COMPLICATED PICTURE OF A DARK

TIME.

A NEW TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RULE

CHANGE COULD LEAVE HUNDREDS OF

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITHOUT FOOD

STAMP BENEFITS.

THE DEPARTMENT AGRICULTURE SAYS

THEY WILL TIGHT ESPECIALLY WORK

REQUIREMENTS FOR SOME RECIPIENTS

OF THE SNAP PROGRAM.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS

THE CHANGE WILL SAVE THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT BILLIONS BUT

ACTIVISTS AND POLITICIANS CALLED

THIS DECISION CRUEL AND UNFAIR.

HERE TO WEIGH-IN ARE NOLAN

DOWNEY A STAFF ATTORNEY ON

POVERTY LAW OPPOSING THE NEW

REQUIREMENTS AND TED DABROWSKI

PRESIDENT OF THE WIREPOINTS

WEBSITE WHO IS SUPPORTIVE OF

THIS RULE CHANGE.

WELCOME BOTH OF YOU TO "CHICAGO

TONIGHT."

NOLAN DOWNEY FIRST, A PRIMER.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE RIGHT NOW FOR

FOOD STAMPS AND WHAT ARE THE

BENEFITS THAT THEY GET?

>> WELL, PARIS, TO BE ELIGIBLE

FOR FOOD STAMPS YOU HAVE TO MEET

INCOME REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT NOW

IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS FOR

HOUSEHOLDS THAT DO NOT HAVE A

QUALIFYING MEMBER SOMEBODY OVER

60 OR SOME THAT IS STRUGGLING

WITH A DISABILITY THEY HAVE TO

BE 165% OF THE POVERTY LINE FOR

HOUSEHOLDS THAT DO HAVE THE

QUALIFYING MEMBERS THEY HAVE TO

BE 200 POVERTY OVER THE POVERTY

LINE.

THE FOLKS ABLE-BODIED WOULD HAVE

TO BE BELOW THE 165%.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT

SNAP BENEFITS THAT PEOPLE GET ON

AVERAGE ARE ABOUT $127 A MONTH

FOR BENEFIT RECIPIENTS.

THE MAXIMUM THAT A SINGLE PERSON

CAN GET ARE $194.

THESE ARE BENEFITS THAT HELP

PEOPLE SUPPLEMENT THEIR FOOD

BUDGETS BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR

THEM TO GET BY ON A DAY-TO-DAY

BASIS.

>> ABLED BODIED ADULTS WITH NO

DEPENDENTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY

THE CHANGE.

WHAT IS GOING TO CHANGE UNDER

THIS PROPOSAL?

>> SO TODAY, ILLINOIS' SIGNED A

WAIVER FOR 101 COUNTIES OUT OF

THE 102 COUNTIES HAVE A WAIVER

FROM HAVING TO MEET THE WORK

REQUIREMENTS AND IT MEANS

ANYBODY RECEIVING FOOD STAMPS

SHOULD ABLED BODIED, SINGLE

YUCKER THAN 50.

IF THEY ARE --

YOUNGER THAN 50.

IF THEY ARE --

TO GET THE BENEFITS THEY MUST

WORK 20 HOURS A WEEK OR GO

THROUGH TRAINING AND ILLINOIS

HAD A WAIVER FROM THAT.

SO WE'VE HAD SOME OF THE HIGHEST

ENROLLMENT NUMBERS IN THE

COUNTRY.

>> AS I UNDERSTAND THE WAIVER

APPLIES TO COUNTIES THAT HAVE

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES THAT ARE 20%

HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE

N THOSE COUNTY, THE WORK

REQUIREMENTS DO NOT APPLY.

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NOW, IS

IF UNEMPLOYMENT IS ABOVE 6%,

THEN THEY CAN GET THE WAIVER.

THAT SHRINKS THE AMOUNT OF

PEOPLE THAT CAN GET THE WAIVER.

NOLAN DOWNEY WHY DO YOU THINK

THIS IS A BAD IDEA?

>> IT'S IMPORTANT THAT FOLKS

UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE ARE

TALKING ABOUT THIS GROUP, PEOPLE

THAT ARE BETWEEN 18-49 ON SNAP

THAT DON'T HAVE DEPENDENTS, THEY

HAVE SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO

MAINTAINING THAT STABLE

EMPLOYMENT.

MANY OF THEM SUFFER FROM

PHYSICAL OR MENTAL LIMITATIONS

THAT RESTRICT THEIR ABILITY TO

GET THAT GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT.

