Government marketing entitlements?

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-- exams used to be something you wanted to get off club but the government's new radio ad campaign is telling Americans and something should want to get.

On.

I -- taking my grandkids to the park but I wanna keep up those little bundles of energy.

Stay healthy and eat right yeah can be a real challenge.

But that's where food stamp benefits come the end he killed me.

Right when money's tight would you look at -- she looks amazing yeah she sure guess I wonder how she stays so fit.

What's -- secret window.

She told -- pet food stamp benefits help her keep bride and she stays active too.

Only I didn't really helped people our age our food stamps health lots of people.

People you know who wait you use it to yes.

You couldn't you do it.

Well there you have it the government is now marketing entitlements are used sold.

Hi everybody and -- -- -- luck of the -- NN.

I captain and crew this week -- Rogers Jonathan Hoenig Tracy -- John Layfield.

Also joining us this week from the Economic Policy Institute Preston -- is up.

All -- -- -- how does start with you on this -- today isn't bad do you think that the government is promoting.

-- stance Chirac it is just such an awful state of affairs.

You know -- -- -- commercial renewed your system or -- like that the way they were talking about how fabulous food stamps are -- yeah I did get on them.

Look we've seen up almost a 46%.

Increase in food stamp participation since President Obama has taken office -- -- awful that we are promoting this notion of continual handouts.

Why not promote nugget now and get Madonna paid for it yourself and let's not forget this could you have food -- doesn't mean you're gonna make good food choices.

Ingle and I can't name birthday cakes that these things do you know.

You know way to -- quiet about the fact that the many more Americans are now on food stamps if you look at the numbers are went up 45%.

From January 2009 to December so there's a huge increase right now.

-- -- of Americans on the is are we going in the wrong direction here.

Where do you -- talk about and increase -- increase -- in 2007 we spent 33 billion dollars on food stamps.

The 2011 that number was 75 billion you know I looked it up on the Internet but food stamps -- when I looked up -- -- that's this program you know -- Nutrition is it war.

I looked it up on the Internet and what you see is evidence that has to do with -- and dogs and cats in Houston Texas it makes about as much sense.

So I'm not sure well these catchy phrases come from and why they up promoting it and what.

That most outrageous point is they're taking taxpayer money and spending it to advertise.

Spinning it to advertise they program waving giving -- -- tax -- money.

I don't get that that's the government gone bizarre you know Christensen -- point or advertise it on the -- got 46 million people.

On food stamps.

Well hopefully this is the stigma ties and something that doesn't need to be stigma ties there at all in order to get food stamp benefits you have to be.

Working or looking for work you have to be dependent child or your elderly or disabled none of those are shameful circumstances.

The reason we've spent so much more on food -- -- because.

We had a really big recession where we increased poverty.

That's the only reason.

You know the fact is this is a really efficient program low administrative cost them money goes to people in need.

They spend the money at private businesses.

And that spending multiply that by at least 50% in economic activity to.

I think it's a 79 point three billion dollar program Christian -- cardinal.

It's huge well.

A lot of it as he's been well document goes to fraud and Christian you you mentioned that it goes to people in need I think that's inherently.

The problem government is not a charity we're talking about what I've read as an average drop of -- forty dollars a month.

Per recipient it is essentially found money to Wayne's point that gets taken from some citizens who earned it and -- -- to others didn't.

Who have not and played heads really irk me Cheryl because.

-- essentially legitimized the welfare state is safe and well it's okay for the government not only just to buy your food but to tell you what to eat.

It's pathetic -- -- felt you weren't the healthiest guys I know I mean maybe that's a great diet plan for all of -- on its.

I certainly hope not I have to agree with the soon to be new father Kristen Dorsey.

Congratulations by the lakers thanks -- -- we I we have we'd probably have is this is -- along poverty lines look you've had worked 32 million people.

Talk about 46 million people just in the last two years that is problem partly -- and Jonathan is -- about fraud are great Mayor Bloomberg data fingerprinting you need to give IDs you can't spin this surgery and a -- that creates a minute jog on the -- the way -- -- -- let me finish.

You can't everybody I don't mean it's been something of a phone calls helped our calls.

Dealt a lot these people have nothing else to eat if you don't give -- this the problem is that many people are in poverty is not the fact that these are you glad that -- -- -- -- that affects not reflect that look at Mississippi John they've got one and five people there are on food stamps it's the fattest state in the nation six years running now I'm not -- get a little.

In -- to visit W.

But I -- friendly city but don't tell me that we need whose -- -- live music I already.

Obesity problem in this kind.

I'm not forever yeah.

I think alleviate poverty I'm not saying that at all I'm saying the government does nothing for poverty.

We're just simply throwing money at this system so people don't have been let's not being -- that we don't have right that's what makes their long term unemployment benefits so people we don't end up with something like -- and dealing with -- I think shout look I'm I'm I understand this we have to feed the people that -- beef fat rat under the Obama administration the -- have -- They -- it easier to qualify so yeah you can blame the recession forget this.

But you can blame it all for all of it Cheryl because the wolf -- and so more people now.

Fall into the welfare net.

That is what's so awful about this you know Wayne as a -- -- when you look at that.

But to those that are taking advantage of the system are we doing enough to deal with those.

As.

Well let me let me read you a couple of statistics -- which it you see it says -- -- whole Lotta love this line this is the Food and Drug Administration they -- It takes seriously its responsibility to make sure that all of those families who actually eligible for the program participate.

At that begs the question do they not take -- responsibility.

At all I mean why would they make a statement like that they say they've reduced improper payments by two point seven billion.

-- do you -- prop -- payments by two point seven billion.

They have I have.

At one point three billion and delinquent recipient claims it's like get on the top right to solo thing does it it's it it's a good guy and another -- not yet I'll debacle where they don't know what they're doing spending money price might without any account.

That's just a little thing that's changed now I think we can all agree on -- as is that the stigma of food stamps has -- frankly because you can edit points free.

Percent unemployment you have had a horrible recession and a down economy.

That -- change in this country but do we need to kind of right the ship now.

But -- you you you mentioned it right -- we don't have such high rates of unemployment people looking for work and if we -- reduce poverty you don't have all of these people receiving snap benefits and you're not spending all of this money.

The solution is more jobs more robust labor activity and Wayne if you read the end of that report you would see that the food stamp program.

Has among the lowest rates of error of any government program in the history of government programs that so it's an extreme -- I felt it was better than that but but it but all due respect I don't actress -- but you're starting out with such an abysmal.

And Davis systematic way -- It out of control and -- -- kind of problem.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Not crazy because it seems to won't allow more people in it that's why they were able to bump bump their fraud numbers have -- numbers Anderson.

Jonathan now wouldn't it but -- -- before LA go to Jonathan let me get why we need -- -- I think people leading help people need help.

In this country at the same time do want -- to be dependent.

On this program long term.

Surely if you think that people need help you should help -- and I help people all the time on or available to people all the time.

That's not the role of the federal government the federal federal is to protect your right.

To help those people who you think are needy they should stick to that and let the rest fall by you know do with it well all right guys great discussion.

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Government marketing entitlements?

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