Yum! Brands lobbying to allow resatraunts to accept food stamps

[TheMightyFavog]

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2011-09-05/More-restaurants-are-targeting-customers-who-use-food-stamps/50267864/1

The number of businesses approved to accept food stamps grew by a third from 2005 to 2010, U.S. Department of Agriculture records show, as vendors from convenience and dollar discount stores to gas stations and pharmacies increasingly joined the growing entitlement program.

Now, restaurants, which typically have not participated in the program, are lobbying for a piece of the action.

Louisville-based Yum! Brands, whose restaurants include Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver's and Pizza Hut, is trying to get restaurants more involved, federal lobbying records show.

That's a prospect that anti-hunger advocates welcome, but one that worries some current food stamp vendors and public health advocates.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Oh boy, this is going to be a hot topic.

I can imagine the outrage....

[HappyMe]

8. It's going to be a thing to behold.

The Outrage-O-Meter is going to explode.

[jwirr]

2. I think that in MN there is a way that seniors can be allowed to use their food stamps at a

restaurant if they are having trouble fixing their own meals. This was a long time ago when I saw this done but it may still exist. When I was working as a case manager for seniors we had several who were at the stage of malnutrition and my supervise was the one to make these arrangements I never asked who he did it.

[Arcanetrance]

3. I'm really torn and don't know how to feel about this

On one hand I know there are those that can get foodstamps and can't prepare their own meals and something like this would make sure they had something to eat. But I don't like the idea of it being used on fast food cause it's not the most balanced way to get nutrition and also costs more than the meals themselves would cost if cooking from scratch.

[cali]

4. I'm on food stamps.

I'm ambivalent about this. These are not healthy foods and they are not inexpensive if you're on food stamps.

[Zorra]

5. I'm all for social programs. I don't mind paying taxes for them at all.

But I can rarely afford to eat lobster, and would kind of resent being forced to pay for somebody's surf and turf with the money I gladly hand over to pay to feed people who can't afford to buy food to feed their family.

[sadbear]

6. I say yes, if...

it forces them to clean up their menus and offer healthier fare. I'm not holding my breath, though.

[Lurker Deluxe]

7. Money is money

I don't think it really matters where someone is allowed to spend their allotment. If one would really be inclined they could sell their allotment and then spend the cash on whatever. Allowing someone to go to Taco Bell if they want ... -shrugs-

I think the bigger issue is health, and the fact that evidently so many people are ill equipped to prepare their own meals or lack basic cooking skills. If one knows how to cook, you can eat pretty well for very little.