SNAP -- It's better than food stamps.

Gingrich has a point. Everyone is talking about it. I had to look it up. Here is what I found. Food stamps have been replaced by debit cards. I have no proof, but I suspect Goldman Sachs is in charge of the debit card program.

The old food stamp program has been changed. It is now called SNAP- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Anyone can apply and currently 46 million people qualify. They each have a debit card that is electronically reloaded with taxpayer funds each week. You can apply on-line. I applied. As near as I could tell, there is no means test. I could have one million dollars of equity in my home and qualify. By the way, a legitimate question to ask about any entitlement program is - is there a means test? I am for means testing. It makes no sense to me that if you have $10 million of equity in real estate and no earned income, you can qualify for a variety of entitlement programs including social security.

There was a reference in the application to a requirement that the recipients must be actively job hunting, but I was unable to discover what this meant. Now in all fairness, you are not allowed to purchase alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets with your SNAP card; but you can trade for these items with your porterhouse steak.

The application is not difficult, but does require a degree of computer literacy. Apparently, people who apply for SNAP  have computers and are computer literate. They also need a phone and a credit report. Why?

Because as soon as I completed my application form, I was forwarded to a place where I could get a free phone and 250 free minutes. Unfortunately, the free phones are not available to Kansas residents. Before I could get out of the system, I was sent to a place where I could get a free credit report if I would give them my credit card information. I declined. At this point, I was confused. It looked like the SNAP program was selling ads to make an extra buck.

The number of people on food stamps is steadily increasing. It is funded with $80 billion and provides extra  income to approximately 25 million households. President Johnson launched his war on poverty program by creating programs that create adult dependency on Federal programs. I am not against SNAP, but if you are able to work, then you should be working at something while you receive your SNAP funds. Gingrich has a point.  Your SNAP funds should be earned by working at the library or the local school.

Look around your city there is plenty to do.