Oregon Gov. Will Live On Food Stamp Diet
For One Week, As He Battles Proposed Cuts In Federal Program
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Oregon Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski is hoping his temporary food stamp diet, intended to dramatize the plight of food stamp recipients, will help in his lobbying on Capitol Hill. (AP)
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110th Congress
The balance of power shifts and new leadership takes control as the latest session convenes.
But things will be different this week.
This is Hunger Awareness Week in Oregon, and for the next seven days, Kulongoski and Oberst will be cutting way back – down to the budget one would live on if relying on food stamps – a diet they hope others will also follow for a few days to better understand the plight of those who have no choice.
They'll spend just $3 a day apiece on their meals, $42 in all, to match the amount spent by the average food stamp recipient in Oregon.
"I'm gonna probably go back to what I remember in college, Top Ramen and hot dogs," said Kulongoski.
It won't be easy, but the less than bountiful fare is for a cause, reports CBS News correspondent Stephan Kaufman, as Kulongoski begins lobbying Congress against cuts in the food stamp program proposed by the Bush administration.
"The problem is we've just been reducing the money and the eligibility rolls of those who can get food stamps," said Kulongoski, who lived in a home for boys as a child and worked his way up, with a boost from the GI bill. "At the same time, those on food stamps are getting less."
The Oregon governor is also a strong advocate of school breakfast and lunch programs. "When the federal government cuts back on them," says Kulongoski, "you're actually depriving children of opportunity to basically have a healthy life and at the same time, to be able to learn while they're in school."
The Bush administration has proposed several cuts to the program, among them taking away food stamps from about 185,000 people who qualify only because they receive other non-cash government assistance. The Department of Agriculture budget, as proposed, would also eliminate a program that gives boxes of food to nearly half a million seniors each month.
The administration has proposed some changes hailed by hunger advocates, like excluding retirement savings from income limits, and setting aside money to encourage food stamp recipients to purchase more fresh produce.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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See all 107 CommentsTHIS IS DISGUSTING!!
Republicans are truly the personification of evil on this plant. They love to say things like "He made the choice to be in that situation", when referring to the homeless or the poverty stricken. Nevermind that there are people who have no control of their lot in life.
How can it be more compassionate to spend billion$ on a war than to help care for our brothers and sisters who are hungry and sick? How can Bush call himself a 'Christian'?
Hell was built for republicans.
--dallison7
AMEN! I don't know. Honestly, they can be so tight with a buck when it comes to the poor but so loose with the purse strings when it comes to mowing down people somewhere else on the slimmest of pretenses. Talk about throwing money at a problem! And they so blindly keep supporting the war when it clearly is the worst failure in American history, besides Katrina.
I want to know why there wasn't a big 'ol news conference to announce the cuts to the food stamps program. Flippin' cowards. Taking food out of the American people's mouths to pay for his war machine. That's sickening.
Yep, this is their dishonest mantra. The constant statement is that th poor deserve to be poor, which of course implies the rich derserve to be rich. That's the real point of the elite oppressors, that somehow they earned ro deserved to take the lion's share of everything. From our persepective, they are dirty crooks, who have gained their ill-gotten gains through a willingness to do more evil than their fellow man. It's a lousy system that makes the burden of the porr so heavy, while wasting the fat of the land on ugly McMansions.
They make theor money through offshoring and importing cheap workers, then blame the people who can't find a job or hold a job at current wages and conditions.
Regardless
It is disgusting that there could be further cuts to this program. Food should NOT be where we are looking to tighten out belt! Shame SHAME.
Today's cheaper food contain additives and biproducts that keep us very unhealthy, that allows the medical costs to soar and profits to be had by the rich pharmacuticals .. and others ..
Posted by trisporter at 06:13 AM : Apr 23, 2007
Please! You're just another in a long line of Rich Nazi's who has gotten that way in a nation created and protected by hard working people. People who DO believe that those who can not get enough to get by on should have it. It's called the American Way you pathetic LOSER. I, for one, think we have a choice confronting us. We either rid ourselves of these slimy Nazi's and all they stand for or watch our nation continue to slide downward toward third world status. Sieg Heil America
Posted by trisporter at 06:13 AM : Apr 23, 2007
Actually, that is _exactly_ what the food stamp and surplus food programs were designed for: to ensure that those who had no food would eat a healthy diet, shielding our nation from the terrible degenerative diseases born of malnutrition.
