The poll question is rather basic. Should we do this? Explain why or why not.
For context, this is what currently is redeemable:
Source: Eligible Food Items | Food and Nutrition Service
- breads and cereals;
- fruits and vegetables;
- meats, fish and poultry;
- dairy products;
- Soft drinks, candy, cookies, snack crackers, and ice cream are food items and are therefore eligible items
- Seafood, steak, and bakery cakes are also food items and are therefore eligible items
A question you might think about that could affect your answer might be, "What is the real, core, basic purpose of food assistance programs?"
If the answer is to prevent hunger/starvation in the U.S., then I would propose that all packaged processed foods (foods with multiple ingredients listed) be excluded. That sweeps a lot of confusion off the table right there. Eligible items could include single ingredient bulk staples like rice, beans, lentils, flour, pasta, basic spices, cooking oil, even sugar, and produce, eggs, and, what the hell, even some types of meat.
That combination alone results in a panoply of food options, and minimal risk of starvation. It also mitigates starvation at the cheapest and maybe healthiest manner possible -- by putting control over the ingredients into the hands of the person receiving and preparing the food.
So my vote in this poll is Yes. We should do this.
Let's assume these folks would throw a conniption and vote No.
