I don't normally talk about politics

[ynkeesfn82]

I don't normally talk about politics. I hate them. I hate politicians. I have to say this.

Why is it every time the government screws up the poor people in this country are the ones who have to suffer?

The government doesn't have a budget and is going to shut down this Thursday October 1st. People who get EBT Food Stamps (SNAP) aren't going to be getting their benefits. As a result of this they're expecting a massive run at Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens. It's always the poor who have to suffer.

First a couple years back they couldn't come to an agreement and unemployment benefits were cut from 104 weeks (2 years) to just 26 weeks (6 months). And now this Food Stamp Fiasco.

If these stupid senators and congressmen gave up their salaries there would be plenty of money to fund The Food Stamp Program and Unemployment.

[TheFugitive]

Don't worry.  The Government is NOT going to shut down.

Even as we speak Congress is working on passing a stop-gap funding bill.  SNAP cards are going
to continue to scan as usual.

This issue keeps coming up ever since Newt Gingrich got into a budget battle with Bill Clinton back in the 90's.  In that case the government did "shut down" (not really...they made a big show over closing some national parks, the Smithsonian, etc.  But everyone still got their check.)

Even that level of shutdown proved so unpopular the Republicans took the heat for it and decided that they are never, ever going to do that again.  So despite all the bluff and bluster, do not look for the Federal Government to actually shut down anytime soon.

Although a lot of people like me who are right-of-center wish that it WOULD shut down, if only because that seems to be the ONLY method of getting the Government's out-of-control spending back in line.  (the current US Debt is $18 TRILLION.....a number so big you can barely wrap your mind around it.  If this continues we are eventually going to end up like Greece).

Since no one in Washington seems to want to sit down and come to some rational decisions of what should and should not be funded, we end up with this annual battle over taking the whole enchilada or nothing.  The notion that SNAP benefits were going to be cut off was actually floated by Democrats, trying to put pressure on Republicans over that issue.

Now if the debt continues to run out of control and the Government eventually goes bankrupt, that WOULD bring a halt to SNAP and any other program that is intended to help poor people.  Which would be a very bad thing.

[JimSawhill]

The Fugitive, the debt is not 18 Trillion, it is now 19 Trillion...if you had that much money in $1 bills...it would take 100 years to count it...(if I read it correctly).