Sunday, April 19, 2015

State Rep. Jesse Kremer Proposes Jim Crow Diet For The Poor

In the latest of lame-brained, poor shaming ideas from Wisconsin's Republicans war on the poor, Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) has a doozy. He wants to put poor people receiving food stamps to go on a Jim Crow diet:
Food stamp recipients in Wisconsin would be required to use photo ID cards for their purchases under a bill being proposed by two Republican lawmakers.

Rep. Jesse Kremer, R-Kewaskum, says the proposal is an effort to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse and to make programs like FoodShare more efficient. But detractors say it would shame those living in poverty, with no discernible benefit.

The bill, currently being circulated for co-sponsorship, would require the state Department of Health Services to submit an implementation plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for approval to issue electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards with photo identification to participants in FoodShare, the state's successor to the food stamps program. Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, is the Senate's lead sponsor.
Of course, like most of the dreck brought up by the state's Republicans, this proposal runs afoul of a number of laws, including the fact that any member of the family can use the EBT card, not just the head of the household. Federal law also forbids food stamp recipients to be treated differently than anyone else. I can't recall any time that I was carded to buy a loaf of bread.

But there's more. There's always more.

Kremer really wants to make sure the poor are shamed thoroughly by forcing them to shop at poor people-only stores:
Kremer also wrote in his "term paper" about an idea he'd raised during his campaign: limiting the use of QUEST cards to privately-run food pantries overseen by the government.

"Yes, it may be humbling to go into the pantry to purchase 'needed items,' but as I mentioned earlier, most people understand that this is meant to be a crutch and not a lifestyle. I would also love to see photo lD's (sic) on all Quest cards and will continue to work this angle," Kremer wrote.

The pantries could be set up on grocers' property, Kremer said, but they would not sell items like junk food, liquor or cigarettes.

"The fact that the author of the bill would, in his perfect world, require poor people go to segregated grocery stores to get food for their families, makes it clear that it's seething contempt, not legitimate public policy concern driving Kremer and supporters of this bill," Ross said.
Apparently Kremer has been hanging around with Scott Walker so much, he caught the same delusions about St. Ronnie and his fairy tale of welfare queens.

I just wonder what they are going to try to segregate next.

22 comments:

  1. Scot Walker says that God tells him to do all of this sh!t. The God of Scott Walker's understanding is a very sick little monkey indeed.

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  2. When will these shitheads understand that you can't buy booze and smokes with food stamps? And now they're limiting the kind of food you can buy that says either no actual healthy food and no junk food. What the hell are you supposed to eat?

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    1. Imagine trying to buy food in the inner city of Milwaukee...if you don't have a car. I mean..what can you buy at a convenience store that's actually good for you?

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  3. Because of course, Jesus separated the poor folks out while he was blessing the fishes and loaves. "And if any of these appear to thee to be freeloaders, thou shalt not feed them; nay, thou shalt send them to beg for crumbs." Isn't that in that parable somewhere?

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  4. icefishinglady, well said,

    Matthew 25:

    41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

    44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

    45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

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  5. Since I know there are people on food stamps in my small rural community in the Northwoods, and since we already have a really restricted selection in our one local grocery store, please tell me Rep Kremer what are the options?
    How about a bread and cheese only store? Maybe we can just have a separate food stamp only aisle? Maybe a little food stand out in the parking lot? Should we just line them up on the sidewalk with a box people can donate into and forget the food stamps? Maybe pay for their gas to drive to the nearest city big enough to have one of these special pantries, probably 60 miles out? Maybe Kremer, just maybe what your recommending is to load them up in a train and send them to this food pantry?
    I have a suggestion which you will see as foolish, let's dump Walker's economy killing agenda and maybe help these people out.
    I would suggest to you Kremer, that you pull out you Bible and read Matthew 25 as John posted. At least then you can't think he just made it up.

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  6. Meg: presumably the QUEST cards will still be authorized to buy two (2) types of groceries:
    1) Bread;
    2) Water.

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    1. repugs won't be happy until only DOG FOOD can be purchased with food stamps/SNAP cards.

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  7. Don't you have a funeral to prepare for, capper? What are you doing spitting your demented hate and bile here?

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    1. You are genuinely the worst kind of human being, if you can even be called a human. Show some damn compassion.

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    2. Only a republican would refer to the reporting of facts as spewing demented hate and bile. While I completely understand how this blog is embarrassing to republicans, it is hardly the blogger's fault he is provided with such an abundance of embarrassing republican acts and ideas to blog about. What is demented and worse than bile is an anonymous commenter referring to a very sad and personal event in the writer's life...an event that not a single person is above or will ever be able to avoid, not even a coward who makes low blows from behind a computer screen anonymously.

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    3. What Meg said .
      When did the GOP disdain for the poor turn into such abject and thoroughly un-Christian hatred ? Can't they be allowed to have ANYTHING , or at least to keep a shred of dignity ?
      There will be hell to pay for this . Literally .

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  8. I recommend that very town built a glass encased picnic table so when people want to eat on food stamps they have to eat in public so we can all shame them and hiss and throw tomatoes while they eat.

    If we can cut back on food stamp spending we can increase per diems for politicians!

    everyone wins

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  9. Sounds akin to the voter I d bill...................NO EVEIDNCE OF VOTER FRAUD BUT EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO HAVE A VOTER I D SO THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF VOTER FRAUD. What evidence is there of food stamp abuse that warrants more photo I D's? Maybe food stamp recipients should be equipped with body cameras when they enter the store to video their purchases..................oh gosh don't let this leak out to Republicans as this will be their next bill!

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  10. Rep. Kremer- An example of the "wisdom" that permeates from the trash pile known as Washington County. Which is why I don't spend a dime in such a place, and you shouldn't either.

    And yet people from that trash pile get 9 hours of AM hate to reinforce their absurd beliefs, while us outside of that bubble-world get nothing to call out this BS other than blogs like this. It's gotta change

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    1. Agreed-I absolutely blame the likes of Belling and Sykes and Limbough for all of the insanity and hatred coming out of the Milwaukee County Area...and therefore blame them for the state off this state...

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    2. Agreed-I absolutely blame the likes of Belling and Sykes and Limbough for all of the insanity and hatred coming out of the Milwaukee County Area...and therefore blame them for the state off this state...

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    3. kewaskum...where the men are men..and the farm animals keep their legs crossed.

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  11. Republicans truly do mean, "eat shit and die."

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  12. Why not just unlock the dumpsters behind the stores, absolve the stores of liability, and pay them a 'premium' to let the poorz dig in it and get what they need? The poor and hungry can still get all of that steak and lobster they can eat. As an extra benefit, they may even die from it. A real 'win win' for those scumbags who keep forwarding this crap and their base who keep eating this up. Whats not to like?

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