Gov. Kasich waives food stamp time limit for rural whites, forces urban minorities to go hungry

[votesparks]

Source: dailykos.com

In 1996, Congress passed a bill putting a time limit on food stamp access for those in need. The law forbade "Healthy, childless adults" from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than three months in a three-year period, unless they had a job or were in a training program for 20 hours or more per week. Then-Congressman, now-presidential candidate and Gov. John Kasich co-sponsored the bill.
It was the first time Congress had implemented such a time limit, and the impact was extreme: About 1 million people would lose food stamp access under this law. When lawmakers pushed back, an important exception was added to "allow states to seek time-limit waivers for areas with especially high unemployment."

As governor of Ohio, Kasich has taken advantage of those time-limit waivers himself. While hypocritical—it was his idea to limit food stamps, after all—his use of the waivers is not the problem.

The problem is how his administration distributes them. According to Mother Jones:

"Ohio civil rights groups and economic analysts say Kasich's administration is using the waivers unequally: It applies for waivers in some regions of the state but refuses them in others, in a pattern that has disproportionately protected white communities and hurt minority populations."

Read more: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/22/1423910/-Gov-Kasich-waives-food-stamp-time-limit-for-rural-whites-forces-urban-minorities-to-go-hungry

[JI7]

1. a good example of it being more about race than class

The biggest reason there is lack of support for funding of social pRograms is because of those who "don't want to give free stuff to blacks and Mexicans" .

[JustAnotherGen]

12. A perfect example

[mpcamb]

43. Court Case! Court Case!

Last edited Sun Sep 27, 2015, 09:10 PM - Edit history (1)

Take your pick about what the violation is.
This needs to be litigated.
Unequal protection of the law, whatever.
It's blatant.
Just try it in front of an honest judge (when you find one).

[Enthusiast]

16. Correct.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

27. Yep...

[LoveIsNow]

52. Counterpoint.

This is an example of how we race is used to distract us from class issues. There are plenty of poor whites in the cities of Ohio. How many of them voted for Kasich (and how many out of racist resentment?) and are now reaping their reward?

[JI7]

53. and far more poor blacks

The numbers speak for themselves.

We know who they were speaking of when they brought up welfare queen

[LoveIsNow]

55. Undeniably.

Racism is the easiest string to pull if you want to steer working class people into screwing over their own, because it has been our national sickness since day one. Religion is the second, of course, but that waxes and wanes in power. Racism is, at best, being slowly chipped away in this country, but, even then, our progress so often reveals itself to be illusory.

[MynameisBlarney]

2. This is proof positive

that racism is institutional.

[Munificence]

4. I'm from Ohio Orinally

and I don't see this as a race issue.

Let's face it, rural areas in Ohio are white. Rural areas in Ohio have been devastated by manufacturing jobs leaving their towns. Unemployment is high in rural areas compared to the major cities (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincy) and this was tied to the unemployment rate in pockets or areas.

That's what happens when we fuzzy math the numbers and say "Unemployment is at 5.1%"...we all know it's a lie because that is for all practical purposes "Full employment", which means folks that don't want to work are not gonna work as there has to be jobs out there for them since we are at "full employment".

Not saying I like it, but that's the way both sides are touting things these days. One is the President and a lot of folks on here saying "Wow this economy is humming and has recovered, look 5.1% unemployment" and the other side that says "Well since we have such low unemployment then we need to cut benefits as there are jobs everywhere".

I despise it all, the lies that is.

[MynameisBlarney]

6. Great...

It does not change the fact that what Kasich just pulled IS Institutional Racism.

[blackspade]

8. Well you may not see it as a race issue....

But African Americans surely do when assholes like Kasich feed the rural poor and let the urban poor starve.

So, I'm not buying your soft defense of this despicable RW lunatic.

[cstanleytech]

24. On the other hand you might be seeing it as a race issue when it isnt because of personal bias.

Just pointing that out, as for the whole food stamp thing I think its BS.
If people are honestly trying but arent making enough money to afford food they should be helped out no matter where they live be it in the city or out in the sticks and there not be a time limit on that help.

[blackspade]

39. If Kasich is picking rural whites as worthy recipiants of food...

and not extending the same consideration to the urban poor then yes, I see it as a racial issue.
No one should go hungry in this country.
Kasich is picking rural poor, who vote overwhelmingly for the GOP (against their own interests) for political reasons, effectively depriving the urban poor including African Americans of food.
It's disgusting and indefensible.

[Munificence]

42. For the

record:

The parts of Ohio that he picked for this used to be "Union strong" supporters om our side. It was all coal, steel, and chemicals (and all union work). Seeing how NAFTA, the EPA, etc took their livelihoods away and replaced them with working at a bowling alley, I don't blame them one bit for now being "blue dog Dems and Libertarians" now.

