Have nothing to do with the [evil] things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light... [For] when all things are brought out into the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed...

-Ephesians 5:11-13

Tag Archives: USDA

Disincentives Cut Food Stamp Use

Tuesday, 25 July 2017 05:44
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This article appeared online at TheNewAmerican.com on Monday, July 24, 2017: 

The latest report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) reveals a sharp drop in participation in the program, touching lows not seen since before 2010. In 2016, 44 million Americans and immigrants (legal and illegal) took advantage of taxpayers’ largess, costing $71 billion. In 2010, there were 47 million receiving SNAP benefits, costing taxpayers closer to $80 billion.

The program, which began in 1969, has virtually exploded, from just two million that year (costing taxpayers a paltry $250 million) to a peak of 47.6 million in 2013, which cost taxpayers $79.9 billion.

Part of the decline is fueled by illegal immigrants fearing deportation if

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Food Stamp Dependency Dropping

Tuesday, 25 July 2017 05:23
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This article was published by The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor on Monday, July 24, 2017:

English: Logo of the .

In its report released last week the USDA reported that SNAP – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the old food stamp program – is shrinking, a little. In 2016, 44 million Americans and immigrants (legal and illegal) took advantage of taxpayers’ largess, costing them $71 billion. In 2010, there were 47 million receiving SNAP benefits costing taxpayers closer to $80 billion.

The program, which began in 1969, has virtually exploded, from just 2.9 million beneficiaries that year (costing taxpayers a paltry $250 million) to a peak of 47.6 million in 2013, which cost taxpayers $79.9 billion.

Part of the shrinkage is due to

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Joint Bills Introduced to Cut SNAP

Monday, 29 April 2013 12:52
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During his introduction of a bill to save $30 billion from the old food stamp program – now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) said that

Since President Obama assumed office, participation in SNAP, which was formerly referred to as food stamps, has increased from 32 million to

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Obesity, Diets and the Federal Government

Friday, 28 December 2012 11:00
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Since early March of this year I started following the “nutritarian” program suggested by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of “Eat to Live.” In essence he says to eat food that’s high in nutritional value. It turns out that most of that kind of food is plant food.

My son Russ turned me onto this plan when I asked about how he had managed to lose 30 pounds. He referred me to

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The Farm Bill: Why Subsidize Farming?

Monday, 20 August 2012 11:57
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English: Drought

Drought (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

President Obama made sure that Iowa farmers knew that he was “there for them” during a campaign stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on August 13, by announcing another package of “aid” during the drought. Said the president:

Farmers [and] ranchers depend on a good crop season to pay the bills and put a roof over their heads. And I know things are tough right now…. [The government meat purchases] will help ranchers, you know, who are going through tough times right now.

The aid will involve the purchase of $100 million of pork, $50 million of chicken, and $10 million each of lamb and catfish. This comes on top of $30 million of aid announced last week. Obama also promised that the Defense Department will speed up its purchases and hold the meat for later use: “We’ll freeze it for later—but we’ve got lots of freezers,” quipped the president.

Obama used the opportunity to plug his farm bill that has been delayed in Congress, which he said would “not only help farmers and ranchers respond to natural disasters, but also make some necessary reforms and give farmers and ranchers some long-term certainty.”

Some of the farmers and ranchers aren’t so sure the new program will have much effect. Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, said the USDA regularly buys meats, vegetables, fruits, and other commodities for its various food assistance programs, and this is little more than political showboating by the president:

It’s been a normal course of business for the USDA to purchase these commodities and it may be kind of a political highlight to be saying they are doing this now. I’m kind of lukewarm on the whole thing….

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said that the latest government interference “will help mitigate

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Ethanol Lobby is Starving the Poor

Tuesday, 14 August 2012 15:38
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WSJ: Ethanol vs. the World

The ethanol lobby strikes again. It can’t succeed without a mandate that forces consumers to buy its product every time they fill up the tank, and if the resulting corn shortages drive food prices up in a way that punishes consumers around the world, so be it.

Ethanol

Ethanol (Photo credit: swanksalot)

I consider the Wall Street Journal as the mouthpiece for the Republican establishment—faux conservative, in other words—so one has to be wary of their editorial policy. They are often like Bill O’Reilly, close to the mark, but just missing it nevertheless.

However, this editorial is spot on. Government mandates—this time to placate those who think man is responsible for global warming (a dubious proposition at best)—to force us to burn corn in our cars are, in light of the drought in the Midwest, pushing corn prices higher. Since corn and its byproducts are staples in poorer countries, people on the edge of starvation are being pushed over it, thanks to the ethanol lobby. Says the Journal:

On Friday the USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board estimated that global corn consumption will be off by 38.9 million tons, with the U.S. problems responsible for three-fourths of the shortage. The gap is likely to presage climbing basic-food commodity prices. Corn futures are up nearly 50% over the last six weeks. The U.S. market is so important because the U.S. accounts for 60% of global exports, and corn feeds cows, pigs and chickens and is also a key ingredient in all kinds of foods.

This “ethanol lobby” that has no interest in cutting its subsidies, regardless of the imminent starvation of poor people. As the Journal explains:

If not for the politics, the ethanol mandate would have been gone years ago. Oil costs and imports are up (ethanol makes up less than 1% of world-wide transportation fuel), and even the green lobby has turned against the fuel (because of the carbon-increasing deforestation it causes)…

Natural disasters can’t be controlled. Ethanol is a man-made disaster that could be stopped if the EPA or others in Washington cared for human health as much as they do power politics.

Fat chance.

Many of the articles on Light from the Right first appeared on either The New American or the McAlvany Intelligence Advisor.
Copyright © 2021 Bob Adelmann