There have been times in my life when I’ve been dead-ass broke. Too much month at the end of my money, as the old country and western song goes. Thankfully, I’ve never been in a situation where I had to apply for SNAP benefits or government assistance of any kind, but I came close.

As a single man, my economic condition only affected me. And whether it was because of the way I was raised or just an inherent attitude, I knew my monetary setback was only temporary and that the hard times weren’t going to last forever.

During those times I couldn’t afford a lot of luxuries. I was too focused on keeping a roof over my head and gas in my car. But occasionally I would treat myself to a McDonald’s cheeseburger or a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Those cheap treats improved my mental health, at least for a short time.

So, even though I’ve never had to use those benefits and things have gone well for me in my life, I don’t find it hard to relate to those who have.

Recently, a federal judge overturned Nebraska’s and four other states’ ban on using SNAP to buy candy, soda pop, or other perceived unhealthy food. I think the judge made the right call.

As I said, my poor economic times only affected me. I can’t imagine what it must be like being a single mom and telling your kid they can’t have a candy bar or a can of soda at the grocery store. Not because it will ruin their appetite for dinner, but because some politician said they couldn’t.

I understand and support the concept of having SNAP recipients eat healthy meals, but much of what is allowed isn’t all that healthy either. Many of the approved foods are filled with high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, and additives you can’t pronounce. Plus, many of the rules on what you can and can’t buy seem rather arbitrary.

For instance, you can buy a whole chicken with SNAP benefits, but you can’t buy a rotisserie chicken. Or you can buy the ingredients to make a pizza, but you can’t buy a pizza that’s already been made. That doesn’t make much sense to me.

That single mom might be working two jobs to pay the rent and put clothes on her kids’ backs. She might not have the time to broil a chicken. Giving her kids a pizza from time to time not only makes her life a little easier, but also improves the mood of the family. After all, who doesn’t like pizza?

If you qualify for SNAP, your life is hard enough; I don’t have a problem with the government making it a little easier.

Eating healthy is a very noble goal. But healthier foods are more expensive. They might want to feed their family organic meals, but there’s no way they can afford to do that on their budget.

I think a lot of people perceive that folks getting government assistance are all lazy, welfare cheats trying to rip off the hard-working taxpayer. And yes, there are some who fit that stereotype.

I’ve heard anecdotal reports of those who will sell the food they get from SNAP and use the money to buy drugs. But those instances are not the norm and are no reason to deny those who deserve the benefit from getting it.

The median time someone receives SNAP is 8-9 months. It’s there for people who are laid off or unable to work due to illness. For most people, it’s a temporary solution to help them get through some tough times.

The average length of time someone uses SNAP benefits, however, is much longer. But that’s because many of the recipients are elderly, disabled, or both and unable to get back to work.

Our deficit spending is completely out of control. I’m all for cutting government spending. But while cuts are being made in social services that benefit the poor and the elderly, it seems we have plenty of money for wars, ballrooms, and reflecting pools.

That doesn’t seem right.

It seems contradictory to claim that Nebraskans are nice, but then deny those on hard times some comfort foods.

Comfort foods that, for a brief moment, can help them get through the day.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

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