Congress is debating a new 5-year Food Stamp Bill. The main argument between Republicans and Democrats is whether able-bodied men and women should be required to work (or get trained for work) if they want to keep receiving free food paid for by tax-paying Americans. Of course if they get a good job they probably won’t need food stamps.

The unemployment rate is below four percent, and businesses can’t find workers to fill open jobs. In many examples, half the people who apply for a job fail a drug test and won’t be hired. That makes sense; who wants to work next to a man or woman who is high on cocaine or meth?

But ironically, that same unemployable person (who somehow can afford to buy hard drugs) can get food stamps. No questions asked. Does anyone in Congress ask, “If you have to get off drugs to get a good job, why don’t you have to get off drugs to receive free food?” Wouldn’t you like to hear Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell answer that question?

You may be wondering, “I never heard of a Food Stamp Bill. Is that a new idea?”  No, it’s always been called the “Farm Bill,” and still is. But in the last several years the portion of the bill for farmers has declined to the point where 80 percent is for Food Stamps. Yes, only 20 percent goes to support food producers. In twenty years the number of food stamp recipients has doubled.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all for helping out the 20 to 30 million who honestly need assistance, especially free lunches for hungry students.

But with all the money we’ve spent on education and training over the past fifty years, and with millions of jobs that go unfilled unless immigrants are allowed to fill them, why should taxpayers reward ones too lazy to work.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“People are marvelous in their generosity if they just know the cause is there.” DT #1523, June 10, 1931

“Just read the farm relief bill. It’s just a political version of Einstein’s last theory. If a farmer could understand it, he certainly would know more than to farm. He would be a professor (at) Harvard. The farmers will die in the poorhouse before the guy that wrote it can even get the Senate to understand it.” DT #848, April 15, 1929 [it did not pass]

“I was there on the historic day when Congress actually passed the inflation bill tacked on to the farm bill. Never in the history of the world was such a gigantic piece of legislation ever passed.” WA #542, May 14, 1933 [the first farm bill signed into law]