The liquor and tobacco stores have the closest ATM’s.
Via Watchdog
Last year, Omahans spent $189,225 in food stamp dollars at liquor stores and tobacco shops, a Nebraska Watchdog investigation has found.
HELPING OR HURTING? A Nebraska Watchdog investigation found nearly $200,000 in food stamp benefits were doled out at Nebraska liquor stores and tobacco shops last year.
The money was withdrawn at the two liquor/grocery stores and 14 tobacco shops in Omaha, according to information obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food & Nutrition Service by Nebraska Watchdog through an open records request.
The USDA hasn’t answered a nearly one-month-old request for clarification on how much money was spent at each store, but the data indicate more than 3,000 withdrawals were made at places such as 20th Street Liquor & Grocery, All Nations Grocery, Liquor & Tobacco and a dozen Tobacco and Phones for Less locations in Omaha.
No such withdrawals were made at similar stores in Lincoln.
The USDA doesn’t release specifics about what was bought in those stores, claiming that information falls under an exemption in law. Nebraska Appleseed, a progressive organization, noted SNAP benefits are not allowed to be used to buy alcohol and tobacco, but only food.
“Buying food in convenience stores rather than grocery stores often reflects the sad reality that many low-income families live in food deserts, where grocery stores are too far away to be accessible,” said James Goddard, director of the Economic Justice Program at Nebraska Appleseed.
Americans spent $76 billion on food stamp programs last year, with about one in seven people on the program, which is officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In Nebraska, about one in 10 people are on the program.