Food stamps go to nearly a quarter of Merced County's residents

[Newsjock]

Source: Merced Sun-Star

... It's no secret that Merced County is one of the state's poorest and hardest hit areas by the economic downturn -- unemployment hovers just below 20 percent and the poverty rate is more than 20 percent.

But now another benchmark of the county's woes is the massive number of people who receive federally funded food stamps. And that need is only growing.

In fact, July posted the highest food stamp enrollment in recent history -- almost 50,000 people in Merced County. That's nearly a quarter of the county's population.

"The increase has been extreme," said Nicole Pollack, deputy director of the county's HSA, which administers the federal food stamp program. In the last three years, their rolls have jumped by 30 percent, she said.

Read more: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/09/25/1583678/food-stamps-go-to-nearly-a-quarter.html

[Quantess]

1. Merced county. Oakland area?

On page 2
"According to the USDA, he said, every food stamp dollar generates $1.84 in economic activity. So there's a ripple effect on the local economy, he said. In July alone, more than $6 million in food stamps were given out in Merced County. The federal stimulus package has also helped, said Manalo-LeClair. It increased the dollar amount for each food stamp recipient as a way to pump cash into the local economy. "

[Hannah Bell]

2. central valley.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merced_County,_California

[defendandprotect]

3. Isn't it mainly farming area?

[Hannah Bell]

4. yes. and about half hispanic. i have an ex-family member from there -- migrant workers who settled

i think it's a lot of farmworkers/ex-farmworkers.

[Bitwit1234]

5. SEE this is what I can't understand.

People are jobless, homeless and need food stamps but still some are going to vote for the very people who put them in that situation. I bet if you talk to them, they listened to fox and the right wing blabbers and say Obama and the Democrats are the cause of all this. I bet not one of them know that when the Democrats did get good bills to help these people and the country the republicans blocked and denied them. fox is doing their job well they are shifting Bush's mess on to the Democrats and the spineless Democrats are not lashing back out at them. They are afraid to make waves because they don't want to loose and election. It doesn't stop the republicans, their lies and actions are helping them. Why can't the Democrats see that people want fighters, not wimps.

[xchrom]

6. that's always a rough area to live. and hard to get out -- not a lot of opportunities. nt