The improper use of tax dollars irks me as much as the next Mainer. Any misuse now in these very challenging economic times is even more profoundly disconcerting.
To the surprise of many people here in Maine, the food stamp program is the epicenter of a grotesque misuse of tax dollars. The abuse is tax dollar-supported purchases of junk food, specifically soda, with food stamps. The proper use of these dollars is vital, because of the incredible value food stamps have for improving the well-being of Mainers who rely on them for the purchase of quality foods. Personal choice to purchase junk food and soda with tax dollars is trumped by our need to provide healthful food and beverages with the limited benefit families receive through food stamps.
I expect quite a contradiction to occur if Maine proposes this tax savings proposal. This year we witnessed the soda industry pump millions of dollars into Maine to convince Mainers that they should not be paying more taxes. Yet, we will almost surely witness the soda industry fight the removal of soda from food stamps that would result in taxpayer savings by reduced health care costs, specifically dental costs, as well as those associated with obesity.
This improper use of funds is even more disturbing because of the increasing number of Mainers who now use food stamps because of our troubled economy. The food stamp program is a federally funded but state-administered assistance program. In the year 2000, roughly 100,000 Mainers received monthly food stamp benefits. Today, more than 160,000 Mainers or 12 percent of the state population receive monthly benefits from food stamps, which are intended to help residents with lower incomes purchase food. This is a dramatic increase in reliance on tax dollars to feed Maine families with nearly $170 million a year in tax dollars supporting food stamps in Maine. In hard economic times, food stamps are the only source of nutritional foods for many families and a supplement to many others.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers food stamps, the intent of the food stamp program is to provide families with “healthful” food. This is a similar intent of another federal meal assistance program, the school lunch program, which subsidizes “healthful” meals for children in our schools. Unlike the school lunch program, food stamps can be used to buy a vast array of junk food and soda with taxpayer dollars. The guideline in schools has long been established: providing low-cost healthful foods for children that try to maximize nutrition with minimal expense to the taxpayer.
As a taxpayer and health care provider who sees the dramatic impact on Mainers from poor nutrition, this discovery of misappropriation of funds is not so simple. By enabling low-income Mainers to purchase junk food and soda, we are promoting Maine’s most acute health issue among children and adults — dental disease. Since most of the recipients of food stamps are also MaineCare recipients, our taxpayer dollars are not only going to pay for junk food and soda, but we are also using our tax dollars to pay for the subsequent dramatic dental disease associated with consumption of non-nutritious foods such as soda. The impact on obesity is also more clearly associated with soda consumption.
A study funded by the USDA, which was conducted in Connecticut, found that children living in homes with food stamps consumed more soda than families without food stamps of similar poverty levels. Though the program improves many dietary intake levels we strive to achieve, increased soda intake is not a behavior change the taxpayer should be paying for.
In order to right this wrong, Maine would have to request a waiver from the federal government to expel soda from the state food stamp program. This was attempted before by the state of Minnesota, which ventured to define junk food (including soda) and applied for a waiver in 2004. This waiver was denied by the federal government. This is in total contradiction to the federal guidelines set up for children through our school lunch program. The USDA should be consistent in what it considers healthful foods since roughly 65 percent of households receiving food stamps have children living in them.
Maine should be the first state to request a waiver under the next federal administration, which will likely have a different view on food and beverages in federal programs. This proposal is in line with new policy established by the American Dental Association, which now would like to see soda become an ineligible purchase from food stamps. Maine should keep it simple and only request the removal of soda from our food stamp program so as not to fall victim to the sophisticated and well-financed soda industry lobby. Removal of soda from food stamps would further the value of food stamps and help ensure the good public health role food stamps play in our state.
Jonathan Shenkin is president-elect of the Maine Dental Association and a pediatric dentist in Bangor.
On 11/14/08 at 5:47 AM,
ryanrrobbins wrote:
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Mr. Shenkin, people get food stamps not by choice but by necessity because their income is so low. These people have little to no income independence. You're proposing that we take what little independence these people have and eroding it further by making the state a surrogate mother or father. Such micro-managing defeats the spirits of the poor, whose spirits and self-esteem are already low because of their economic situation. The problem is not soda. The problem is inadequate oral health care. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing with fluoride mouthwash daily will easily mitigate any damage done by soda. In fact, your proposal may backfire by causing people to think that as long as they don't drink soda they don't need to be so diligent in caring for their teeth. What's next, telling poor people they can't drink orange juice because that, too, has a high acidic and sugar content? What about other "natural" foods an drinks that have sugar? What about the young kid who hates the bland taste of milk and will drink only chocolate milk? The most important thing is that the kid gets the milk and the vitamins and calcium it contains. Soda is probably 99 percent water. Diet soda doesn't even have sugar. And studies that show a higher rate of obesity or osteoporosis in people who drink soda regularly don't tell us the cause of the obesity and osteoporosis. One theory is not that people drink soda, but they they neglect drinking milk and calcium-fortified orange juice. As for obesity, there are some people who start out obese and think all they need to do is drink diet soda without cutting down on calories from other foods. So why go to the extreme and outlaw soda completely when it's the behavior that needs to change? What's really needed is a comprehensive education program for the general public at large on the need for oral hygiene and exercise. Perhaps you and your fellow dentists could help poor people afford toothpaste, floss, toothbrushes, mouthwash, and regular cleanings at the dentist. These things would do far more to reduce tooth decay. And they would allow the poorest members of society retain what little dignity and independence they have to make their own choices instead of having the state play Mom and Dad.
