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Show Until this change can be brought about the Federal subsidy in the food stamp program should be given in the form of free bonus food stamps to supplement the inadequate food budgets that poor people have. These bonuses should be large enough to bring the food budget up to the USDA’s “moderate food plan” to insure adequate diets. A less desirable alternative to “From the President's Desk” : free bonus stamps is to allow poor people to buy whatever amounts of food stamps they feel they can afford, based on a range of prices to ; iMerie Darling be set by Agriculture the for Department their of | income category. Poor people should be allowed to _ trade-in stamps for money to meet HUNGER The elimination of hunger in the United States requires. that adequate income be provided to every citizen. Poor people know better than anyone else that the hodge-podge of programs set up by the Department of Agriculture are welfare programs for farmers and the food processing and distribution industry. They are not designed to serve the needs of poor people. Welfare programs. which exclude people for reasons other than need and which do not provide adequate income are a basic source of hunger and malnutrition. Food stamp programs in which recipients. cannot afford to participate only perpetuate that condition. Surplus commodity programs which cannot provide enough of the right kinds of food and which are cumbersome and inefficient do not meet the basic needs either. The food stamp program does not provide enough stamps for a nutritionally adequate diet, even if a recipient can afford to participate. The Administration’s recent Nixon proposal for programs improving these emergency needs and be allowed to apply unused stamps against next month’s stamp purchases. There should be no minimum amount of stamps to buy. (People with no money should receive free stamps—people with almost not money should be able to buy very small amounts of stamps.) Stamps should be sold at more frequent intervals (at least weekly) and recipients should set their own buying pattern (weekly, monthly, etc.) A fair hearing process should be established for recipients to appeal the decisions of the local administering agencies’ procedures that are at least equivalent to the procedures now.in force to protect stores which participate in the program. | Recipients’ concerns and interests should be given consideration equal to that given farmers in the regulation administration of this program. and provides only a one hundred ($100) dollar per month worth of stamps. This is equivalent to the USDA’s “economy food plan.” USDA itself points out that “this plan is not a reasonable measure of basic money needs for a food diet” it is a plan “designed for temporary emergency use.” The “low cost food plan” which is the basis for the so-called “low income poverty line, and the BLS ie Harris Can Polish & Detail Specialize Se 69 Harvard Ave. — Simonize “lower standard budget.” BLS. recognizes the — Porcelanizing — & Waxing inadequacy of. the low-cost food plan in the following statement: “Although families can achieve nutritional adequacy from it, it has been estimated that only Pius Steam Cleaning & Upholstery Shampoo about a fourth—(23%) of those who spend amounts equivalent to the cost of the plan actually have nutritionally adequate diets. Menus based upon this plan will include food requiring a_ considerable amount of home preparation Phone: 364-829) Pickup.& Delivery as. well as skill in cooking to make varied and appetizing meals. It is for these reasons that the USDA “moderate food plan” used by BLS is developing its “moderate budget”, was adopted by NWRO in establishing a minimum adequacy High Fashion Boutique & Afro Fashions & Products budget. The solution to the problem of hunger and malnutrition is for every citizen to be guaranteed an adequate income to meet his basic food and other needs. Therefore, the money directed toward giving bonuses in food better be redirected providing more stamps adequate income for poor people. ARNIES MARKET 11 South 3rd West Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 Phone 355-9497 a riendly or friendl store could - toward basic Artis & Ruth C. Ross people |