Large number of food stamp recipients are Republicans...

[kentuck]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-14/food-stamp-cut-backed-by-republicans-with-voters-on-rolls.html

<snip>
As the U.S. economy recovers from the worst recession since the Great Depression, the explosive growth of food stamps remains a lingering legacy. And now the program comes with an irony, as the Republicans seeking to cut it also represent vast numbers of recipients.

Among the 254 counties where food stamp recipients doubled between 2007 and 2011, Republican Mitt Romney won 213 of them in last year’s presidential election, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data compiled by Bloomberg. Kentucky’s Owsley County, which backed Romney with 81 percent of its vote, has the largest proportion of food stamp recipients among those that he carried.

Stella Marshall is among the food stamp users in Owsley County. Around the fifth of each month, she heads to a discount grocery store to buy staples: macaroni, beans, corn meal and peanut butter. At the checkout, she swipes the Electronic Benefit Transfer card that carries the $352 in food stamps she receives each month.

“Of all the things they could cut in America, it shouldn’t be the food stamp program,” said Marshall, 58, who received Social Security disability payments and is raising three grandchildren, ages 7 through 17, in Booneville, Kentucky, on a monthly income of $1,255, all from the state or federal government.

.....more

[samsingh]

1. and they're well represented at the bottom of the income ladder i'm sure.

[malaise]

2. ReTHUGs prey on the poor

let's twitterbomb that reality

[kardonb]

25. rethugs

I can guarantee this much : they will not make many friends or supporters with their loony goings-on . Only the tea-crazies will like all this nonsense . This nutty lot MUST loose the elections next year , folks : VOTE !!!

[maddezmom]

53. Do you want to list those so called Dems?

[uppityperson]

60. Have you ever kept count?

[liberal N proud]

3. That's what puzzles me...

How can people vote against themselves all the time.

[questionseverything]

8. maybe they do,maybe not

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7875

It's not all that unusual for the unofficial numbers to move a bit following election day, as absentee and provisional ballots are counted and added in to the totals, and as precinct numbers are double-checked for accuracy in the post-election canvass. It is, however, unusual, for vote totals to get a great deal smaller rather than larger in the days following the election. And that's what seems to have happened in Monroe County --- radically so.

Somehow, more than a thousand votes disappeared entirely, as the election results in the Dem and GOP Senate primaries have almost entirely changed.

On May 19th, voter turnout was 3,393:





But by May 21st, turnout dropped by 1,234 to just 2,159, or 41.11% --- still one of the highest turnout rates in the state:

[SummerSnow]

14. Because party loyalty is waaaaaaay more important.

[secondvariety]

15. All about the guns...

[Arugula Latte]

19. and the white fetuses

[stillwaiting]

26. They get to vote against the gays and the "baby killers" though.

Their hate is intentionally stoked so they know not what they do.

Oh yeah, and Democrats want to "take their guns"!!

Maybe enough of them will snap out of it one of these days, but I'm not holding my breath.

The 3 G's have them deep in the conservative trap, and they just have no idea they have been manipulated into it.

[A Little Weird]

31. Propaganda

Propaganda is a powerful thing. Especially when force fed to an uneducated populace. There are people that actually truly believe Obama is a muslim, socialist, anti-Christ who is taking orders from Al Qaida.

[etherealtruth]

65. The GOP convinces them to vote against their very survival with guns, god and gays

top it off with a little women's sexual autonomy and these fools vote to starve themselves

[The Blue Flower]

4. Ms. Marshall is on a learning curve

Nice that the politicians in her area are so willing to educate her about a policy she cares about. She won't be a low-info voter much longer.

[kestrel91316]

5. You'd think they would be HAPPY to make the sacrifice for the sake of teaching those uppity

colored food stamp recipients a lesson about the consequences of laziness.

[OldRedneck]

34. 99.22 % whitehttp://www.democraticunderground.com/emoticons/wink.gif

Owsley County, Kaintucky . . . 81 percent for Romney.

Here are a few stats about Owsley County:

-- The racial makeup of the county is 99.22% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

-- The median income for a household in the county was $15,805, which is the third lowest in the nation and the lowest among counties with a non-Hispanic white majority population, and the median income for a family was $18,034. Males had a median income of $25,100 versus $18,203 for females.

-- About 41.7% of families and 45.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 56.3% of those under age 18 and 34.5% of those age 65 or over.

-- In 2009, government benefits accounted for 53.07% of personal income.

[kestrel91316]

39. Exactly my point. Tons of white haters happy to shoot themselves in the feet in order to hurt

brown people.

[noiretextatique]

43. that sums it up nicely

These idiots are willing to shot themselves in the foot because their overlords tell them they will hurt brown people. That definitive proof that racism makes you crazy.

[gopiscrap]

6. Yes but they're too stupid to realize that they are

voting against their own best interests.

