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Thread: Trump Proposal To End Food Stamps Sends Dollar Stores Tumbling

  1. #1

    Trump Proposal To End Food Stamps Sends Dollar Stores Tumbling

    Shortly after 1pm ET, the shares of Dollar General and Dollar Tree tumbled after it was unveiled that President Donald Trump's budget was proposing to effectively abandon food stamps, slashing the program's traditional cash payments and substituting them with packages of "100% American grown food" for recipients. According to Bloomberg, this would represent "one of the biggest shakeups of the US food stamp program in its five decade history."

    Unveiled in Trump's budget proposal, the food stamp plan is part of an effort to reform SNAP and save a projected $214 billion over a decade. According to Bloomberg, the proposal would give all households receiving more than $90 a month in cash a food-aid package that would "include items such as shelf-stable milk, ready to eat cereals, pasta, peanut butter, beans and canned fruit, vegetables, and meat, poultry or fish." Cash payouts would be gradually phased out.
    For America's farmers, this implicit government demand-side subsidy was slam dunk, and their euphoria was palpable.
    The so-called USDA America’s Harvest Box "is a bold, innovative approach to providing nutritious food to people who need assistance feeding themselves and their families -- and all of it is home grown by American farmers and producers," Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement. The program would provide food-stamp recipients with "the same level of food value" as the current system, Perdue added.
    A staple of the Obama administration when it peaked at just shy of 50 million users, the food stamp program has served 42.2 million people and 20.9 million households on average during the 2017 fiscal year. The average household benefit was $254.14, thus 81 percent of homes receiving aid would be included in the initiative, according to the USDA. The bottom line to the taxpayer in 2017 was $68.1 billion - that was the cost of SNAP assistance, with $63.7 billion given out as benefits.
    As Bloomberg adds, under the proposed plan, the amount of food a household receives would be scaled to the size of the allotment, with about half of the assistance coming as food instead of cash. The USDA already buys commodities for other programs, such as the National School Lunch Program, and states would largely be in charge of distribution, the department said.
    "States can distribute these boxes through existing infrastructure, partnerships, and/or directly to residences through commercial and/or retail delivery services," the department said in a statement.
    Meanwhile, if EBT recipients weren't already furious enough at the prospect of losing their weekly cash allowance, the USDA also warned of tightened eligibility rules for recipients, such as stricter work requirements, as well as changing income and benefits calculations "to ensure benefits are targeted to the neediest households."

    More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...tores-tumbling
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

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  3. #2
    Brilliant politics. Just came from NPR and Splinter - talk about living rent free in the progressive amygdala. No chance of getting through Congress but sure to fill the news cycle for 24 hours.

    XNN
    "They sell us the president the same way they sell us our clothes and our cars. They sell us every thing from youth to religion the same time they sell us our wars. I want to know who the men in the shadows are. I want to hear somebody asking them why. They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are but theyre never the ones to fight or to die." - Jackson Browne Lives In The Balance

  4. #3
    shares of Dollar General and Dollar Tree tumbled
    General Dollar fell three percent to the same price it was four days ago (February 8th). Their share prices have actually been going down since January 29th- this is continuation of a trend, not a new move.

    Dollar Tree has also been declining since January 29th and their close today was higher than it was four days ago.

  5. #4
    The left will scream bloody murder. The EBT program was almost like a minimum income, and they wanted it to be used like a credit card anywhere, otherwise it is "discriminatory".
    "Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
    "Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
    "Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
    "Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul

    Proponent of real science.
    The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.

  6. #5
    what a shame the spineless GOP won't get behind him on this. Subsidizing poverty creates poverty.

  7. #6
    I support eliminating Snap .

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Zippyjuan View Post
    General Dollar fell three percent to the same price it was four days ago (February 8th). Their share prices have actually been going down since January 29th- this is continuation of a trend, not a new move.

    Dollar Tree has also been declining since January 29th and their close today was higher than it was four days ago.
    Because you thought the stock market report was the purpose of this thread?

    Who cares about Dollar General and Dollar Tree?

