Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, along with other members of Congress, have taken the ‘Live the Wage Challenge’ this week, having to spend just $77 on groceries – presumably what is left over from a minimum wage worker’s paycheck after taxes and housing have been paid.
Schakowsky tweeted a picture of the menu of food items she is forced to endure during a challenge that she’s not supposed to win. After all, if you win a challenge to live on $77/week, then you’re effectively proving that the minimum wage is a workable number.
The results were truly horrifying.
My #LiveTheWage menu for the week. pic.twitter.com/fi2BbY4ooE
— Jan Schakowsky (@janschakowsky) July 24, 2014
I mean, come on … low income workers have to eat tuna salad? Chicken and rice? *Gasp* hot dogs?!
To help emphasize the hardships of Schakowsky’s living wage menu, we’ve included these graphic pictures of a portion of the menu. Please avert your eyes if your stomach is easily turned…
There is of course, one fatal flaw in the Schakowsky menu – the sweet potato. Potatoes you see, are strictly verboten when it comes to First Lady Michelle Obama’s healthy food reforms for low-income families utilizing the Women, Infants and Children program, known as WIC.
In a New York Times op-ed, Michelle Obama wrote about the House of Representatives considering a bill that would add potatoes to the list of items women can purchase using WIC dollars:
Now, there is nothing wrong with potatoes. The problem is that many women and children already consume enough potatoes and not enough of the nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables they need. That’s why the Institute of Medicine — the nonpartisan, scientific body that advises on the standards for WIC — has said that potatoes should not be part of the WIC program.
Didn’t Schakowsky clear this menu with White House before posting it?
