As a cashier observing the patterns of people coming through the grocery line getting their sustenance for the day/week/month (yes, even a year’s worth in one visit!), there are a few things I’d like to see done differently.  I really believe that the below proposed adjustments would be very helpful for both the recipients and the funders of government based help.

First…  limit sweets/candies/treats to about 10-15% of the overall budget per period.  This allows for occasional treats and for the celebration of birthdays and other holidays, and simultaneously prevents taxpayers from funding someone’s twinkie addiction.

Next… limit premium foods like lobster, caviar, prime rib, and those other things that working stiffs can’t afford to buy more than 3 times annually.  Meats, entrees, and other such things can easily be categorized into staples and premiums.  Premium food should be limited to another 10-20% of the budget for the period.  This doesn’t keep needy folks from having the occasional surf-n-turf candle-light dinner, it just limits such dinners to a level more equal to others.

These two changes should simultaneously increase the amount of funds available for staple foods and reduce the overall budget to save tax dollars.  It would also, of course, put a few more programmers to work implementing the plan both for the welfare office and for the various grocery outlets.

And if I may shift into ‘peeve’ mode for a moment…  looking nice is a great thing, but it really gets under the skin of us working schleps to see people swipe a food assistance card with recently airbrushed nails and highly bejeweled hands.  Why am I standing here earning your lobster money when you have the resources to get regular manicures at $100 a visit?