    The proposed changes to food stamps are what is important.
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by angelatc View Post
    what a shame the spineless GOP won't get behind him on this. Subsidizing poverty creates poverty.
    Not according to poverty pimps.



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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    Who cares about Dollar General and Dollar Tree?
    I do. Lots of us do.

    The Federal Reserve shrinks the value of the dollar so people who work full time and overtime can't afford to feed the family. The government gives out corporate welfare by feeding these corporations' full time employees so the corporations don't have to pay them a living wage. And then the government decides that, rather than letting groceries continue to compete for their business just as they did back when the economy and the dollar were yet insufficiently sabotaged that corporations couldn't get employees unless they paid them enough to feed themselves, the government is going to nationalize and socialize this portion of the grocery business. And, I might add, subject the poor--working poor and otherwise--to Agenda 21 or whatever other frightening totalitarian enactment tickles its fancy.

    And just in case people don't like the idea of advancing socialism that far, they threaten to do this thing often enough to destroy several key grocers' stock prices, and maybe force them out of business, so this partial, creeping socialism will be easier to implement. Indeed, cause a clamor for this creeping socialism, because in knocking the grocers who specialize in serving the working poor out of business, the government has created a problem which they can conveniently solve by drawing power unto itself.

    I care. Anyone who doesn't care is a damned fool.
    Last edited by acptulsa; 02-12-2018 at 07:52 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  12. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by XNavyNuke View Post
    Brilliant politics. Just came from NPR and Splinter - talk about living rent free in the progressive amygdala. No chance of getting through Congress but sure to fill the news cycle for 24 hours.

    XNN
    Why would it have to go through congress? Hasn't congress already shown they don't want to have to determine anything and leave all the blame/specifics to the executive branches? I don't see why Trump couldn't just do this via executive order to the USDA. Am I wrong?

  13. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    I do. Lots of us do.

    The Federal Reserve shrinks the value of the dollar so people who work full time and overtime can't afford to feed the family. The government gives out corporate welfare by feeding these corporations' full time employees so the corporations don't have to pay them a living wage. And then the government decides that, rather than letting groceries continue to compete for their business just as they did back when the economy and the dollar were yet insufficiently sabotaged that corporations couldn't get employees unless they paid them enough to feed themselves, the government is going to nationalize and socialize this portion of the grocery business. And, I might add, subject the poor--working poor and otherwise--to Agenda 21 or whatever other frightening totalitarian enactment tickles its fancy.

    And just in case people don't like the idea of advancing socialism that far, they threaten to do this thing often enough to destroy several key grocers' stock prices, and maybe force them out of business, so this partial, creeping socialism will be easier to implement. Indeed, cause a clamor for this creeping socialism, because in knocking the grocers who specialize in serving the working poor out of business, the government has created a problem which they can conveniently solve by drawing power unto itself.

    I care. Anyone who doesn't care is a damned fool.
    Despite what you saying being true, its also upsetting watching people buying cases of soda and other unhealthy items with EBT or the flipside, people buying seafood, steaks and other expensive goods, with EBT. I've seen both and it pisses me off.

  14. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by specsaregood View Post
    Despite what you saying being true, its also upsetting watching people buying cases of soda and other unhealthy items with EBT or the flipside, people buying seafood, steaks and other expensive goods, etc with EBT. I've seen both and it pisses me off.
    Granted. But their are other ways to skin that cat than socializing a portion of the grocery industry.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  15. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by acptulsa View Post
    Granted. But their are other ways to skin that cat than socializing a portion of the grocery industry.
    Better to stop paying for free $#@! all together.

  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by tod evans View Post
    Better to stop paying for free $#@! all together.
    Like that. ^^

    Let McDonald's and Wal Mart pay a living wage for a full day's work, or do without employees. Let them pay, or let the CFO and the stockholders come stock the shelves.

    Beats letting the government get away with making itself the solution to yet another problem it created.
    Last edited by acptulsa; 02-12-2018 at 08:19 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    We believe our lying eyes...

  17. #15
    Actually , Dollar General has been a good stock . 95 today , 50 bucks five years ago . They have a good model that should succeed even in down economy . Cheap things in poorer areas and they started selling cigarettes about when the drugstores quit . P / E a little high getting to about 21 , but overall , better than most american crap stock . ( NYSE )
    Last edited by oyarde; 02-12-2018 at 08:33 PM.

