Instead of Foodstamps, hows about Bitcoins?

[snakus44]

Imagine if the Bitcoin community took on a project to replace, or at least supliment foodstamps and/or possibly other social programs.  The fed gov would get some budget relief and possibly be less suspect of the new technology.  Bitcoin and other cypto's will reach the peak of their practical use once your local grocery store accepts them.  And that's what we want right, Bitcoins used as currency?  Plus, it would be some good press for once, all the while helping people.  I bet if implemented in just one area in the USA, Bitcoins will go from a neighborhood name to a household one.  The average person doesn't want the full explanation of how bitcoins are mined or what they really are, just the same as they don't want to hear about economics to use a buck for the dollar menu.  If you tell them, "Here is your bitcoin foodcard for the month, use it to buy food", they will use it.  I couldn't tell you how to make sure they only buy food though.  But I guess their transactions would be accessable on the block chain, so it would have to match up with one of the grocery store's public keys.   Any thoughts?

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[guybrushthreepwood]

I think this is impractical for many reasons. Most places don't accept Bitcoin yet and good luck finding someone who will donate the coins required for this.

[cr1776]

Go ahead - and give us updates on your project.  But the governments of th world don't like private charities like this because they are much more efficient in general and make the governments look bad.

[NikoInc]

I think this a great idea. I also have a similar idea, can't say it here because it's my baby project but
I think a coin should almost be created just for this purpose.
Need help let me know.

[instructor2121]

Start off as a small community project, I see some potential for this.

[BigV]

Food stamps are done by grants to states.  Each state administers their own systems of redemption.  It is handled through a credit card system and merchants are responsible for ensuring that the credit is used for eligible food items.

The funds used for those are like credit cards in that they are dollars made up out of thin air.  Any credits not used just simply disappear.

With bitcoin those funds would have to exist in an escrow so that any credits not used would return to the pool.  So instead of a card holding a specified amount of btc that it would be authorized to draw a specified amount from the pool.  That part is manageable in software.

Currently the national budget for food stamps, actually called SNAP btw. is pushing 100 billion.  The exchange rate for the existing 12 million btc would have to skyrocket just cover snap.

As bitcoin grows in usage with merchants the exchange rate naturally align itself.  Using the force of Government to mainstream BTC would be the kiss of death. 

[Against Hunger]

If you want to partner on this and work on raising money to supply food for the poor and distribute via these coin stamps.  There is a similar thread that I need to do the food stamp idea on here.  It has morphed from plastic cards to books of BIP32/BIP38 paper wallets but I think there are a lot of synergies here.   

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=471003.msg5199901#msg5199901


Peter
http://www.againsthunger.org

[lunas]

do you really have a working knowledge of what a food stamp really is it is not just money...

A food stamp has many restrictions on what can and cant be bought with it

Foods for the household to eat, such as: 
breads and cereals; 
fruits and vegetables; 
meats, fish and poultry; and   
dairy products.
Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat.

for more on what can and can't be bought with food stamps here is a link to the page detailing as such
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items

[Johnny Bitcoinseed]

I think this is impractical for many reasons. Most places don't accept Bitcoin yet and good luck finding someone who will donate the coins required for this.

Well don't forget, the money .Gov spends for Food Stamps is not donated by any stretch of the imagination - it is coerced from the productive workers and businesses under threat of force (fines, imprisonment, all all that sort of violent stuff).  Resist and they come looking for you, resist more and they will kill you.

Foodstamps and welfare are not charity, it is theft and violence pretending to be charity.  Many people pay up only due to fear of being attacked if they do not comply.  What kind of an evil system is that!

So if someone wants to donate their bitcoins for charity, excellent, please do.  The danger lay in good Samaritans taking it upon themselves to force everyone to do so in some way.  When that happens, it is no longer charity but simply evil.

This Robin Hoodesq technique of wealth re-distribution is soooo twentieth century.

[bitcoinmiami]

BTC price volatility will act as a deterrent to such implementation at this point in time. Also, the gov wants people using food stamps for food only. Recipients of BTC as a means of a "food stamp" will be able to easily sell their btc for cash. A colored btc may be able to solve that though..

[cryptasm]

...Food Stamps is not donated by any stretch of the imagination - it is coerced from the productive workers and businesses under threat of force (fines, imprisonment, all all that sort of violent stuff).  Resist and they come looking for you, resist more and they will kill you...

You've got it twisted, if employers paid their workers a living wage there would be no need for foodstamps.

[guybrushthreepwood]

...Food Stamps is not donated by any stretch of the imagination - it is coerced from the productive workers and businesses under threat of force (fines, imprisonment, all all that sort of violent stuff).  Resist and they come looking for you, resist more and they will kill you...

You've got it twisted, if employers paid their workers a living wage there would be no need for foodstamps.

Aren't Foodstamps for the unemployed, or is it for people on low income, or both?

[cryptasm]

...Food Stamps is not donated by any stretch of the imagination - it is coerced from the productive workers and businesses under threat of force (fines, imprisonment, all all that sort of violent stuff).  Resist and they come looking for you, resist more and they will kill you...