MANY ARE UNSTABLELY HOUSED.

THEY ARE OVERREPRESENTED IN THE

POPULATION OF FOLKS EXPERIENCING

HOMELESSNESS.

THEY HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING

RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION AND

TECHNOLOGY AND THE OTHER

IMPORTANT THING IS FOR THESE

FOLKS THEY ARE DEALING WITH

INCREDIBLY FEW RESOURCES.

THEIR INCOME TENDS TO BE ONLY A

COUPLE,000 A YEAR AND SNAP IS

THE ONLY BENEFIT THAT HELPS THEM

GET BY.

>> TED DABROWSKI WHAT ABOUT

THAT?

IT SEEMS LIKE THE RULE CHANGE

MIGHT BE PUNISHING THOSE BECAUSE

THEY ARE NOT WORKING AND PERHAPS

THEY CAN'T FIND A JOB?

>> WE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THOSE

PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LOT OF THOSE

NEEDS.

BUT I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO

UNDERSTAND IS THAT IN A PLACE

LIKE ILLINOIS WE HAVE FAILED OF

GETTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK.

WE HAVE THE 7TH HIGHEST

ENROLLMENT IN FOOD STAMPS IN THE

COUNTRY OUR NEIGHBORING

RECOVERED AND REDUCED THE PEOPLE

BELOW THE GREAT RECESSION WE ARE

HIGHER.

>> THAT IS BECAUSE ILLINOIS HAS

MORE COUNTIES THAT HAVE HIGHER

UNEMPLOYMENT?

>> WE'VE HAD A WORSE EMPLOYMENT

PERFORMANCE.

WE'VE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS AS

WE'VE DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW.

BUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND

HERE IS WHAT IS INTERESTING WE

NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE

PEOPLE.

IN ILLINOIS BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD

SO MANY ON FOOD STAMPS FOR SO

LONG IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET THEM

BACK IN THE MARKET BUT THIS IS

AS GOOD AS IT GETS WHEN YOU TALK

ABOUT THE EMPLOYMENT LEVELS

NATIONALLY AND IN ILLINOIS.

OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS LOWER

THAN IT'S BEEN.

THIS IS THE MOMENT IF YOU WANT

TO GIVE THESE PEOPLE GET

BACKING --

GETTING BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE,

THIS IS THE MOMENT TO GET THEM

BACK IN.

IF WE CAN'T GET THEM WORKING NOW

THEY WILL BE REGULATED TO FOOD

STAMPS THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.

>> IS IT YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TEMPORARY

AND THE GOAL IS TO GET PEOPLE

OFF OF IT AND BACK INTO SELF

SUFFICIENCY?

>> PARIS, I DON'T THINK THERE IS

ANY DENYING THAT A JOB IS

IMPORTANT IN HELPING PEOPLE

MEANINGFULLY IMPROVE THEIR

LIVES.

WHAT I'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD IS

HOW STARVING PEOPLE IS GOING TO

HELP THEM GET THERE.

WHEN YOU TAKE THE BENEFITS AWAY

FROM FOLKS THAT IS NOT A RECIPE

FOR SELF SUFFICIENTFY OR

ECONOMIC STABILITY IT IS A

RECIPE FOR TAKING FOLKS THAT

HAVE BARRIERS AND LOW RESOURCES

TAKING AWAY THE NUTRITIONAL

SUPPORT IS ONLY GOING TO MAKE

THE CHALLENGES HARDER.

>> AND ANOTHER CRITICISM, THE

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS GIVEN

OUT AS MUCH AS $28 BILLION IN

SUBSIDIES TO FARMERS BECAUSE OF

THE TRADE WAR WE ARE TALKING

ABOUT $5 BILLION OVER FIVE YEARS

TO BE SAVED FROM THESE FOOD

STAMP SAVINGS IT'S INCONSISTENT

THERE?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE ECONOMY BOTH

NATIONALLY AND IN ILLINOIS THIS

IS THE LOWEST RATES OF

UNEMPLOYMENT FOR BLACKS,

MINORITIES, HISPANICS.

IT IS AN AMAZING TIME TO GET A

JOB AND GET OUT OF THE

DEPENDENCY ON FOOD STAMPS.

I THINK IN ILLINOIS MAYBE TOO

MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE

WAIVERS AND THE MESS WE'VE HAD,

TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE BECOMING

DEPENDENT AND WE HAVE TO BREAK

THAT DEPENDENCE.

