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An estimated 3.7 million Texans are receiving food aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), courtesy of the state Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). Texas also holds the number two spot for households that are unable to access nutritious food.

It doesn’t help that SNAP was completely messed in the recession of ’08, with sharp increases in payment errors and late application processing. The HHSC has basically worked on some of the core problems, like a serious lack of manpower and winning $6.2 million from the government for having the most improved payment error rate compared to other government agencies.

This allows the HHSC to cope with the increasing number of people applying for food stamps.

But SNAP is only a lifeline that keeps people tethered to unsteady ground. The real solution to the problem is to get them employed and giving them the capability to afford their own food. The program does keep the local groceries busy, yes, but the growing number of SNAP applicants puts a lot of financial strain on taxpayers as a whole.

So while the state of Texas can give itself a pat in the back for making good on its food aid program, it (and all states across America, for that matter) still has to work harder to get people buying their own food instead of making them dependent on food stamps.

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