There's No Such Thing As a Free Lunch

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch”

We’ve all had the experience of overhearing a conversation based on inaccuracies and vague statistics. Perhaps its someone in line in front of you or virtually on a comment thread. When the conversation is on a topic you are particularly well-versed in, do you say something? Do you let it play out and make mental log of what “facts” are being thrown out to arm yourself for future discussions?

As I was eating lunch Monday afternoon I overheard two young professionals talking about politics, specifically the national debt and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). I could tell from their body language that they were on opposing sides yet interested in having a dialogue.
The two calmly shot back at each other, point for point, only to really reach the surface of this complicated issue. When one stated there was an increase in people on SNAP during the Obama administration his sparring partner grew quiet.

“The amount of people on food stamps has gone up 42% since 2009 when Obama took office” one said looking at his smartphone. No mention of the source of this number.
His buddy seemed genuinely surprised and didn’t have a swift reply.

The conversation continued while I quietly listened in.

“Obama promised to balance the budget but the national debt has doubled.”

“It cost money to support people who can’t make ends meet. You would balance the budget over helping these people?”

“I care about the budget. I don’t know if you care about the budget.”

“These are people, man.”

“They can get by on what they have…”

“Some of these people work 2 to 3 jobs and still need help. What are they going to get by on?”

“These are people, man” keeps ringing in my head. Is there a better point to make? Can anything top the simple, yet powerful claim that we are indeed talking about people? This is not a discussion about disposable objects. These are people with families, jobs, struggles, triumphs, and tight budgets. These are children being raised by parents working multiple jobs to put food on the table. These are seniors who can no longer work, some with health problems, who are living solely on Social Security.

When presented with the opportunity to educate less sympathetic minds about the realities of being on SNAP, the following facts can provide guidance.

·         As of September 2016 there are just under 44.5 million individuals on SNAP. ¹

·         The average monthly SNAP benefit is $125.59/individual and $254.73/household. ²

·         The above numbers, both the total SNAP recipients and the average monthly benefit, is a decrease from FY15, FY14, and FY13. ³

·         To be eligible for SNAP you have to be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylum seeker, or conditional errant based on certain statutory definitions. Documentation is mandatory upon initial application to be considered in any of these groups. ⁴

·         If a household is deemed eligible benefits are distributed based on a certification period, usually 12 months, and the household has to reapply at the end of this period. ⁵

·         In 2015 only 10% of the federal budget, $362 billion, went to supporting social programs. SNAP is only a fraction of the 10%. ⁶ Of that 10%, $75 billion was spent on SNAP in FY15, which is 20% of the social program sliver of the budget. <sup>7


1-3</sup>http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/pd/34SNAPmonthly.pdf
⁴https://jupiter.dss.state.va.us/FoodStampManual/mainpage.jsp; Part 7, Chapter F

⁵ https://jupiter.dss.state.va.us/FoodStampManual/mainpage.jsp; Part 4, Chapter A

⁶ http://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/policy-basics-where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go

⁷ http://www.cbpp.org/research/policy-basics-introduction-to-the-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap

Yell Together

*This post was written and published for the Presbyterians for Earth Care EARTH e-newsletter. It was sent in the August 12 edition.*

March on the Mansion
by Kathleen Murphy
 

Kathleen Murphy is one of the newest Eco-Stewards having participated this summer in the Seattle trip. When she returned home, she kept the momentum going by rallying against a corporate pipeline (Mountain Valley Pipeline) to be constructed in her home state of Virginia. 

It’s easy to get bogged down by the enormity of it all. The doomsday predictions, the destruction of our natural resources, conflicting interests furthering stereotypes of supporters on each side, and most of all - the feeling of being so small that you, one individual, cannot make a difference and your voice will be drowned out by all the noise.

When we feel overwhelmed it’s easier to retreat, simply throw up our hands and say the problem is too big. The noise is deafening. Who will hear me, even if I yell?
 

During my time with the other eco-focused young adults on our Eco-Stewards trip to Seattle, I learned many things that continue to shape my perspective and daily habits. We met with members from the Lummi Nation, a Native tribe living in the far northwest portion of Washington State. The Lummi have been in this area of Washington for generations and are very connected to the waterways in the area, mainly the Salish Sea. These waters are sacred fishing grounds for the Lummi. The immense respect their people have for the water influences the life of the tribe and the life of each individual. This respect, sadly, is not a part of the culture in corporate oil and coal export. Corporate interests have pillaged the Lummi’s sacred waterways for oil and coal. Luckily, the Lummi were courageous enough to fight, and defeat, plans to install another massive export facility.
 

Corporate interests plan to do similar things here, in Virginia, by building a natural gas pipeline that runs through some of Virginia’s most pristine mountainous landscapes. Our governor has decided to support the pipeline to the shock and disappointment of many citizens. Our disappointment turned into action.

A number of community groups and non-profits organized a “March on the Mansion” to show our opposition to the pipeline. Even on a 98-degree day, with the heat index well over 100, we took to the streets of Richmond in a physical manifestation of resistance. Conservative estimates  say the crowd was 600 strong. I think it was more. We marched from the James River, which is being polluted by the region’s electric utility monopoly, past the electric utility’s headquarters, through Capital Square to the Governor’s Mansion. We were loud, we had signs, we had community.

When you think that the noise is too loud for you to be heard, do not retreat. This is too great an issue to retreat. God’s Creation is at stake. So, when you feel like you will be drowned out, join others and yell together. The sum of all of our voices can, and will, overcome the noise.