Across Ohio, approximately 1.4 million people rely on SNAP to put food on the table, receiving an average benefit of about $187 per person each month in fiscal year 2024. These are not freeloaders. They are working parents, seniors, veterans, and children—people who contribute daily to their communities but still struggle to afford basic nutrition.
The narrative that food assistance drains the system simply does not hold up to economic analysis. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service estimates that SNAP is one of the most effective forms of economic stimulus. In a slowing economy, every $1 spent on SNAP generates $1.54 in economic activity (GDP). When families buy groceries with SNAP, they are directly supporting Ohio farmers, grocers, truck drivers, and local small businesses. Cutting these benefits removes a powerful source of stability, weakening our economy when it needs support most.
The cruelty of this policy is not abstract. The impact will be felt immediately in communities like Montgomery County, where more than 83,000 residents, or about 15% of the population, already rely on SNAP for basic nutrition. This cut targets the most vulnerable among them, creating immediate food insecurity.
Consider the significant contribution of the population being targeted: immigrants, who make up about 5% of Ohio’s population, generate over $53 billion in economic output and pay an estimated $7 billion in taxes annually across the state. Among those losing critical benefits are hundreds of Afghan and Iraqi refugees, many of whom resettled in the Dayton area, having risked their lives to assist American troops. Denying these allies and their families basic sustenance is not fiscal responsibility; it is a moral failure that shames us all.
As Jewish Family Services CEO Karen Mozenter put it, “They have done everything right, and they are eager to contribute as Americans. Cutting off the support that helps them feed their families while they find their footing hurts them—and it hurts all of us.”
And if lawmakers were truly worried about cost, they would admit that this policy doesn’t save the state a dime — it shifts the financial burden. The bill’s complexity and matching fund requirements will likely increase administrative costs for local county assistance offices and shift millions of dollars in expenses onto Ohio taxpayers. We are, once again, attempting to balance budgets on the backs of those with the least.
Our tax dollars fund wars, corporate subsidies, and massive tax cuts for the wealthy. But when it comes to feeding families who live and work beside us, we suddenly tighten the purse strings. That hypocrisy should disturb every Ohioan with a conscience.
This isn’t just about food; it’s about who we are as Ohioans. If we want to be a place that rewards hard work, contribution, and compassion, then we must stand against policies that punish vulnerable people for needing a temporary help. SNAP is not a luxury. It is a lifeline, and cutting it immoral.
Youssef A. Elzein, PE is a local civil engineer and an Arab American Community Activist.
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