Confused About EBT Funding

I am confused by several aspects of the controversy surrounding the November 1 ending of funding for EBT cards for government food benefits. (Although I know the system uses electronic cards that the government reloads with funds, I’m going to use the old “food stamps” term for simplicity.)

Many media outlets and politicians loudly assert that “people will starve” if they don’t get their food stamps on November 1.

Starve? Really? Do these people have only one day’s worth of food on hand at a time? They buy their food daily? If so, that is likely part of their money management problem. I imagine there is probably little overlap between the group of people who rely on food stamps and the group of people who plan. But, c’m’on. Immediate starvation because people didn't get food stamps yesterday? The probability that we will see in the coming days stories of widespread starvation over the previous 24 or 48 hours is zero. Claiming people will starve is destroying your credibility.

I have long thought that many economically poor people would benefit greatly if part of the various government food stamp programs included courses that teach recipients how to prepare and cook inexpensive foods (along with some basic meal planning). Mrs. Tabby came across a YouTube channel that teaches how to make easy family meals from food available at the dollar store.

Second, media outlets and politicians make much of the data that more than forty million people depend on government funds for food.

Again, really? How is it possible that 12 percent (one eighth) of the American population is dependent on government assistance for basic food needs? Why are so many people dependent on government assistance for basic food needs in the first place?

I understand there are allegations of waste due to extensive fraud in the system. But ignoring that, is the skill set of the American public so bad that so many people do not have sufficient skills to offer on the labor market that they can earn enough to eat? Or is the American economy in such bad shape that there are so many capable workers with skills who can’t find jobs? Or are the criteria to qualify to receive food stamps too generous (i.e., are people getting food stamps who don’t really need them)?

Third, the other day, two federal judges ordered the executive branch to pay out food stamps, even though the legislative branch of government (Congress) has not allocated funds for the current fiscal year.

I’m sure there are complicated accounting gimmicks under which funds can be moved around. But, in simplified terms, the judges are ordering the executive branch to spend money the legislative branch has not authorized — all by judicial decrees. We just had a bunch of protests against the American president behaving in a kingly manner. The protests were motivated by a set of claims that charged the president (executive branch) was behaving monarchically by doing things not specifically authorized by the legislative branch (Congress). Yet here we have two judges (judicial branch of government) ordering the executive branch to engage in the very kingly task of spending money the legislative branch has not allocated to be spent. And many of the same politicians and media outlets that promoted and cheered on the “No Kings” protests are encouraging these judges in their orders that the government executive behave as a king.

So, let's make what we can of the following:

Those who claim that people will starve if the government does not immediately issue food stamps are further damaging their credibility, which seems like an odd path for the people making the claim to take.

How and why do so many people depend on food stamps? That makes no sense in light of other information available about the American economy.

Many of the same people who just a few weeks ago protested against the federal executive behaving kingly are now advocating and encouraging the government executive to behave kingly-like.

I’m confused.