MyMuskegon responds (on the MLive site food costs money?) to one of the lamest front page articles ever for the Chronicle.
MyMuskegon should be on the Chronicle staff!
Here's the original Chronicle article Life is unfair!
"Oh where to start on this one...
This article is pretty well out there - especially to make it a front page highlight article in the Muskegon Chronicle. I don't even know where to start on this one. My thoughts are going in so many directions on this one...
I guess I'll toss a couple of things out there that quickly come to mind here.
What is the REAL purpose of this article?
To show us a family of six who made it for one month with food assistance of $235.00? (Let's not forget that they MAY have received a nice tax return of roughly $3,300.00 - $4,200.00 in the month or two before March due to EIC - and still not paid in ANY Federal Income Tax).
To tell us it is hard to feed a family healthy foods today for a low cost because healthier foods cost more? (Do they really cost more? If you watch the local sale ads, they DO NOT!)
To show us a family who didn't plan their future very well? (Why are they having more children when they obviously are having budget issues? Job or no job, are they REALLY aware of their own family budget and what they can afford?)
To show us a family who went to get help in learning how to feed the family healthier? (Are they really getting sound advice? Are they really being shown how to REALLY stretch a dollar? I don't think so!)
To show us that people with low incomes and without a lot of education tend to be obese? (These are not my words, they were in the printed version - Also, keep in mind the article (and the photos) showed that the family is NOT obese).
To show us that spending your entire food allotment at one time is a good idea (or not a good idea)? (The article stated that they purchase food at the beginning of the month - when the food assistance was available, and they made it last as long as possible (limiting fruit and potato chips). Isn't this a bad idea - better yet would be to plan ahead and buy the meals for a week or so (or freeze the meat, main course, etc), and the extras and sales items as they become available. Wouldn't this result in more spending power than blowing the whole wad at once? ALso, did anyone watch them actually spend $235.00 on JUST food? This cash is sepndable any way you see fit - was this real or just told??? For a front page article, I would hope that Susan Harrison Wolffis actually went grocery shopping with them - and hopefully pointed out deals and values along the way to stretch the dollar. It sure sounds as though this DID NOT happen.)
I'm just totally lost on this one. Reading the article online is one thing...seeing the actual photos/charts in the actual Muskegon Chronicle is a whole new experience...
What was the real point of this front page article? If it was attempting to be a culmination of all of the above, it was still done very, very poorly.
Looks to me that the Chronicle went shopping and took pictures at a Save-A-Lot or Aldi - I'm not sure which one yet, but I bet I am right (more than likely Save-A-Lot).
CONTINUED...
For one, I want to know how you can make Kool-Aid for $0.13 a quart when just a week or two ago Meijer had Kool-Aid on sale for $0.10 a packet. The everyday Meijer price is $0.25 a packet (not including the water or sugar). Sugar is roughly $2.00 per 5 pound bag. 8 ounces = 1/2 pound. 5 pound bag of sugar yields 10 cups - thus 1 cup sugar = $0.20.
I really thought I got a deal when I last stocked up on Kool-Aid at Meijer at the price of 10/$1.00. I sure wish the Chronicle would clue me in on this method so I could save some myself some more cash.
How do you compare Kraft "Pastuerized Process Cheese Food" slices to Kraft blocks of "REAL" Mild Cheddar Cheese? They are two totally different products??? I realize this is supposed to be a junk food to healthier food comparison - but wouldn't a comparison agasint the $0.99 cent generic made by oil (instead of milk) cheese slices to the Kraft "Pastuerized Process Cheese Food" slices have been a better comparison? Hey, Plumbs has Spartan Brand chunk cheese on sale this week for $1.50 for an 8 ounce package - that makes it $0.19 per oz and cheaper than the Kraft Cheese slices they showed in the Chronicle at $0.26 per ounce. The real deal at a cheaper price...WOW!
Who has Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs for $1.33? I'd like to know...and why do you compare this chicken/meat/pork product to Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast? Why not compare a Slim-Jim to filet mignon? It is supposed to be junk meat to healthier meat right? Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts can be had on sale for $0.99 to $1.99 per pound very often. Hey, lets not forget about the occasional sales at Plumbs for New York Strip Steaks at $1.99 - $2.49 per pound too... Also, Plumbs has Eckrich 1 pound hot dogs on SALE this week for $2.00 per pound. Hmmm...Where are those $1.33 hot dogs at again?
