Vent Time

I think food stamps have an issue.
Food stamps are great for families who cannot afford food that has increasingly become more expensive over the years.
The Albuquerque Journal has done several food stamp stories about the illegal selling of stamps like the one below.
https://www.abqjournal.com/758547/black-market-food-stamps.html

I want to discuss the issue of the food stamp system, and how it can be fixed.

The problem
I have used the food stamp system when I was a young teenager. To be honest, I thought it was great when I could go to the nearby store, and buy free food! I did not buy food for school lunch or healthy items. I remember vividly buying chips, goldfish crackers, Gatorade, and snacks. I do not think it was my fault though.

Millennials have grown up in this junk food era. It has engulfed and taken over our lives. Although mothers do not want their children to eat junk food, after a while it becomes easy to forget about it. The topic of junk food can be for another blog.
At that time, the consequences of junk food were not taken seriously.

Food stamps and junk food are linked together. New Mexicans rely on food stamps to feed many children. But, the system still allows any food to be purchased.
If parents want to buy unhealthy foods for their family, then they can use their own money to do so. It would not be difficult for the state to put limits on food purchases. In fact, it would be really really really easy.
I have not contact the Human Services Department about this topic, and will have a follow up blog about their reasons to not have these limits. It would a personal goal of mine to have focus on this type of change. I believe many people would agree with this proposal.
Another fix would be on the selling of food stamps. I do not think even a minority of people are selling their food stamps for cash, but families receive huge amounts to have the incentive to do so. For now, I think New Mexico could go into the direction of my proposal to create a healthier generation for the poor.


Featured photo credited to: kob.com