Saturday, November 24, 2012

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card, or Food Stamp Card


The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that a record 47,102,780 individuals received food stamps in the month of November, or 1 out of seven Americans.  That number exceeds the combined populations of 24 states and the District of Columbia. 
From a perspective of history, the number of individuals on food stamps has skyrocketed from 31.9 million in 2009 to the current record high 47.1 million. By comparison, in 1969 just 2.8 million Americans received food stamps. 
Last year, the food stamp program (officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) cost taxpayers $72 billion, more than double the $30 billion spent four years ago.
My rhetorical question for the day is simply does anyone really believe that our economy is getting better when 1 out of 7 individuals in America are on the SNAP?  
By the way, I really like the overall design of the EBT card.  Really patriotic, isn't it? 

No comments: