for unhealthy food).

[Leonhard]

Gross.

[Mountain Man]

It's a good idea and would put an end to people trading their welfare checks for drugs.

[Sparko]

Well I was going to post what a horrible idea this is, but then Starlight is against it so that must mean it is actually a good idea.

[demi-conservative]

Not particularly healthy... they are talking about canned foods including canned meats. It is not fresh fruit and veges that they are talking about delivering.

Good suggestion!!

While I'm generally a supporter of Big Government^TM and programs designed to make people healthier, I'm surprised to see you, Demi, in support of Big Government controlling what these people eat and taking away their Freedom^TM to choose what foods to buy.

Surprised at you, Starlight, not wanting government to intervene, also correct diets of obesity of poor, also heart attack, also diabetes.

and seeking to address the existing issue of "food deserts" (where people in some areas of the country don't have good access to fresh food being sold close to them and so are 'forced' to settle for unhealthy food).

Sending boxes overcomes problem of deserts.