TYT: Tax The Rich or Cut Food Stamps?

[alp227]

"These cuts would be catastrophic for vulnerable older adults and their families," said NCOA President & CEO Jim Firman. "93% of SNAP benefits go to households below the poverty line, and 76% of SNAP households include an elderly person, child, or disabled person. Taking food out of the mouths of people living at or near the poverty level is unconscionable act, especially when the unemployment rate is so high." Watch this clip to find out where Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian come down on this issue. After Ana Kasparian presents the details of the story a fascinating debate breaks out among TYT staff over the details of the cuts. Should we tax the rich or cut food stamps, tell us what you think in the comment section below.

Sources: National Council on Aging, Think Progress article "House Committee Votes To Take Food Stamps Away From Millions Of Low-Income Americans"

At 1:46, Ana said this story brings out Cenk's conservative side (Cenk actually was a Republican until around 2001), and Cenk acknowledges around 3:45 that a "culture of dependancy" may arise from not limiting food stamps.

[kestrel91316]

1. Don't tax the rich.........

feed them to the poor.

[Kalidurga]

2. I don't see how people can worry about

a "culture of dependancy" for people near or under the poverty line. Yet advocate for a "culture of dependancy" for the 1%.

[patrice]

3. With my apologies to "professional" "leftists" who aren't whores, Cenk, to me, falls in the same

category as, but several socio-economic classes lower than, Arianna the HuffHo "Leftie" pony-fairy.

He belongs on Info-Wars.

[judesedit]

4. No debate. Tax the rich. They need to pay the same percentage of their income as the rest of us

This is total bullshit. The wealthy in this country suck this government dry to the tune of billions. Check out the money Mitsy got for his racehorse that's on drugs by the way. Like $77,000. They get ALL of the perks...free everything. This money should go to the less fortunate. You know, the people who weren't born with silver spoons in their mouths. Many of those helped by SNAP are people who've lost their jobs and homes because of the likes of Romney and Wall Street banks who sent jobs overseas and padded the markets.

Tax the rich so much they want to move out of this country. We need patriots here, not greedy slackers. I'll bet the country comes out on top, even without their $$$$. Who needs these parasites?

[midnight]

5. Cenk should definitely get a lot of support by the rich for that theory of "govt. reliance",but only

in this narrow Cenk explanation... The Rmoney's of this country could never see their tax breaks as relying on the govt.... Or God forbid the defense contractors... Could you imagine if a defense contractor was treated the same way as our children who depend on lunches to get through the day...

[SunSeeker]

6. Ug. That video just made me hate Cenk.

A Repuke until 2001? Well that explains why he thinks "food stamps are an incentive to have kids"! This man obviously does not know what it's like to be on food stamps. And by the looks of him, he surely does not know what it means to go hungry--or worse, see your kids hungry. Totally lost respect for him.

[MrMickeysMom]

7. Cenk, you ass... you want to better the "system"?

First, I love your show, but get your head out of your giant ass about this for one moment. Here are some facts:

The SNAP program application is underserving those who need it, who qualify for it, and the vast majority do NOT have 6 kids and would be incentivized to have more, you dunderhead.

The application for SNAP is at least 20 pages. We don't seem to be able to get enough people to help with it, or make it a reasonable one fill in. Get an actual application, invite someone in your studies to fill it out, if you don't understand this now.

The program's "abuse" is less than 4.5%. We are trying to serve people, meanwhile at food banks, which are ALSO understaffed, over-taxed and try to help those who show up with the SNAP application. Are you fucking kidding me? How many people do you wish to step into a process that is stretched to the limit.

We are trying to get kids fed in "food deserts", where there is no choice of healthy food, and you are blathering and spitting and spinning around in a circle, fresh from a flashback of conservative assholery, while less and less services exist for women an children.

Ana, this brings out more than a "conservative side". It brings out a giant brain fart which stinks really, really bad.