Patterson spoke out as the federal government moves to shrink SNAP benefits at a time when working households are already being squeezed. He knows the impact won’t stop with families who rely on food assistance: it will ripple through entire communities.

“Because they're not shopping, it's going to hurt a lot of other people. It's going to hurt a lot of other industries. We got truck drivers, we got loaders, we got people at cash registers, we got people picking food, the Walmarts, the Giants, the Acme's. These food chains are going to feel the pinch because if we can't come in and buy the food, you're going to lay people off, you lay people off, then we're going to shop even less and less and less. I'm not the smartest brick in a check, but I mean, you know, maybe I got a small IQ too, but I know that don't work.”

Security officers like Patterson see it up close. Their jobs depend on workplaces that stay open because people are spending money, learning, and living their lives. When the foundation starts to crumble, they’re among the first to feel it.Patterson describes a chain reaction many policymakers ignore. When people can’t afford groceries, rent, or basic needs, it doesn’t just hurt one household. Stores sell less. Shifts may then get cut. Truck drivers, warehouse workers, and cashiers may eventually lose hours due to a possible ripple effect.. Then, they spend less too.The whole economy is connected, so it’s hard to understand how anyone believes we can cut SNAP without it affecting everyone. Tyronne may joke about not being “the smartest brick,” but he’s got the kind of wisdom this country needs more of: the kind that comes from watching how things actually work and saying it directly.