Food assistance ends today for so many people. In our very red county, a massive number of people rely on Snap assistance. Like nearly 10,000 people. Almost half of those are in Sweet Home.
I qualify, but after some very bad experiences long ago, I no longer get food assistance from Snap. I gave it up. For one person, its not that difficult to afford food if a person is willing to eat whatever they can find. For families with kids, especially teens, it has to be quite difficult.
When I go to the store, I just stare at the food prices now. They're unbelievably high. I ran to the store last night, to look for a bag of candy as I saw so many kids out trick or treating. But I ended up in a lengthy conversation with a vet tech who is also a veteran, who had stories to tell and a very cute dog, who wanted to lick my hands.
By the time I got home, with two cases of cat food and the bag of candy, it was after dark and only three groups of kids came by. I love to see the kids' costumes.
I'm short on wet food, after all the trapping and the week of feeding all those places. It's so expensive these days. It's difficult to keep up on all the expenses.
I take the two adults in the garage, Abby and Slabbo, to Salem to hand them off to Silverton Cat barn team. It could be a challenge to seperate out the two teens from the adults. But after Abby and Slabbo go, I'll just have the two brothers. Meeko, the latest I trapped, will get fixed Monday. SCR is going to find a barn home for them too.
After I take the adults to Salem, I'll be back at the trailer park here in town, to set traps for the two not yet caught there. Trouble is, a couple neighbors are sort of warring over the cats, who feeds them, who doesn't, its a little bit crazy. I try to remain neutral, like Switzerland, to get it done.
It's kind of sad, what's going on here, with the government. Besides Snap food assistance being cut, as a result of the shutdown, the Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies are in danger. Trumps budget calls for an end to them and that is why the democrats are hold outs on passing a fund the government resolution in hopes the Republicans will remove the subsidy cuts from the budget.
But, the rates for thousands if not millions of Americans are about to skyrocket, double per month or more, which will cause even more pain and suffering. All this is self inflicted, by our current government. A lot of the people on Snap actually work full time, but at jobs that pay very little. The number of people using Snap and also Medicaid that work at Walmart or McDonalds for instance is ridiculously high, meaning taxpayers are subsidizing billionaires who own these companies while simultaneiously humiliating and judging their workers as leeches. Who are the real leeches? Ha! We all know the answer to that one.
List of some of the companies whose employees must rely on Snap and Medicaid.
I do see what I would call abuse of food assistance cards, like kids there with their parents card, loading up on junk food at the corner convenience store. That's probably the most I see, and I have always wondered why the card isn't limited to real food, not soda pop and candy and all those bad for you foods and drinks. Which makes me think, "Hmmm, does food assistance benefit or harm people, or is it more a perk to the retailers?"
I was ruminating just yesterday that if they're not going to tax those corporations, they should fine them or something. If they're going to have their employees require SNAP to eat, then they should fund SNAP. I mean, WalMart sells groceries. They should allow their employees a discounted rate (or make food part of their benefits package). Not going to happen, but I dream of a utopia where such things occur.
ReplyDeleteThey should fine them the amount of snap all their combined employees get, and also demand medicaid reimbursement somehow. I have no idea how they'd do that but its ridiculous these billionaire owned companies get rich off the backs of workers not paid enough to buy their own food.
DeleteSome unemployment benefits paid in our country to indigenous people come via a card with credit of the benefit payable. It can't be used for cigarettes or alcohol. There may be some other limits too. There are probably ways to get around it though.
ReplyDeleteThe snap program nationwide is massive and expensive. Any improvements and efficiencies made would likely be beneficial, but its widely heralded as a boon to small grocery stores especially those that struggle in very rural areas, where otherwise, there are no grocers. Trying to keep them afloat through snap benefits to low income locals.
DeleteYou raise a lot of important questions. Do you participate with Gleaners any more?
ReplyDeleteNo, I couldn't do the work anymore, all the heavy lifting, but was unable psychologically to not do the work, while others my age or older were doing it, while young folk sat around. In other words, my back couldn't take it, all that lifting. I still get a food box once a month. Nothing fresh in it, heavy on pasta and tomato sauce, dry cereal, canned vegees. It's the same monthly, the pasta and tomato sauce and the dry cereal. I'm going to have it stopped.
DeleteWhen a cat becomes a barn cat do they imprint that area or try to roam off?
ReplyDeleteIt's dicey, to relocate ferals, as they bond to other colony members and their area, not to people. Silverton cat rescue has a protocol. They have to be caged where they can survey their new area from safety, for three weeks. SCR provides the relocation cage, sets it up, and its usually two large wire cages attached together, so they have more room. They require they are fed wet food while in confinement. Some folks read to them. They need to know where food and shelter will be, and also learn who is who in their new space. In cases like that Lebanon man's cats, where they don't get enough food and have no real comfortable shelter, the cats are not unhappy to leave. In cases like the Berlin Road cats, there were so few of htem left, due to predators and that darn road killing them, they should easily integrate, if its done as asked. It's still iffy, and good to only relocate if the cats are not safe where they are at. Last resort. But the Berlin Roadies aren't safe where tehy are at, the feeder lady knows they generally last only a year or so, kittens are killed by predators, that she also feeds (skunks, coons, foxes), so it is a no win situation there. I only hand off to SCR for barn placement. They are the best at it, as any I've seen.
DeleteAlso they need to go with cats they already know and love. Four or five going together is the best, but sometimes its only two or three, but often the folks taking them already have some cats or other animals.
DeleteThanks!
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