Your words reveal no proud truth, just a sad and shamefully bellicose lack of understanding of the food stamp program, the people who benefit from it and the ultimate reduction of burden it provides for our country.
When the program started, it was great, regardless of abuse by some people (using food stamps as cash). Now they brought in these 'EBT' cards to cut down on abuse and waste, and at the same time, they're cutting back to further reduce costs, not realizing the effect their cutbacks have on the average citizen.
As it is, it's not cost-effective to buy any single item at the supermarket that costs over $2, red meat and poultry included. Eating more than $10 of food a day is insane, on the 'food stamp diet'.
For those who laugh and jeer at people who live on foodstamps, just remember that America is no longer the 'land of opportunity'. The population has outgrown the amount of available jobs several times over. For every hour you spend in your office or behind the counter of a grocery store, is another hour someone else spends wondering where their next meal is, since Uncle Sam can't afford to help them out, while giving himself a raise every few months.
I was in line at the grocery story while listening to the cashier talk on her cell phone (don't you love it?). She was explaining to someone that she had to go meet an individual who sold their stamps to her every month. She paid $150 for $300 worth of stamps and it supplimented her food budget for her kids.
You'd be surprised at the number of people on the food stamp program who CANNOT do that. A decent amount of people are physically disabled or for whatever reason are unable to work, even though they want to.
This mumbo jumbo about unemployed people being those who don't want to work, is a load of ***. The average citizen is forced to make a choice: Work at a 7 Eleven or join the military, earn a degree, die for their country, and come home to work minimum wage for 20 hours a week. The average soldier works on a wage of $1,200 a year. That's the thanks they get for putting life and limb on the line to protect our freedom.
Posted by barbaraf4
It is indeed an 'ill wind that blows no man good'!
Many members of congress have 'sold' their votes to lobbyists. Should we disband congress or prosecute the guilty?
Posted by darkfyreaol at 08:33 AM : Apr 23, 2007
I guess we should all take comfort in the fact that "Guest Workers" (legal or non) are taking the jobs no one else wants.
Posted by dallison7 at 08:47 AM : Apr 23, 2007
I assume members of congress can still go home and feed their kids after having "sold" their votes to lobbyists.
What does a person feed their kids after having "sold" their food stamps?
trispoter, When you look around today, tell me if you really believe that 52% of the people around you are on the doll? I think that 52% says more about the shoddy work of the CSM and yourself for being so gulible in your antipathy.
What does a person feed their kids after having "sold" their food stamps?
Posted by barbaraf4
The question is, 'Should we end a program that helps thousands upon thousands of unfortunate families simply because some abuse it?'
Posted by dallison7 at 09:00 AM : Apr 23, 2007
Of course not. But how do we make sure the food is getting to the target? If a parent sells the monthly allotment on the first of the month, to buy drugs or alcohol, or whatever, how do the children survive until the first of next month?
This is why I support the breakfast and lunch at school program. At lease the kids are getting fed.
What an effective and heartfelt way to make your point.
Well done!
Posted by barbaraf4
A good and worthwhile program, but remember there are hundreds of thousands of preschool children in this country, and many live in poverty.
My point, every program is subject to abuse. We cannot turn our backs on the needy because of that abuse. It's a problem, but a very small problem considering the good that is done.
Posted by haneyr
As long as there are those with money who don't give it all to the poor, the right will have this phony argument to justify their not giving a rats behind. The Clinton's and Kennedy's give far more than the Bushies and their ilk. The righties have to reduce feeding the hungry to political terms so they can justify a policy of "Let them eat cake."
Why dont we stop most of the Farm Subsidies and pay them to Actually Grow food which can be put into programs for the poor?
They dont need to worry about price drops due to surplus food, because the Government could use the excess (that we pay out taxes for already but get nothing for) for the poor, and other countries that need food desperately, instead of handing those countries cash to corrupt officials, ship them tons of US grown grains and other food.--- saves us tax money in every way.
Thanks for not forgetting where you came from and having some empathy for others.
6 years ago I was fired as the CFO of a nonprofit because I wouldn't miappropriate funds.
For 11 months I received unemployment and worked temp assignments until I finally got another full-time job.
I qualified for $350 per week unemployment,the maximum. I don't remember how much I got in food stamps but I ran up about $7,000 in credit card debt because I had to supplement for all the non-food products, like paper towels and tp that I couldn't buy with food stamps.
People on food stamps don't have it made like some ignorant people think.
As far as fraud is concerned, while I was on the program they did away eith paper coupons and issued debit cards to make it harder for people to sell it to others. I'm sure there's still some abuse, as there is in everything.
