[ForHackernews]

> But you can't really call them food stamps anyway as they have become their own form of currency and you can buy nearly anything with them.

That's not true at all: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items

You might be confused, because some states provide other forms of benefits (SS or TANF) on the same debit cards as SNAP ("food stamps"), but the food stamps program only pays for food--and not even all kinds of food.

You wrote a lengthy post, and you seem to have strong opinions about this subject, but you are badly misinformed about the underlying facts.

[talmand]

If I'm misinformed on the food stamps being used to purchase nearly anything, blame the news because that's where I got my information from. I see you posted a link to the USDA, interesting that you are assuming that since the government dictates it, then that must be the way they are being used. I suppose no one has ever received something from the government and used it in a way it was not intended.

[ForHackernews]

Some people do sell their food stamps (at a discount) for cash: http://www.kpho.com/story/23509709/food-stamp-recipients-sel... But that's an illegal abuse of the program.

If anything, it's an argument in favor of replacing current welfare programs with unconditional cash transfers.

[talmand]

In other words; I was correct, not confused, and not badly misinformed.

Thank you.

If one can take your government provided food stamps and convert them to cash is an abuse, how will straight-out giving them cash supposed to help in that situation? They will be provided cash with stipulations so nothing would change according to the rules.

Although, I admit there is evidence out there that if you just give cash with no stipulations to people that need help instead of "stuff" distributed through a service of some sort, they tend to do better overall: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/08/23/214210692/the-char....