In Texas, there is a bill in front of the State Legislature to prohibit food stamp recipients from purchasing energy drinks, sweetened beverages containing artificial sweeteners, carbonated beverages, candy, potato or corn chips, cookies and other forms of junk food.  I support this type of legislation as would most people support me not being able to spend my food stamps on the 12 Clydesdales.

Alabama is noted for being fifth on the list for obese children and adults.  However, because the statistical difference between states one through five are roughly the same, we are essentially tied for the first state in terms of obesity.  One only has to walk through the local Wal-Mart store to verify this.

In addition, one has to only walk through the Wal-Mart stores in Vermont, Hawaii, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. and some others to see how much healthier people live without eating M@M’s or potato chips all day long. 

I have yet to go to the food stamp office located near our local Wal-Mart and see any food stamp recipient get into a car that is worth less than five figures, or a car where the recipient does not weigh more than a tenth of the weight of the car itself.

I would hope that our state would pursue similar legislation; not because I am in favor of government dictating personal choices, but when it comes to “free” money that my taxpayer dollars are for, that people be held to some measure of accountability on how they spend their free taxpayer dollars.

Walter Boyd, P.E

copy to Honorable Representative Martha Roby