When most think of Ohio they think of Cincy, Cleveland and Columbus....the area that got the waivers could for all practical purposes be WVa or Ky. We lost WVa over our war on coal.....S. Ohio is identical to WVa.

[blackspade]

44. There is no "our" war on coal

That is a RW myth.

As for the union strongholds, the repigs have decimated those areas deliberately in an effort to cripple Union power. This is something that has been going on since Raygun, so while NAFTA accelerated the process it didn't start it.

[Munificence]

45. That's a funny as name by the way.

Drop into S.Ohio and ask them if there is a war on coal or not.

The War on coal is really just a "relocation" or a "containment" to an area. Basically it has been decided that the Illinois basin (may be the wrong term, going off memory) is to be raped and pillaged and controlled in an area. That area consists of S.Illinois, Northern KY and NE Missouri. All that land was raped from top stripping over the past 200 years, now they are consolidating most operations into that area in deep mining and are gonna contain it like a contagious disease within that area.

Mr. Peabody's coal train will be hauling it all away again, but not from Wva or Ohio but instead down where Paradise lays.

[blackspade]

50. Not sure what you are trying to say here....

There is no 'war on coal.' That is a bit of chicanery created by the repigs and their corporate masters to deflect the blame for job losses, environmental damage, and played out mining operations onto Democrats and President Obama.

Coal companies have been shutting down mines in the Appalachians for the last 20 years as they have largely played out the productive coal seams in the eastern coal fields of KY, WVa, and Ohio.
The job losses have not been due to regulations or any other bureaucratic hurtles, rather it has been the coal companies that have switched over to surface mining, which requires much less labor, to recover the coal that is still viably mined, or they have moved their production out West to take advantage of less polluting coal.
Deep mining is being abandoned as it is labor intensive, dangerous, and less productive than surface mining.
Mining in Western KY, IL, and MO are undergoing the same changes.

So, no, there is not a concerted effort by 'us' (I assume you mean the President, since no war on coal legislation has passed at either the federal or state level) to 'contain' production in the western Carboniferous coal fields.

[yardwork]

48. The EPA isn't the enemy. That's a right wing lie.

I'm from Ohio too, and its sad to see how gullible people are. My father died from exposure to chemicals the EPA eventually banned. I wish that they had been banned sooner.

[Munificence]

49. Lost my father

to cancer at age 66. I don't know if it was the Agent Orange from Vietnam (Grunt in Big Red 1) or from the Asbestos he was exposed to in industry (steel mill Coke plant where he worked as a mason) that he received a small pittance settlement for....but it was the first case of cancer in his family in nearly 4 decades.

Sorry for your loss.

I'm originally from the southern tip of the state. A "River rat". Moved from there to the Dayton area 20 years ago for work and then left there for another state 5 years ago. Dad begged me to get out, as I was offered an engineering position at the steel mill he worked at after college....I honored his request. Shame what has happened to the ignored southern part of Ohio. My MIL passed away from cancer 3 weeks back. We were "back home" and the wife and I had a long discussion regarding how poor,depressing, and run down our hometown is. We had a population of 30K in my younger years when I lived there, now it's around 11K, meth and prescription drugs have taken over and the people are so beat down that they've lost all hope.....fucking depressing. Growing up we called it "Little Korea", today "Little Detroit" would probably be more accurate of a description.

The last jobs have left (coal) and the locals doing all the work on barge repair, construction, etc have officially seen nearly every job where one could earn over $12/hr vanish....and make no mistake about it, if one can land a job in S Ohio for over $10.00-$12.00 an hour then they are envied by others. Depressing I tell you.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

10. The OP strikes down your argument decisively

Did you click through the DK link?

Why are you so quick and casual in defending Kasich's unconscionable nutrition partisanship?

From http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/22/1423910/-Gov-Kasich-waives-food-stamp-time-limit-for-rural-whites-forces-urban-minorities-to-go-hungry

“In 2013, the state unemployment rate and economy were so bad that the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services had the opportunity to receive a time-limit waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This would have been the seventh year in a row that the whole state had been eligible for and received it.

But the governor rejected the waiver for two years for most of the counties in the state. Only 16 counties' waivers were accepted, mostly rural areas where the population is sparse and white, while '(u)rban counties and cities, most of which had high minority populations' did not receive a waiver."

It's not quite clear how the governor picked these 16 counties to receive waivers. But the demographics are interesting. In Ohio, 75 percent of black residents live in just eight counties—none of which got a waiver, even though they have higher unemployment rates than some of the counties that received waivers”

[ProgressiveEconomist]

11. "I don't see this as a race issue"

Please explain, or withdraw your comment as uninformed.

