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1534534
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1975/05/13 - Dunham and O'Neill
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1534534
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1975/05/13 - Dunham and O'Neill
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James M. Cannon Files (Ford Administration)
James Cannon's Meetings Files
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Food stamps
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1975
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1975-05-01
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The original documents are located in Box 45, folder "1975/05/13 - Dunham and O'Neill" of
the James M. Cannon Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 45 of the James M. Cannon Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
9:30 AM - Food Stamp meeting
Dunham and O'Neill
Tuesday, May 13, 1975
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
?
May 12, 1975
ABUSES
MEMORANDUM FOR:
JIM CANNON
FROM:
ART QUERN
SUBJECT:
Food Stamp Meeting
Attached materials are for your use in the meeting at
9:30 a.m. on May 13th to discuss Food Stamps. A much
longer draft decision memorandum has been circulated
but to simplify your preparation I have attached only
1. A proposed agenda for the meeting
2. A working paper for your review outlining
the decisions in question
Should you have any questions, I am available at your
convenience.
Those
Attachment
AGENDA
FOOD STAMP MEETING
Tuesday, May 13, 1975
9:30 a.m.
PURPOSE OF MEETING
Review decisions and alternatives to be addressed in
presenting food stamp issues to the President.
DECISIONS
I.
Should basic reform of food stamp program
proceed now, or should it await comprehensive
welfare reform
II.
If we proceed now,
A.
We must make decisions on
-- strikers
-- addicts and alcoholics
-- college students
B.
We must decide if we should
-- choose one specific plan for income
eligibility
-- recommend one type of plan (i.e. standard
deduction) and let Congress determine
specific dollar level
-- simply offer all six plans that we have
developed and let Congress select a plan
C.
If we decide to select and recommend one
specific plan, we must select from:
1. Set a $100 national standard deduction
for all families
2. Set a $100 national standard deduction
which varies by family size with special
addition for aged of $50.
-2-
3. Set a single $100 national standard
but continue categorical eligibility
for public assistance recipients with
special deduction for the aged of $50
4. Set $100 national standard deduction,
deny categorical eligibility but add
$25 special deduction for aged
5. Create a progressive chart of income
eligibility and bonus values
6. Put dollar limits on amounts which
can be deducted under current law.
WORKING PAPER
Decisions Outline
A.
We (OMB, Agriculture, and Domestic Council) have
developed twelve specific proposals to simplify
administration, tighten accountability, and
penalize and retard abuses. These are relatively
clear and, in general, non-controversial and need
only be reviewed (see attached list).
B.
Three specific items need decisions by the
President:
1. Strikers - all recipients of food stamps
can lose eligibility if they refuse to
accept employment. Under current law being
on strike is not grounds for denying eligibility
-- we have proposed that strikers must
wait 60 days before becoming eligible
for food stamps.
2. Addicts and Alcoholics - all eligible food
stamps recipients must use their stamps to
purchase food they or someone in their house-
hold cooks. This denies eligibility to residents
of institutions. Current law exempts drug addicts
and alcoholics in institutional treatment programs
enabling them to be eligible for food stamps
-- we have proposed eliminating this exemption.
3. College Students - Two elements of the current
law affect eligibility of college students
for food stamps
a. law denies elibility to students who are
claimed as a tax deduction by families
who are not eligible
-- this is somewhat confused and difficult
to enforce.
b.
students eligible to participate are
excluded from requirement to accept
employment
- 2 -
-- we offer two approaches:
(1) clarify tax dependency exclusion
and extend work requirement to
students, or
(2) clarify tax dependency but continue
exemption from work requirement.
C.
Income Eligibility
This complex issue boils down to three elements
which relate to the plans we have developed to
change income eligibility approach:
1. Should we choose one specific plan for
reforming eligibility.
2. Should we recommend a type of income eligibility
plan and let Congress select the dollar levels.
3. Should we offer all six plans and let Congress
choose.
The plans developed deal with:
-- deductions, currently a complex and arbitrary
system permits people to deduct a number of
items from their gross incomes to enable
their becoming eligible even though their
gross income may be well above poverty line.
-- automatic eligibility for welfare recipients
no matter what their actual cash and in kind
income is
-- minimum bonus which guarantees a minimum bonus
to anyone eligible even though calculation
of their bonus by regular formula might re-
sult in a much lower bonus.
The plans developed:
1. Set a $100 national standard deduction for
all families
2. Set a $100 national standard deduction which
varies by family size with special addition
for aged
- 3 -
3. Set a single $100 national standard but continue
categorical eligibility for public assistance
recipients with special deduction for the aged
of $50
4. Set $100 national standard deduction, deny
categorical eligibility but add $50 special
deduction for aged
5. Create a progressive chart of income eligibility
and bonus values
6. Put dollar limits on amounts which can be
deducted under current law.
TWELVE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
Limit variable purchase to 50% or 100%
2.
State option on withholding of Food Stamp Purchase
requirement from public assistance checks
3.
Lower maximum fine to $1,000
4.
Permit Secretary to levy money penalties
5.
Clarify exclusion of illegal aliens
6.
Eliminate $25 countable for employer supplied
housing
7.
Permit demonstration projects
8.
Greater accountability by states for coupons
9.
"Reduce" definition of negligence
10.
Allow lump sum payments where benefits are wrongfully
denied
11.
Authorize cash payments where mechanical failures
prevent issuance of stamps
12.
Lower maximum work requirement age to 60