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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFox News wonders whether we should cancel food stamps because 0.09% of spending is fraudulent
By Philip Bump December 28 at 12:16 PM
A bit over 44 million Americans participate in the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly referred to as food stamps. That's a higher number than in most years past, representing about 13.7 percent of the U.S. population, but it's down from the high of 47.6 million in 2013, 14.9 percent of the population that year.
What's incensing Fox News, though, is that 2016 saw a record-high level of fraud in the system, with $70 million wasted. The network hosted a discussion Tuesday morning with a simple conceit: Should the program therefore be ended?
In December 2013, a poll conducted by United Technologies with the National Journal asked Americans whether they thought that changing the rules to limit food stamp availability should be approved, even if it kicked 4 million people off the support system. Two-thirds of Americans said that was acceptable. How many would accept booting all 44 million isn't clear.
But it's useful to consider the broader context of the question before we consider scrapping the program in its entirety.
For example, the amount of fraud reported in the SNAP system is a tiny fraction of overall spending. The cost of providing nutritional assistance to those 44 million people (on average each month) is $70.8 billion. In other words, the amount of fraud is about 0.09 percent of all of the money spent. Visually, that looks like this.
more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/28/fox-news-wonders-if-we-should-cancel-food-stamps-since-0-09-percent-of-spending-is-fraudulent/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_fix-fox-350pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.03e0560d13f2
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)Island Blue
(5,819 posts)is fraudulent.
lpbk2713
(42,766 posts)By a wide margin.
yallerdawg
(16,104 posts)Defense spending?
safeinOhio
(32,715 posts)Then we'd be talking some real money.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)What on earth is wrong with these people? I really can't get my mind around it.
ffr
(22,671 posts)A 0.09% problem must really be sending them off the deep end.
Idiots!
MattP
(3,304 posts)AmericanActivist
(1,019 posts)than any social welfare program.
delisen
(6,044 posts)When Newt Gingrich wanted to destroy the Food Stamp program in the 90's, the AG Industry rose up in its defense.
I don't know whether their position will be different now.
Chasstev365
(5,191 posts)Just as Jesus would do!
safeinOhio
(32,715 posts)To claim this a Christian Nation. They must have skipped the Sermond on the Mt.
11 Bravo
(23,926 posts)than people of color receive SNAP benefits, they might re-think their editorial position.
handmade34
(22,757 posts)corporations, small grocery stores, farmers all benefit as much (or more) than the vilified food stamp recipient
http://www.eatdrinkpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/FoodStampsFollowtheMoneySimon.pdf
and...
TheCowsCameHome
(40,168 posts)Let's end military spending, too. They waste even more.
Deal?
doc03
(35,364 posts)csziggy
(34,137 posts)Since they are responsible for most Medicare fraud!
Initech
(100,102 posts)coco22
(1,258 posts)they think they want a civil war they may get more than they bargained for. They are giving away the peoples money all over the place but when the people need it there is always a problem example: unemployment Paul Ryan says no,a bomb he says yes,health insurance and raises for congress and senate yes, luncheons and other get together free food for them and on and on and on.
They say we need weapons to keep us safe, for what, they are killing us,they seem to not realize that if it effects us they and their families will feel it too we all live in the same world.
What good is it to have all of those riches when they need to worry about someone trying to steal or kill because they don't have. I guess they think all of those people will lay down and die because they can't get food for their families.
graphicnomad
(4 posts)that explains and debunks (kind of) the claims made by Fox News:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/12/fox-news-screws-its-latest-lie