backpacker
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The amount of people who believe this is simply astounding. So if I was to get fired tomorrow, I would get fat? Poverty makes people fat? What universe am I living in?
Those poor poor people, with no shopping options near them! LOL. I work in groceries. I eat, sleep, and breath groceries, forc60-70 hours per week, every week. I watch the EBT folks come in on the first of the month, every month, loading up their carts to over flowing...with ****. Potato chips, sugary cereals, soda and red bull, and pre-made garbage. Meanwhile, eggs are 4.99 for 3 dozen, milk is 2.99 per gallon, boneless skinless chicken breast is 1.69 per pound, ground beef is 2.89 per pound, green beens are 5.99 for a huge bag, broccoli, same, cauliflower, corn, etc. But by far and large those items don't go into the cart. Sure, some EBTers shop plenty healthy. By my experience, though, the majority do not, even when presented with the oportunity to, even when it's clearly the cheaper option.
And for those who bemoan not having stores near them....that's because they won't open one, because it won't be profitable, because they already know the demographics, and the habits of those demographics. Selling crap food, and ready made ****, isn't as profitable as selling ingredients, due to the dramatic price difference. Average margins on pork and chicken are in the high 30-40%, while margin on "ready to eat" foods are in the 20% and bellow range.
Um, by supporting means and methods of reducing economic inequality...increasing top marginal/estate/corporate rates, strengthening unions, increasing voter participation, investing more in education...on and on.I would say the disease is wealth disparity/poverty. Education, infrastructure, the socioeconomic issues... it is all linked to wealth. Eliminate or at least limit poverty itself and you will see the vast majority of these issues disappear. The question then is, how do we go about that?
You're right about bad habits. The charity I work for takes in homeless people, but most of them were just poor before they went to jail or on the streets. A big part of the program is making them cook meals, from raw ingredients. We give them the food, and the guys have to rotate the dinners and cook every night. Almost none of them have the first clue how to do it when they walk in. Sounds like something everyone should know, but they don't.
It's also true eating OK CAN be cheap. We buy in bulk and store food bought on sale in several freezers and our food costs are pretty minimal really. I'll also add, however, that where most of our houses are located is a LONG way from any grocery and since our guys don't have cars, without the charity van their food options in this neighborhood would be the equivalent of a convenience store, or an hour or more (not counting wait time or walk time to bus stop) bus ride round trip. It's doable, obviously, but very inconvenient and if you pile roadblocks to eating healthy on already stressed poor, you just have to expect they're not going to make great food decisions lots of times.
I believe that teaching people how to make food is a great community service. So good on you.
No grocery store will open up in poorer areas, because poor people don't typically by the profitable stuff, and grocers run on paper thin margins, not unlike restaurants. So, what's being asked of a grocer, is to throw down the money to open a store, for customers that are only going to buy the same thing they were already buying at the convenience store. Further, we're asking them to carry a full line of fresh product month in and month out, for a customer base that only has money for one week out of the month.
I'm nearly 40 miles away from the nearest supermarket."40 miles away, and once I made it there, could only carry home maybe 4 regular grocery bags of food." J #182
Um, by supporting means and methods of reducing economic inequality...increasing top marginal/estate/corporate rates, strengthening unions, increasing voter participation, investing more in education...on and on.
Everyone should understand that this argument against SNAP is just another argument for tax cuts for the very top, just as is the arguments against the ACA.
I'm nearly 40 miles away from the nearest supermarket.
And I drive a small 2 door coupe.
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