  18. #16
    I like this. It's possible that government can get food to people cheaper than grocery stores can. It's possible that the government can make it a point to shop better than people can. Now, often this is not the case, but it's possible that it could be the case. I like the idea of giving everyone organic wheat - with no glyphosates - and it's not clear that this is what the government is doing here (and it probably isn't). And reading things like "shelf-stable" milk doesn't sound like an improvement. I think that it's more likely that there could be a cost savings. The grocers profits will fall, those profits were coming from the government. I dunno. It seems like a step in the right direction, but they haven't yet perfected it yet, but they can get better and better at it.

    Get rid of the various middlemen between the farmers doing the farming and the people doing the eating, and you should be able to, in theory, get more, higher quality food for less money. If they really really think about it, really dig in, figure out what the problems are, they might be able to solve those problems.

    Food in stores sits on a shelf. Who knows how long? Because they can't predict how long, they put preservatives in them because they don't want that food going bad quickly. But if the gov't is the buyer, the gov't knows what they're planning on doing with the food, and it can go from the farm to the people faster, and can bypass some preservative step that would be necessary if the food sat on the shelf. I'm not saying those are the answers but those are the type of answers, the type of solutions, that the gov't could possibly come up with. Same price, which is better, name brand crackers with preservatives or generic organic crackers without preservatives?



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  20. #17
    What's up with Dollar General stores?

    $#@!ing things are popping up like weeds around here.

  21. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by parocks View Post
    I like this. It's possible that government can get food to people cheaper than grocery stores can. It's possible that the government can make it a point to shop better than people can. Now, often this is not the case, but it's possible that it could be the case. I like the idea of giving everyone organic wheat - with no glyphosates - and it's not clear that this is what the government is doing here (and it probably isn't). And reading things like "shelf-stable" milk doesn't sound like an improvement. I think that it's more likely that there could be a cost savings. The grocers profits will fall, those profits were coming from the government. I dunno. It seems like a step in the right direction, but they haven't yet perfected it yet, but they can get better and better at it.

    Get rid of the various middlemen between the farmers doing the farming and the people doing the eating, and you should be able to, in theory, get more, higher quality food for less money. If they really really think about it, really dig in, figure out what the problems are, they might be able to solve those problems.

    Food in stores sits on a shelf. Who knows how long? Because they can't predict how long, they put preservatives in them because they don't want that food going bad quickly. But if the gov't is the buyer, the gov't knows what they're planning on doing with the food, and it can go from the farm to the people faster, and can bypass some preservative step that would be necessary if the food sat on the shelf. I'm not saying those are the answers but those are the type of answers, the type of solutions, that the gov't could possibly come up with. Same price, which is better, name brand crackers with preservatives or generic organic crackers without preservatives?
    You might want to check into "government cheese". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_cheese

  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Zippyjuan View Post
    You might want to check into "government cheese". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_cheese
    hahahaaa good one.

    I srsly see the impracticality as being logistics. It will be a nightmare. Don't do it.
    It will all get 'sub-contracted' out.
    Just talk with Puerto Rico and see how that worked out. Don't do it.
    Last edited by goldenequity; 02-12-2018 at 10:10 PM.

  23. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    What's up with Dollar General stores?

    $#@!ing things are popping up like weeds around here.
    Like a convenience store without gas .

  24. #21
    Watch "food allergies" be the weapon against this idea.
    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Ryan
    In Washington you can see them everywhere: the Parasites and baby Stalins sucking the life out of a once-great nation.

  25. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Zippyjuan View Post
    You might want to check into "government cheese". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_cheese
    Last I checked they said 1 in 3 of the people eating govt mystery cheese was a fatso so really did not need the extra food anyway ?

  26. #23

  27. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    What's up with Dollar General stores?

    $#@!ing things are popping up like weeds around here.
    Its a knock off brand store, they sell knock offs cheaper then the big box stores do because the big box stores get you in there to buy everything in one store so their knock offs aren't low margin. They become really popular when wages are low, people shop around more when they have options.



