Op-ed: Do we really want to ask, 'Who goes hungry?'

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

As speculation mounts about the president's budget, to be released May 23, concern grows about how it will impact low-income Americans and how it might leave the safety net in tatters. Utahns Against Hunger shares this concern.

Square in the sights of the White House are programs that serve low-income workers, seniors and disabled communities. Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Child Nutrition Programs and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families not only provide a safety net for Utahns, but also provide support while many work low-wage jobs.

Arguments for drastically cutting or fundamentally changing these programs are puzzling. Not only will cuts to these program increase poverty and food insecurity, they will increase the demand for emergency food assistance and other services.

Too many people in Utah already experience food insecurity. USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) reports that 11.9 percent of Utahns are food insecure: approximately 112,455 households, and 350,000 individuals. Many of these people turn to government and private programs to prevent hunger. Emergency food pantries help fill gaps, but many lack the capacity needed to respond adequately to the proposed federal cuts and the inevitable increased number of households in need.

Hunger in Utah would be far worse were it not for successful and cost-effective national anti-hunger programs. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that between 2009 and 2012, SNAP kept 53,000 people out of poverty each year, 29,000 of which were children. The majority of those benefiting from these programs are children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income workers.

According to data from the Utah Department of Workforce Services: 53.45 percent of SNAP recipients are children 17 or younger, 11.77 percent are people with disabilities and 5.83 percent are over 60.

According to the Utah State Board of Education: More than one in three (35 percent) of Utah students qualify for school meals at a free or reduced price. Meals served through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program meet federal nutrition standards, which require schools to serve more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

In 2016, SNAP brought in more than $305 million in federal benefits to Utah. According to the USDA ERS, every $5 in SNAP benefits generates as much as $9 of economic activity, generating nearly $550 million in Utah's economy in 2016 alone. As every $1 billion in SNAP benefits creates at least 10,000 jobs, benefit erosion and would impact jobs in the farming and retail industries. These programs are essential, not only to prevent hunger and some of the worst outcomes of poverty, but also for communities and retailers who depend on shoppers paying with SNAP.

Federal anti-hunger programs are most important during economic downturns, a lesson we learned during the Great Recession. Programs respond to need, fluctuating in caseload in response to the economy. Data from the Utah Department of Workforce Services shows that: From 2007 to 2012 Utah's SNAP caseload increased by 111 percent. From 2012 to 2016 Utah's SNAP caseload has decreased by 23 percent.

These data indicate that SNAP functions exactly as intended — responding in real time to economic changes. Undermining the federally guaranteed entitlement of anti-hunger benefits weakens the ability of these programs to act as automatic stabilizers during economic downturns. States would be forced to decide who would be eligible for food assistance and who wouldn't. Are we really willing to ask, "Who goes hungry?"

UAH is calling on Utah's congressional delegation to act to strengthen, not weaken, national anti-hunger programs and to oppose cuts to these critical programs that would weaken their integrity and responsiveness.

Gina Cornia is executive director of Utahns Against Hunger.