Well is seems those suckers in Ohio, at least those families receiving food stamps, who thought that voting for Barry was a shit-hot idea, could be getting a nice big fat thank you from their guy, Barry "Almighty." And it will come to them in the form of a rather unwelcome surprise that most likely will come in January in the form of $50 less every month in assistance. Oh well, I guess these folks needed to find out the hard way that no one is above being used by Barry, and maybe, just maybe, they would have better served themselves has that not screwed up by choosing to trust Barry. So for the 869,000 households currently enrolled in the program for the poorest Ohioans, that could amount to about $520 million annually out of the grocery budgets.
Because of the way the federal government calculates utility expenses for people receiving the benefit, a mild winter nationwide last year, and a lower price for natural gas, many families could experience a significant cut in aid, those familiar with the program say. Recipients should get a letter from the state Department of Job and Family Services this month explaining the change, said Ben Johnson, a spokesman for the agency. Meanwhile, food banks and others that distribute food assistance are bracing for increased demand. "They are going to increase hunger among our most vulnerable — working families, seniors, children, and persons with disabilities," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.
Ms. Hamler-Fugitt said her organization is particularly concerned that some seniors or persons with disabilities who have a low benefit amount could lose all their monthly assistance. "We’re really worried about [the change]," she said. What’s called the "standard utility allowance" — the amount deducted from a person’s income when the state determines his or her eligibility for the food stamp program — will decrease by $166 for 2013, translating to about $50 less per household in food assistance. State Job and Family Services officials tried to appeal the change to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food stamp program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but the USDA denied the request.
USDA officials, of course, did not respond to requests for comment. State and county Job and Family Services officials say there is little they can do other than letting their clients and community partners who provide food assistance know about the changes. "This is a federal issue," said Joel Potts, executive director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Directors’ Association. "It is what it is. They have a formula. ... We just think it is going to be really hard on families and individuals. They will see significantly less money starting in January." The average food-stamp recipient receives $138 per person, per month, according to state statistics. A total of $3 billion in benefits was issued in 2011 in Ohio; the program is federally funded.
In Lucas County, about 91,000 people, or 46,000 households, receive the benefit. Fifty fewer dollars per household per month would amount to about $27 million annually. "It’s a concern," said Deb Ortiz-Flores, director of Lucas County’s Job and Family Services agency. "Fifty dollars can buy quite a bit of food." Jack Frech, director of the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services in southeastern Ohio, said the loss of funds will cause a true hardship. "Fifty dollars would be devastating" to families, he said. "These are folks that have already fallen off the fiscal cliff." Mr. Frech added that many of his agency’s clients are not affected by lower natural gas prices. "The majority of folks [here] don’t heat with natural gas in the first place," he said. "They heat with fuel oil and propane."
Look, I don’t want to sound cold here, but what did these people really expect from this slimy character that they voted for? He viewed these people as a resource to be used in his effort to get re-elected, much like those suffering through the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. And now that he’s been re-elected there’s been no looking back at those who voted for him, only looking forward. These people had a choice presented to them a week ago, and they fell for the BS hook, line and sinker, and now they’re paying for it. I hope it was worth it to them, because it’s going to be a very long four years. And at the end of those four years this country is going to look markedly different, with there being a good chance that many of may not even recognize it as being America.
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