FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK
Publisher
Force-feeding the babies
T
he Trump administration’s fiscal 2019 bud-
get pitched a “bold, innovative approach” to
reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program — namely, treat food stamp recipients like
babies. Because welfare recipients are presumed to be
unable to choose their own food, the Trump admin-
istration decided it should pick and pack
the food boxes and deliver them to the
households’ doorsteps.
Under the proposed program, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture would buy
directly from producers and load the
bureaucratically selected products into
“America’s Harvest Box.” Clearly, the
program creates a one-size-fits-all sys-
tem in which the government assumed
bureaucratic responsibility over personal
responsibility and consumer choice. This
is how we “Make America Great Again.”
While the program’s goal is to save
$129.2 billion over the next 10 years, the
proposed reform does not really address the welfare
system’s inherent flaws. What was originally con-
ceived as an in-between-jobs safety net has become a
lifetime cradle, not proving enough success in mov-
ing able-bodied recipients toward work.
Curbing some of the SNAP recipients’ big appe-
tite for steaks and lobsters is an artificial strategy to
reduce food stamp expenditures.
Which, incidentally, brings us to welfare expen-
ditures in this part of the world. According to the
USDA, the CNMI has $10 million in food stamps left
unspent.
In March, CNMI Rep. Gregorio “Kilili” Sablan
urged the CNMI government to make more families
eligible and to raise their monthly benefits after it
was revealed earlier that the government had $22.5
million in food stamp grant funds.
The CNMI food stamp fund was hardly touched
even after the local government raised the eligibility
requirement from $1,277 to $1,451. The USDA is
“concerned” about the under-utilization of this fund—
4
thus, Sablan is equally concerned that his bid to ask
Congress for more food stamp money is in jeopardy.
Sablan said slow spending has made it difficult to
get five more years of increased food stamp money
for the Marianas into the new farm bill. He said he
was told by Republicans: “Your government already
has $22.5 million unused, we cannot give
you more money.”
Perhaps, we fail to recognize that some
bad news are actually good news. If food
stamp expenditures remained lower than
what was appropriated, even after the eligi-
bility requirements are raised, then it means
there are less below the poverty line, less
people in need. Therefore, no need to beg
for more dole-outs. An increased welfare
expenditure is not a badge of honor for any
administration.
Mar-Vic Cagurangan
[email protected]
Editor
Bruce Lloyd
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Associate Editor (Pacific Note/Palau)
Ongerung Kambes Kesolei
[email protected]
Palau Bureau Chief
Bernadette Carreon
[email protected]
Contributing Writers
Jeremy Bevacqua
Richard Brooks
Zaldy Dandan
Jayne Flores
Joyce McClure
Denise Mesa Mendiola
D