On 11/15/08 at 12:23 AM,
hrdwkngmom wrote:
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I have to say that soda is not the only unhealthy item purchased with foodstamps..I took my son pumpkin picking one day, I needed gas so I pulled to a corner store, while waiting to pay for my gas a man with 3 boys was in front of me, each child had a LARGE slush puppy, 2 bags of 50 cent candy, the father at the counter had 4 butterfinger ice cream bars and 4 small bags of chips and a mountain dew..The lady at the register rang it all in..The total for all this JUNK JUNK JUNK was $18.64 He paid with foodtamps!! Once he was finished paying with FOODSTAMPS for JUNK food..He asked the lady for the buy 2 get one free Marlboro deal!!!!!!!!!! So lemme say this to you....You like your tax dollars going for slush puppes, chips, ice cream, and soda while daddy pays for his ciggy butts in cash??? DIDN'T THINK SO!!!!!
The Wic program specifies what foods can be purchased correct?? Well why can't food stamps be specified as well? I'm not here to blame soda for bad teeth..Bad teeth are the result of poor personal brushing techniques, lack of time spent brushing, lack of dental care, lack of EFFORT...Although the slush puppies, soda, cansy and junk do contribute they are not the main cause,,,,
I feel that FoodStamps should be categorized, Dairy, Meat, Vegetables, Fruot so on and so on...I also feel using a food stamp card should be banned from corner stores for corner stores do not provide healthy foods, they only provide CONVENIENCE,,,,,Soda, chips, snacks and so on...
I also know I am probably going to take heat for writing this because some are going to say that EBT cards are also a cash card..Well This man in front of me used the foodstamp portuon for the junk and the cash for his ciggy butts,,,,Makes me fire mad!!
The State of Maine is broken...We are all going broke for the mere fact we have TOO MANY PEOPLE ON WELFARE! If not disabled, do not have a disabled child or a special needs child..GET OFF YOUR REAR AND GET A JOB!!!!!!
On 11/15/08 at 12:39 AM,
hrdwkngmom wrote:
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Dentists need to stop blaming junk food for bad teeth...Hygeine education at the earliest ages is the best prevention of bad teeth..Teaching your children proper techniques, using a timer, the proper toothpaste, mouth rinse, and most of all FLOSS FLOSS FLOSS....I do have to say I feel completly different about the new craze of energy drinks...I WAS proud to say that my teenage son had never had a cavity, proud that he learned how important his teeth are, always felt proud when his dentist said NO cavities, see ya in 6 months.....Well with the new Monster Energy dinks hitting the market...I caught my son drinking them quite a few times, took them away and made him brish his teeth...He screeched how dumb I was being....We go to the dentist and low and behold! In 5 months he went from ZERO cavities n his 14 years of life to NINE cavities!!!
His dentist was as shocked as I as well as my son...He aske if anything had changed, had he not been brishing like he usually does? So I tel him oh no, still doing same thing always done...Then mentioned the Energy drinks....He looked at my son, told him to go to my car and dump the battery acid out of my battery and into a cup and pour it in his mouth for it will have the same effect as those drinks do on your teeth!!
I have now spent hundreds of dollars in fillings and 8 trips back to the dentish in 2 months!! OHHHHH did I mention food stamps will pay for those as well because they are considered JUICE and SOFT DRINK! Thankfully I have a child who likes to smile and is afraid of having to gum his food cause all his teeth rotted out from that crap! He now drinks water, and I have taught him that energy is found through protein in our food and he utilizes his knowledge!
On 11/15/08 at 9:39 AM,
whitnmeme wrote:
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I work at a store. We don't take the EBT card. But I have had many people come to the counter with crap trying to buy it with their card. I have also witnessed a man who runs a business and he also gets money for building's he rents. He was buying stuff one day, he flopped open his wallet. Guess what I saw? He had a EBT card!!! I couldn't believe it. I know he has got to be lieing to recieve it. It truly ticks me off. I think the state should add shampoo, soap and deordant to the list.. SOME of the people who milk the system could surely use a lesson on how to use it. *Note I did say SOME*
On 11/18/08 at 9:54 PM,
cwbyht wrote:
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You are not fooling me Doctor. Your concern is not for peoples health, you want to see the prviledged have power over the economicly disadvantged. Control over every area of their lives including what they are able to purchase and consume. For your info I get food stamps because I am disabled and unable to walk.I cannot get out to games, travel, and enoy life like the abled. Having an occasional Coke is one of the small pleasures still available to me, and I'm smart enough to know, if I drink it all day, and fail to take care of my teeth, I will lose them. And I worked in the costruction industry for 30 years often 10 to 12 hours a day, paying plenty in taxes. So your not paying for my soda, I am. I hope people will see you for what you are, an advocate for the nanny state. I pray I never have to live in that kind of country.
