Food FYI: New Jersey mayor plans to live on food stamps
Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, N.J., challenged a Twitter follower to live on food stamps for a week. According to USA Today, the mayor said that he intends to start living off food stamps after Thanksgiving.
Booker’s exchange followed a quote he posted from Greek historian Plutarch: “An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.” After some back and forth about government responsibilities and the importance of making sure “kids go to school nutritionally ready 2 learn,” Booker, a prolific Twitter user, lobbed a food stamp challenge to Twitter user @MWadeNC: “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?” @MwadeNC: “Sure, Mayor, I’m game.”
The University of Bridgeport in Connecticut is staging a food stamp challenge in December and offered to oversee Booker’s challenge. Under its rules, $35 per person can be spent on food during the week. That translates to $1.66 per meal.
Booker is seen as the strongest potential Democratic challenger to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie but isn’t expected to announce whether he will run until next month.
ALSO:
Sam Marshall to design Walter Manzke’s Republique
Eat your way across L.A.
Get our weekly Tasting Notes newsletter for reviews, news and more.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
