The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is proud to be distributing the greatest amount of free meals and food stamps ever.
Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks us "Please Do Not Feed the Animals." Their stated reason for the policy is because the animals will GROW DEPENDENT on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves.
Here are the top 5 states:
-1. Texas – 3.068 million participants
-2. California - 2.99
-3. New York - 2.57
-4. Florida - 1.77
-5. Illinois - 1.71
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides financial assistance for food purchasing to low- and no-income people and families living in the U.S. It is a federal aid program, administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but benefits are distributed by the individual U.S. states. It is historically and commonly known as the Food Stamp Program.
In the 2011 fiscal year, $76.7 billion in food stamps were distributed. As of March 2012, 46.4 million Americans were receiving on average $133.14 per month in food stamps. Recipients must have at most near-poverty incomes to qualify for benefits, and in Washington, D.C., and Mississippi, more than one-fifth of residents receive food stamps.
Since June 2004, all states have used Electronic Benefit Transfer (debit card) for all food-stamp benefits. For most of its history, however, the program actually used paper-denominated stamps or coupons worth US$1 (brown), $5 (blue), and $10 (green). These stamps could be used to purchase any prepackaged edible foods regardless of nutritional value (for example soft drinks and confectionery could be purchased on food stamps). In the late 1990s, the food-stamp program was revamped and actual stamps were phased out in favor of a specialized debit-card system known as Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) provided by private contractors. Many states merged the use of the EBT card for public-assistance welfare programs as well. The 2008 farm bill renamed the Food Stamp Program as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (as of October 2008), and replaced all references to "stamp" or "coupon" in federal law to "card" or "EBT."
WTG, We have a new record.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
Debt Clock is scarey. 15.9 Trillion Dollars
DR