The SNAP economy

[Alma]

Couple days old, but a powerful slice-of-life profile from Eli Saslow, who's been writing about the economy for the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/food-stamps-put-rhode-island-town-on-monthly-boom-and-bust-cycle/2013/03/16/08ace07c-8ce1-11e2-b63f-f53fb9f2fcb4_story.html

The opening 11 grafs -- the first page of five -- is just terrific. A seamless mixture of images, numbers, plays on words, and details.

The ending, to me, creates conflicting emotions. The final anecdote seems just a little overcooked, like the economy is conspiring against this mother fulfilling her grocery list, and it's somehow enlisted her own toddler daughters to rampage through the store. It's a pretty solid plot line -- the meltdown at the store -- and that it's so common seems to make a little unrelated, thematically, to the story at hand. And part of me wonders if a reporter trailing her around makes her a worse, more inattentive mother than she'd normally be.

At any rate, worth the time and read.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Quick question: Saslow started off as a sports writer, correct?

 

[BTExpress]

Rebecka went shopping early that afternoon. Jourie was still sleeping off his midnight shift, so she decided to take the girls by herself. She wanted to visit at least two stores to capitalize on the best deals. She packed snacks and diaper bags and loaded the girls into the car, a 2004 Mitsubishi Galant leased on 18 percent interest for $90 a week. They drove across town to Price Rite, the cheapest chain in Woonsocket, and the town’s epicenter of the SNAP economy.

Paying $360 a month to lease a car? And depending on food stamps to eat?

 

[LongTimeListener]

Being extremely dumb about money is one of the main reasons people get in these positions in the first place.

 

[Alma]

Quick question: Saslow started off as a sports writer, correct?

I actually didn't know, but a quick search seems to suggest yes, he did.

 

[Captain Obvious]

Did the family's SNAP benefits go down? Originally, they were getting more the $500 a month, yet the article stated they used half ($168) on the first. Mom also needs to get the kids under control. Mine can be monsters in the store, but they aren't "just holding" food.

 

[terrier]

I used to work in this city, and don't doubt the figures. Talk radio is having a field day with it, obviously (pretending that white people don't have these problems).
Rhode Island cut taxes for the rich in 2006, but the "job creators" didn't fulfill their part of the bargain. This is the result.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

For the past three years, the Ortizes’ lives had unfolded in a series of exhausting, fractional decisions. Was it better to eat the string cheese now or to save it? To buy milk for $3.80 nearby or for $3.10 across town? Was it better to pay down the $600 they owed the landlord, or the $110 they owed for their cellphones, or the $75 they owed the tattoo parlor, or the $840 they owed the electric company?

You're kidding me, right? If I'm the landlord and I'm reading this, I'm evicting their asses the next time they don't pay. They can bunk at the tattoo parlor.

 

[Captain Obvious]

For the past three years, the Ortizes’ lives had unfolded in a series of exhausting, fractional decisions. Was it better to eat the string cheese now or to save it? To buy milk for $3.80 nearby or for $3.10 across town? Was it better to pay down the $600 they owed the landlord, or the $110 they owed for their cellphones, or the $75 they owed the tattoo parlor, or the $840 they owed the electric company?

You're kidding me, right? If I'm the landlord and I'm reading this, I'm evicting their asses the next time they don't pay. They can bunk at the tattoo parlor.

Shouldn't the tenants be warned their choices are wrong first before evicting them?

 

[Baron Scicluna]

For the past three years, the Ortizes’ lives had unfolded in a series of exhausting, fractional decisions. Was it better to eat the string cheese now or to save it? To buy milk for $3.80 nearby or for $3.10 across town? Was it better to pay down the $600 they owed the landlord, or the $110 they owed for their cellphones, or the $75 they owed the tattoo parlor, or the $840 they owed the electric company?

You're kidding me, right? If I'm the landlord and I'm reading this, I'm evicting their asses the next time they don't pay. They can bunk at the tattoo parlor.

Shouldn't the tenants be warned their choices are wrong first before evicting them?

Depends. Are the tenants working for the landlord?

 

[LongTimeListener]

I think the CEO of the nearest Fortune 500 company should have to pay everybody's rent. I know Baron's with me, who else?

