Wisconsin GOP Advances Bills Controlling How People On Welfare Eat And Pee

[riversedge]

Source: HuffingtonPost





Arthur Delaney

[e-mail]


Wisconsin GOP Advances Bills Controlling How People On Welfare Eat And Pee



Posted: 05/14/2015 4:01 pm EDT Updated: 1 hour ago

Legislation approved by the Wisconsin State Assembly on Wednesday would require drug screening for poor people in the state who want public benefits and force food stamp recipients to spend most of their benefits on state-approved groceries.

One bill directs the state workforce agency to drug test some layoff victims applying for unemployment insurance. Another bill calls for a separate agency to implement drug screening for a variety of income support programs, including the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. And the third bill restricts two-thirds of SNAP purchases to "healthy" foods, while also banning the purchase of "crab, lobster, shrimp, or any other shellfish."

"We as a country are spending a fortune on health care costs for largely preventable diseases, and a lot of that relates to our habits as people -- we’re consuming the wrong foods," state Rep. Scott Allen, one of the SNAP bill's Republican cosponsors, said in an interview.

Few of the proposed rules are likely to take effect. Even if the state Senate passes the bills, federal law doesn't give states leeway to restrict SNAP purchases to certain foods, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has denied waivers to states that have asked. Federal law also doesn't allow for SNAP drug testing, and President Barack Obama's administration has been moving as slowly as possible on new regulations that would allow drug tests for a narrow range of unemployment claimants. .................

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/14/wisconsin-food-stamps_n_7283654.html?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000016

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I think there is genuine mean streak in Walker--and his Republicans.

[arcane1]

1. They know it won't take effect, so they're doing it just to be assholes?

Funny how they are so concerned with the nutritional well-being of only the poorest people in the state.

[randys1]

2. I am glad to see this, eventually people will get pissed and REAL change will occur

in a very real way.

Problem is the middle class teaparty types eat this shit up, they will soon be part of the poor but we cant wait that long.

BTW, dont you FUCKING DARE call yourself a Christian and sign on to ANY of this bullshit

[project_bluebook]

3. That is true

Most middle class progressives I know, and that isn't many, fall for the lazy poor don't deserve anything good crap. I try to explain that the little spent on the poor is nothing compared to the billions spent on corporate handouts but I have yet to change anyone's attitudes.

[cosmicone]

4. He is trying to hone his asshole credentials

to win in Iowa.

Then he will veto that bill to win New Hampshire. It is just a chess game to them -- without realizing that there are real human beings affected by this.

[project_bluebook]

5. Corporate welfare top ten list

Here are the 10 companies with the highest cumulative subsidy dollars received:

Boeing $13,174,075,797
Alcoa $5,635,305,059
Intel $3,867,492,085
General Motors $3,494,237,703
Ford $2,522,304,454
Fiat $2,060,988,039
Royal Dutch Shell $2,038,202,298
Nike $2,024,582,002
Nissan $1,799,585,041
Cerner $1,732,784,334

The total known value of awards received by 965 companies is $110 billion,

It would seem that the Koch state of WI would be more concerned with that then the pennies for the poor.

[RiverNoord]

10. It would seem?

It's the whole point. If you ask most modern Republicans whether they favor money spent to assist the poor or to subsidize major multinational corporations, the answer would be pretty obvious...

[wordpix]

29. not that I doubt it, but would like a link, please

[project_bluebook]

33. Hello, no problem

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/01/10-companies-receiving-the-biggest-handouts-from-t.aspx

http://www.cheatsheet.com/business/high-on-the-hog-the-top-8-corporate-welfare-recipients.html/?a=viewall

Personally, I don't have a problem with auto and tech industry handouts because most countries do this and would be a a more level playing field if we did. I do have a problem with the fat cats and their government slaves going after the poor so they don't have to pay their share. The list should show how big oil is the biggest corp. welfare queens when all is added up. I also would not give one penny to anyone, like Nike, who has the majority of their workforce overseas.

[Half-Century Man]

6. It is legislative masturbation.

It allows them to get all worked up, make fierce faces, proclaim their superiority over powerless people loudly, and feel good, without having much real effect on other people.

So remember the next time you are photographed looking poor and miserable, someday some republican will use that picture as inspiration.

[Fred Sanders]

14. Poor people have a hard time fighting back, so this is legislative bullying......by devout Christians.

The sad part is that the most effective weapon poor folks have, their vote, is also their most rusty.

[RiverNoord]

7. Shellfish???

Um... Huh?

[elleng]

8. Against the law!

Didn't you know???

[RiverNoord]

9. Is some wacko getting all Biblical

over the federal government subsidizing the consuming of foods that are an 'abomination' to God? It's the only damn thing I can imagine that's about...

The war on the poor - it's the gift that keeps on giving... The more you chip away at human dignity and moral values such as helping people when they're down, the more poor there are, which enables you to take another crack at them, and...

