well..
we can all only draw from our own experiences and our circle of influence, and since the nearest county to me with any serious population is Saginaw county (about 3/4 of a city block away from my home)
population 2013 was 196,542
and in that same year there were 57,561 on FAP (food assistance programs)
you could see how I would personally see that problem as a larger issue than someone in a more
well off area would see it
in 2014, and 2015, there has been a slight drop in FAP recipients in Saginaw county, "slight"... but note worthy.
we have had similar discussions when speaking of "gun violence" (that term still cracks me up)
it's all about your surroundings (lets use IA for example)
according to neighborhood scout (take THAT for what it's worth)
chances of becoming a victim of a Violent crime in Saginaw Michigan is 1 in 58 (other areas of Michigan are MUCH lower of course.. and some higher)
chances of becoming a victim in Iowa is only 1 in 366 (not sure of any cities close to Peels that would be fair to compare)
my point being... it's all about where you live and what you see
and around here.. it's pretty shitty
go to any Wal-mart around here and watch how many people are using the "bridge card" (our food stamp program) to buy chips, pop, and expensive brand products, that could be cheaper to buy store brand (Kellogg cereal instead of store brand)..
Ice cream, Doritos and Pepsi are NOT food assistance worthy... it's BULLSHIT!
Michigan's assistance program needs a total re-design!
with modern "bar-code" scanning, it would be pretty easy to have authorized products and those that are not.
much like our "WIC" assistance program for pregnant women young children... it is MUCH better
I could give examples all fucking day..
so.. YES MD..
on a national scale it's not as bleak as some paint it..
but on a more local scale it's a huge cluster FERK