[aggiesal]

7. She no doubt voted for Romney and ...

whomever is her representative in congress, who again is probably an (R).

What did she think was going to happen?

Luckily this will probably never get past the senate.

If she voted (R), she deserves everything she's going to get, or not get.
Unfortunately, she's taking down everyone who didn't vote (R) with her.

[Turbineguy]

9. Yes, but they'll still vote republican because Fox News will tell them

that the Democrats caused this harm to them.

[libodem]

10. .

[Wait Wut]

11. No they aren't.

At least, that's what they'll tell you.

Earlier this week a relative of a friend posted a meme on his FB about drug testing recipients and 'like this if you want your state, blah, blah, blah...'

He's unemployed, has three kids and is on welfare and food stamps. Oh...and he smokes weed like he's Willy Nelson. I know a few people like this.

[durablend]

12. Sorry Ms Marshall

You'll need to sacrifice some more because the rich are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy in this country. You might want to consider eating every other day to stretch what little you'll be allowed to have.

[MisterP]

13. a lot of the responses will be, "see what happens when you vote for the wrong neoliberal"...

[tanyev]

16. Yeah, but they're only on food stamps because they're going through real tough times

and have no other choice. Everybody else? MOOCHERS!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. Support our troops and be pro-life ...

... throughout life (after life begins).

The definition of pro-life has been distorted by the Republicans until it has an Orwellian 180-degree backwards meaning.

[YoungDemCA]

18. How high is voter turnout in those counties?

What percentage of voters are on food stamps, as opposed to the total population of those counties, and how many of the people actually on food stamps vote Republican?

[winter is coming]

21. +1. "Large numbers of food stamp recipients live in red counties" would be a

more appropriate conclusion.

[Rain Mcloud]

20. Oklahoma is the reddest state in the nation

McCain swept all 77 counties then Mittens Romney did it again in 2012.
Since Ol' Grandad lost the election the number of SNAP recipients has risen by 48% to 650,000+ with a total 2012 population of 3.8 million.
The SNAP funding for 2013 could top $945 million in Oklahoma.

They just do not care about anyone but themselves,and usually people like that end up rich but dying alone.

[Cali_Democrat]

22. Kick and Recommend!

[Iliyah]

23. But the gopers are only focusing on defunding the devil's program Obamacare

so while they are non-stopping trashing it the cutting of snap will fall thru the cracks and as usual their constituents will not know what happen so when the cuts go into effect the gopers will blame the Dems for it.

And they will believe it. So these so called "Christian" goper politicians wrapped up in the American flag with the bible in one hand and a gun in the other basically in your face effing their own base.

[1-Old-Man]

24. I don't think its because food stamp recipients mostly vote Republican, its because they don't vote

It has been my experience to notice that the poorer a person is the less likely they are to vote. So if you have poor folks by the thousands in a district in which most of the voters lean toward voting for Republicans they simply go unrepresented.

[A Little Weird]

33. That's probably true

Too many people from all walks of life don't bother to vote. I wish it was mandatory. But many poor people can't get to the polls, especially elderly poor people in rural areas.

But it also seems that poor people are less educated and more likely to be fooled by the propaganda spewed by Fox news and their ilk.

[awoke_in_2003]

36. It's hard to vote when you work two jobs. nt

[Uncle Joe]

27. I posted this before, the Republicans are gambling on the ignorance of the American People but

I believe they overplayed their hand on behalf of their plutocrat owners.

Thanks for the thread, kentuck.

[MoonRiver]

28. I hope those idiots are happy with their candidates.

[DinahMoeHum]

29. I'm sorry, but if they STILL vote GOP after all this. . .

. . .I have no sympathy for them.

[bobduca]

51. That is part of the plan

to keep us so divided that we lose our humanity, and vote against aid.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

30. You're only a "taker" if you are not white....

If you ARE white and you get something than it scores as taking it away from a non-white.

[noiretextatique]

44. white people are deserving

The others are not. Remember the media messages during Katrina? White people "found"...black people "looted."

[Spitfire of ATJ]

45. I've actually met white people who believe there is a special welfare only for black people.

[noiretextatique]

46. Lol...as I just wrote in another post

Racism makes one crazy.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

47. You can't blame them completely,...it's been a myth for generations....

They've been told they would be rich if the government wasn't taking so much in taxes to support lazy blacks.

It's to make hard working white people feel outraged that they are working a job they hate while someone else gets a free ride. Republicans swoop in and claim they are the heroes who will put an end to those programs,....that don't exist.