White bread $2.19 / Whole Wheat $2.79??? I have not paid more than $1.00 per loaf of bread in a very long time. Doesn't Wesco sell bread for $.69 (or $0.89) everyday. Local bread stores sell it for roughly $.30 - $0.40 everyday. Plumbs, Meijer, D&W, etc have store brands for roughly around $0.99 everyday (not counting sales). Hey, Plumbs has white bread on sale this week - $1.19 for TWO loaves. Hmmm...
Comparing Orange Drink to Orange Juice - $1.49 for 64 ounces of Orange Drink. Hey, Plumbs and Meijer have REAL orange juice on sale this week for $1.50 - $0.01 cent more and you get the real deal. WOW!
Lastly, they do not give food stamps out anymore - it is called a Michigan Bridge Card and it is processed the same way a credit card is - with the electronic swipe of a plastic card. Unlike in the past with Food Stamps (that required a food-only purchase), with their cash benefits, customers may purchase both food and/or non-food items in a store. The store owner may choose to accept the Bridge Card for the amount of the cash purchase, or may choose to offer cash back with or without a purchase.
Cash back - just like an ATM card.
Basically, my point is this article is way off base in all aspects. Healthy foods can be bought rather cheaply (if not cheaper) if you take the time to pay attention to the sale ads and shop and stock up accordingly. This article made absolutely no mention of this at all. This family gets one bag of potato chips per month and they go quickly. OH JOY! How about visiting BigLots and get those chips for $0.79 per bag. Or the Dollar store next to Plumbs on Apple Ave for only $1.00 (I'm talking Uncle Rays - Good chips by the way and made in Michigan). Better yet, why didn't this article state that the family buys a ten pound bag of spuds on sale for $0.99 and involve the family in a family potato chip making night which includes slicing and frying their own homemade potato chips???
Do you see my point here?
A family of six CAN live on $235.00 per month. The article did prove this - for what it is really worth. I think with the right knowledge and the right sales ads in hand, they could have eaten ever better. What exactly did they eat? What were the meals and/or snacks? This article told us nothing... The meals should be healthy...hey, we already know that. I want to know what exactly they ate to make it on $235.00 for a month.
Lets also not quickly think about how poor this family seems to be by the way the article surely made it feel (for the moment the article focused on the family). This family actually enjoys many more benefits than a single person or a married couple with no children.
Keep in mind that the children of this family now receive free health care benefits (including dental and vision) - all of them (via MiChild). The mother-to-be receives (for the term of pregnancy) free health care benefits as well as WIC (WIC also serves children through age five with regular checks that cover the purchase of milk, cheese, eggs, peanut butter, etc), the newborn child will also go on MiChild at birth too. The birth of the baby will be covered too.
The birth of the baby will be covered too. The mother-to-be could also choose free family planning services (such as Tubal Ligation or other means of birth control - at no charge). The oldest child should be receiving free lunch at school (one less meal to feed during the weekdays). As a low income family, they also qualify for LifeLine Telephone Service (roughly $8.00 per month for a landline telephone in the home via Verizon).
Via thier 2003 Federal Income Tax return, this family should have also received a check at the end of the 2003 tax year in the amount of $3,363.00 - $4,204.00 for the Earned Income Credit (EIC) or as advanced payment throughout the past 2003 year. They also owed ZERO Federal Income Tax (yep - I was bored and did the actual math).
Keep in mind that an adoption tax credit also exisits during the year that a child was adopted.
On the topic of Income tax, they could have also recieved a heating credit and a rent credit from the State of Michigan for 2003 too. I haven't taken the time to figure this out - perhaps someone else will? Base it on full year wages of $5.50 per hour and separately of $9.00 per hour and see what you come up with.
I'm not trying to be negative here...just pointing out some facts the article seemed to miss by my view point. There is nothing wrong with receiving assistance at all - by anyone. It it just that sometimes, by doing the complete math on a certain scenario that is presented, that you see the real results, start to think, and question the outcome...
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