by Don Birkholz

Created on: March 03, 2009

I would like to second the motion that the media does not do a good job in reporting on the nation's poor, but some of the fault may lie in the fact that there has been little research done by the USDA (which oversees the program).

Many questions are out there that need to be answered, such as: How much of an expense does it take to send a food stamp-eligible household onto food stamps? Is a 50 dollar increase in rent enough to send an indigent onto food stamps? How about a 100 dollar increase in rent?

What are all the reasons indigents go on food stamp? I have done three studies which show DUI school costs, delinquent fines, or mandatory auto insurance costs are causing an increase in food stamp numbers, yet there has not been one state or national food stamp study that has shown DUI school costs, late fines, or mandatory auto insurance costs are increasing the numbers on food stamps. (The only exception, is the study poorly done by the Montana DPHHS, requested by me, which showed that in Billings, Montana, 18 of 96 food stamp applicants said auto insurance, fines, or DUI costs were a reason for needing food stamps). That equals 70,000 over the last 20 years in Montana would have said the above auto insurance costs, DUI costs, or fines were a reason for needing food stamps.

A study by Dr Maril, head of the Sociology Department at Eastern Carolina University showed 44% said they could not buy food due to mandatory auto insurance costs.

The media has not been reporting on this data, and that is why I am thankful for sites such as this that can bring this problem to the attention of those who wish to view both sides of these issues.

Assuming the mandatory auto insurance laws are increasing the numbers on food stamps, this data is required to be included in the fiscal note of the mandatory auto insurance laws, since there is an increase in the costs of the DPHHS. Yet there has never probably been any mention of any increase in food stamp numbers due to mandatory auto insurance, in any mandatory auto insurance law fiscal note. Food stamps are free to the states, but the administrative costs are not free to the states.

Another problem has been the fact that many food stamp officials want to argue that there cannot be an increase in food stamps due to mandatory auto insurance laws since there is no deduction allowed for mandatory auto insurance. That is true for those not eligible, my contention concerns those already eligible for food stamps, they can collect food stamps due to anything they want, they simply have to fill in the paper work.

As Paul Harvey would say, "This is the rest of the story!"

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