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  29. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by specsaregood View Post
    Despite what you saying being true, its also upsetting watching people buying cases of soda and other unhealthy items with EBT or the flipside, people buying seafood, steaks and other expensive goods, with EBT. I've seen both and it pisses me off.
    I would much rather see people buying real foods than cases of soda even if it cost more their health care expenses would go down because they are eating better.
    When I was in college and my son was little I got on food stamps several cashiers commented on the foods I bought with my food stamps and said they wished more people would buy the things I bought. I never bought any thing with sugar I bought a lot of veggies and fruits I also bought steaks and fish for my son but I only bought serving of steaks and fish for him. I felt like since he was a growing child he needed the meats he did not eat meat everyday but if he wanted it I got it for him. I did not get any microwave dinners or any junk food at all.

  30. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by angelatc View Post
    what a shame the spineless GOP won't get behind him on this. Subsidizing poverty creates poverty.
    I've tried explaining this to left-libs on a political FB forum thing a number of different ways. It never sinks in. SMFH.
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

  31. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Working Poor View Post
    I would much rather see people buying real foods than cases of soda even if it cost more their health care expenses would go down because they are eating better.
    When I was in college and my son was little I got on food stamps several cashiers commented on the foods I bought with my food stamps and said they wished more people would buy the things I bought. I never bought any thing with sugar I bought a lot of veggies and fruits I also bought steaks and fish for my son but I only bought serving of steaks and fish for him. I felt like since he was a growing child he needed the meats he did not eat meat everyday but if he wanted it I got it for him. I did not get any microwave dinners or any junk food at all.
    Reasonable. It also kinda depends on what we mean by words like "steak". You can get perfectly good steak on the cheap at places like Smart & Final-it's not artisan beef or anything, but it's perfectly good and nutritious steak.
    Quote Originally Posted by Torchbearer
    what works can never be discussed online. there is only one language the government understands, and until the people start speaking it by the magazine full... things will remain the same.
    Hear/buy my music here "government is the enemy of liberty"-RP Support me on Patreon here Ephesians 6:12

  32. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Zippyjuan View Post
    You might want to check into "government cheese". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_cheese
    I'm definitely aware that this thing might not work out right.

    Fact is though, our supermarket food is poison.

  33. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by heavenlyboy34 View Post
    Reasonable. It also kinda depends on what we mean by words like "steak". You can get perfectly good steak on the cheap at places like Smart & Final-it's not artisan beef or anything, but it's perfectly good and nutritious steak.
    Back when my son was young there wasn't as much gmo I am afraid that with today foods I would have had to buy all organic including meats for my son cause I just don't believe in feeding children garbage.I would not begrudge children getting top quality foods on food stamps.

  34. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by heavenlyboy34 View Post
    Reasonable. It also kinda depends on what we mean by words like "steak". You can get perfectly good steak on the cheap at places like Smart & Final-it's not artisan beef or anything, but it's perfectly good and nutritious steak.
    When it's on sale at a normal supermarket in my area, Hannaford's, you can get chuck steak for under $3 a pound. That's after the supermarket gets their cut, all the middlemen get their cuts, etc. It's cheap enough as it is. Any type of chip will be more than $3 a pound at the supermarket. There really aren't all that many things that you can get at the supermarket significantly under $3 a pound. Chicken is really cheap, you can find that under $1 a pound. Potatoes are usually cheap, under $1 a pound. Onions, which are also very good for you, are under $1 a pound - I'd recommend the government get onions into the hands of people. Processed food is generally expensive, and not good for you. Grains aren't as cheap as potatoes and onions. They're typically over $1 a pound. Green vegetables - brussels sprouts, green beans, are often $3 a pound or more. Out of season, often imported.

    Ideally, the government can give the people the stuff that the government is best equipped to give them and use cash for the rest. Some have suggested that the government could botch this, by taking on big task right away. Maybe. If the government said "we can do X, Y, and Z well" (and the government can use USPS for this, theoretically) and brought raw food materials from farm to home, and the right raw food materials, they should be able to do that superior to the current system.

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