Ugh. Rotten bastards.

[leftieNanner]

15. The Shellfish thing isn't about abominations

I think it's perceived to be an "exotic" or "expensive" food so poor people shouldn't be able to waste their food stamps on such things.

Stupid.

[gvstn]

22. Exactly.

They believe that you shouldn't have anything that tastes good. Ridiculous part is hamburger is close to $6 a pound and shrimp goes on sale for $7. They are just mean spirited terrible people.

If someone getting all of $117 a month wants to eat a smaller serving of rice and beans for 4 nights a week so they can splurge on a Snickers bar--I say God Bless them.

[elleng]

16. 'Small government' bastards!

[riversedge]

11. And no Sharp cheeze--although same price at most places I shop.

[wordpix]

30. the sharp cheddar fraud police are enforcing the law!

[Lifelong Protester]

12. Smaller government, my A**

[Fred Sanders]

13. First Lady asking folks to eat better, bad; government forcing folks to eat better, good...the GOP

hypocrisy is as limitless as Fox lies.

[libodem]

17. Anything to find

To violate people for being human.

[onehandle]

18. 2016 is going to bring down some serious pain on these knuckle draggers. nt

[RiverNoord]

32. I'd like to think so, but...

I think this is only beginning. Dehumanizing poor Americans is just another step on the path to corporate hegemony...

[Unknown Beatle]

19. Not only are republicans assholes...

They are just plain evil.

[LiberalElite]

20. Wait a minute - aren't these the same folks

who want to get the gubmint out of our lives? The ones who rail against the "nanny state?"

"We as a country are spending a fortune on health care costs for largely preventable diseases, and a lot of that relates to our habits as people -- we’re consuming the wrong foods," state Rep. Scott Allen, one of the SNAP bill's Republican cosponsors, said in an interview. "

[niyad]

21. but it's okay as long as THEY are the ninnies, oops, nannies.

[RiverNoord]

34. Sounds to me as though he's advocating for

a vast expansion of the FDA, banning of soda/pop, limiting the sales of candy and most potato/tortilla chips to very small portions, outlawing red meat, a full ban on cigarettes (not food, but certainly part of the 'fortune' that he mentions being spent), heavy regulation of what restaurants may and may not serve, etc.

Huh - is he a socialist?

[kenfrequed]

23. Walker's strategy

He is trying his damnedest to keep his million dollar Koch-loafers out of his mouth in order to keep from drawing the negative press the other Republicans are drawing.

At the same time he has cultivated conservative nasty cred by busting on unions and shredding the safety net while using typical republican policy decisions.

All the while he hopes the mainstream media will continue to play the 'horse-race' game and refuse to do any serious hard journalism on just how awful republican economic policy has damaged Wisconsin recover. If they do manage it he will probably try to blame Obama somehow.


This idiot governor of my neighbors to the immediate east (Happy Minnesotan here!) could actually manage to win the nomination. If he does we need someone that will challenge him hard with progressive, populist economics! I know who I am supporting and who has the best shot of putting progressive liberal economics on the table!

[SoapBox]

24. Well...WTF?

This shit is just criminal.

[Scuba]

25. Red meat for the base, nothing more, nothing less.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

26. Based on the headline, I came in to see the answer to one burning question...

Does the bill say 'standing up' or 'sitting down'?

[mindem]

27. So now the repukes have gone

beyond "let them eat cake" to "stop them from eating cake".

About those cranberries on the list of approved foods, the November 26th, 2014 La Crosse Tribune reported "Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Monday that USDA will purchase of up to 68 million pounds, or 680,000 barrels, of surplus cranberries. His action came just five days after U.S. Reps. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, and Sean Duffy, R-Weston, signed a letter requesting the purchase. The letter said increased production has driven cranberry prices to their lowest levels in 15 years.

“There is broad consensus that additional actions by USDA are needed to help address crop inventories and supply, which continue to vastly exceed the rate of growth in sales,” the letter reads, That is a 55 million dollar subsidy to the Wisconsin cranberry industry to prop up prices. Cranberry country in Wisconsin is repuke country
.

[cpamomfromtexas]

28. Unemployment is INSURANCE! Now if they drug test every home burning or car accident claimant...

This is a lawsuit in the making, anxious to watch.

[RiverNoord]

35. The drug test requirement is sickening.

It's also unconstitutional in oh so many ways.

Would these same idiots advocate for a drug test requirement for, say, a drivers license, where it might actually make sense? Or a concealed carry permit? Not a chance, since that would actually affect them...

[yellowcanine]

31. Once again boys and girls, SNAP is a Federal Program. You don't get to decide the rules.

[BlueStater]

36. Feels weird to see the word "pee" in a news headline.

"Urinate" sounds more professional. Eh, whatever.