THE BEST THING FOR PEOPLE ARE

JOBS TO FIND MEANING IN THEIR

LIVES.

TO BE ON FOOD STAMPS AND NOT

HAVE THE IMPETUS TO GO OUT TO

WORK IS THE WRONG THING.

>> HOW MANY PEOPLE IN ILLINOIS

IS THIS GOING TO AFFECT?

>> THIS COULD IMPACT AS MANY AS

140,000 PEOPLE HERE IN ILLINOIS.

AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT EVERY

OTHER AREA THAT HAS HAD TO

IMPLEMENT THIS TIME LIMIT MANY

OF THE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOSE

BENEFITS.

IN ILLINOIS THIS IS NOT OUR

FIRST ENCOUNTER, ONE COUNTY HAD

TO IMPLEMENT IT IN DUPAGE

COUNTY.

AFTER THE THREE MONTHS HALF THE

PEOPLE IN THIS GROUP THAT WERE

RECEIVING SNAP LOST THEIR

BENEFITS.

>> AND IN COOK COUNTY, ABOUT

50,000 WILL LOSE THEIR BENEFITS

UNDER THE CURRENT RULE BECAUSE

COOK COUNTY'S ECONOMY HAS

IMPROVED.

THIS IS DOUBLING THE PROBLEM

HERE FOR COOK COUNTY RESIDENTS?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

I LOOK AT THIS AS A BIG

OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WITH THE

ECONOMY SO HOT WITH THE

UNEMPLOYMENT SO HOT AND THERE'S

THEY ARE LOOKING FOR 80,000 JOBS

IN ILLINOIS WE HAVE TO DO A

BETTER JOB OF MATCHING.

BUT OUR NEIGHBORING STATES ARE

DOING FAR BETTER IN GETTING

PEOPLE OFF OF FOOD STAMPS.

INDIANA 30% LOWER THAN THE GREAT

RECESSION WE ARE 17% HIGHER.

WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR ECONOMY

AND THE POLICIES WE HAVE THAT

ARE KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF JOBS.

>> WHY ARE THE STATES GOING IN

DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS?

>> I MEAN IT'S IMPORTANT

QUESTION BUT I WANT TO RESPOND

TO THIS NOTION THAT THE ECONOMY

IS BOOMING AND THAT THERE ARE

JUST AN ABUNDANCE OF JOBS

WAITING TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE OUT

OF POVERTY.

THE REALITY IS MANY OF THE JOBS

ARE LOW PAYING JOBS THEY ARE

PART-TIME JOBS AND SOME ARE NOT

GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT FOR

PEOPLE TO MEET THIS WORK

REQUIREMENT.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A BOOMING

ECONOMY YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE

THE GENERAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

DOES NOT PAINT THE WHOLE

PICTURE.

WHAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS

SAYING HERE IS THAT EVEN IN

AREAS THAT HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY

HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT THAN THE

NATIONAL AVERAGE WE'RE STILL

GOING TO BE FORCING FOLKS TO

FIND A JOB THAT IS GOING TO BE

ABLE TO GET THEM OFF OF FOOD

STAMPS.

IT'S NOT REALISTIC.

>> ANOTHER POSSIBLE CRITICISM

HERE AGAIN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT

$5 BILLION TO BE SAVED OVER FIVE

YEARS.

WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE AMOUNT OF

TAXES NOT BEING PAID BY THE

BIGGEST COMPANIES, IBM, GENERAL

MOTORS, AMAZON DOESN'T THAT

ACCOUNT FOR SO MUCH MORE MONEY

THAN WHAT IS BEING SAVED HERE?

>> WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO

MIX THE THINGS.

THERE ARE POLICIES WE SHOULD

CHANGE WHEN IT COMES TO

CORPORATIONS AND TAXES AND THAT

IS A SEPARATE DISCUSSION.

WHAT IS CRITICAL HERE AND IT IS

A SITUATION FOR ILLINOIS, IS

THAT THINGS LIKE FOOD STAMPS

HIDE THE REAL PROBLEMS WE HAVE.

WE HAVE A PENSION PROBLEM, WE

HAVE AN ECONOMIC PROBLEM, WE

HAVE AN UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM

BROADLY, THE FOOD STAMPS ALLOW

OUR GOVERNMENT TO HIDE BEHIND

THOSE THINGS.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS CHANGE OUR

POLICIES TO HAVE MORE GROWTH AND

MORE INVESTMENT IN ILLINOIS AND