The Hybrid
We deliver 70-80% or current SNAP benefits as is, and then
we add a local discount system. Find 50, 100, maybe 500 locally
owned and operated stores and companies that will honor
a partially subsidized discount on goods and services. This
is where the buying power of the consumer is found. There
is more to life than just food, and sometimes needs change
month to month. The flexibility of a local discount card allows
the individual and the household to decide what they need
this month. A family receives the relief they need in food and
then has some flexibility in other areas of their lives. Also, it
introduces a group of local business owner to a wealth of new
consumers with incentive to shop with them.
Discount Card
books for those receiving benefits. Additional savings if
recipients shop with this store or that one, locally owned.
Maybe there is a credit with every household that is worth
a home gardening kit designed to get a home growing part of
their diet; the “teach a man to fish,” theory.
The two things standing in the way of this are obviously the
buying power of this money (strictly allocated to certain goods
as it is), and the lobbyists against it. Companies who partner
with the US government as well as lobby for the current
system have a lot to lose if restrictions change. I don’t need to
point out Walmart’s stake in the SNAP market, but what about
7-11’s stake?
7-11 and the convenience store lobby has spent a lot of money
to make their point that SNAP benefits should be able to be
used in their locations. There’s $80 billion a year at stake here.
Not to mention the stake of WIC partnership companies;
maybe a bit more than a little to
lose in the US grain production
Coinciding with lobbying by convenience stores, the
business.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers
Tweaking that somewhat, what
if we took all limits off of SNAP
benefits, and created a capped
discount card? 50% off public the program in conjunction with states, contends that
Whether we do away with the
transit, 40% off grocery food items, disclosing how much each store authorized to accept
food stamps all together and
30% off local clothing retailers, benefits, known as the Supplemental Nutritional
adopt a capped discount system,
20% off household items at local Assistance Program (SNAP), receives in taxpayer
or if we offer subsidies to a select
stores, 10% of car maintenance funds would amount to revealing trade secrets.
list of local businesses in order
and select other local services
to encourage competition, or if
(everything from remodeling, As a result, fraud is hard to track and the efficacy
we offer the scaled value system
cleaning,
improving
homes of the massive program is impossible to evaluate.
leaning toward local purchasing,
and maybe even services like
we need to refuse to accept
insurance with local companies The Washington Times - Sunday, June 24, 2012
that this is the best we can do
and discounted warranties to
and be constantly refining the
ensure things last families longer).
system with pilot programs and
Same financial benefits, capped at a set amount per household
test groups. We also need to be tracking buying habits to see
per month, but the added bonuses of buying empowerment and
if the system is even doing what it was intended for. Are we
100% local spending. An economy keeping 48 cents on every
throwing money away on junk food and fresh lobster, or are
dollar is one growing while everyone gets the help they need
families actually spending the money on nutritional food
from the money we already allocate.
stuffs? I think we might be shocked if we ever got to see those
Local Store Credit
What if we actually increased benefits, but the local economy
footed the difference? If the difference between chain and local
in revenue circulation is 34 cents, then why not offer a discount
for shopping local? You see it all the time with secondhand
stores. You could get $50 cash for your goods you’re selling, or
get $65 in-store credit. Apply this to food stamps, and we’ve got
a growing economy. You can have your benefits as a family,
but what you spend locally only costs you 85 cents on the
dollar compared to chain stores. Your family gets $225 a month
in benefits if you want to shop at 7-11 and Walmart. Choose
People’s Co-op and CHOP Butchery? That’s $258.25 in benefits.
Any of these ideas could include monthly deals and coupon
numbers as a nation of convenience store grocery shoppers.
In just one month, if we spent 100% locally the $98 million
in SNAP benefits, that would be a gross total of $47 million of
revenue in our state each month that will stay local. If every
dollar was spent in a chain? Just $13 million. It’s no more or less
help than families were receiving before, no more expense to
the taxpayer, but an increase in the wealth in our communities
does with government handouts what we need to see more of,
making every dollar do more than it did before. Shopping local
and empowering even the poorest of our community is that
little difference that could make all the difference in Oregon if
we can break our habits and makes a few changes in a system
that isn’t going away any time soon and arguably went off the
rails when we approved lobster but not vitamin supplements.
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