On 12/21/08 at 9:44 PM,
Holly_Noonan wrote:
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I listened to Marion Nestle– a leading nutrition researcher and author of Food Politics– give a speech that was very compelling. She was tackling the issue of personal responsibility versus collective responsibility when it comes to food choices. This is a sticky topic in the land of the free. Nobody wants the US government telling them what to eat, yet, she argued, if a restaurant was putting arsenic into a recipe, there would be outrage if nothing was done about it. Where issues of public health and safety are concerned, people WOULD like the government to be protective of them. So transferring that analogy to transfats, where the latest scientific research tabulates that between 72,000 to 228,000 Americans die prematurely due solely to the effect of transfats in their diet,(W.Willette et al., 2006) it’s kind of astounding that the US government would prefer to let the “free market” deal with it. That seems out of alignment with how much people were freaking out after 3 people died from an E coli outbreak in spinach last year.
With regard to food stamps buying soda, the perception that people should have this "freedom" is an illusion. The food lobby would like the choice and responsibility to rest on the shoulders of individuals so that policymakers don't address the public health crisis that is squarely a result of our food supply. It would be criminally negligent of policymakers AND food manufacturers to leave things as they are.
These are some trends in the world of nutrition that Marion Nestle has noticed;
1) Increasing complexity– From 1980 to 1995, the USDA food pyramid came with seven Dietary Guidelines for Americans that would basically make anyone who followed them healthier. Eat a variety of foods, don’t eat too much fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, salt or sugar and drink alcohol only in moderation. Pretty straightforward. These Dietary guidelines for Americans are used as the benchmark in military and prison food facilities, school lunch program and food stamp programs, so they are more than just suggestions.
The guidelines were revised again in 2000 and then again in 2005, and the trend is towards increasing complexity and individual responsibility. The guidelines now have 41 recommendations, (23 for the general public and 18 for special populations,) 11 food groups, 2 diet plans and 12 calorie levels. You are supposed to log on to the USDA website to tailor- make your personal program.
2) Individual responsibility– By putting the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of individuals, any discussion of public policy solutions is stopped. This is just what the food industry is paying its lobbyists for! The USDA has a double mandate to benefit the food industry AND educate the public. They increased their recommended daily intake of dairy products (an optional food for most people on the planet) from 2-3 cups a day up to 3 cups a day, so there’s the benefit-the-food-industry part.
And as for their education component? Hey they gave it a shot! There’s a new emphasis on eating whole grains (like “whole grain bread, cereal, crackers or pasta”– none of which, by definition, are whole grains) as well as eating “nutrient- dense” foods (like baked french fries, baked potatoes, lowfat hotdogs or “diet” margarine.) (Not kidding.) Educating people to make good choices is very important in a population in the midst of obesity, diabetes and heart disease epidemics. If the leading federal nutrition education agency is telling people to eat more food, we clearly have a problem, not to mention their misconstruing the basics of good nutrition. Policy makers, in my opinion, also have a responsibility to be examining the larger societal, economic and environmental factors that contribute to obesity– factors that can be modified with legislation that could save people’s lives.
On 5/31/09 at 1:37 AM,
ladypumpkin wrote:
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I just read the article about not being able to purchase soda and so called junk food with food stamps. I must tell you that I have lost my job and so
has my husband, yes we are on food stamps (government assistance) to purchase food. As to what I buy for my family it not anyones business
If I want to buy soda and chips and so forth I will. When the government pays my taxes, then they have a right to tell me what to do. Until then I dont
think so. I have always paid taxes since I was 17 and I am now 44 years old. This is the first time I have ever had assistance, I have paid in so much
in taxes that I needed help and was able to get it.
The cost of food needs to come down, it went up when the gas prices went up last year and it has not come down since. If they made juice in a single
serving containers which you can buy by the case of 12 or 24, cheaper then what it is now at the stores, then yes I would buy that. Being able to pay
taxes and being told what to buy, what is wrong with you people out there. I bet if you loose your job and your home, and you are on government
assistance you would see things in a different light as I have. I use to say things that you guys have said on here. But being the shoe on the other
foot now, I do see both sides, and I have to buy to support my family, what is wrong with a sandwich, chips and a soda for lunch? My kids brush their
teeth like they are suppose to 3 times a days. And we limit the soda comsuption to 1 can per day. The rest of time we all drink juice or water.
So you people who are making claims really need to know each persons reason why they are on food stamps and government assistance. It is not
something that I am proud of, but to feed my children while we are looking for a job to support us. All I am saying is please be gentle with the words
that you use when describing someone and not knowing the facts about people first.
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