Originally Posted by Slims

...The government shouldn't be handing out food stamps at all.

I do support not letting people starve (at least not until they prove they are unwilling, rather than unable to work), but I feel we should be handing out food directly rather than giving people the ability to 'shop.'

By giving someone the ability to make choices you give them the ability to make bad choices, which is what got them into the sort of situation requiring food stamps in the first place.

By handing out nutritious but bulk-purchased bare-bones subsistence foodstuffs directly we could:

-Drop the net price of social programs funded by taxpayers while still providing the same level of nutrition.
-Eliminate (or at least largely reduce) the popularity of selling food stamps for a lesser amount of cash....Who wants to buy a wheel of government cheese?
-Regulate the total caloric intake of fatties who want ME to pay for their meals by simply providing them with only 2,000 calories a day in food...enough to live off of, not enough to weigh 500 pounds.
-Encourage a quick return to being a productive member of society because you would have to make money before you would enjoy eating again.