Eric Giannella

@giannella.bsky.social

1808 Followers 1092 Following

Associate Research Professor at Georgetown Better Gov Lab & Massive Data Institute: 1) Evidence-based implementation for safety net programs 2) Open source tools for data sharing in public services. Founded and led Data Science team at Code for America.

The problem is that most people who get Snap benefits are like me: we were already running low on food before the end of October. We have been scrambling for weeks. And out here in rural Oregon, we make do with what is in front of us. “It’s hunting season so he’s out in his spare time,” Alissa said of her partner. They also forage for wild food. All this hunting, foraging and cooking from scratch might sound romantic, but less so when you consider she is living in a crap apartment and breaking Instacart rules by bringing her daughter on the job.
Average days held, percent non-criminal, facility phone number, total number of people held
(8) When a record on its face, or in conjunction with other records, indicates a violation or potential violation of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and whether arising by general statute or particular program statute, or by regulation, rule, or order issued pursuant thereto, USDA/FNS may disclose the record to the appropriate agency, whether Federal, foreign, State, local, or tribal, or other public authority responsible for enforcing, investigating, or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, or rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, if the information disclosed is relevant to any enforcement, regulatory, investigative or prosecutive responsibility of the receiving entity.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM: The system consists of records containing personally identifying information, including but not limited to SNAP participant name, Social Security Number (SSN), date of birth (DOB), residential address, Electronic Benefit Transaction (EBT) card number, and case record identifier number or other identifiers or data elements maintained by States, vendors, or contractors to identify SNAP recipients. The system also consists of information derived from and associated with EBT transactions, including but not limited to records sufficient to calculate the total dollar value of SNAP benefits received by participants over time, such as applied amounts and benefit available dates.
USDA will use the SNAP data to ensure the integrity of Government programs, including by verifying SNAP recipient eligibility against federally maintained databases. This is consistent with USDA's statutory authority and will ensure Americans in need receive assistance, while at the same time safeguarding taxpayer dollars from abuse. USDA will leverage data-sharing across Federal and State systems to identify and rectify any ineligible, duplicate, or fraudulent SNAP enrollments or transactions. This includes verifying eligibility based on immigration status, identifying and eliminating duplicate enrollments, assisting States in mitigating identity theft, and performing other eligibility and program integrity checks using lawfully shared internal and interagency data. This also includes sharing, where permitted by law and consistent with this notice, information with State agencies when necessary to investigate and rectify fraudulent or otherwise improper or illegal SNAP enrollments or transactions.
USDA and FNS will use the SNAP data in this system to ensure the integrity of Government programs, including by verifying SNAP recipient eligibility against federally maintained databases, identifying and eliminating duplicate enrollments, and performing additional eligibility and program integrity checks specified herein.
10. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. Snyder's 20 Lessons
The chorus of people who have lived through democratic ruin will all tell you the same thing: Do not make the mistake of assuming you still have time. Put another way: You think you can wait and see, and keep democracy intact? Wanna bet?
According to eyewitnesses earlier on Thursday, Rengifo was pulled over by Whitefish police officers for a busted tail light. But when they learned he didn’t speak English, they called in CBP for translation services. John Skinner of Valley Neighbors, a local nonprofit that works to make the area more welcoming for immigrants, said this has become typical. “What that means is that, de facto, every Spanish speaking traffic stop becomes an immigration stop,” Skinner said.
"Don't buy a Tesla" framed by drawing of Musk salute. All traced on the beach by a Tesla driver.
And maybe Democrats ought to be promoting an agenda that advocates reassessment and change, that is future-oriented, that seeks to turn the page forward rather than backward. And maybe to figure out how to get there we need to be more open to ideas that the powerful have defined as sacrilege. (You know the pattern. You suggest the fact that we ought not to be the only country in the developed world that does not offer national health care and you are called a socialist. You want to help people and not companies? Socialist. You want to value the community as much as the individual? Are you a fucking communist? You think there should be equitable taxes and that includes a belief in redistribution of wealth to serve the needs of the many over the few? Off to jail with you. Or a nuthouse.)