expanded so much is because we went into a power recession. so this is nothing new. when you talk about that, the reality is that food stamp enrollment has increased 70% since 2008. the average income growth from 1976 to 2011, the income of the bottom 90% grew $59. the income of the top 10% grew $116,000. the reason we need more assistance is because middle class and working class wages have effectively stagnated and the recession wiped out whatever wealth american families might have held on to at least if you were in the bottom 90%. there has been no recovery for people at the bottom of the income ladder. people who were subsisting on fast food job wages where they may not have health insurance. when you have people working