A couple of years back, I decided to apply for Food Stamps and Welfare benefits, by using a free online website, provided by the state. Not because I was hungry or in need of assistance, but because I figured it would be interesting to see if there was any social services programs I could receive, and use for my benefit. I figured the form was free, and it didn’t obligate me to anything. I pay a lot in taxes, and it seemed only right that if I was eligible for a service, I should get my money’s worth.

Obviously, after I applied, I was promptly turned down. It said my income was well above the level allowed for a variety of social services. Despite the fact I pay a lot in taxes, I can’t get food stamps or other forms of social assistance that many poorer people can get. It’s not like I have a lot of extra money at the end of the month, and it really isn’t fair that some people, who are poor, can get government assistance that I am not allowed to get.

Why do some people get food stamps and government assistance, while hard-working people don’t get any assistance? They could transform these programs to be a basic benefit for all Americans. Why shouldn’t everyone get food stamps, especially if the they pay into the program? There are some months where that extra money — specifically earmarked to buy healthy food would be helpful.

I don’t particularly like having the government deciding how I should spend my money, but it would be a good incentive if the government gave everyone a few bucks every week to buy healthy food. Not everyone would take advantage of it, but it would give an incentive for eating healthy.