 

[Boom_70]

I think the CEO of the nearest Fortune 500 company should have to pay everybody's rent. I know Baron's with me, who else?

Foxboro is only about 20 minutes away. Tom Brady should play everybody's rent.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

For the past three years, the Ortizes’ lives had unfolded in a series of exhausting, fractional decisions. Was it better to eat the string cheese now or to save it? To buy milk for $3.80 nearby or for $3.10 across town? Was it better to pay down the $600 they owed the landlord, or the $110 they owed for their cellphones, or the $75 they owed the tattoo parlor, or the $840 they owed the electric company?

You're kidding me, right? If I'm the landlord and I'm reading this, I'm evicting their asses the next time they don't pay. They can bunk at the tattoo parlor.

Shouldn't the tenants be warned their choices are wrong first before evicting them?

Depends. Are the tenants working for the landlord?

You'd have someone not on food stamps lined up to go right in there and replace them, eh?

 

[Azrael]

I posted this link on the Politics thread this morning, for the inevitable discussion of how poorly the poor manage their money.

How about we reserve this thread for a discussion of the journalistic attributes of the story?

Like Alma, I understood Saslow's choice to spin up the frenzy at the end of the story, but felt uncomfortable as it did so.

 

[Boom_70]

I posted this link on the Politics thread this morning, for the inevitable discussion of how poorly the poor manage their money.

How about we reserve this thread for a discussion of the journalistic attributes of the story?

Like Alma, I understood Saslow's choice to spin up the frenzy at the end of the story, but felt uncomfortable as it did so.

At least you are admitting that it was a "set up" post. You got no buyers though for where you wanted to go with it.

 

[Azrael]

I posted this link on the Politics thread this morning, for the inevitable discussion of how poorly the poor manage their money.

How about we reserve this thread for a discussion of the journalistic attributes of the story?

Like Alma, I understood Saslow's choice to spin up the frenzy at the end of the story, but felt uncomfortable as it did so.

At least you are admitting that it was a "set up" post. You got no buyers though for where you wanted to go with it.

Not a setup post at all. I think it's a really fascinating look at a new phenomenon well done.

I also think the posts likely to follow any story posted here about food stamps are pretty predictable.

As this thread proves.

 

[Boom_70]

I posted this link on the Politics thread this morning, for the inevitable discussion of how poorly the poor manage their money.

How about we reserve this thread for a discussion of the journalistic attributes of the story?

Like Alma, I understood Saslow's choice to spin up the frenzy at the end of the story, but felt uncomfortable as it did so.

At least you are admitting that it was a "set up" post. You got no buyers though for where you wanted to go with it.

Not a setup post at all. I think it's a really fascinating look at a new phenomenon well done.

I also think the posts likely to follow any story posted here about food stamps are pretty predictable.

As this thread proves.

We can agree to disagree but I've seen and admired your work on here for years. First post that followed yours and mentioned poor and money management would have been followed by you pulling the rug out and getting to the root of where you wanted to go in the first place. Nothing wrong with it. In fact I enjoy watching your Socratic skills at work.

 

[Azrael]

Whatever.

How about we take it to the politics thread?

 

[Batman]

Whatever.

How about we take it to the politics thread?

That's akin to saying, "Wanna step outside?" with pool cues and broken beer bottles in hand

 

[Baron Scicluna]

For the past three years, the Ortizes’ lives had unfolded in a series of exhausting, fractional decisions. Was it better to eat the string cheese now or to save it? To buy milk for $3.80 nearby or for $3.10 across town? Was it better to pay down the $600 they owed the landlord, or the $110 they owed for their cellphones, or the $75 they owed the tattoo parlor, or the $840 they owed the electric company?

You're kidding me, right? If I'm the landlord and I'm reading this, I'm evicting their asses the next time they don't pay. They can bunk at the tattoo parlor.

Shouldn't the tenants be warned their choices are wrong first before evicting them?

Depends. Are the tenants working for the landlord?

You'd have someone not on food stamps lined up to go right in there and replace them, eh?

They're not paying the rent anyways because they're deciding to pay for their cell phone and tattoos, and there's nothing in the story one way or anohter that says they're paying to heat the place.