Trump wants to start charging stores to accept food stamps

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The White House proposal to overhaul the U.S. food stamp program — and the deep cuts it would make to benefits for the poorest households — has sparked public outrage on both sides of the aisle. But there's another change tucked into the proposal that businesses say caught them off guard — and could wind up costing them more than $2 billion.

That provision is a new fee that the White House wants to charge retailers that accept food stamps, which is now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Office of Management and Budget said the fee would be assessed when stores sign up and would require renewal after five years. The budget office said the amount would depend on the size and type of retailer, but the president's budget estimates that the fee would generate $2.4 billion in revenue over the next decade.

An OMB official described the fee as "modest" and "reasonable," emphasizing that some large retailers redeem a billion dollars or more in food stamp benefits each year.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/trump-wants-to-start-charging-stores-to-accept-food-stamps/ar-BBCf5A2?li=BBnbfcN&ocid=edgsp

[Ilsa]

1. Then why can't we charge stock traders a "small transaction fee"

for their use of that infrastructure? I'd love to see half a trillion collected on trading.

[Else You Are Mad]

3. I'm not sure...

But it may have something to do with the fact that a large portion of Trump's administration -- and, quite frankly, all of the administrations over the last few decades -- are from wall street.

[Ilsa]

6. Well of course! nt

[whathehell]

4. +1000

[rzemanfl]

2. He may regret that when he ends up on them. n/t

[underpants]

5. Dumbass is about to find out how lobbying works

[nocalflea]

7. Trump meet the Waltons. Gonna conflict the hell outta the deplorables.

[leftynyc]

8. Wouldn't that effect

places like Wal-mart the most?

[jberryhill]

9. Yeah

Given that:

1. Wal-mart profits immensely from SNAP, and

2. Wal-mart's wage and hour policies result in a shit-ton of people being ON SNAP,

then the notion that the government should get a piece of the action on the Wal-mart federal benefit plantation system makes a sliver of sense.

[leftynyc]

11. I'm thinking the walton family

isn't going to appreciate what could arguably be called a tax on retailers.

[SaschaHM]

14. They get more business if smaller retailers refuse to accept snap over the fee.

[Else You Are Mad]

10. To be fair...

Walmart has been abusing the welfare system in order to get around paying their employees fair and living wages that I have no problem with them paying their fair share. But, unfortunately, this will harm the poor because the stores will just pass the cost onto the customers and employees and it will harm the few remaining Mom & Pop stores.

[leftynyc]

13. But this wont do jack for their employees

They can call it a tax and, like you pointed out, will pass on the cost to their customers.

[SaschaHM]

12. So they plan on starving folks on food stamps...

under the guise of "making businesses pay more". Any financial incentive for a store not to accept food stamp only furthers the burden of folks on SNAP in finding acceptable locations to shop for food. In communities w/ few shopping locations, a significant fee will be devastating.

If anything, this is pricing out smaller stores. Big retailers can afford the fee. Smaller retailers may not and will stop accepting. Big retailers end up getting more business as a result.

[tenderfoot]

15. They're trying to make things so bad for the poor in hope that they start committing more crimes

Last edited Wed Jun 7, 2017, 08:58 PM - Edit history (1)

to fill their for profit prisons.

[pansypoo53219]

16. squeezing that poor rock to pay for tinkle down bullshit.

[WinkyDink]

17. Another symptom of the Mulvaney Plague.