[valerief]

19. Welcome to my Forever Ignored list. nt

[Munificence]

41. I explained it perfectly

Last edited Thu Sep 24, 2015, 09:51 PM - Edit history (2)

in my post, try reading it again. You know what they say- "it's all about comprehension".

You are trying to take something and make it a race issue. The highest percentage of any African American population in any county in Ohio is 35% (and that may be 2 -3 counties) and that county has an unemployment rate of 5.5%. Most of the counties that received the waiver have an unemployment rate of around 7%. But let's turn this into a race issue.

And for the record "Healthy Childless Adults" are who we are talking about. I don't know what school of thought you come from, but I DO FUCKING come from one of those counties in Ohio that got a waiver and they are some of the poorest areas of the country and it's about god damn time the state started recognizing that part of Ohio after shitting on it for the past 50 years. It's one of the only places that folks wish Kentucky or Wva could Annex them....wrap your fucking head around that statement for at least 15 seconds then get back to me. The folks there would give anything to have the opportunity that is available to the folks in the counties with high African American populations....which consist is Metro Columbus, Metro Cleveland, and Metro Cincy....Our young folks from S. Ohio nearly all have moved to these metro areas over the past 50 years in search of gainful employment, been that way forever.

You want to see a place that is worse off than any African American community in Ohio? Well drag your ass down to the southern tip of Ohio from 30 miles east of Cincy all the way to Penn along the river. It's a beautiful area but I guarantee you'll have no desire to stay nor see any opportunity for any race, no matter the "color".

EDIT to add:

It a shame that in this day and age with all the "white privilege" and such that is tossed about that folks just like you have a view that there are not dirt ass broke poor white people that are worse off than African Americans. It says a lot about you and the sheltered world you live in to not even consider the thought that indeed in areas of our country that there are white folks worse off than the African American folks in the same state....guess it does not fit your narrative.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

46. WOW! What a racist, hateful,

and fact-denying rant.

Have you even read the end of my post number 10 above? The counties where most Ohio minorities live had HIGHER unemployment rates than some of the white counties Kasich unnecessarily chose to exempt. And the Feds would have allowed him to exempt ALL 88 counties. See the Columbia Dispatch's county unemployment rate database at http://www.dispatch.com/content/pages/data/business-consumer/unemployment/unemployment.html before you admonish anyone about 'comprehension'.

[Munificence]

47. All I have to say:

2012 called and it wants it's stats back. Do you know how absolutely fucking silly you look using 2012 data when 2015 is available?

[Enthusiast]

15. It is a race issue. Kasich is a racist shit weasel, we all know that.

They don't let you into the Republican Party unless you take a vow of racism.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

28. Yep, and there is a bunch of em in the Democratic Party too.

[geek75]

30. Not like the republicans

Unless you count southern Dixiecrats who haven't officially become republicans as of yet.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

31. Not as many and most not as in your face, but racism is pretty deeply rooted in

America regardless of party.

[geek75]

32. Nowhere near as bad amoug democrats

Most democrats are not, with the dixiecrat exception, but most republicans are.
Every democratic candidate is far better than Kasich and every other republican candidate is like Kasich or worse.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

33. Agree about the candidates, but I would actually say most white Americans are racist, period.

Many try not to be, are aware that they are, but by definition and default, given what racism is and does, they are.

You see as white people we receive privilege every single day of our lives, and while we cant really deny receipt of this, we still are in receipt of it.

Racism is an action of the group in power of providing a benefit to their own group while denying it to the other.

I am white, I am a racist to the extent that I am white in a country where racism is very active.

My personal behaviour is such that I do everything humanly possible NOT to think or act in a racist way, and I know many of us do, so that is a good start, I guess.

[Dan]

36. I have always thought that Racism or being a racist

was about the power that one group might have over another group to inflict or do harm.

Please share with me what power, you as an individual have to inflict pain or control over another group?

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

37. I receive white privilege daily, so do you if you are white. Therefore because of institutional

racism, your existence inflicts harm over others, mine does.

We dont want to do that, well I dont I cant speak for anyone else.

But because I am white in a system where white people have privilege, my existence inflicts harm

Whether it is because I get the apartment and the POC dont, the job, etc.

[Dan]

38. incorrect

your existence does not inflict harm - and I want you to exist.

People / institutions / leaders that have power and exercise that power to inflict harm - are the problem.

You exist - and while you may not have any control over those in power that can and do inflict harm, you do have the potential to influence change by virtue of who you are.