My question to those who attack the food stamp program is what is your alternative?
Posted by huskerarmy
As someone on another thread pointed out, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are in the process of giving vast amounts of their fortunes back to the less fortunate in society. It has been my experience that the most "me" orientated, tend to be the type that cast themselves as "compassionate conservatives".
Posted by haneyr at 09:26 AM : Apr 23, 2007
Read the article.
The Governor of Oregon grew up in a boys home, joined the military, went to college on the GI Bill, and never looked back. He is living the American Dream, which is within reach of all of us who know how to prioritize. For example, if you get pregnant in high school, chances are you will never graduate and go to college. College is the ticket out, but few who are living in abject poverty can see that.
Perhaps it would be more helpful if the governor were to work on his own problems before he concerns himself with the federal budget.
source: www.ocpp.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?page=nr270307poor
I saw something similar a few years ago. In line at the grocery store, the young woman in front of me, with her designer handbag, manicured nails, and cell phone stuck to her ear was buying fresh shrimp and steak with food stamps - pet food, since Food Stamps won't pay for pet food.
Oregon has no SALES tax.
Try living in a state that has a 10-12% income tax and an 8% sales tax.
Posted by pd1032 at 10:27 AM : Apr 23, 2007
So this $3/day/person figure they give in the story isn't accurate? How much did you get? Have there been cuts since 2000? How much? I'm fairly ignorant on this as the only assistance I ever got was a $500 pell grant. I'm just looking 4 real info...
You contradicted yourself, fartknocker2. Was she on the cell phone or was the kid on the cell phone? You can't have it both ways. LOL!! Your credibility isn't worth the time it took for you to spew that hateful bigotry.
51 percent of all participants are children (18 or younger), and 65 percent of them live in single-parent households.
55 percent of food stamp households include children.
9 percent of all participants are elderly (age 60 or over).
79 percent of all benefits go to households with children, 16 percent go to households with disabled persons, and 7 percent go to households with elderly persons.
36 percent of households with children were headed by a single parent, the overwhelming majority of whom were women.
The average household size is 2.3 persons.
The average gross monthly income per food stamp household is $640.
And this one is for you fartknocker2 and barbaraf4:
41 percent of participants are white; 36 percent are African-American, non-Hispanic; 18 percent are Hispanic; 3 percent are Asian, 2 percent are Native American, and 1 percent are of unknown race or ethnicity.
Posted by FARTKNOCKER2 at 10:03 AM : Apr 23, 2007
You see the world through biased eyes... LOL!!
The food stamp program costs less than ONE month of WAR in Iraq. And you COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVES would rather pay for the war in Iraq and let American kids starve?
There's more corruption in congress, and government in general, than there is in the food stamp program.
OBTW: A lot, if not MOST, of Gates' and Buffet's charity went overseas. LOL!!
Indeed... most were born on third base and swear they hit a tripple.
People who require food stamps have made one bad decision after another in their lives and only continue to do so when the stamps are used. I think the system should be replaced with a work-for-dollars program. Boy that's an idea. Imagine actually working for food!
Yeah!! Great idea. Let's make the kids and elderly work to earn their food stamps. Real compassion from a conservative.
Meanwhile the "war for oil" continues on at $1 Billion/day.
More drivel from a phobic!! And stereotyping!!LOL!!
OBTW: Gates' "worth" is equal to that of 40% of Americans. When a nation's wealth is concentrated within a small percentage of the population, a larger percent of the population suffers--needlessly.
And lets send more good jobs overseas and import more immigrants to do the jobs that are left.
I don't mind helping people who need a hand up, but I'll be damned if I'll support some slacker who thinks the government "owes" them a life.
Posted by Infidel_US
Isn't your litmus test for a "slacker" anyone who earns less than 50,000 a year? I would be horrified at the prospect of you making the determination of who is deserving and who isn't....
Posted by drivelphobe
There's that word again, 'entitlement'. And look at the class of person who likes to use it. Calling less fortunate individuals scuzzy, trashy, dirty and stupid looking. Makes me wonder what you look like, drivel. I'll bet you're all starched with slicked back hair. You probably lick you comb everytime you pass it through your greasy hair.
Anyway, you are certainly a credit to your neocon creed.
They are the types who were born on third base and swear they hit a triple. They have no reservations about corporate welfare. Tax write-offs and "incentives" are on the other hand not an "entitlement." It's a birth right.
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