[noiretextatique]

50. we all create our own reality

So I do not blame them, however they are responsible. We all have the power to choose and change and grow. Some people choose ignorance and hatred because it is easy, comfortable and normal...in an odd sort of way. I have little sympathy for people who choose delusion.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

63. What gets me are the ones in their 70s in an absolute PANIC to impose their ideas on the young.

[noiretextatique]

64. their "way of life" is dying along with them

they are on death throes....thank goodness.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

66. What's funny is how many have ZERO core beliefs of their own....

They have to be TOLD how to think by a VERY limited number of people.

They also have ZERO memory of defending Bush.

[treestar]

55. This is so true.

All of that narrative only applies to nonwhites.

This is why they search out a Herman Cain type to state it if they can. They know very well what they mean and think that will quench it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

62. The more cartoonish one was Alan Keyes....

[OldRedneck]

32. Owsley County KY statistics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owsley_County,_Kentucky


Owsley County, Kaintucky . . . 81 percent for Romney.

Here are a few stats about Owsley County:

-- The racial makeup of the county is 99.22% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 0.72% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

-- The median income for a household in the county was $15,805, which is the third lowest in the nation and the lowest among counties with a non-Hispanic white majority population, and the median income for a family was $18,034. Males had a median income of $25,100 versus $18,203 for females.

-- About 41.7% of families and 45.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 56.3% of those under age 18 and 34.5% of those age 65 or over.

-- In 2009, government benefits accounted for 53.07% of personal income.

[A Little Weird]

35. Pictures from Owsley Co.

http://news.discovery.com/human/life/poverty-owsley-appalachia-120424.htm#mkcpgn=otbn1

[kentuck]

37. I know this part of the country.

There is a lot of apathy and desperation. There is also a drug epidemic, including oxycontin. Voting is not something a lot people are concerned with.

[A Little Weird]

38. Yes

I've been to the county a few times. It always seems like a sad place.

[nikto]

40. Perhaps GOPers should be denied the benefits they hate so much, eh?

Hypocrisy should be amply rewarded.

[toddwv]

41. Since the majority of social welfare recipients are children, the disabled, and the elderly...

no.

Let the self-defeating redstaters eat their hypocripie, even if it is paid for by taxpayers' money.

[avaistheone1]

42. Surprise. Surprise.

k&r

[indepat]

48. Gotta be some of the dumbest, most ignorant people on earth: Republicans who are on

food stamps.

[Doctor_J]

49. get rid of hate radio for a year

Republican party would not even exist any more. It's the only thing keeping the right wing alive

[TheMastersNemesis]

54. In Most Of The Country Hate Radio Is 100%. Progressive Radio And Media Is Very Spotty

We lost the recalls in Colorado partly because the media is almost 100% RW. The local papers are RW rags.

[CincyDem]

56. Because they really mean to say "food stamps are only for people like us".

Video from last year by Pelosi's daughter down in Mississippi. Interview rethug voters living in poverty. Amazing self deception.

[gulliver]

61. Yup. The article has Republicans say...

...
“We supported both versions of the farm bill because we believe we must strengthen our social safety net for those who need it by reforming our broken food stamp system that, according to the Obama administration, has sent $2.7 billion in improper SNAP payments so far this year,” the letter said. “Reforming the food stamp program is not about being ’spiteful’ or denying people benefits; it’s about eliminating the waste that prevents Kentucky families who truly need help from getting it.”

...So there you go. They were cutting out improper SNAP payments so that Kentucky families would get more money, not less. These Kentucky poor Republicans just want to stop "other people" from getting food stamps.

[Sunlei]

57. states shouldn't be allowed to 'keep' the federal funds they get for food stamps.

[Frustratedlady]

58. This is McConnell's state, right?

How much pork does he bring home? Only for the rich?

He should be ashamed of the shape his state is in.

[Puzzledtraveller]

67. I have a caseload of 1,600 SNAP families and individuals

When they come in for help I do not see them as anything but people needing help. I am happy I can assist them.

[cordelia]

68. Thank you.

[etherealtruth]

69. Good for you (it is always good to know) ... even better for them

All people are deserving of respect and deserve help when necessary

Geeze ... 1,600 families and individuals, how do you manage?

[Puzzledtraveller]

70. It is not easy, but patience goes a long way but more than that

is empathy, and knowing I can always be on the other side of the desk. I grew up in upper middle class when I lived with my dad during the school year and in a very poor neighborhood with my mom during summers in Texas. My mom only had a 10th grade education and worked minimum wage jobs. It helped me appreciate the disparity between those who have and those who don't but also to realize that most of the time people are doing the best they can, not to judge, to be humanistic and caring. That helps me everyday.

[etherealtruth]

71. We are all just a catastrophic event away this

I am grateful for the life I have (not affluent, but not poor).

my first career (for ten years prior to the birth of children #2 and 3) I was a hospice nurse ... this taught me all I needed to know about poverty and life (the poor are generally the opposite of lazy).

i am always heartened to see someone working in a field that is obviously a good fit (compassion and understanding)