The Washington Post discovers Chariton

Chariton made a brief appearance in The Washington Post over the weekend, featured in a report headlined, "Iowa to spend millions kicking families off food stamps. More states may follow."

The story was written shortly before the Iowa House Republican supermajority signed off on SF 494 Thursday and sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds for signature a bill that forces Iowans who already qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits --- generally known as food stamps, Medicaid, and other forms of public assistance to jump through additional hoops, including new identity verification and asset testing requirements.

About 8,000 Iowans would lose their Medicaid benefits and 2,800 would lose their SNAP benefits under SF 494, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Iowa Legislative Services Agency (LSA), the progressive news site "Iowa Starting Line" reported.

By the state’s own estimate, according to The Washington Post report, Iowa will need to spend nearly $18 million in administrative costs during the first three years — to take in less federal money. The bill’s backers argue the steps would save the state money long term and cut down on “SNAP fraud.”

The Post adds, "The measure is part of a broader national crackdown on SNAP, the federal program at the heart of the nation’s welfare system. The proposed legislation was not a homegrown effort but the product of a network of conservative think tanks pushing similar SNAP restrictions in Kentucky, Kansas, Wisconsin and other states. But experts say Iowa’s represents the boldest attack yet on SNAP, and Republicans in Congress have signaled a similar readiness to impose limits on federal food assistance."

The kicker to all of this is that there's no sign of anything resembling widespread fraud among current beneficiaries of these social safety net programs in Iowa --- recipients are just hungry, or in need of health care. 

Both SNAP and Medicaid funds are federal, administered by the state on a cost-share basis. Funding withheld from Iowans becomes available to fund programs in other states.

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The Chariton reference in the Post story involves Amy Cunningham, who was kicked off SNAP earlier this year and had to rely almost exclusively on food banks for a time.

According to The Post, "the 31-year-old mother of four lives in Chariton, a small town of 3,000 south of Des Moines. Her monthly SNAP allotment had been $594. In January, she had an annual review, which required a round of paperwork to stay in the program.

"But the information was mailed to an old address. By the time Cunningham got the forms in order, she had missed the deadline and was booted from the program. 'I don’t have family left that I can really borrow money from,' she said. 'I just didn’t know what I was going to do.' "

The good news is, benefits eventually were restored; the bad news, the new restrictions are likely to force others into similar situations. 

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State Rep. Joel Fry (R-Osceola), who represents western Lucas County and the city of Chariton, was in charge of shepherding SF 494 through the Iowa House. He was quoted at some point in the proceedings as speculating that cutting benefits might serve as an incentive for recipients to find employment.

Probably not, since many of the recipients are old, handicapped in some manner, in temporary need or burdened as single parents with young mouths to feed.

What the new law most likely will do is increase pressure on our local food bank, operated by the Lucas County Interchurch Council, discourage preventive health care, send children out into the world hungry and increase despair among the less fortunate.

I've been reminded of an older Buffalo Center-area farmer I knew many years ago while editing my first weekly newspaper. He had a fine family, hundreds of acres and was one of the rocks that formed the foundation of a fundamentalist Christian church in the area.

He also was notorious for his crooked --- but not outright illegal --- business dealings. When asked how he justified the inconsistency between faith and practice he replied, "I never mix business and religion."

Iowans, it would seem, are more inclined to be governed by that sort of outlook these days and less willing to mix the need to care for the less fortunate among us with the scriptural admonition to feed the hungry and clothe those who need it.