SNAP/EBT/Food Stamps

[LeviF]

21 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

This is the polar opposite of the original idea of American Exceptionalism. 

 

 

The term "American Exceptionalism" was coined by communists.

 

So, yeah, that's kind of the point.

[The Frankish Reich]

2 minutes ago, LeviF said:

 

The term "American Exceptionalism" was coined by communists.

 

So, yeah, that's kind of the point.

Famous Communist Ronald Reagan: "anyone, from any corner of the world, can come to live in America and become an American."

 

No stronger statement of American Exceptionalism has ever been voiced.

[LeviF]

2 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Famous Communist Ronald Reagan: "anyone, from any corner of the world, can come to live in America and become an American."

 

No stronger statement of American Exceptionalism has ever been voiced.

 

Amnesty, gun control, no-fault divorce, abortion, deindustrialization, wide open border...

 

You know, you were clearly being tongue in cheek, but now that I think about it...

[milfandcookies]

26 minutes ago, sherpa said:

 

Maybe you don't understand this.

The US gov takes revenue from taxes and pays for this in many programs.

That money is coming from wage earners.

Is that unclear?

no I think I was clear 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

1 hour ago, The Frankish Reich said:

We are getting there, but we are getting there really slowly.

@Joe Ferguson forever, we don't need you doing primary care in small town Alabama. We do need an NP or a PA and some other less overeducated health professionals there. The American model of training physicians - 4 years of college, 4 years of residency, etc, etc, is just way too expensive and lengthy for what we really need in these non-major cities. I'm in a big city with leading regional healthcare, but when something more than the old "it'll probably resolve by itself in a week or with antibiotics" hits me, I'm referred to a specialist anyway.

I pay a monthly fee to be part of a small panel of patients cared for by a single MD. I certainly feel it’s worth it. If I felt that care from a midlevel was equivalent, I wouldn’t spend the money. And in these undesirable places, depth of knowledge is even more important. Specialists are few and far between. I counsel my friends and family to do the same as me. The acceptance of inferior midlevels in place of physicians is a reason why healthcare quality is dropping.  Dumbing down to the lowest common denominator is not a recipe for excellence.  Don't Americans deserve excellence?   Btw, most states require a supervising MD, for any practicing midlevels why do you think that is. 
 

Re seeing specialists, mid levels refer much more frequently which ultimately cost the patients more.

Edited yesterday at 06:26 PM by Joe Ferguson forever

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

17 minutes ago, Joe Ferguson forever said:

I pay a monthly fee to be part of a small panel of patients cared for by a single MD. I certainly feel it’s worth it. If I felt that care from a midlevel was equivalent, I wouldn’t spend the money. And in these undesirable places, depth of knowledge is even more important. Specialists are few and far between. I counsel my friends and family to do the same as me. The acceptance of inferior midlevels in place of physicians is a reason why healthcare quality is drooping.   Btw, most states require a supervising MD, for any practicing midlevels why do you think that is. 
 

Re seeing specialists, mid levels refer much more frequently which ultimately cost the patients more.

Profit motive and an exceptionally strong lobbying efforts. 

 

 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

15 minutes ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

Profit motive and an exceptionally strong lobbying efforts. 

 

 

or, they don't think they should be practicing independently.  ding, ding, ding.

Edited yesterday at 06:21 PM by Joe Ferguson forever

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

9 minutes ago, Joe Ferguson forever said:

or, they don't think they should be practicing independently.  ding, ding, ding.

Where money, power and influence are involved, it usually comes back to money, power and influence.   
 

 

 

[The Frankish Reich]

1 hour ago, Joe Ferguson forever said:

The acceptance of inferior midlevels in place of physicians is a reason why healthcare quality is dropping

No offense, but this is what MDs always say. There's a protectionist/limiting competition reason for that.

My take: it is better to have access to a primary care provider, even if it is a PA or NP, than it is to have no access at all. And that's kind of where we're heading in a lot of parts of this country. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Should we allow NPs/PAs to practice without onsite physician "supervision" (supervision that exists more on an org chart than in reality) in underserved areas? Absolutely. All those routine physicals, well-baby appointments, taking blood samples and adjusting blood pressure meds, treating strep, etc., etc. We are spending way, way too much on all those things.

[JDHillFan]

You know Chuck is serious based on his balled fists, arm pumping, and f-bomb. They don’t come any more authentic than The Cheeseburglar. 

[gobills404]

Hopefully this means self-deportations are gonna sky rocket 

 

[milfandcookies]

Kinda the plan all along right? Wasn’t it in that project 2025? Shut down the government and then it makes it easier to sunset all the wasteful things

[ScotSHO]

9 minutes ago, milfandcookies said:

Kinda the plan all along right? Wasn’t it in that project 2025? Shut down the government and then it makes it easier to sunset all the wasteful things

why so many questions?

