Jitterbugging for Jesus

According to the Forbes 2017 list, the Walton family–S. Robson, Jim and Alice Walton–have aggregate wealth of 102 billion dollars.

Meanwhile, the Waltons keep their employees working part-time for slave wages AND living on food stamps.

Trump’s proposed budget would essentially destroy the food stamp program (and would also slash Medicaid help for the poor among us).*

As a New York Times editorial noted, food stamps would be reduced by 25 percent — $193 billion over 10 years — much of which would be achieved by shifting costs to the states.

The states can’t afford the payments, so the states will cut food aid.

Team Trump claims food stamps discourage work.

So tell that to all those Walmart employees who work their butts off every day and rely on government aid to survive.

By the way, did you see that $51,000 jacket Mrs. Trump sported in Sicily?

She looked mahvelous, dahling.

BY THE WAY, this ad for the Italian fashion house generated controversy when it ran. I can’t imagine why.

————–
*The Times editorial notes: “The proposed cuts have little chance of enactment, but they are still dangerous. Extreme proposals are a way to make less extreme proposals seem acceptable.”
————–
Here’s a little excerpt from by book The View From Down in Poordom: Reflections on Scriptures Addressing Poverty:

A troubling aspect of acrimony over who should provide for the poor is that poor and struggling people inevitably are scapegoated for the sins of rich and power-hungry politicians whose hypocrisy astounds. In a blatant conflict of interest, some of the very U.S. congressmen who were farmers—thirteen of them—voted in 2012 to slash funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

(The program is commonly known now as SNAP, and what were once called “food stamps” are now called SNAP benefits.) While cutting those benefits for Americans in need, the thirteen farmers in Congress voted to extend funding in the same massive Farm Bill legislation that provided them millions in federal farm subsidies for years to come.

One of those congressmen, who had received $70,000 in direct cash payments from Uncle Sam in his 2012 subsidies alone, quoted the Bible in arguing for the extension. He noted that Paul said “anyone unwilling to work should not eat.” It brings to mind the words of another biblical figure who said repeatedly, “Woe to you hypocrites!” (Matthew 23:23–28 NRSV).

The damaging results of those SNAP cuts to 47 million Americans quickly showed up at food banks where the poor turned to make up for their lost aid. Food banks nationwide ran out of food and reduced the amounts of food they distributed due to the shortages. The subsidies that the congressional farmers gave themselves were presumably awarded to them without a hitch.

We’re hearing it all again–that Paul said “anyone unwilling to work should not eat” (I have a whole chapter in the book about that quote); that churches and outreach agencies like food banks can be the safety nets.

Trump and company are waging a war on the poor and Lord help us, that war can’t possibly have any kind of great outcome.