"Obama USDA met 30 times with Mexican gov’t to promote food-stamp use among Mexican immigrants"

Possibly Romney was on to something when he talked about people voting their interests in terms of whether they are getting transfers from the federal government.  From the Daily Caller:

Department of Agriculture personnel in the Obama administration have met with Mexican Government officials dozens of times since the president took office to promote nutrition assistance programs — notably food stamps — among Mexican Americans, Mexican nationals and migrant communities in America. 

Writing in response to Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions’ July request for information about the USDA’s little known partnership with the Mexican government to educate citizen and noncitizen immigrants from Mexico about the availability of food stamps and other nutrition assistance programs, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack defended the partnership as a way to curb hunger in America — and the continuation of a program formed under the Bush administration in 2004. . . . 

Roughly 30 of these meetings and activities occurred under the Obama administration, Vilsack’s letter revealed. 

The agriculture secretary added that the list might not be exhaustive as some of the meetings may not have been recorded. . . . 

"we are determined to help people in need make informed decisions about whether or not to seek assistance for which they may be eligible,” Vilsack claimed. . . .  

Vilsack’s letter indicate(s) that the number of legal non-citizens participating in SNAP increased approximately 190 percent from 2001 to 2010, from 425,000 to 1.23 million legal non-citizen participants. That number rose 77 percent since the program’s inception in 2004, when it served 693,000 non-citizen participants. . . .  

Sessions noted. “How can the administration justify trying to increase that number through outreach on the foreign soil of fifty consulates?” 

USDA uses Spanish soap operas to push food stamps among non-citizens, citizens

Each novela, comprising a 10-part series called “PARQUE ALEGRIA,” or “HAPPINESS PARK,” presents a semi-dramatic scenario involving characters convincing others to get on food stamps, or explaining how much healthier it is to be on food stamps. . . .

 USDA suggests food stamp parties, games to increase participation 

“Throw a Great Party. Host social events where people mix and mingle,” the agency advises. “Make it fun by having activities, games, food, and entertainment, and provide information about SNAP. Putting SNAP information in a game format like BINGO, crossword puzzles, or even a ‘true/false’ quiz is fun and helps get your message across in a memorable way.” . . .The agency’s most recent outreach effort targets California, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and the New York metro area with radio ads.
The ads have been running since March and are scheduled to continue through the end of June — at a cost of $2.5 million — $3 million, CNN Money reported Monday. . . .