Should SNAP allow people to purchase candy bars and soda pop ? Opinions ?

Status
Not open for further replies.
ohioboy said:
Assuming that's true, who pays for future maintenance and operational costs? If it will come out of the Congressional WH appropriations, then the taxpayers stuck.
Click to expand...
So does all the other maintenance . The military could be thought of the same, whether training, going to war or sitting in a barracks watching TV the cost is there. So it goes with government programs aimed at helping those less fortunate. The intent to help is there. But something new is happening, that would be looking for ways to reduce waste & fraud of our tax dollars. How that will translate will take some time.
 

Last edited:
squatting dog said:
The construction of the new 90,000-square-foot White House State Ballroom, announced on July 31, 2025, is being funded entirely by private donations, with President Donald Trump and other undisclosed "patriot donors" covering the estimated $200 million cost. No taxpayer or government funds are being used for the construction.
Click to expand...
Lol lol....right.....as in...."and Mexico will pay for the wall."
 

I was a cashier at one of the largest grocery companies in the US for many years.... soda and candy should have been taken off years ago.
i actually found an email I sent to senators/ representatives on this 17 years ago. All i got back was a form letter saying they would look into it hahahaha

The stats are all over the place on soda and candy % and they have no idea how much a person paying cash / debit consumes a report could be run and was of how much SNAP dollars went to each category. CANDY was our #1 followed by soda.... I saw first hand so I know what was purchased.

Coke and Pepsi it is estimated made 11+ billion dollars last year off SNAP. As others pointed out people who only eat junk do get ill and we pay again for their "choice" through health care.

Examples of things I saw frequently: Someone buying whole cart loads of soda as the sales tax is wiped away from SNAP purchases.
lady told me she bought for neighbors and they paid her in cash as taking tax off was worth it.
Often working folks qualified for SNAP buying candy for their workplace, not feeding their families but co-workers... who got candy tubs of licorice and mini candy bars were the usual.

Holidays always had people buy 6 Whitman samplers as gifts like clockwork. Candy department knew and ordered a pallet we would go thru remember this was ONE location.
.
Always made me mad at the obvious candy and junk purchases... A kid used his parents card bought a case of soda every morning and sold cans individually at school.... we were 2 blocks from school.

I never doubted the person making choices of food to last for as long as possible for their families. bags of rice or pastas canned goods etc and those folks always had coupons and shopped sales as well... This is not about people who need the program.... it is just not having taxpayers pay for bad choices. they can still have soda just pay for it in another way.
 
ohioboy said:
Assuming that's true, who pays for future maintenance and operational costs? If it will come out of the Congressional WH appropriations, then the taxpayers stuck.
Click to expand...
Yet to be determined. From what I see, most are talking about SS protection when something is going on. Well, that's pretty simple as there are an awful lot of folks that have protection now, (strange though... I don't see much complaining about all that taxpayer money being spent there), who soon won't need that service. JMHO
 
ohioboy said:
At this point, unknown, but Congress will approve any amount asked for from the WH Budget office. You can bet it will be huge.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure the cost can be offset by not having to set up tents for events that don't fit in the 55,000 sq. foot ball room. I think it's a matter of presenting a better image of America. Not having guests seated in tents like they are now they will be seated more comfortably inside with the "more important" people.
 
OldOld said:
You don't know how expensive it is to hire handyman now?
Click to expand...
They are paid staff not random people hired to clean. So whether they are cleaning the 55,000 sq. ft. ball room or the new 90,000 ballroom they get paid the same. I think with some attention to scheduling as I previously posted any overall costs can be offset by not setting up & taking down tents.
 
I will just pose this question...if it were you on SNAP would you want someone denying you access to something you wanted?

Just cuz they're on SNAP they're not allowed to crave soda and sweets like any other human being?

That's just how it sounds like it's coming off. It costs more to eat healthy than it does to eat crap. Sadly I don't understand why it's not the other way around.
 
Just as an example: at walmart the great value cookies are 2.68 for a 25 oz package as opposed to anywhere from $4 -$9 for a 3 pound bag of apples.

Half of which are too rotten to eat the majority of the time.

Milk is $3 a gallon 128 oz. as opposed to $4.50 for a 12 pk 144 ounces of pop. The milk will spoil in no time and the pop will take much longer.

From the view point of someone who lives on very little you buy what's gonna last longer in order to keep from having wasted food or money.
 
Aunt Bea said:
I’m ok with SNAP benefits being used for any form of food, groceries, snacks, prepared food, fast food, etc…as long as people qualify for the program.

The days of surviving on oatmeal and beans are over.

If a person needs/wants to use SNAP benefits to buy their kid a birthday cake or a pizza to make things feel ‘normal’ I’m ok with that.
Click to expand...
My thinking is that a person's choice of food to buy is heavily influenced by the facilities available to them.

Do they have refrigeration and can they afford the electricity costs to run them? Milk spoils, soft drink does not. Perhaps they can only afford day old bread from the bakery and have no means of baking scones or a cake. Who should judge them for buying the occasional iced cake or some sweet biscuits?

Unhealthy products are heavily advertised. Perhaps there should be a 5% surcharge applied to such adverts to fund programs that educate people on what a healthy, but affordable, diet looks like.
 
People are always upset when they think someone is cheating. People bilk millions from medicare…usually thru creative billing. Covid monies were stolen thru fraudulent false claims…to the tune of millions. People cheat on their taxes…cheat on their exams. So it is no surprise that some would use snap benefits in a manner some would think of as cheating. But most people are honest…and snap is a program that provides financial assistance to an unprivileged group.
 
squatting dog said:
Might want to have another look at that statement bucko.

The construction of the new 90,000-square-foot White House State Ballroom, announced on July 31, 2025, is being funded entirely by private donations, with President Donald Trump and other undisclosed "patriot donors" covering the estimated $200 million cost. No taxpayer or government funds are being used for the construction.

I suppose next I'll hear there are no roses in the rose garden. smh
Click to expand...
I could swear I saw on the news that the rose garden was being paved over. I remember shaking my head.

@Muskrat You hit the nail(s) on the head(s)!
 

Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top