In a rare moment of what I can only call ‘accidental wisdom,’ Colorado Governor Jared Polis and his crew are attempting to stop folks from buying soda with food stamps. Yep, according to an article in The Denver Post, the state’s asking the feds to approve a waiver banning sugary drinks from SNAP purchases. It’s part of a broader effort to promote nutrition and cut back on obesity-related health care costs. And would you believe it, this time, I’m not screaming into a void.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Colorado wants a waiver that stops people from buying soda with SNAP benefits, because apparently Coke doesn’t count as dinner.
- It’s being framed as a “public health” move, but for once, maybe they’re right. Swapping Sprite for spinach isn’t tyranny.
- Sugary drinks have been banned in similar ways before, like New York City’s failed attempt under Bloomberg’s Big Brother regime. The difference here: SNAP is taxpayer dollars.
- Critics cry foul over freedom of choice, while conveniently ignoring who’s picking up the taxpayer tab for diabetes meds.
- The program could save on Medicaid costs, which is hilarious since government waste in that monster seems bottomless.
My Bottom Line
Color me confused – looks like Jared Polis woke up and did something useful today. Don’t get used to that sentence, you’ll be waiting another decade before you hear it again. But credit where it’s due: cutting soda out of the SNAP program is the kind of common-sense policy that even a sarcastic conservative like me can tip his hat at. If you’re getting help from taxpayers, and trust me, there’s no shame in that when times are hard, you shouldn’t be using that money to guzzle Mountain Dew like it cures cancer.
Let me be clear: this ain’t about micromanaging poor folks’ choices, it’s about drawing the line between sustenance and sugar addiction funded by Uncle Sam with your money and mine. If government programs are generous enough to assist with food bills during hard times, is it really outrageous to expect some accountability? This isn’t some big-government overreach; it’s basic adulting. And for once, Polis didn’t need three consultants and two DEI experts to figure it out.
Now, how about we pivot this new wave of sanity toward cleaning up Medicaid fraud and abuse? You wanna talk about bloated systems hemorrhaging taxpayer dollars like a stuck pig, that program is basically Disney World for the legislature’s virtue signaling (Medicaid covers abortion on demand, gender affirming “care,” and healthcare for illegal immigrants). Cut the soda from SNAP? Cool start. But if you’re serious about cost-saving while helping folks who actually need help? Start trimming the real fat, Medicaid loopholes wide enough you could drive Gavin Newsom’s ego through ‘em.
