And this little piggy had roast beef...

Not to name names but Delegates Fast, Higginbotham, Foster, McGeehan, Kessinger, Westfall, Martin, Ambler, Butler, Queen, and Sypolt were the proud sponsors of House Bill 4001 the bill that limits West Virginians’ access to food benefits provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

These delegates must believe that not only does taking food away from people help them secure good-paying jobs, but that daily SNAP benefits are too generous.  And like all WV legislators, these Delegates are eligible for a per diem of $131 per day while the legislature is in regular session. 

So out of idle curiosity, how about we contrast their generous legislative per diem with the paltry SNAP benefits by issuing them the #WVSNAPCHALLENGE?

By taking this challenge, these delegates will see if they are able to make their $131 per diem stretch for an entire month (since the average monthly SNAP benefits are $126).  If they think people receiving SNAP are living too high on the hog, maybe they should challenge themselves to survive one month spending $4.20 a day on food. 

Just sayin'.

And while we are talking SNAP (still), hop on the bus to DC to Save SNAP! on July 10th.

Today’s SNAP Challenge (in three simple steps)

Amazingly there is good news on the Farm Bill but now is not the time to rest on our laurels.  Is it ever these days?  The Farm Bill is likely up for a vote on passage Thursday afternoon and believe it or not, the one that emerged from the Senate Agriculture committee is a decent, bi-partisan bill that protects and strengthens SNAP.  No joke!  But with the debate happening this week, and the ongoing threats to SNAP and the social safety net, here are three things you can do:

1) Pile on to the national call-in day today and tell Senators Manchin and Capito:

Bi-partisan Senate Farm Bill good

House Farm Bill cuts to SNAP bad (as we said last week)

Joe Manchin-(202) 224-3954

Shelly Moore Capito- (202) 224-6472

2) Share this video that our friends at the Food Justice Lab at WVU created about SNAP and the Farm Bill. 

3) Take the #WVSNAPChallenge Mountaineers for Progress are issuing (i.e. try living off $4.20 a day especially if think SNAP benefits have people living too high on the hog). And if you’re in the Morgantown area, check out their kick-off event. 

While we are talking SNAP, if you want a really good read (or listen), WV Public Broadcasting did a great story about SNAP benefits being denied to people with drug felonies, despite the trend in most other states to no longer subject drug felons to a lifetime ban from SNAP.  Stay tuned on that.  

Finally, say a prayer to the internet gods on behalf of our pal El Cabrero who is still experiencing technical difficulties at Goat Rope Farm.