Food Stamp Challenge: Maggie Thurber Is on the Case, on the Radio (UPDATE: And on the Blog)

Maggie Thurber of Thurber’s Thoughts is on from 6-7 PM tonight on WSPD in Toledo (link is to “Listen Live” page; to listen, click where it says to click).

The Toledo area’s Food Stamp Challenge, which remains set at $21 per person per week despite that number having been debunked almost five months ago by Mona Charen and yours truly, and repeatedly since then, is the topic of discussion. The WTVG story (currently the fifth story at the link) says:

Toledo area ministries want to highlight the eating reality for families on food stamps through an interesting challenge. Today, “Feed Your Neighbor” leaders challenged Lucas County commissioners to only spend up to $21 each on food for one week. Commissioners and staff should also try to buy a meal from the “Feed Your Neighbor” pantry. Commissioners have to report on their experiences at their regular meeting next Tuesday.

Lisa Renee at Glass City Jungle has the Commissioners’ release.

For easy reference, Maggie, here’s the table I have been using to make my points for months, followed by a picture from the USDA web site, where the monthly numbers came from:

Good luck; I’ll be listening in.

UPDATE: Here’s a link to the Colorado couple who proved that 2 people can live on even the artificially low $21 per person per week.

UPDATE 2: Maggie has done a tremendous job of tracing it all back to the Food Research and Action Center, the organization that initiated the bogus Food Stamp Challenge and has been working to spread it nationwide.

UPDATE 3: At least one of WSPD’s local radio talkers is taking a one-week Food Stamp Challenge — and he intends to succeed.

UPDATE 4, Sept. 20: Maggie’s post this morning connects the dots from the Challenge’s sponsor, to the “progressive” PR firm, to the Toledo-area social-service beneficiaries of the Food Stamp Outreach Program, to ignorant or deceitful politicians, to the local stenographers pretending to be reporters.