Replace Food Stamps With MRE's

I tease liberals with the idea of replacing food stamps with Meals Ready to Eat (MRE"s). It's a no brainier. MRE's are manufactured according to strict dietary codes with calories and sodium closely monitored. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), a DOD agency, has gone a little overboard on dietary diversity. The last I heard there were 24 MRE entrees along with 6 or 8 side dishes such as spiced apples and Mexican Rice. This more of a selection than you can get with from Weight Watchers. The complete MRE meal has 1200 calories. There is another military pouch product called the HDR- Humanitarian Daily Ration which should please any vegan. They comply with every religious dietary law in the world. They taste like something only a vegan could love and are heavily dependent on bean sprouts, beans of all varieties, potatoes and rice. These are the pouches that are dropped from planes to starving population in Asia and Africa suffering a natural disaster. Meant to be eaten just one a day as the name implies, they pack 2000 calories.

Under my plan MRE's would be distributed weekly. Each recipient would be allotted three squares a day. When they're gone wait until next week or buy your own food. An MRE will last 3 years when stored at 80 degrees or 5 years when stored at 60 degrees without refrigeration. (The government stores MRE's in caves to prolong their life. The MRE's contain no preservatives. The long shelf life is achieved by forcing almost all air from the pouch before it is sealed) The DWM, Domestic Welfare Meal as they could be called would not need to have an especially long shelf life and could be produced for only a couple of dollars per meal. The idea is to prevent hunger and obesity not to give someone a permanent a reason to forego employment.

Two months ago I posted that Oregon had received a $5 million bonus for increasing food stamp participation by 60 percent.

" It marks the fifth consecutive year that Oregon has been “recognized” by the federal government for “exceptional administration” of the entitlement program, according to the announcement posted on the state’s Department of Human Services web site. The state official who runs SNAP assures that her staff will “continue working very hard to exceed expectations” so that Oregonians can “put healthy foods on their table quickly.”

Now a Fox affiliate in Oregon reports that food stamps can be used to purchase a Starbucks Frappuccino. In the video the lady purchases her Frappuccino with a slice of pumpkin bread for $5.25. Under the my DWM plan that would feed a person for 2 days.