Whatever the causes for the current global food crisis, those hardest hit by this weakening economy and with limited resources are the poor, low-income families especially children, individuals on disability and seniors on fixed incomes. The Food Stamp Program developed in the early 1960s is our nation's most basic safety net against hunger. The program was designed to improve the food purchasing power of people with low-income and also the nutrition value of the foods. Healthier foods are generally more expensive. However, despite the needs the program is underutilized. 

According to estimates by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 45 percent of Californians eligible for food stamps actually participate in the program. To improve access for those most in need, this past February State Assemblyman, John Laird, introduced a bill to take advantage of a federal option known as simplified reporting. This option would streamline the process of reporting and improve efficiency of the food stamp program. It would repeal the quarterly reporting system and impose a semiannual one, thus reducing the paperwork burden for recipients and administrators alike.  

In a 2005 hunger analysis report by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, the largest source of food distributed by an agency (43 percent of the total) is the federal food stamp program. The Second Harvest Food Bank was second at 21 percent, and the school's food programs were third at 18 percent. Narrowing the food gap between meals needed and meals provided is an ongoing challenge for many community organizations distributing food to people in need.  Full participation by eligible recipients in the food stamp program would help mitigate those needs.    

Unfortunately, the program has been the target of misinformation and myths. The urban legend exists that someone knows somebody who drives a Cadillac while collecting food stamps. On the contrary, there are strict eligibility requirements for participation in the program. The market value of a family car is considered a countable resource that can be used to determine eligibility along with bank accounts and other resources. Typically, household incomes must fall below the poverty line. Most low-income families served in the two-county region earn an average of $16,056 a year.

To combat fraud and to maintain the integrity of the program, the majority of participants, over seventy percent of households nationwide, use a debit card. This creates an electronic trail of food purchases by recipients and discourages illegal activities. Anyone found guilty of providing false information or abusing these privileges are disqualified from the program, penalized, or are subject to criminal prosecution. 

Underutilization of the program impacts local communities by diverting discretionary spending by eligible families toward food purchases and reducing their purchasing power to cover other basic needs.  

For 2005, the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax research group based in Washington, D.C., reported that California taxpayers received only 78 cents in federal expenditures for every dollar Californians paid in federal taxes. Our state and local communities are hurt by the lost tax revenues and other economic benefits for California agricultural producers and retailers.  Californians are underutilizing the federal programs.  More tax dollars go to Washington than come back in services to the state.

One way to increase participation of eligible families to the food stamp program is to simplify the reporting process - pass the Food Stamp Simplification act. Forty-six other states have already taken advantage of this federal option and hopefully California will follow suit.