As it seems is always the case with Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a great idea started on Twitter.
Newsday recounts the conversation with a Twitter user named TwitWit which led to Mayor Booker proposing they both try to live on a food stamps budget:
During their Twitter exchange, TwitWit wrote, “nutrition is not the responsibility of the government.”
The conversation soon changed to food stamps.
“why is there a family today that is “too poor to afford breakfast”? are they not already receiving food stamps?” TwitWit wrote.
“Lets you and I try to live on food stamps in New Jersey (high cost of living) and feed a family for a week or month. U game?” Booker responded.
“sure, Mayor, I’m game,” TwitWit wrote back.
“Great. Lets do this. I hope you live in New Jersey. Lets film it and see how we do,” Booker responded. He later wrote, “We will have to get a referee — DM me your number so we can see if we can work out details.”
The woman who calls herself Twitwit wants to remain anonymous for now, but insists she isn’t against Food Stamps entirely, but rather believes that increasing the amount of support people receive will make more people poor. She proposes they both live on a food stamps budget, but won’t agree to the challenge until she sees what parameters the Booker camp comes up with for the challenge.
On Wednesday, Booker confirmed that he will be taking part in the Food Stamp challenge, called SNAP in New Jersey
What do you think of the mayor’s challenge?
Would you take on the challenge of living on a Food Stamps budget?