From CNN, about the moderate-liberal Democratic mayor of Newark, N.J.: "Newark Mayor Cory Booker rescued a neighbor from a burning building,
invited Hurricane Sandy victims to his home, and rushed to the aid of a
pedestrian hit by a car. Now he's going to live on a food stamp budget
for a week in solidarity with Americans who feed their families on the
government assistance program. The mayor's office has yet to announce the full details of his plan,
but the budget should amount to about $4.44 a day for food, based on
data from the United States Department of Agriculture. As of fiscal year 2011, average monthly food stamp benefits in New Jersey totaled $133.26 per person."
More about Mayor Booker's food stamp challenge: "Booker plans to live off the food stamp budget for a week, starting Tuesday, December 4, and he will document the experience on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. He signed on to the project after a back-and-forth conversation with Twitter user @MWadeNC."
Booker Rising response: Since he clearly doesn't meet the need requirement, ain't that fraud? Also, is he gonna get rid of what's already in his cupboards? This challenge is a no-brainer. Although the meals will be on the boring side, $133 per person per month (~$33 per week) is more than adequate to feed oneself. This is especially so if one sticks to staples, buys in bulk, cooks from scratch, and maximizes sales and Buy One, Get One free options. This won't work if the mayor loads up on junk food, processed foods, and the high-end items (e.g., steak, seafood) that I usually see in food stamp/EBT users' grocery carts. The purpose of food stamps/EBT is to temporarily survive so you're motivated to find a long-term solution to feed yourself as you wish, not live off taxpayers.
Cory Booker To Live On Food Stamps For A Week
