Maine’s request for a waiver from the Department of Agriculture to limit the purchase of certain “non-nutritious” food products is bad policy for the following reasons:

• The proposed waiver discriminates against poor individuals and families.

• The majority of individuals or families on SNAP benefits have other forms of income including earnings, various Social Security and pension incomes, disability incomes, and government program incomes from which they can purchase food products the state of Maine restricts from purchasing with SNAP benefits.

• Automation of these restrictions will cost a lot of taxpayer dollars.

• Non-automation of these restrictions will add work and costs to Maine grocers. These costs most will likely be passed on to customers.

• If SNAP benefits cannot be spent in Maine’s economy, individuals and families will spend their benefits in border states that have no restrictions,

• The SNAP program is a national farmer’s program. If less SNAP money is spent in Maine, farmer subsidies for Maine milk farmers and other farmers may have to be increased for them to stay in the farming business. In turn, fewer SNAP benefit customers in Maine may close mom-and-pop stores, reducing the need for clerks, management, and truckers.

Isn’t a waiver beginning to sound like bad policy?

Shouldn’t we let our federal senators and representatives, who better understand the program, determine if the rules and regulations of federal programs should be changed?

Shouldn’t our state concentrate on state government programs and services?

I urge people to call their state senators and representatives about their thoughts.

Rose Masure

Sidney