Newark Mayor Cory Booker shakes hands with Grace Harris as she waited in line for clothing after Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey.(Photo: Julio Cortez, AP)
Newark Mayor Cory Booker is planning to live off food stamps for a week after challenging a follower on Twitter.
Booker, a New Jersey Democrat considered one of his party's rising stars, is a prolific user of the micro-blogging site.
On Sunday, the mayor got into a lengthy exchange on Twitter when he
posted a quote from the Greek historian Plutarch: "An imbalance between
rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics."
What ensued was criticism that Booker was advocating a
redistribution of wealth. Twitter user @MWadeNC tweeted that "nutrition
is not a responsibility of the government," which caused Booker to
respond that "we have a shared responsibility that kids go to school
nutritionally ready 2 learn."
Booker then issued the food stamp challenge, which @MWadeNC
accepted. The mayor said Tuesday that he intends to start after
Thanksgiving. No word yet on other details.
The University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, which is staging a food
stamp challenge in December, has offered to oversee the contest between
Booker and his Twitter follower. Under the university's rules, $35 per
person can be spent on food during the week. That translates to $1.66
per meal, according to the university's food stamp challenge page on
Facebook.
New Jersey residents who qualify receive an average of $133.26 per
month in food stamps, according to U.S. Agriculture Department data.
The Twitter profile for @MWadeNC describes the user as a "Daughter
of the American Revolution" who fights "against any and all forms of
socialism/communism." The profile also says @MWadeNC is an "Army
veteran, Army daughter and Army wife."
Booker is mentioned as a possible challenger to Republican Gov.
Chris Christie next year. The mayor has said that he frequently posts
on Twitter as a way to connect with constituents. In the aftermath of
Hurricane Sandy, for example, Booker tweeted followers on where to find
assistance in Newark and responded to tweets about downed power lines
and other damage.
Booker, a vegetarian, also has talked on Twitter of his love affair
with guys named "Ben & Jerry," the makers of his favorite ice cream.
USA Today