By J. Todd McKay
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 29, 1997

Columnist is too radical

Editor:

Eric E. Clingan apparently subscribes to the Rush Limbaugh school of commentary, judging by his comments in Stamping Out Fraud. Not only does he demonize poor people, he points a fact-challenged finger at the ominous and powerful "liberal elite" for failing to do more to eliminate fraud in the federal food stamp program.

Mr. Clingan suggests that food stamp recipients submit to drug tests in order to receive benefits. Why single out the poor? Why not every employee of every corporation that receives federal benefits in the form of tax breaks? Is it perhaps because Mr. Clingan distrusts/dislikes poor people more than he does corporate America?

As to suggesting the program be changed to one in which recipients get coupons for specific foods: what a brilliant double whammy! We could simultaneously force people using food stamps to submit to food-buying requirements of the federal government, and fill the pockets of huge corporations by guaranteeing them tax breaks or direct federal moneys! Those damn poor people can't be trusted to make rational decisions about their nutritional needs; better to leave that decision to Congress and industry lobbyists.

I am also bothered by spending government money in a way with which I disagree, but spending billions of dollars on superfluous military technology to subsidize arms manufactures is much more offensive to me than a person with food stamps buying a cheap steak rather than ground beef.

J. Todd McKay
3rd year law student