Wisconsin: Fed threaten loss of FoodShare funds over privatization.

[Scuba]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/122347464.html


<snip>

Madison - Federal officials are threatening to withhold new money and take back previous funds for Wisconsin's food assistance program if state officials don't scale back efforts to privatize it.

The letter from federal officials follows an April visit to Wisconsin by U.S. Department of Agriculture staff and goes a step further than similar past warnings by saying the state FoodShare program is already in violation of federal rules because of the
privatization efforts by two governors.

Federal officials are also separately questioning a new privatization proposal put forward by Republican Gov. Scott Walker for FoodShare, the successor program to food stamps.

The potential loss in funds would come from those used for the administration of the program, not the benefits to poor participants. It would leave Wisconsin officials with little choice but to use additional state taxpayer money to keep the program running and ensure priorities, such as providing timely help to the needy and detecting fraud.

<end snip>


Yeah, that'll work. Walker will just slow down or stop providing help to the needy, as he doesn't care about the People of Wisconsin, only is corporate donors.

[freshwest]

1. You would have the feds fund privatization? I can't believe I'm reading you right.

Walker needs to be hoisted on his own petard before the fall season.

[Scuba]

2. I am absolutely opposed to the privatization. However, I don't think Walker...

...gives a damn if the poor get their food stamps or not. If he gets less money to administer the program, he won't find other money to make up for it. He'll just let the aid languish.

My critism is of the tactic being used to get Walker to comply. Not that I have a better idea.

[aquart]

3. Obviously.

[jwirr]

4. I would not put it past Walker to deliberately hurt the poor in his

Chicago School of Economics zeal but there is not faster way of see that he is recalled as soon as possible. The feds could bypass him in the food stamp program by taking administration away from him and sending EBT cards straight to the users - but that leaves the question of how to determine who is eligible. That program has a every 6 months recertification rule.