Sluming ain’t fun
16 May, 2007
Congressmen try to survive on $21 in food stamps for a week – and they say it ain’t easy. Imagine that.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) stood before the refrigerated section of the Safeway on Capitol Hill yesterday and looked longingly at the eggs.
At $1.29 for a half-dozen, he couldn’t afford them.
Ryan and three other members of Congress have pledged to live for one week on $21 worth of food, the amount the average food stamp recipient receives in federal assistance. That’s $3 a day or $1 a meal. They started yesterday.
I followed the link to their blog (mentioned in the article), and they admit this is a publicity stunt, but they’re trying to bring attention to the issue as they’re trying to get a bill passed that would increase federal spending on stamps by $20billion over 5years … so if it takes a few politicians in $5000 outfits and $500 shoes slumming it for a week on fatty ground beef and white pasta (gasp!) to bring about some change it might just be worthwhile.