You are not a bad person or a harmful person because of the color of your skin. You had no more control over the privileges that you receive by virtue of your skin color than a person that is being harmed by virtue of their skin color. You did not to the best of my knowledge control your birth parents.

I think that recognizing that there is a problem is a very positive first step - but this recognition does not require you to be a martyr OR find fault with the fact that you exist.

Have a wonderful day.

[geek75]

54. How about we go after republicans for a change?

Want to see real racism? Start with the republicans.

[hedgehog]

51. It's a race issue. If you're out of work, it doesn't matter

whether the unemployment rate is 5% or 50%. You're out of work, and the longer you're out of work, the harder it is to get a job. Those entry level factory jobs are gone from the big cities as well as the rural areas.

I lived in rural Ohio for six years, and people down there don't even like the whites from Eastern and Southern Europe who live in the big cities. They just aren't real Amuricans.

[BlueJazz]

3. So you're going to limit the very poor and cause them to almost starve. Yeah, well..back people...

..into a wall and they'll cost you WAY more then if you were kind to begin with.
I don't want to hear any of the repug voters start with their "Oh..the poor/blacks are stealing us blind"
YOU caused it, you stupid piece of human garbage.

[turbinetree]

5. And he wants to do what if he becomes the leader.............................

you can have food, on where do you live, and you can't have food on where you live----------he really is insane.
He is just as bad as the Lewiston, Maine mayor---------------it's like lemmings, no you go first, nope you go first, one of them says, okay I'll go first------------------they really have no scruples, principles-------------------none.
And whats really ironic he voted for NAFTA causing more Ohioans to go on food stamps-------so he blames those that lost there jobs, selects who can eat, and then turns right around with a straight face--------------my father was a middle class post man.




In 1996, Congress passed a bill putting a time limit on food stamp access for those in need. The law forbade "Healthy, childless adults" from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than three months in a three-year period, unless they had a job or were in a training program for 20 hours or more per week. Then-Congressman, now-presidential candidate and Gov. John Kasich co-sponsored the bill.
It was the first time Congress had implemented such a time limit, and the impact was extreme: About 1 million people would lose food stamp access under this law. When lawmakers pushed back, an important exception was added to "allow states to seek time-limit waivers for areas with especially high unemployment."

[blackspade]

7. Never would have seen that coming from a wingnut.

[vkkv]

9. These GOP bastards NEVER stop! n/t

[pansypoo53219]

13. but don' call him a racist.

[Enthusiast]

14. Never entertain the idea that Kasich is not a weasel.

Just because he is not foaming at the mouth doesn't mean he isn't a free trader, anti-labor, racist, Wall Street, trickle down loving supply sider.

As president Kasich would do unimaginable harm to the nation.

[Dont call me Shirley]

20. Kasich is foaming at the mouth, Enthusiast. And that makes him a Rabid RW Weasel...

[Enthusiast]

22. That's a scary image.

[Dont call me Shirley]

23. I wish I knew how to edit pics!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

17. Someone needs to see if Kasich hosted a lavish affair at the governor's mansion.

[valerief]

18. How clearly racist of him. nt

[gregcrawford]

21. Not all Republicans are racists...

... but all racists are Republicans, and Kasich is a hard-line Republican with the moral compass of a hyena. Even in the highly unlikely event that the disproportionate distribution of waivers is some sort of statistical anomaly, the practical end result has been that minority populations have suffered. That is not open to dispute. So even if Kasich and his cronies did not intentionally deprive minority communities, which I seriously doubt, the end result is a dramatic imbalance that is irrefutably racial in its divisions. And that is smearing lipstick on a VERY ugly pig.

[Ilsa]

25. I wish the Pope could take Kasich over his knee.

I have no idea if K is Catholic. But you'd think these people would feel some degree of humility or conscience after a popular Pope has visited.

[Judi Lynn]

26. Exactly what you'd expect from this ugly man. It says a lot about those who elected him, also. n/t

[geek75]

29. What's awful about republicans

Kasich is awful and everyone else in the republican primary is even worse. Nuts, all of them.

[arcane1]

35. An absurd idea. If one doesn't have a well-funded food bank in their city, then what?

[Jim Lane]

40. It's racist but also opportunist.

According to the linked article, Ohio obtained a statewide waiver for several years, including during Kasich's first term as Governor. At some point, however, even though the state was still eligible for the statewide waiver, the Kasich administration applied for only a partial waiver, mainly for the rural (heavily white) counties.

What changed? Pardon my cynicism, but I suspect that what changed was Kasich eyeing a possible run for the Presidency. He was looking ahead to his need to prove his bona fides as a tough conservative.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

56. Kasich now on CBS

Face The Nation

[riversedge]

57. Many think he is a moderate. Beware!!