SNAP West Virginia, Repeal and Replace Republicans in federal, state and local elections — especially Tom Fast — #VoteDemocrat in 2020 and beyond.
Context:
- “Nearly 300,000 West Virginia residents rely on SNAP, according to data from the state Department of Health and Human Resources. One-third of SNAP recipients in the state are children.”, Herald Dispatch
- “19% of WVians rely on SNAP”, Senator Joe Manchin
- Joe Manchin donated his salary to food banks during the Trump SHUTDOWN #GovernmentShutdown
- What did WV Congressional Rep’s do? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
One story of many!
In the early mornings, Chastity and Paul Peyton walk from their small and barely heated apartment to Taco Bell to clean fryers and take orders for as many work hours as they can get. It rarely adds up to full-time week’s worth, often not even close. With this income and whatever cash Mr. Peyton can scrape up doing odd jobs — which are hard to come by in a small town in winter, for someone without a car — the couple pays rent, utilities and his child support payments.
Then there is the matter of food.
“We can barely eat,” Ms. Peyton said. She was told she would be getting food stamps again soon — a little over two dollars’ worth a day — but the couple was without them for months. Sometimes they made too much money to qualify; sometimes it was a matter of working too little. There is nothing reliable but the local food pantry.
“By the administration’s own estimate, around 700,000 people will lose food stamps.”
Four years ago, thousands of poor people here in Cabell County and eight other counties in West Virginia that were affected by a state policy change found themselves having to prove that they were working or training for at least 20 hours a week in order to keep receiving food stamps consistently. In April, under a rule change by the Trump Administration, people all over the country who are “able-bodied adults without dependents” will have to do the same.
Under the new rule from the Trump administration, most of these waivers will effectively be eliminated. By the administration’s own estimate, around 700,000 people will lose food stamps. Officials say that there are plenty of jobs waiting for them in the humming economy.
One of the first signs of the change came in the dining hall of the Huntington City Mission, about half an hour’s drive from little Milton. Suddenly, the hall was packed.
“It was just like, ‘Boom, what’s going on here?’” said Mitch Webb, the director of the 81-year-old mission. In early 2016, the mission served an average of around 8,700 meals a month. After the new food stamp policy went into full effect, that jumped to over 12,300 meals a month. “It never renormalized,” Mr. Webb said.
“People who are surviving do not approach the world the same way as people who are thriving,” Cynthia Kirkhart, who runs Facing Hunger food bank
According to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, a research group that focuses heavily on social safety-net issues, there was no evidence of a big change in the job market. While around 5,410 people lost food stamps in the nine counties, the growth in the labor force in these counties over the ensuing three years significantly lagged the rest of the state.
Average monthly employment growth in the counties actually slowed, while it nearly doubled in the rest of West Virginia.
“We can prove it from the data that this does not work,” Seth DiStefano
Delegate Tom Fast, a Republican lawmaker who sponsored a bill in 2018 that restored work requirements for food stamps statewide, said he considered the policy a success.
- David McKinley, Republican up for re-election in 2020
- Alex Mooney, Republican up for re-election in 2020
- Carol Miller. Republican up for re-election in 2020
- Joe Manchin III, Democrat
- Shelley Capito, Republican up for re-election in 2020 #VoteHerOut
