WIC, the Women, Infants, and Children food program, has decided to remove potatoes from the list of approved vegetables that may be purchased with the food coupons.
Their reasoning is that participants already get enough starches, and by eliminating potatoes from the approved list, participants will be forced to buy more fruits.
The government has every right to do this. Nothing is stopping WIC enrollees from buying potatoes with their own money. Participants are not entitled to the WIC benefits, it is simply the taxpayer giving a helping hand to those less fortunate.
Now consider health care. In 2014, when 62% of the general public becomes dependent on the federal government to help pay for their health insurance, what services will your main insurer, the federal government, deem appropriate? Do you smoke? Have a beer now and again? Buy frozen pizza? All of these things may cause adverse effects on your health. Maybe the federal government will decide to stop giving you the money for your health care policy until you change your ways. Remember the potato, it isn’t such a big leap.
Michael Higgins
602.405.8769