In a time of economic decline, Butte County and city governments ignore more than $40.4 million readily available to our county in a single federal program that would directly bolster economic activity and tax revenue windfalls -- to the tune of more than $74.2 million per year.
That averages to an economic loss to every single man, woman and child in Butte County of $330 each year. During each month of economic decline, the amount of untapped available monies grows!
Imagine city and county government bodies ignoring a recurring annual $40.4-million-dollar road improvement project expected to add $74.2 million a year in economic activity. What would the political fallout for ignoring that potent economic stimulus and public resource development be?
What is this single ignored windfall?
Food Stamps, the benefits provided low-income citizens through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
According to information provided by the local office of the Network for a Healthy California, the direct federal monies available through full enrollment in the Food Stamps program that are not being tapped:
Statewide: $3.7 billion
Butte County: $40.4 million
Tehama County: $23.8 million
Glenn County: $8.6 million
Shasta County: $59.8 million
Colusa County: $4.4 million
Siskiyou County: $15.3 million
California and Wyoming are the only two states with food stamp participation rates lower than 50 percent. It's estimated that 3 million Californians are eligible, but not participating.
California is the only state in the nation that requires income verification every three months instead of every six months — doubling the paperwork and workload of nutrition-program case management. California continues the three-month requirement even after being encouraged to discontinue the practice by California Food Policy Advocates and 80 different community groups.
California is also at the bottom of states in another important measure: administrative costs per case. According to USDA's State Operations Report, no other state comes even close to spending as much per food stamp case as California does," said the California Food Policy Advocates in a letter to the USDA.
California is one of only three states to require fingerprinting, and the USDA has asked it to stop that practice.
An estimated 24,000 or more Butte County residents are eligible, but not participating in the Food Stamps program.
If tapped, this 40.4 million dollars would is estimated to generate an addition 34 million in other spending through what is called the multiplier effect or ME.
1.84 is the estimated ME for Food Stamps by the local office of the Network for a Healthy Callifornia. 74.2 million a year. This calculates to around 6.2 million a month in lost economic activity in Butte County.
Add Certified Farmers Markets to the mix and you can again increase the economic benefit. Money spent at certified farmers markets more than doubles the money recycled in the community over those food dollars spent in large grocery outlets."
In addition, a Leopold Center study comparing local to non-local food prices found a farmers market savings of more than 10 percent compared to supermarket prices for the same items.
No other program comes close to directly answering both the problems of hard economic times and of the impoverished Trickle Down policies that have bankrupted America's middle class. No program more demonstrates the benefit of grass-roots, bottom-up economic recovery and health maintenance programs.
While California's economy crashes around them and legislators hack the safety nets of disabled, middle- or low-income folks, California's federally-funded Food Stamps program sits there like a blushing bride waiting at the altar with a bouquet of freshly cut flowers.
Food stamp enrollment needs to be recognized and treated like a major community development project in a coordinated effort that includes local city and county officials, schools, churches, youth programs, business and service organizations and their staffs .
Leave no eligible SNAP participant behind!
The result will be improved health, improved economies and brighter futures. The time is urgent and now.
Find out if you, members of your family or friends qualify for the Food Stamps program. To apply for food stamps in Butte County go to any Butte County Community Employment Center.
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