Message from Liz . . .
Because of my background working with anti-hunger programs and food policy, I am acutely aware of the importance of the federal SNAP nutrition program (aka Food Stamps). So while hardly surprised by a recent series of comments from Republican presidential candidates and House members criticizing the program both in terms of its economic impacts and its impacts on recipients, their attacks did get my dander up. In this time of economic hardship, attacks on programs that meet basic human needs are particularly egregious, and they need to be countered in the strongest terms.
I stress all this because of things I see and hear around my district.
People who never imagined finding themselves without enough money to pay for food are facing real hardship everywhere, particularly seniors, the disabled and the unemployed. Too many of these individuals are reluctant to take advantage of SNAP/Food Stamps and other programs that could help meet their needs. Attacks on these programs by Presidential candidates only increase this unjustified stigma, cause unneeded suffering and delay economic recovery by taking money out of the economy.
Yes that's right - SNAP/Food Stamps don't just help the individuals using them, they also play a crucial role in our country's economy. When eligible New Yorkers use Food Stamps they are increasing their nutrition which decreases their risk of illness and lowers health care costs. Plus, they are creating jobs in local food stores, on farms, at warehouses and at food processing plants. Since SNAP/Food Stamps are 100% federally funded, they bring our tax dollars back home. Heck, using SNAP/Food Stamps is downright patriotic!
Studies have consistently found SNAP/Food Stamps to be the most effective way to stimulate the economy because of the "multiplier effect." And no, this isn't just some left-wing theory - it's basic economics. A 2009 study by Moody's Economics, an industry research firm, found that for every dollar spent on food stamps, $1.73 is generated throughout the economy. That's more than what's generated from tax rebates, business tax incentives or expanded unemployment benefits. Unemployment benefits, by the way, were the next most effective stimulant, at $1.64.
More than 75% of households receiving SNAP/FS currently include children. Almost a third have disabled people or senior citizens. According to the U.S. census, in 2010, SNAP/FS lifted 3.9 million Americans out of poverty. Recent census data found that more than one in five NYC residents live in poverty. The USDA recently released a report showing a 56% increase in food insecurity among New Yorkers since the onset of the recession in 2008. At a time when we are seeing the highest poverty rates in decades, we can ill-afford to undermine one of the most effective social supports we have.
At the national level, it is clear that politics are swirling around two issues -creating jobs and cutting the federal deficit. It is also clear that we can never fully address the deficit except through economic growth. So we cannot undermine programs like SNAP/FS that are so effective at stimulating the economy. That's why supporting SNAP/FS and using this program isn't just sound good economics, it's patriotic.
- Liz