| Hungry NYers looking for work will be out of luck, it seems. While the federal stimulus package has money to provide extended food stamps for able-bodied adults beyond the previous 3-month eligibility, through the end of September, 2010, Mayor Bloomberg is doing the Republican "no thanks."
The NY Times shakes its editorial head at this unhelpful attitude on the part of the Mayor, which has the effect of impeding economic recovery for all, as well as limiting the nutrition of the poor in these hard times.
The federal stimulus plan allows one big category of food stamp recipients - able-bodied single adults without dependents - to remain eligible to receive stamps until Sept. 30, 2010. Present law limits these recipients to three months of food stamps in a three-year period.... Mr. Bloomberg insists that these recipients must, in effect, work for their supper. He is under no obligation to extend benefits to anyone not enrolled in the city's workfare program, which offers some training, some internships and some low-level work.
States and cities are allowed to require recipients to participate in such programs. But forcing people to take make-work jobs to qualify for food assistance takes valuable time away from the search for a real job. That's counterproductive.
Moreover, by limiting eligibility, the city also reduces the amount of money it receives from Washington - a decrease of $750,000 a year, by the city's estimate. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum puts the loss far higher - in the millions of dollars over the next 17 months.
Does he not understand that a lot of people are having trouble finding work? At least there is some push-back coming from Public Advocate Gotbaum. She posted this footage from a rally to urge the Mayor to change his mind and get with the program for economic recovery. You can see this on the Public Advocate's YouTube channel.
Having just finished listening to another year's brilliant Homelessness Marathon, I find myself incredulous that the Mayor of NY could be so totally out of touch with the needs of the people. You can hear them on radio, if you don't want to go look in the streets. What is it you NYC folks see in Bloomberg, anyway? |
