Oregon’s Governor Kulongoski Takes the Food Stamp Challenge
In a move to bring more awareness to Oregon’s hunger issues, Governor Kulongoski has gone on the food stamp diet, or as he’s calling it, the Food Stamp Challenge. Using the same amount that the average food stamp recipient would receive on food stamps - just $21 - the Governor shopped at a Salem Fred Meyer’s grocery store for his week’s worth of food. Of course, since he and his wife share the same meals, together they are allowed $42 total for the week.
Some of the items that he chose to buy with his tiny budget were a 5-lb. sack of potatos, three cups of instant noodle soup, two zucchini, a bunch of bananas, one whole chicken, one gallon of milk, granola, bread, peanut butter and jelly. Among the items that the first lady Mary thought to have on hand: Coffee, eggs, lettuce, onions, and pesto. He reportedly had to put back a few bananas and one of the noodle soups to stay under the budget.
Technorati tags:
budget, diet, food, food stamps, government, hunger, Oregon, Portland
May 12th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
What exactly is the Governor trying to prove? Even as a publicity stunt, this accomplishes nothing. People have no clue and are being led by the clueless. Public assistance is a myth in Oregon.
May 12th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
I agree that there is no point as far as a publicity stunt, and it’s not an election year, so that’s probably not the point to it.
I believe it is a “reality check” for people in Oregon who can donate to food banks, and don’t. It’s a point being made that people cannot live on the amount alloted to provide a family food for a month. It really isn’t, and I think that point is being made pretty well. Now it’s just up to the Oregon citizens who can help to donate food towards the cause.