SNAP (Food Stamp) Benefits Endangered by Shutdown

[brucearmstrong65]

www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-affect-snap-food-stamps-wic-millions-could-face-severe-cuts-in-2019-funding-usda/

Apparently the SNAP (food stamp) program is funded through January and partially through February ($3 billion funding versus $4.7 billion average monthly cost).

If the shutdown hasn't ended by March 1, SNAP benefits will not be paid out. Millions of families will suddenly be without their normal source of food funding.

Thoughts?

Worst case scenario, I see rioting in the most-impacted urban areas - looting of supermarkets, superstores, warehouse stores, etc. That'd likely expand to general rioting and looting, as in the Rodney King riots in LA in 1992 or the Ferguson riots almost five years ago.

Another argument for prepping, whether you receive benefits or not. 

Which poses a second question: If you're not on benefits and are a prepper, who do you help and how much? Will helping someone make you a target if things get worse?

Just a few random thoughts - apologies in advance for the occasional lack of grammar and/or full sentence structure.

[papaof2]

1. The fewer who know you have food stored, the better. Having a generator is difficult to hide (noise) but most of the stupid people usually understand that engines don't run without gasoline - at least after being stranded on the roadside a couple of times with the fuel gauge on "E". Maybe offer to let them run an extension cord to your gen for as long as the gas they provide can keep it going? (All they have might be what's in the lawnmower and they might not want to siphon gas from their vehicle.)

2. I'd consider a "work for food" exchange - you split firewood and I'll feed you. No workee; no eatee. For the family that owns the liquor store, perhaps a trade: food for Everclear for its medicinal uses.

Any contact with others should be done with all visible members of your family armed. A scoped pellet rifle in an upstairs window will be probably be noticed although the uninitiated will probably not notice what type rifle or who is holding that rifle. Your 8 year old daughter wants to be included in things? She can be the one holding the pellet rifle - only the barrel and maybe the end of the scope need to be visible from outside. Use your FRS or GMRS radio to ask her "You ready, Overlook?" and you look up to verify that the barrel dips twice. The neighbor(s) now know 1) you have radio communications, 2) you have "big guns", 3) you have more armed people than they knew lived with you and 4) those people are "all over the house".

If someone thinks you have enough armed adults to maintain a 24/7 watch, they may look for an easier target. Sometimes perception can be a big part of protection.

On a locally recurring hot topic about the food stamp/SNAP/whatever-the-name programs, they can sell the new Escalade and buy beans. I don't have a new Escalade (newest vehicle is a 2012; my truck is a 2008) and I'm not eating steak or shrimp daily so I shouldn't be paying for someone else to do so. If buying beans is a comedown from their previous lifestyle, perhaps they should have prepared for hard times while they had the money coming in?

Crotchety old curmudgeon, ain't I?

[9idrr]

I'm sure that since all the SNAP recipients at now aware of this possibility, they'll husband their resources and make sure that with their January and February allotments, they stock up on low cost and nourishing foodstuffs to tide themselves over, should the March money be late. Ya think? No? Not a chance...?

Can I be Crotchety Old Curmudgeon II?

[papaof2]

I'll have to check with my attorney on the value of that name as intellectual property. I'll have him contact you ;-)

[brucearmstrong65]

Jan 7, 2019 23:09:41 GMT -6 papaof2 said:

I'll have to check with my attorney on the value of that name as intellectual property. I'll have him contact you ;-)

:::frantically dialling the Copyright Office::: Oh, damn, they're closed too...

[9idrr]

Jan 7, 2019 23:09:41 GMT -6 papaof2 said:

I'll have to check with my attorney on the value of that name as intellectual property. I'll have him contact you ;-)

Here's my first and final offer for the future use of said title. Forthwith I shall make available to Crotchety Old Curmudgeon the sum of a nickel-98 for each unauthorized use of the title Crotchety Old Curmudgeon II, unless some other agreement may be arrived at that shall be mutually agreeable to any and all parties concerned. This shall be in effect until nullified by either or both parties, or by a determination arrived at by any and all interested readers of this Board, their authorized representatives, or anybody else whomsoever shall give a rip.

Horatio H. Hornswaggle

PS I hereby authorize said Crotchety Old Curmudgeon free use of my relating of the incident in a Junior College class, pertaining to my hobbies, should he ever want to use it in one of his stories. All names must be changed to protect the innocent, such as my darling bride.