Letter: Too many spend food stamps on junk ..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Tears came to my eyes as I viewed the picture and read the article, "Utah's poor brace for cuts in fed aid" (Tribune, Nov 1). The article stated a family of four qualifying for the maximum level in SNAP will see a decrease of $36 monthly in benefits. My heart aches for those on SNAP who are struggling to feed their children.

On the other hand, I have no sympathy for those individuals on SNAP who are apparently not struggling to feed their families. I work in a convenience store and process food stamp receipts, and it is not uncommon to see receipts in the amount of $45 spent on soda, energy drinks, bags and bars of candy and snack food. Supplemental nutrition? I don't think so!

Unfortunately, these individuals will continue to purchase a large amount of junk food and make up for the $36 shortfall by visiting food pantries, placing an additional strain on food pantry resources.

Gary K. Massey

West Valley City

Letter: Too many spend food stamps on junk food