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Politics
Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker Challenges Twitter User to Live on Food Stamps
Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker (D) challenged a right-wing Twitter user on Sunday to try to live on food stamps for a week or a month, reports Politico.com.
The Twitter user goes by the handle of @MWadeNC and describes herself as a “Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR), fighting against any and all forms of socialism/communism.. Army Veteran, Army Daughter, Army Wife.”
The challenge came after Mayor Booker quoted the Greek historian Plutarch on Twitter.com: “An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.”
Mayor Booker then explained how public investment in education and nutrition would save money on police and prisons.
@MWadeNC then tweeted: ”Nutrition is not a responsibility of the government.”
Booker responded: “Lets you and I try to live on food stamps in New Jersey (high cost of living) and feed a family for a week or month. U game?”
@MWadeNC agreed.
Booker replied: “Lets do this. I hope you live in New Jersey. Lets film it and see how we do.”
If the challenge occurs, each participant could only spend $35 on food and drinks per week and would have to avoid loopholes such as free food from friends.
The University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, which is organizing a similar challenge for its students, agreed to serve as a moderator.
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Comments
Math and reality is clearly
Math and reality is clearly not part of this argument. The resources available to people who "qualify" for food stamps in the North East creates a very different picture.
Jmvc2 must have no idea what
Jmvc2 must have no idea what prices are like in the northeast, in California, Florida or in even Chicago. Why don't you take up Mayor Booker's challenge and live a month in New Jersey on food stamps? While I may agree that food stamp distribution should be temporary, most Americans favor feeding low income families to burying them, or watching starving children go through our garbage cans. While charity does begin at home, most Americans feel this nation is our home and our fellow citizens are a part of our extended family. We might not buy our lazy, deadbeat, distant cousin a car but he doesn't deserve to starve. Some of our fellow citizens have created their own problems, but most have not. Over the last 120 years Americans have decided what is common decency and what safety nets we will allow our tax dollars to support. Americans did this, not some invisible dictator robbing your house & pockets. We are talking about food, an essential element of life. The elderly & disabled aren't going to be going back to work or getting a second chance to be young or healthy. Some Americans will need help to feed themselves the rest of their lives. I may agree that we need to reduce welfare fraud, but personally I'd rather give food to some who don't need it than deprive anyone who does. I hope when JMCv2 or other neocons grow weak & hungry they will find more people in their communities who feel as I do, rather than those as selfish as themselves.
Yeah actually I do have an
Yeah actually I do have an idea of prices in those places, I have family in some of those locations. No one said let people starve, I said you could live off $35 a wk, i do it all the time and Im healthly as can be according to my doctor. Those healthly and able have no business being on food stamps when they could just get a job that doesn't include the disabled or elderly. When more liberals such as gem figure out that being financally responible and taking care of yourself is ok, maybe we wont need to depend on goverment nannies for everything.
jmcv02
This will make for one hell
This will make for one hell of a Thanksgiving dinner.
I'm guessing that the NC in
I'm guessing that the NC in MWadeNC stands for North Carolina, and that she gets by on the food stamps-level feeding for the month - as long as she can supplement it secretly with all the cookies and twinkies she has stashed about her mansion.
I've yet to see many rich people who actually did bust their ass to get there, aside from doctors.
ignorance is bliss
ignorance is bliss
jmcv02
$35 dollars buys you alot of
$35 dollars buys you alot of rice, beans, and other staples. I live off that and Im not even trying to be cheap. You can even buy a little meat with that if youre smart with your money. I grew up poor and sometimes all we had was a crock of beans, so quit your whining mayor! IF you wanna help out create jobs, get people off food stamps or donate your salary to those that really need help.
jmcv02
Yes. The poor should eat
Yes. The poor should eat rice, beans and sometimes chicken. Then when they need healthcare we can yell at them for not eating healthy enough and deny them any help. I like the way you think. Screw vegetables, fruit, and clean drinking water!
I guess when I said staples I
I guess when I said staples I assumed you have actually shopped for groceries before because most of the time that includes frozen veggies, fruit, canned tuna, etc not just rice, beans, and chicken. I could make you a list of basic staples since you can't figure it out yourself, that i could buy with that $35 a wk. Just about all US water is treated so youre being an idiot is the cleaning drinking water comment.
jmcv02
I grocery shop. For myself
I grocery shop. For myself and also for work, where there was a person with copper pipes who drank their water straight from the tap until they were poisoned from it. I'm also from the country originally, where most people don't have drinkable water from their tap. Everyone thought I waz crazy when I moved to a bigger community and asked each friend if their water was clean to drink. Also with fracking being a big problem, those people also need to buy water. Even the larger community I moved to floods and the drinking water gets contaminated almost every time it rains. And like I said, you can buy very healthy food for 35$ a week for a family. You can buy plenty of box, canned, and frozen food. All very natural and healthy. Just what growing kids, elderly or people with medical problems need. 5$ a day can surely buy the food a body needs to stay healthy and fit. Especially if you live in an expensive area. Like I said perfect plan. Then when they are tired from lack of nutrition we can yell at them for being lazy and deny them healthcare needs. How many children are starving in the US again, and relying on school programs to feed them with their terrible tasting and horribly malnourished meals? Oh yeah, you don't care.
