Councilmember and Chair of the General Welfare Committee Bill de Blasio said, “Today’s Post opinion pieces re-emphasize that the City’s position on food stamps is far more ideological than practical. Hungry New Yorkers are already required to pursue work in order to receive food stamps, a crucial step in helping them rise out of poverty.  The City, however, wants to add more red tape and potentially spend more city tax dollars by requiring hungry New Yorkers to also enroll in an unpaid jobs program.  In a time of economic crisis, the City should take the simple step of utilizing federal dollars instead of creating a chilling effect on benefits by imposing unnecessary bureaucracy.”

Comptroller Bill Thompson said, “In times like these, de-coupling federally funded food stamps from Home Relief, the welfare program for single adults that is funded in part by the City, makes sense.  As recent reports on white collar workers seeking out food pantries demonstrate, many who have recently lost their jobs do not require job or skill training that welfare reform was meant to address.  They simply need a job, and we ought to take advantage of President Obama’s stimulus to give them all the support we can.”

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said, “Today’s New York Post editorial is inaccurate and distorts the position of advocates and denigrates food stamp recipients. We’re in an economic crisis. Unemployed New Yorkers that are actively looking for work may need a little extra help buying groceries while they search. Now, the federal government has offered to provide that assistance and the city should not stand in the way. In these dire economic times, the city should not refuse $155 million that would stimulate the local economy and provide relief for hungry New Yorkers.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)