Desert Messenger

May 21, 2014 www.DesertMessenger.com 21 Readership of free community papers is now higher than paid daily papers and continues to grow. And more than 70 percent of readers make their buying decisions from free paper advertising and editorial. Your free community paper, promoting connections at a local level – right under your nose. 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com Email: Editor@DesertMessenger.com Special to the Desert Messenger By EMILY GUERIN and TIM MAREMA The use of food stamps in La Paz County increased during the recession, assisting families in stretching their food dollars, contributing to local spending and helping spark a national debate about the future of the federal nutrition program. The proportion of La Paz County residents receiving food stamps hit 20.6 percent in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agricul- ture Food and Nutrition Services. That's an increase of 5.8 percent- age points since 2007, the year the recession started. Across Arizona, 17.4 percent of residents in 2011 received support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as the food stamp program is offi cially known. Nationally, 14.8 percent of the population receives SNAP benefi ts. Places like La Paz County, which are located outside metropolitan areas, tend to have a higher per- centage of the population receiv- ing SNAP benefi ts. That's because incomes are generally lower in non-metropolitan counties. The infl ation-adjusted median household income in La Paz County in 2011 was $31,775, com- pared to the Arizona median of $48,378 and the national median of $52,306 (in 2013 dollars). Food stamps may play a larger role in the local economy in rural areas and small towns, according to federal data. In La Paz County SNAP benefi ts are 1.1 percent of personal income. Nationally, the fi gure is 0.6 percent. Use of Food Stamps rises in La Paz County In 2011, residents of La Paz County received a combined $7,865,207 in SNAP benefi ts. The USDA reports that each $5 in SNAP benefi ts gen- erates $9.20 in spending. SNAP benefi ts start to circulate in the economy quickly. Participants spend nearly all their food stamps within one month of receipt, ac- cording to a study by the University of New Hampshire Carsey Institute. Grocers say they feel the impact of SNAP and other USDA nutrition programs like Women, Infants and Children. "Without SNAP and WIC, we wouldn't be able to make it," wrote the owner of the Mill City Market in the small town of Mill City, Ore., in a survey of rural grocers con- ducted by the Oregon Food Bank and Kansas State University Rural Grocery Initiative. Owners know they have to stock the shelves to prepare for more business when SNAP benefi ts hit the streets, said David Procter with the Rural Grocery Initiative It's not just the mom-and-pop stores that see a bump from food stamp spending in small towns and rural areas. Wal-Mart reported in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission fi ling that a decrease in SNAP benefi ts last year could af- fect the retail giant's bottom line. Average SNAP benefi ts nationally fell about $30 a month per fam- ily in November after a temporary increase that was part of the 2009 economic stimulus package. More funding decreases are on the way. This summer, Congress agreed to trim about $8 billion from SNAP over the next decade. Backers of the cuts said the program had expanded too much in recent years and was creating too much reliance on government assistance. SNAP expenditures increased 135 percent between 2007 and 2011. U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (Va.-R) backed a measure that would have removed SNAP from the farm bill entirely. "While SNAP is an important part of our safety net, our overriding goal should be to help our citizens with the education and skills they need to get back on their feet so that they can provide for them- selves and their families," Rep. Cantor said during congressional debate. Food stamps have been part of the farm bill for the past 50 years. The legislation's combination of farming and nutrition programs has helped ensure the bill receives broad backing from farm-country representatives and more urban- based members who support anti- poverty programs. That alliance was tested but held with the passage of the 2014 farm bill. Data for this article came from USDA Food and Nutrition Services, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census. The data was compiled and analyzed by Roberto Gallardo, Ph.D., associate Exten- sion professor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Funding for this report came from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Daily Yonder (www.dailyyonder.com www. dailyyonder.com is an independent rural news site published by the nonprofi t, nonpartisan Center for Rural Strategies.

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