The Human Services Department is once again trying to expand work requirements for people who use the food stamps program. But fatigue on this issue might be dampening community response.
The last several hearings about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have been full of vocal opponents. But at the most recent hearing? Crickets. That鈥檚 according to Louise Pocock of the . "It was basically a protest of the state鈥檚 complete unwillingness to listen to what the public has already been saying for a year and a half," she said.
Each time the state鈥檚 tried to implement new rules, wrangling over procedure and language stopped the process in its tracks, and HSD started over from the beginning.
Pocock said people might not realize that when they drove up to the state capital to register their opinions before, those statements don鈥檛 carry over to this round鈥攖hough very little has changed in the proposal. For their comments to count this time around, folks need to either attend another hearing in Santa Fe on Monday morning, or submit a written statement.
Hearing
Monday, Dec. 14, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Harold Runnels Auditorium (1190 St. Francis Dr., Santa Fe)
Submit written comments until 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14, by emailing .
Find more of our past coverage on this issue at .
