[lbo-talk] Reuters: US food stamp use nears record levels

[B.]

[Also, apparently Sam's Club (Wal-Mart) and Costco are
still rationing consumers' purchase of rice:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042303236.html

And "Thousands clash with police in Egyptian bread
riot":
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hKZjHy7cxG63IIrBPUBZU1nyt53AD9164GTG0

-B]

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http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?storyID=2008-06-09T222836Z_01_N09284399_RTRUKOC_0_US-FOOD-USA-STAMPS.xml

U.S. food stamp use up sharply, sign of hard times
Mon Jun 9, 2008 5:28 PM ET

By Charles Abbott

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some 27.88 million Americans
received food stamps in March, up 1.5 million from a
year earlier, according to the latest U.S. government
figures which antihunger experts pointed to on Monday
as a sign of economic distress.

"What's happening is we have a large number of
families in poverty who are losing income while their
expenses are going up," said Stacy Dean of the Center
for Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank.

Food stamps help poor people buy food. Benefits
average $1 per meal.

Enrollment totaled 27.88 million in March, the latest
month for which figures are available, up by 219,000
people from February and up 1.5 million, or 5.7
percent, from March 2007. The Agriculture Department,
which runs the program, made the figure public late
last week.

"Food stamps is the tail, not the dog. The economy is
in decline so people turn to food stamps for help,"
Dean said.

The record for food stamp participation is 29.85
million people in November 2005, which included
emergency benefits to victims of hurricanes Katrina,
Rita and Wilma, said USDA. Second-highest was 27.97
million people in March 1994, said the Food Research
and Action Center, an antihunger group.

"Now is the time for Congress to pass temporary
increases in food stamps, extended unemployment
insurance and other targeted relief that will
stimulate the economy and help struggling families,"
said James Weill, FRAC's president. He pointed to
May's increase in unemployment, to 5.5 percent.

Food stamp enrollment has exceeded 27 million people
each month this fiscal year. USDA estimates enrollment
will average 27.98 million people in fiscal 2009,
which begins on October 1, at a cost of $40.3 billion.

A U.S. Agriculture Department spokesman declined to
comment.

(Reporting by Charles Abbott; Editing by David Gregorio)