High food stamp usage indicates larger problem

Welfare has long been associated with the poor, the disabled and elderly, or those who are too lazy to find work, but with the country in a recession, the Bridge Card is becoming a common card in the purses and wallets of wealthier families.

Swiped like a credit card at checkout, a Bridge Card is the debit card that replaced the paper food stamps in 2001.

The number of Michigan households depending on food stamps has risen 53 percent in the past five years. The increase is the third largest in the country behind Massachusetts at 77 percent and Iowa at 63 percent.

In all, 590,600 Michigan households received food stamps in March.

Ingham County ranked sixth in the state with 18,394 households on welfare.

Nationwide, 27.7 million people received food stamps in January — or 9.2 percent of the nation’s 300 million people.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

People living in affluent neighborhoods with college educations are looking to the government to help support their families because they have lost their jobs.

They need to find other sources of income and although welfare might not be at the top of their list, it’s the only option they have.

People who have never depended on anyone for help might find it hard to use the Bridge Card.

With the economy being in the shape it’s in, it’s understandable why people would need extra assistance. No one should be ashamed to ask for help, especially if it is needed.

The rising cost of food and gas also might be a factor in the increase in the number of households on welfare.

With gas prices rising by the minute, people are taking every measure possible to save a few dollars.

If they can alleviate some of their money stresses with a Bridge Card, then so be it.

The average food stamp allowance is $100 per person.

The state should look at increasing the amount of food stamps a person receives because of the recession and rising food and gas prices.

Although 53 percent is a large increase, not everyone receiving welfare is in need of help.

For example, some people such as college students use food stamps and don’t really need them. They might use them as a means to make their lives more comfortable.

If they don’t have to spend money on food, they can put their extra money toward bills or other necessities.

If the state wants to solve the problem of the growing number of people on welfare, it needs to address the underlying problem of unemployment, since they might be directly linked to the increase.

The growing number of people using government assistance is proof that you don’t have to be poor or uneducated to need help.

This is not an issue of class. It’s a general economic issue.

Published on Sunday, May 11, 2008