[Vision2020] Valentine's Day Fundraiser

[amy smoucha]

Donovan,

If your earlier point is that public benefits programs unfairly discriminate 
against single people without children, I agree whole-heartedly, and I 
misunderstood your post, and I apologize.  I thought you were commenting on 
the "everyone" on assistance who "makes more" than you.  If you meant that 
they should get the help, and you should too, again I misunderstood and I 
apologize.

If you have a rejection letter, you understand my point--it's not easy to 
get help, and we don't generously help people who are not able to fully 
participate in the wage economy (i.e. if you don't work for wages full time 
or close to it, you don't "deserve" food, housing, health care, etc.).  I 
would be happy to talk to you about what happened, and I have information 
about food stamp rules and ways to get help if you were incorrectly denied 
assistance.  If you think they denied you incorrectly, I would like to 
help--please email me off list.

You also may be a victim of the federal and state laws that say students (in 
most instances) cannot get foodstamps.  I suspect that you and I are making 
the same points--these programs are not generous or fair, and they should 
be.

There are groups and organizations who work & lobby for better program rules 
for food stamps and other programs.  One of them is the National Campaign 
for Jobs and Income Supports-- www.nationalcampaign.org but their website is 
down at the moment.  When these laws were passed--restricting food stamps 
benefts for adults without dependents, insultingly called ABAWDs by policy 
makers (able bodied adults without dependents)--many of us fought tooth and 
nail.  It's been so long now since the laws were passed, that a quick web 
search doesn't even turn up the papers and data about why the recent rules 
are a bad idea.  But still you and I could write our state & federal 
legislators and remind them of their mistakes!

Amy Smoucha

----Original Message Follows----
From: DonovArn@aol.com
To: asmoucha@hotmail.com, jsullivan@moscow.com, jeanlivingston@turbonet.com
CC: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Valentine's Day Fundraiser
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 20:45:50 EST

Gee Amy,

I made less than $1200 total over the last 3 months and I didn't get crap 
for
food stamps.

If you don't believe me I will be happy to drive over and show you my
rejection letter.

Donovan J Arnold

_________________________________________________________________
Create your own personal Web page with the info you use most, at My MSN. 
http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200364ave/direct/01/