A food stamp challenge is a U.S. trend popularized by religious groups, community activists and food pantries in which a family of means chooses to purchase food using only the monetary equivalent of what a family that size would receive in federal food stamps. In 2007, this amounted to US$3 per person per day.

With all of the talk about The Food Stamp Challenge, issued by The Oregon Food Bank and taken up by Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski, this past April, I just can not help but, wonder about the impact that living on $3 a day, makes on the 25 million American families that are being fed on that amount.

Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski of Oregon was just elected to his second term, with a budget surplus over $1 billion and a legislature controlled by fellow Democrats. So cynics are scratching their heads over his decision to participate in an Oregon "food stamp challenge."

The average for those on food stamps

Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski got lots of attention earlier this week as he tried to show us how allegedly inadequate the Food Stamp program is. However, the USDA's "food stamp budget" provides per-person per-week benefits to recipients with no other available resources that are 28%-70% higher than the $21 used in the article.

Along the way, Sigman-Davenport, a mother of three who works for the state Department of Human Services and went on food stamps in the fall after her husband lost his job, dispensed tips for shopping on a budget. Scan the highest and lowest shelves, she told the governor. Look for off-brand products, clip coupons religiously ...