The food-stamp program has grown into the benefits program that's eating up America. The $75 billion program has rankled some taxpayers and politicians with its huge ramp-up in spending. Since 2006, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has more than doubled its spending, with nearly one in seven Americans now relying on the program to put food on the table. Spending on the program amounted to roughly 2 percent of the government's 2012 budget. The surge in spending has prompted calls for change, with the Republican-led House proposing to cut almost $40 billion in food aid over a decade. Democrats also want cuts, but are proposing a $4 billion reduction over the same period. But what's behind the surge in food-stamp spending? According to some opponents of the program, it's the return of the "welfare queen," of lazy people who would rather take food from taxpayers than work. The much reviled "surfer dude," San Diego resident Jason Greenslate, became the face of this piece of rhetoric after he bragged to Fox News about buying lobster and sushi with his EBT card. 

Yet the truth of the matter is that the surfer dude is an anomaly, not the rule. Almost 70 percent of food-stamp recipients aren't expected to work because they are children, elderly or disabled, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. sushi new york masaAnd an "overwhelming majority" of SNAP recipients who can work are actually employed, the group found.sushi grade fish order online The reason behind the surge in food-stamp spending comes down to economics, not freeloading surfers. yo sushi dubai menu deliveryThe recession, which cut wages and jobs, pushed millions of Americans onto the food-stamp rolls. where to buy eel san jose

While the economy is slowly improving, many new jobs are in low-wage sectors such as the fast-food industry. buy japanese rice crackers ukA McDonald's (MCD) cashier pulling in minimum wage, for example, would meet the income eligibility for food stamps. sushi go round 2 free downloadAs it is now, the cuts proposed by the House would cut as many as 3 million low-income people from the program, while eliminating meals for several hundred thousand poor school children, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities notes.sushi restaurant conveyer belt "Some of the proposals that are out there that are pretty extreme," Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, a professor at Northwestern University and the author of a recent paper on food stamps published by The Hamilton Project, told CBS MoneyWatch.

"Most of the benefits are going to families, those working with kids and the elderly." Given how many Americans rely on the SNAP program, how might the government trim spending or improve the program without being too Grinchy? Below are five suggestions culled from experts and recent studies into the program:Alaska contracts with JPMorgan Electronic Financial Services (EFS) to maintain Alaska Quest Card accounts. JPMorgan EFS provides an Internet site Quest Card holders can use to access their accounts. Card holders can use this secure site to check their Quest card account activity, download an account statement and change their PIN. The Division of Public Assistance issues Food Stamps and other benefits to low-income households through the Alaska Quest card. The Quest card is an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card that can be used to purchase eligible food and other items at grocery stores and Farmer's Markets. The Alaska Food Stamp Program provides food benefits to low-income households to buy food products from authorized stores and Farmer's Markets statewide.

Learn more about the Food Stamp Program. The Anchorage Farmers’ Market is now accepting SNAP benefits (formerly known as Food Stamps).  To use these benefits at this market, recipients should first visit the information booth where their Quest card will be debited for the amount that they want to spend and exchanged for tokens that can be spent at any participating vendor at the market.  Farmers’ markets and farm stands can sign up to accept SNAP through the USDA website www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/fm.htm, or call 1-877-823-4369. The Alaska Temporary Assistance Program (ATAP) provides cash assistance and work services to low-income families with children to help them with basic needs while they work toward becoming self-sufficient. Learn more about the Alaska Temporary Assistance Program, or ATAP. Effective Immediately:  Under Federal Law (section 4004(c) of P.L. 112-96) it is illegal to make purchases with or to access the cash benefits on EBT cards at any ATMs that are located in bars, liquor stores, gambling or adult entertainment establishments.

ATAP cash benefits on the Alaska Quest card can be accessed by making purchases at a store, getting cash back with a purchase, online bill pay, or via a cash withdrawal at an ATM.  There is a $0.85 fee for each ATM withdrawal.  Additionally, some ATM owners may also charge a surcharge fee for using their ATM. View a list of surcharge-free ATMs. There is a $0.75 fee for each online bill payment.  There is never a fee for making purchases at a store or getting cash back with a purchase. NOTE: Please turn off your browser's "Pop-up Blocker" if you have one. It will keep the website from opening the login window. You can also hold down the Ctrl key while clicking on the link above to allow the site to work properly. To report a lost, stolen, or damaged card, or to report an error in your account balance, call the Customer Service number below: Quest Card Customer Service: Toll Free 1-888-997-8111 (TTY Users Call Toll Free 1-800-770-8973 RELAYalaska then dial 1-888-997-8111)