Snap, Crackle, and POP!

If you are a Baby Boomer like me, you grew up watching the Rice Krispies commercials featuring Snap, Crackle, and Pop, the three elfish cartoon characters that mimicked the sound the cereal makes when you pour milk on it. Not so coincidentally, Snap, Crackle, and Pop first appeared in Rice Krispies ads in 1933, at the height of the Great Depression.

Fast forward 92 years and a different kind of SNAP is getting a lot of attention in Washington D.C. these days. The acronym stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the food assistance program for poverty-stricken Americans.

As anyone with a TV, radio, smartphone, or internet connection knows by now, SNAP benefits have been delayed due to the 40-day federal government shutdown. What you may not realize is that the delay has affected 42 million people or 1 in every 8 Americans.

That’s incredibly sad for two reasons.

First, I can’t imagine what it’s like not knowing where your next meal is coming from. That must be extremely frightening, especially if you are a parent with young children.

Second, what kind of country has 12.5% of its population living near or below the poverty line? After all, to qualify for SNAP benefits, your gross monthly income must be at or below 130% of the federal poverty level and your net monthly income – after deductions for things like rent and childcare – must be at or below 100% of the federal poverty level. There are also asset limits starting at $3,000 per household and increasing to $4,500 for seniors or those with disabilities.

So, here is the quandary as I see it.

We have 42 million Americans who depend on Uncle Sam to put food on their tables… and 294 million Americans who are paying for those groceries in addition to their own. That can’t continue in the long-term, because it creates a permanently dependent underclass on one hand and a permanently resentful middle class on the other.

Speaking from personal experience…

When our family relocated from New Jersey to Florida in 2011 to launch a new ministry from scratch, my income dropped from $75,000 to $18,000 our first year in the Sunshine State. No matter how you slice it – with a mortgage and three kids in college – we were living well below the federal poverty line.

However, I was raised by parents who instilled in me a sense of pride and personal responsibility and so, the thought of applying for government assistance never even occurred to me. I simply went out and worked three different part-time jobs while getting our new ministry up and running. Thanks to a lot of hard work, some strict budgeting, and God’s abundant favor, I was able to go full-time with our new ministry within nine months… and haven’t looked back since.

In other words, staying off government assistance even in the toughest of times can be done if you want it badly enough and are willing to work hard enough. It just takes the humility to accept whatever job is offered and to live within your limited means. If one job doesn’t suffice, go and get a second or a third one. Your kids will learn a valuable life lesson watching their parents work their fingers to the bone to support themselves rather than sitting back and letting Uncle Sam do it for them.

Yes, I realize that there are exceptions to every rule and that’s why programs like SNAP, CHIP, WIC, SSI, TANF, and Medicaid exist. But they are intended to be temporary hand-ups, not permanent hand-outs. We, as parents, must strive to demonstrate a spirit of independence and self-reliance for our children to emulate.

That is the American way.

(Editor’s Note: When I ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008 and 2010, I advocated the following limit on unemployment benefits: six months at a time and two years over a lifespan. I would like to see similar limitations – and stronger work requirements – placed on some of the federal welfare programs that are not only driving up our national debt, but also disincentivizing personal responsibility and a strong work ethic.)