Food stamps can’t buy groceries in Sandy power-out
In New York areas without electricity, Electronic Benefit Cards can't be used in stores VIDEO
By Natasha LennardTopics: Electricity, frankenstorm, Hurricane Sandy, SNAP, Food Stamps, New York, Power outages, News
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers continue to live without electricity since Sandy barreled into the East Coast Monday. Stuck without power, many thousands of New York residents don’t just struggle to cook and preserve food — they can’t even buy it.
New Yorkers on the state’s food stamp program receive money for food necessities electronically, through Electronic Benefit Cards (EBTs). However, with Manhattan from 39th Street southward in power blackout along with parts of Brooklyn, most stores are only able to sell goods for cash. Power is expected to return by Saturday.
In a WNYC report (listen below) a resident of a Lower East Side public-housing complex in Manhattan explained, “The supermarkets don’t even really want to sell anything. They’re open but if you don’t have cash, you messed up. And everybody in these projects, they take EBT … food stamps.” [h/t Colorlines]
David Rhode wrote Thursday in the Atlantic that Sandy had further exposed the “hideous” inequality gap in New York City — which is currently the most economically divided it has been for 10 years. He noted, “Sandy humbled every one of the 19 million people in the New York City metropolitan area. But it humbled some more than others in an increasingly economically divided city … Those with a car could flee. Those with wealth could move into a hotel. Those with steady jobs could decline to come into work. But the city’s cooks, doormen, maintenance men, taxi drivers and maids left their loved ones at home.”
And many with no means but EBT can’t even stock up on food.
Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com. More Natasha Lennard.
Related Stories
More Related Stories
-
American journalist likely being held by Syrian government
-
DNA on Boston explosive doesn't match Tsarnaev's widow
-
Blizzards in May. Wild fires. Is this global warming?
-
The real reason not to intervene in Syria
-
Fox News: Plan B "covers up rapes," is "boon for creepy uncles"
-
Dzhokhar's ex-fling speaks about his friendships
-
Cicadas prepare to invade by the billions
-
More people in U.S. die from suicide than car accidents
-
Gay French politician receives death threat over marriage announcement
-
Dow Jones crosses 15,000 for first time ever
-
Dow Jones soars following April jobs report
-
Jeffrey Goldberg's Qatari myopia
-
California wildfire burns 15-mile path to Pacific
-
Inside the kiddie gun market
-
UN: Gitmo force-feeding is inhumane
-
Must-see morning clip: Veterans still waiting for medical benefits
-
Jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 7.5 percent
-
Obama "comfortable with" FDA decision allowing girls 15 and up to buy Plan B
-
Hagel: Arming Syrian rebels is an option
-
How shoppers can help prevent Bangladesh-type disasters
-
Bangladesh official: Disaster is "not really serious"
Featured Slide Shows
The week in 10 pics
close X- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
-
This photo. President Barack Obama has a laugh during the unveiling of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Tx., Thursday. Former first lady Barbara Bush, who candidly admitted this week we've had enough Bushes in the White House, is unamused.
Reuters/Jason Reed -
Rescue workers converge Wednesday in Savar, Bangladesh, where the collapse of a garment building killed more than 300. Factory owners had ignored police orders to vacate the work site the day before.
AP/A.M. Ahad -
Police gather Wednesday at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to honor campus officer Sean Collier, who was allegedly killed in a shootout with the Boston Marathon bombing suspects last week.
AP/Elise Amendola -
Police tape closes the site of a car bomb that targeted the French embassy in Libya Tuesday. The explosion wounded two French guards and caused extensive damage to Tripoli's upscale al-Andalus neighborhood.
AP/Abdul Majeed Forjani -
Protestors rage outside the residence of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday following the rape of a 5-year-old girl in New Delhi. The girl was allegedly kidnapped and tortured before being abandoned in a locked room for two days.
AP/Manish Swarup -
Clarksville, Mo., residents sit in a life boat Monday after a Mississippi River flooding, the 13th worst on record.
AP/Jeff Roberson -
Workers pause Wednesday for a memorial service at the site of the West, Tx., fertilizer plant explosion, which killed 14 people and left a crater more than 90 feet wide.
AP/The San Antonio Express-News, Tom Reel -
Aerial footage of the devastation following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in China's Sichuan province last Saturday. At least 180 people were killed and as many as 11,000 injured in the quake.
AP/Liu Yinghua -
On Wednesday, Hazmat-suited federal authorities search a martial arts studio in Tupelo, Miss., once operated by Everett Dutschke, the newest lead in the increasingly twisty ricin case. Last week, President Barack Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker, R.-Miss., and a Mississippi judge were each sent letters laced with the deadly poison.
AP/Rogelio V. Solis -
The lighting of Freedom Hall at the George W. Bush Presidential Center Thursday is celebrated with (what else but) red, white and blue fireworks.
AP/David J. Phillip -
Recent Slide Shows
-
The week in 10 pics
-
"Arrested Development" character posters
-
Photos of the Boston manhunt
-
Newspaper headlines covering the Boston explosion
-
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
Related Videos
Most Read
-
71 names so awful New Zealand had to ban them
Kyle Kim, GlobalPost
-
"This could be a career ender for Michele Bachmann"
Alex Seitz-Wald
-
He made me his drug mule
Alix Wall
-
Ted Cruz will never be president
Joan Walsh
-
Claire Messud to Publishers Weekly: "What kind of question is that?"
David Daley
-
Pictures of people who mock me
Haley Morris-Cafiero
-
Bush cancels Europe trip amid calls for his arrest
Justin Elliott
-
Is Michael Pollan a sexist pig?
Emily Matchar
-
How conspiracists think
Sander van der Linden, Scientific American
-
Alex Jones: Conspiracy Inc.
Alex Seitz-Wald
Popular on Reddit
links from salon.com

84 points85 points86 points | 50 comments

103 points104 points105 points | 10 comments

57 points58 points59 points | 5 comments
From Around the Web
Presented by Scribol
- Eel smuggling suspects arrested
- US extends targeted sanctions against Myanmar
- Syria: Rebels target airport, 'dozens' of villagers executed by government forces
- Indonesia radicals rally for 'Myanmar jihad' after Jakarta bomb plot foiled (PHOTOS)
- WATCH LIVE: Obama talks immigration, collaboration from Mexico (VIDEO)



Comments
7 Comments