So to bring it back to the topic, I don’t believe there is a material risk in normal produce, so I believe our tax dollars helping those in need should not be spent on premium priced organics, especially brought to your door service. If such assistance was used on low cost staples, the money could go farther and more people could be helped.

Additionally the idea of food stamps is to provide temporary assistance to those who had a setback, it is not meant to be a lifelong solution for any one individual. Even if there is a risk on regular produce, which I am not convinced there is, consumption of such produce in the short-term is even a lower risk, so it makes even more sense to not use government dollars for organics.

Then there could be a veggie stand at the new bus center where they could get their watermelons and bigger items. And they could use the WIFI there too. Then we need to give them a PC to look for a job. Then we need to give them dog and cat food for their pets. Then the city could pay for YMCA memberships for all so they can shower, exercise, have day care, get a massage, etc.. Then they city can get then a buy one get one free haircut deal at the local cosmo school.

Then the city needs to give them a car and free gas.

Maybe Vivian had it right after all.

I would not say the laws are being suspended, but I would agree that the rules for farmers markets, refugee market day, food carts and trucks, would never meet the standards by which food businesses in a permanent building have to abide by. Part of the reason I sold my 4 fast food franchises, hard to compete paying royalties, impact fees and thousands of dollars of property taxes, personal property taxes on every spoon, knife etc, and hundreds of dollars for city/county inspections, when a food truck or hot dog cart can park outside my business and pay only couple hundred bucks a year to be in the same business.

The City is its own worst enemy, it relies upon heavy taxation of retail businesses and then allows competing businesses which pay only a small fee, if a fee at all, to operate.

The FSMA is still in the implementation phase, but many local producers would like fall under the already in place exemptions. I doubt the city or anyone else had control over this.

Who is affected: http://sustainableagriculture.net/fsma/who-is-affected/

Much of the FMSA has been in place for many years for the larger producers. The chain stores(Albertson,Walmart) and foodservice (SYSCO,USFoods) have demanded it.

Maybe I am just pissed that while getting coffee this morning at the gas station, the guy and his three kids in front of me used food stamps for chips and other treats. They should be buying low cost bulk staples with our tax dollars, not Twinkies and Cheetos.