Wow since a majority of water
Wow since a majority of water lines in homes are copper I guess we should all be dead according to you. Its called a boil water alert, you take water and boil it then its safe to drink, as long nothing chemically has contaminated it. I guess using a fridge is natural huh? Food can be preserved in many different ways that doesn't even change the nutritional value, and I never said boxed food. I can make a nutritious, healthy meal with nothing but basic staple foods, sorry I have cooking skills and you do not. Eat unprocessed staple foods is very healthy for everyone, don't believe me just look at the food guidelines. Do I really need to give you a dietary lecture, are you that uninformed? I could even send you some recipes if you would like. Just because you don't have the skills to live on that doesn't mean its not possible. There is 15 million kids in the US that are living in "food insecure" homes for your information, school lunches maybe terrible tasting but their not mal-nourishing although their portion sizes should be increased. A good cook could make those meals taste good. No one is denying them healthcare, if they're on food stamps they actually would qualify for more benefits such as healthcare. Also the USDA has several programs to overcome this issue along with organizations such Feeding America. You have no idea what I care about, nor that as a farmer I do more to feed people then you do, not to mention the organizations we're involved with that feed and provide for the hungry. If food stamps are so hard to live on GET A JOB! Its not impossible, it may just be hard. What is wrong with being self-reliant if you're physically and mentally capable? Why is that wrong in your mind?
jmcv02
The person didn't die, but it
The person didn't die, but it did cause them a lot of health problems. No you shouldn't drink water from copper pipes. Boil water? Never heard of it. contaminated with chemicals? Impossible! Your cooking knowledge is wrong. Simple. I'm a chef. One of those crazy ones who believes in natural food. Stuff not from a freezer. Real food. I've cooked vegetarian. You still are completely heartless. You don't care about anyone but yourself. You don't care if people have children to feed on those 5$ a day in addition to 2 adults. You don't care if they live in nj/ny area a bunch of bananas cost almost 3$ Not wasting my time on you. You. Are. An. Idiot. On every. Level. Grow some compassion. Just because your jealous or angry because you didn't have anything, or don't now doesn't mean being a stubborn, heartless, callous, insensitive asshole is going to make your life any better. I don't know what your problem is. People can live off food cheap if they shop and cook smart. But people have children and live in cities. Just because YOU can do it doesn't mean EVERYONE can. Do you expect the old woman who broke her hip to walk 17 blocks to the Aldi, or is she going to have to walk 4 block to the family owned story that may be 3$ more expensive. For fucks sake man. Old lady can't eat today because of 3$! Jesus Christ.
You keep changing your story
You keep changing your story about the copper pipes. For a chef you display very bad knowledge, you if believe preserving food at one point or another isnt necessary. Freezing/drying doesnt really change the nutritional value much but you should know that, if you really are a chef. We have winters that don't allow us to grow food year around, if you want fresh food shipped in from across the country or worldwide good for you. I believe in natural foods too, thats why i grow them. Heartless because I said its possible to live off that, for a short time until you get a job? So what if you have to get a job, that pays less then you would want or you don't like, at least your being self-reliant and taking care of your family, until you get the job you want. If you are physically and mentally capable get a job! Children and the elderly aren't capable of taking care of themselves (getting a job) so I have no issue at all with them recieving assistance, if you had read any of my previous posts/replys using your brain not your emotions you would have understood that. If you disagree with me fine, I have no problem with that but you seem very petty/juvenile when you start calling me names instead of understanding my point of view.
jmcv02
“An imbalance between rich
“An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.” Wow so if you steal from the rich that earned it by busting their a@@ and taking risks thats not an injustice? Maybe people should realize hard work pays off if they try it. Food stamps is a helping hand till you get back on your feet not the cure-all, it was never meant to replace having a job long-term.
jmcv02
Few of the "rich" busted
Few of the "rich" busted their own asses to get there. They busted the asses of their workers, robbed retirement funds, inherited fortunes made by their grandfathers by exploiting monopolies soaking the "common people". The only "hard work" being done is by the people who need food stamps because the "rich" business owner would rather line his pockets than pay a living wage.
Seriously, Marxist rhetoric
Seriously, Marxist rhetoric there. Your union dogma, class warfare slip is showing. Blaming the rich is really fun until things degenerate to the point that the rich are no more. Marxism only spreads misery and raises no one. Without those whom you demonize, there is nothing to gain, nothing to which you may aspire, no one to pay you and no advancement. It's high time that the truth be told about why Pre-Obama America wasn't a third rate European Socialist Country.
I can name you 8 guys I know
I can name you 8 guys I know personally that are rich ($2-25 million each) and started with next to nothing. One guy started with a $1000 loan when he was 14 years old. That's the kind of rich people i know, you should realize that many did bust their ass to get rich. If the "common people" don't want to be so commom then keep busting your ass and take a few risks.
jmcv02