You've got it twisted, if employers paid their workers a living wage there would be no need for foodstamps.

Aren't Foodstamps for the unemployed, or is it for people on low income, or both?

They're for both as far as I know, McDonald's employees in the US working full time still have to use foodstamps just to feed their families. So basically the government is subsidising the poverty wages of greedy corporations.

[BTCisthefuture]

Getting bitcoin involved with any sort of government ran assistance program would be a huge mess and a nightmare. For starters it would require government to become heavily involved with it and regulate bitcoin to high heaven to try to reduce its volatility,  2nd government has already shown they arent that great at running charity like programs.

I agree with others that bitcoin "isnt there"  yet.  In most cases bitcoin would not be practical right now for someone who needs groceries right now. In many situations you would actually end up paying more money if you try to use bitcoin to buy regular groceries ,  also lets not forget the fact how volatile bitcoin is still, it would be horrific if someone who really NEEDS $100 worth of groceries suddenly only has $80 cause bitcoin just went down in the last 24 hours.

I think donating bitcoin to charity is great and a nice thing to do. But giving people bitcoins over fiat to buy groceries probably wouldn't work yet.

You can donate bitcoins to people on you own, hopefully they can save them and watch their bitcoins grow.  But if someone needs food now for their family, you are better off giving them dollars or actual food.

[daviducsb]

Smells like a troll. I don't like the spelling of hows insinuating things and the whole proposition is incredibly far-fetched. Probably some troll hoping the conversation degenerates into a racist diatribe.

[snakus44]

Getting bitcoin involved with any sort of government ran assistance program would be a huge mess and a nightmare. For starters it would require government to become heavily involved with it and regulate bitcoin to high heaven to try to reduce its volatility,  2nd government has already shown they arent that great at running charity like programs.

I agree that the government isn't very good at running the foodstamp program.  Its widely abused.  However, I don't see it as an entitlement program either because some people really do need them.  Also, there is a focus on single parents and their kids.  So how much more of a mess would it be for some newly crowned kings of the castle to share a little of there bitcoin fortunes?  Also serving a duel purpose, educating the masses and integrating bitcoin as a system of payment for something as grass roots as groceries.

I don't think anyone wants government envolvement with bitcoin, its more of a necissary truth.  My point is that if the community did something as such, to take some of the burden off of Sam, then they maybe BTC wouldn't seem so threatening.  I don't think that the rule of any press being good press applies to BTC and its percieved value.  Some good press could go a long way though.  For exposure, regulation and ultimately utility.

This was more of a thought experiment for me.  I am very new, but researching bitcoin is extremely thought provoking for me.  I don't have resources to champion any grand projects right now, but I will help out with what I can.  Thank you for the responses.

[Armis]

EBTcoin is the answer to that question

I think this a great idea. I also have a similar idea, can't say it here because it's my baby project but
I think a coin should almost be created just for this purpose.
Need help let me know.

EBTcoin?

BTC price volatility will act as a deterrent to such implementation at this point in time. Also, the gov wants people using food stamps for food only. Recipients of BTC as a means of a "food stamp" will be able to easily sell their btc for cash. A colored btc may be able to solve that though..

that occurred when it was paper and coins, that occurs now with the plastic card, and will occur regardless of the medium of exchange.  

The best solution is to employ everyone.

...Food Stamps is not donated by any stretch of the imagination - it is coerced from the productive workers and businesses under threat of force (fines, imprisonment, all all that sort of violent stuff).  Resist and they come looking for you, resist more and they will kill you...

You've got it twisted, if employers paid their workers a living wage there would be no need for foodstamps.

Aren't Foodstamps for the unemployed, or is it for people on low income, or both?

They're for both as far as I know, McDonald's employees in the US working full time still have to use foodstamps just to feed their families. So basically the government is subsidising the poverty wages of greedy corporations.

Corporations are paying more than their fair share to feed, cloth, and shelter the indigent. 

The fast food industry is the employment gateway for millions of US resident, now that so many "educated" and highly skilled people are out of work, the FF industry has more choices which often means the less educated and skilled workforce has less opportunities.  Not that they can't do the job, but that the job isn't there for them to do.

Every FF corp that exists has a charity arm that supports those who are less fortunate in some way -- they give back.

[lunas]

In the op's solution they would buy cigarettes and alcohol with bitcoins where they can't with food stamps.

Also it is not our fault if they want to buy pop tarts instead of bulk food that would be able to feed them for a full month.

I know i will be flamed and hated on for this but the low class who needs food stamps need nothing to do with bitcoin they have no business pouring cash they should be using to feed themselves and children into video cards or computers that could mine.

[kireinaha]

i thought the whole point of decentralized currencies like bitcoin was to lessen government interference so we can prevent and move away from the proliferation of corrupt entitlement programs such as SNAP subsidies, so no.

[Armis]

i thought the whole point of decentralized currencies like bitcoin was to lessen government interference so we can prevent and move away from the proliferation of corrupt entitlement programs such as SNAP subsidies, so no.

that point is to keep govt out of cryptocurrency biz not that govt can't use CC