[TH3]

On 10/25/2025 at 9:39 AM, SCBills said:

I have to say.. I’ve never had a huge opinion one way or another on this topic. 
 

Although I’m a conservative on most things, I’m generally for a societal safety net.

 

This shutdown, and looming SNAP “crisis” has been radicalizing as to how much these programs are simply hard working taxpayers subsidizing the lives of people who don’t want to work. 
 

It should be there for those who are truly disabled, can’t work or have fallen on hard times. 
 

It’s clearly become a permanent luxury handout program for, what might be, the majority of these programs recipients. 
 

 

 

 

So you think this is reality? You think this captures the big picture…the most of it? 
Top tip…Look at the poster name for these snips…they ain’t Walter Cronkite.  Why do you let a guy who calls himself an ape or mrguns mold you opinion on anything?

[Joe Ferguson forever]

24 minutes ago, TH3 said:

So you think this is reality? You think this captures the big picture…the most of it? 
Top tip…Look at the poster name for these snips…they ain’t Walter Cronkite.  Why do you let a guy who calls himself an ape or mrguns mold you opinion on anything?

Because he and many like him think they validate their bizarre beliefs.

[SCBills]

1 hour ago, Joe Ferguson forever said:

Because he and many like him think they validate their bizarre beliefs.

What are my beliefs?

 

That we should have a societal safety net and root out those who abuse it?

 

In other words.. the mainstream view in America. 
 

Leftists on the wrong side of 80/20 issues like “how out of step are 80% of Americans?”

[Che Guevara]

The public seems to support SNAP benefits,

 

https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2025/05/12/americans-broadly-support-snap-and-oppose-significant-reductions

 

"According to the survey, 64% of Americans hold a favorable opinion of SNAP, compared to just 14% who view it unfavorably. Support for the program is strongest among Democrats (+82 net favorability), but a majority of Independents and Republicans also express positive views—underscoring SNAP’s enduring popularity as a hunger program across the ideological spectrum.

The numbers are even stronger when respondents were asked directly whether they favor or oppose the SNAP program: 70% expressed support, with only 15% opposed."

 

And, if the concern is related to cutting SNAP... which is perhaps included in the desire to "root out those that abuse it," 

 

"Voting to cut or restrict SNAP is electorally problematic for lawmakers. Only 17% of voters would be more likely to vote for a Senator or Representative in Congress who voted to cut or restrict SNAP, while 48% would be less likely to vote for lawmakers who reduce benefits, reduce beneficiaries, or push the funding challenges down to the states."

 

It looks like the 80/20 issue favors SNAP supporters.

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, Che Guevara said:

The public seems to support SNAP benefits,

 

https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/fmi-blog/2025/05/12/americans-broadly-support-snap-and-oppose-significant-reductions

 

"According to the survey, 64% of Americans hold a favorable opinion of SNAP, compared to just 14% who view it unfavorably. Support for the program is strongest among Democrats (+82 net favorability), but a majority of Independents and Republicans also express positive views—underscoring SNAP’s enduring popularity as a hunger program across the ideological spectrum.

The numbers are even stronger when respondents were asked directly whether they favor or oppose the SNAP program: 70% expressed support, with only 15% opposed."

 

And, if the concern is related to cutting SNAP... which is perhaps included in the desire to "root out those that abuse it," 

 

"Voting to cut or restrict SNAP is electorally problematic for lawmakers. Only 17% of voters would be more likely to vote for a Senator or Representative in Congress who voted to cut or restrict SNAP, while 48% would be less likely to vote for lawmakers who reduce benefits, reduce beneficiaries, or push the funding challenges down to the states."

 

It looks like the 80/20 issue favors SNAP supporters.

If you asked me if I supported SNAP, I’d say yes.  So not exactly the best methodology. 
 

As for “rooting out abuse”.. phrasing of the question plays a part in leading to the answer.. and check back with me on this in polling post-shutdown. 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

14 minutes ago, SCBills said:

If you asked me if I supported SNAP, I’d say yes

Trump could end this with another executive action. He’s used them for much less valid reasons. 

[unbillievable]

Paid $2.99/gal driving through Santa Fe. 

 

NM is an oil exporting state, but bluer than California, as it has been gerry-mandered to produce no Republican representation. Also a large portion of the population is on SNAP benefits with additional state supplements. 

 

I'm curious to see how this shutdown affects the voting. It can't benefit Democrats as they already hold all the seats.