Walker in Onalaska, trying to defend the Foodshare program

Governor says Wisconsin investing millions in F.S.E.T. campaign

ONALASKA, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker declared the Foodshare program in Wisconsin a success, despite criticisms about people being kicked out of eligibility for food stamps. 

The focus of the Wisconsin program is ‘Food stamps in exchange for voluntarily seeking work.’

It’s called F.S.E.T. or Foodshare Employment and Training, and Walker says the state is investing millions of dollars in the campaign to help it succeed.  

That, despite reports that thousands of people were cut off from food stamps in the early months of the program.

“Let’s be clear, though,” Walker said, “there’s been a whole lot of misinformation by opponents who imply that people are being kicked off if they are not working. 

“That’s just not true. The facts are clear, people either have to work or be enrolled in job training.”

Walker says people who can’t get work within a grace period will not see their food stamps halted right away. State figures, however, showed that one-fourth of people who signed up for the program in its early months lost their access to food stamps.

“For example, with food stamps, they have a three-month window,” Walker attempted to explain on Wednesday, while visiting Empire Screen Printing. “So if someone comes in for assistance, we say here’s the deal: if you’re an adult, you’re physically and intellectually capable of working and you don’t have children in your home – all of those which would be disqualifiers that would take you off – but just adults who can work who don’t have kids at home.”

The governor was back in the area for the third time in six days to promote the Foodshare incentive.