Cry me a freaking river. If this isn’t the stupidest story I’ve seen in ages, and I’ve seen some stupid stories. What a moron. Really, can people get any stupider?
By JULIA SILVERMAN, Associated Press WriterWed Apr 25, 3:27 AM ET
If Gov. Ted Kulongoski seems a little sluggish this week, he’s got an excuse: he couldn’t afford coffee.
In fact, the Democratic governor couldn’t afford much of anything during a trip to a Salem-area grocery store on Tuesday, where he had exactly $21 to buy a week’s worth of food — the same amount that the state’s average food stamp recipient spends weekly on groceries.
I was always given the impression that food stamps were to be considered supplemental. Supplemental to me means that you should provide some food for yourself and not expect taxpayers to foot your entire bill.
Kulongoski is taking the weeklong challenge to raise awareness about the difficulty of feeding a family on a food stamp budget.
Has the idea of getting a job been mentioned to any of these people? If $21 per week is not enough to feed yourself or your family — get a job.
Accompanied by reporters and food stamp recipient Christina Sigman-Davenport, Kulongoski headed straight for a display of organic bananas, only to have Sigman-Davenport steer him toward the cheaper non-organic variety.
The governor pined wistfully for canned Progresso soups, but at $1.53 apiece, they would have blown the budget. He settled instead for three packages of Cup O’Noodles for 33 cents apiece. Kulongoski also gave up his usual Adams natural, no-stir peanut butter for a generic store brand, but drew the line at saving money by buying peanut butter and jelly in the same jar.
“I don’t much like the looks of that,” said Kulongoski, 66, staring at the concoction.
Other shoppers in the store were bemused by Kulongoski’s quest.
“Obviously, he doesn’t shop often,” Barb Sours of Salem said, as Kulongoski bounced around the aisles in search of granola. “He’s all over the place.”
Kulongoski did pause to chat with shoppers John and Bonnie White of Salem, telling them all about his $21 limit.
“Don’t spend it all in one place,” John White warned.
Along the way, Sigman-Davenport, a mother of three who works for the state Department of Human Services and went on food stamps in the fall after her husband lost his job, dispensed tips for shopping on a budget. Scan the highest and lowest shelves, she told the governor. Look for off-brand products, clip coupons religiously, get used to filling, low-cost staples like macaroni and cheese and beans, and, when possible, buy in bulk.
At the check-out counter, Kulongoski’s purchases totaled $21.97, forcing him to give back one of the Cup O’Noodles and two bananas, for a final cost of $20.97 for 19 items.
After the hourlong shopping trip, Kulongoski said he was mindful that his week on food stamps will be finite and that thousands of others aren’t so lucky.
“I don’t care what they call it, if this is what it takes to get the word out,” Kulongoski said, in response to questions about whether the food stamp challenge was no more than a publicity stunt. “This is an issue every citizen in this state should be aware of.”
Seriously, every citizen should be aware of this fiasco just so that they are aware that their tax dollars are going towards feeding people who are 9 times out of 10, just too lazy to get a job. It reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw a few months back:
Work Hard! Millions on welfare are counting on you!
UPDATE: Because I realize I sound a little jaded here, I’m gonna throw a scripture into the mix:
Proverbs 19:15 (New King James Version)
15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And an idle person will suffer hunger.
Comment posted by Tenn. candidates go homeless for night « Sunflower Desert
at 6/21/2007 7:04:00 AM
[…] Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and his wife recently took part in the “food stamp challenge” — spending just $3 a day each on their meals to match the amount spent by the average food stamp recipient in Oregon. A state senator from Connecticut also spent three weeks living on food stamp funds. […]
Comment posted by theobromophile
at 5/10/2007 5:30:16 PM
Karen,
Thank you for sharing that story.
What we are all taking issue with is the idea that food stamps should be enough to pay for organic, fair trade coffee and organic bananas. (Considering that most Americans can’t afford those things anyway, it’s a bit like handing out BMWs as public transportation.)
I’ve known a few people who needed food stamps and used them for about a year. They kept the kids fed while the parents got things together. (Note that many schools offer free or reduced lunches to students whose families qualify, and many offer free breakfasts, too.)
Comment posted by onlysometimesclever
at 5/7/2007 1:31:32 PM
Hi there ~
Just thought I’d add somewhat of a dissenting opinion. My best friend is the mother of five (ages 5-16) and a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother. She is incredibly conservative, politically. I thought I was conservative until I met her. Her husband has a Master’s degree from Oral Robert’s university and is a full-time chaplain at a large hospital, an adjunct professor at ORU, and a part-time pastor. Their 16yo has a job and contributes part of his income to the family. They have a solid, Godly, hard-working family. They also recently decided to use the foodstamp system.
Even with all his education, the husband makes about a third of what my husband makes. Since my best friend’s husband has a heart for ministry and service, and those jobs don’t typically rake in the dough, especially enough to adequately support a family of 7, they’ve had to place themselves at the mercy, somewhat, of federal assistance programs.
Their family doesn’t have a huge amount of debt, but they’ve recently decided to cut back *every* thing that is non-essential, including internet service, to get themselves entirely out of debt. The husband also recently decided — mostly for $$ reasons — to go back to school to get a nursing degree, since there’s a LOT more money in nursing than in chaplaincy, even though he’d *rather* be a chaplain and/or pastor. Unfortunately, the school expenses only add to the need to tighten the belt, so to speak, as does a crackdown on debt.
This family does not live extravagantly at all. They are upright and Godly, a model for truly Godly living and servanthood.
Now… I would freely admit that most people who use the foodstamp system (and other forms of federal aid) aren’t typically like my best friend’s family.
However, I post this as a reminder to withhold across-the-board judgement of foodstamp users.
With respect,
Karen
Comment posted by wytammic
at 5/1/2007 8:52:23 PM
Agreed:)
Comment posted by Neil
at 5/1/2007 8:18:43 PM
What a pathetic situation! But that is inevitable when the government is put in charge of such things. If the churches and local communities still had the primary responsibility to help, then such things wouldn’t happen. People wouldn’t be coddled if there wasn’t a sterile bureaucracy involved.
Comment posted by wytammic
at 5/1/2007 8:15:05 PM
Well said Neil. Truthfully, there is no experience like getting a little hungry to make one appreciate a good job.
I’ve actually known people to quit a job that pays $1000 per month because it makes them ineligible for their $155 per month in food stamps. I’ve never been great at math — but you’d have to be an imbecile not to see the idiocy in that!
Comment posted by Neil
at 5/1/2007 7:10:38 PM
Good thing you all aren’t from Houston. You’d go nuts hearing about the endless free rent and more demanded by and received by Katrina “refugees.” It has been 18 months, for goodness sake - and they still haven’t gotten jobs!!!
I am all for helping and giving generously, but if we really love people we’ll be surgical about who we give to and how much. It isn’t loving to entitle people who don’t really need it. They think they want it, but they’ll be much better off in the long run if they learn to work.
Comment posted by John Kaiser
at 5/1/2007 7:31:22 AM
Mind if I ask you some question about Wyoming? E-mail me, if such is okay.
Comment posted by Angel
at 4/29/2007 8:45:16 AM
Just stoppin by to wish u a great weekend! 
Comment posted by wytammic
at 4/28/2007 12:52:27 PM
Hi LC,
I think we all know how sincere demonRats are. Granted, I’m just speculating here, but I would guess that this entire ordeal was simply for show and that the asinine governor actually ended up with his precious organic bananas and expensive coffee that week. Nevertheless, idiot government program leeches should continue voting demonRat because they are too stupid to realize that they are being exploited
Thanks for stopping by
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