Bill aims to get more residents using food stamps
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
Fololiena Miller and her four children were staying at their relative’s home in Kuliouou in June 2012. Miller, a single mother, was getting food stamps because she was unemployed after moving from the mainland and giving birth to her son who is now two weeks old.
HILO » State lawmakers are considering legislation designed to increase the state’s participation in the federal food stamp program.
The bill brought by Democratic Sen. Josh Green would have health care providers ask clients who are enrolled in Medicaid if they are also participating in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported. Both federal programs are based on a person’s income.
According to the legislation, the state receives more than $500,000 annually in federal funds to run the food stamp program and has some of the lowest participation rates in the country.
Green, who is a physician, said he decided to introduce the bill after finding that many of his patients did not know they could get assistance through programs such as SNAP.
“I see a lot of people in my other life as a doctor that are in poverty, and I’ve noticed that a lot of them weren’t getting the full complement of resources that they’re eligible for,” he said.
There were 159,603 people in Hawaii who were enrolled in Medicaid but not in SNAP, the bill says.
“If these additional, eligible individuals participated in SNAP, the state could receive more federal funding, an estimated ($247 million) which would ultimately be injected into the economy in Hawaii with no negative impact on the state budget,” the bill states.
The Department of Human Services has testified against the bill, citing implementation and confidentiality concerns. It also said the department is working on allowing people to apply for Medicaid and SNAP simultaneously.
25 responses to “Bill aims to get more residents using food stamps”
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I can’t believe we are encouraging people to be dependent on SNAP. If they need it, OK!
We need to encourage food independence. Spend your time building economic opportunity, not more dependence.
No, you have to have some pride. You get out there and do your best. If you need SNAp, you get it. But, you need to go out and better yourself. At least try!
Food independence? What’s that? Little reminder here…(1)Grocery stores are not here to feed you, but to make money selling food.(2) Less than 2% of the American population feeds the rest of the 98% and you are not one of them. (3)Farming is a business and not necessarily about feeding anyone.
In the immortal words of Richard Ha “If farmers make money, farmers will farm”. (side note- Richard Ha has recently gone out of business- No make enough money)
So as Green examines his obese patients, he determines they should be on SNAP?
Hawaii was awarded with over $600,000 from the USDA for increasing SNAP participation.
http://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/governors-office-news-release-governor-ige-accepts-660422-federal-award-for-excellence-by-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/
Josh Green don’t care..it’s not his money…
Keeping them on the plantation and voting democrat.
All this does is encourage some woman to become baby making machines; more babies, more money. Food stamps CAN be converted to cash, just have to use shady ‘brokers’ who make a profit from the conversion.
“””Green, who is a physician, said he decided to introduce the bill after finding that many of his patients did not know they could get assistance through programs such as SNAP.”””
And the physician is examining the financial situation of his patients and has determined they are not but should be on SNAP? What kind of doctor is he?
We should judge success by how many people we can get into houses, training, jobs and becoming productive citizens… not by how many more people we can sign up for welfare.
The Federal Government disagrees with you. Signing people up to SNAP is financially rewarding. Hawaii was awarded with over $600,000 from the USDA for increasing SNAP participation.
http://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/governors-office-news-release-governor-ige-accepts-660422-federal-award-for-excellence-by-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/
What we need is a bill to put people into work programs to pay their own way instead of helping them live in perpetuity on government handouts.
Do we actually encounter a lot of people who are “starving” in Honolulu?
Back in 2009 at my church, there were palates of spam, Vienna sausage, bags of rice and canned soup. The dept of Agriculture had issued surplus money for supplemental food and a family of four with less than $9000 monthly income qualified for free food.
There is no such thing as a starving homeless person in Hawaii. In fact most have a seriously large opu. The truly emaciated homeless people either are either physically sick or heavy drug use has ravaged their bodies.
Senator Green should let his patients know about job openings if he really wants to help. Best to help them get out of poverty, not keep them there.
Another idiotic bill telling lazy bums it’s okay to be unemployed.
democrat tax and spend policies are more than enough to move more into poverty and food stamp use.
We’ve been through this before…SNAP isn’t about folks being lazy and not wanting to work for a living…yada yada yada..This is a socialist program that is one of the few that is accepted by both Democrats and Republicans in our capitalistic society. Hawaii SNAP is an economic booster for local economy. It’s about redistributing federal tax dollars locally.The MORE people on SNAP the BETTER and STRONGER the local economy is. Our governor actually won a federal award of over $600,000 for increasing SNAP participation. YES, it is encouraged by the Federal Government to sign people up!Every $5 SNAP benefits generates $9 in additional economic activity. http://www.snaptohealth.org/snap/the-real-benefits-of-the-snap-program/
When I applied for Quest in the early ’90s, all I got was an EBT card and a referral to the VA.
http://www.snaptohealth.org/snap/the-real-benefits-of-the-snap-program/
a slippery slope for the 47%?
Most Asians would rather go without than apply for food stamps. Other cultures would lie to get food stamps thinking it’s an entitlement.
Each person is responsible for theirselves, including sufficient daily meals and hygiene. Beyond that, the Government cannot “make” people participate in government programs, unless a person has, for example, broken the law.
i try not to snap. i regret it after i do it because i could have handled things better.