I was just wondering your take on the "food stamp challenge." Three politicians are living off the supposed $21 a week average given to recipients. It sounds like a whole bunch of hype to me.

To begin with, this is the so called "average" amount a recipient who works would receive. This means they should (with all other benefits calculated) have money left over to supplement their food bill. The declared average received by the non-working is $32, but add in all the other benefits such as welfare, SS if applicable, section-8, WIC, etc.

With the above research taken into account, one could claim the politicians participating in this "challenge" are making a whole lot of noise over nothing. Just something to throw more tax dollars at, and impose more Socialism.

Speaking from my own experience, when I was a grocery checker (a short lived job in large part due to my disgust of the following events) making $6.33 an hour, I normally had less then $1 a day to spend on food. However, I never could go an entire shift without someone with a LINK card strutting up to the register - cart over flowing. It was a normal occurrence to watch these same "impoverished" people buy a brimming cartload of goods with their LINK card, while their cash was reserved for such delicacies as live lobsters and fresh steaks.

As if that were not enough, they often times had enough cash left over for liquor as well. On average of once per month I was forced to report people selling their food stamps outright to others in line to management, as this practice is against the law.

Before you buy into the hype surrounding the food stamp "challenge" I urge you to do your own research. The following link contains the average of all recipients, and does not take into account the difference between working or non-working. It still puts the weekly average at $23.56. An extra $2.56 doesn't sound like much but it could buy: bullion cubes, a bag of beans, and a bag of frozen veggies with which to make a large soup. We routinely make such food in my house, because we pay for it ourselves. http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/18fsavgben.htm

I had the link for the information which separated working and non-working, but I accidentayl closed it. I am very much looking forward to hearing your comments on the matter.

*Please note, I am not in any way shape or form trying to knock those who do NEED food stamps. I just want to call attention to the fact that try as they like, they will never convince me that this program is not abused by some!*******