The War on Hunger
No one should go without food in our region and across our Commonwealth of Massachusetts, not to mention the entire country, with all the wealth and resources that we possess as a nation. Yet more than 108,000 people rely on emergency food from the Food Bank and the region’s emergency food network to meet their food needs. Stubbornly high rates of unemployment and joblessness are placing tremendous anxiety and stress on families and individuals who cannot make ends meet. Even for working households, inadequate wages are not keeping up with the rising cost of living, specifically the price of food.
At the same time, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is deeply concerned about the impact that looming cuts to federal anti-hunger and nutrition programs will have on these families and individuals, who are already suffering so much.
Last week, Massachusetts Senators Kerry and Brown demonstrated their compassion and leadership for one critical element of the food safety net: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps. Both Senator Kerry and Senator Brown voted against an amendment that would have curtailed the amount of SNAP benefits available to families in Massachusetts. We applaud the senators for taking a stand against this harmful amendment.
Federal anti-hunger programs like SNAP ensure that Massachusetts families, especially those with children and elders, can put food on their tables. Cuts to SNAP and other programs, such as TEFAP for emergency food to food banks across the country, would be devastating for one in every eight people in Western Massachusetts who experiences hunger or food hardship on any given day of the year.
The Food Bank urges Senator Kerry, in his role on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, to continue to protect anti-hunger programs from budget cuts. Additionally, we ask Senator Brown to sign on to a letter to this “Super Committee” presented by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in support of SNAP and other federal nutrition programs. Lastly, we urge everyone to let our elected officials know how important protecting anti-hunger and nutrition programs is to more than 108,000 people in Western Massachusetts.
Andrew Morehouse
Executive Director
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
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Pro Pols: Get Out of Our House
Greece’s economy is bankrupt because their politicians spent more money than they take in. They cannot pay their debt. Many countries using the failing Euro want to dump Greece. This is exactly where the United States is headed. For over three decades, our career politicians have spent us into insurmountable debt.
We cannot stop the Greek politicians and the riots and heartache they have caused. But we can get rid of our out-of-touch professional politicians who are devaluing our dollar and lowering income here in the United States.
There is a system to select and elect true citizen representatives in 2012. These new citizen representatives will: 1. Refuse all lobby money and special interest influences. 2. Only vote as agreed by the citizens. 3. Serve a limited term.
This system is for all Americans regardless of political party. Learn more and join up at Get Out of Our House (http://goooh.com).
Billy D. Clifford
Austin, Tex.
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The politicians in Congress no longer represent the people.
Do we like the way they have handled our tax money, economy, border, health care, Social Security money, education? Our country is bankrupt. Jobs are scarce.
We lost $535 million plus another $1.1 million that was paid for an investment bank’s advice on restructuring the loan of our money to Solyndra. Solyndra tried to sell shares via public offering, but no takers. Why? It was a bad deal.
But our government thought it knew more about the solar business than investors. The Department of Justice won’t cooperate with the investigation. These are massive coverups. Why is nothing being done?
If we want more of the same, let’s do nothing, but wait for the election of the same people that have been in office all these years. Most members of the House of Representatives have been there for more than 20 years (no term limits). Personally, I have had enough.
I have found a group called GOOOH (Get out of Our House Now; http://goooh.com). This is just a group of non-partisan folks working to get ordinary citizens on the ballot this November and replace the politicians. Anyone can participate in the selection process to get new people on the ballot. Our nation needs us to act. Let’s do something different.
Katheryn Burson
Houston, Tex.
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How long will you sit on your hands and watch and make excuses while America fails? I hear so many people whining about why we can’t change the system because the Senate is the real problem, or the President is the real problem, or whatever. We all agree Washington created a huge problem and they are not willing to fix it.
Our politicians count on our apathy and ignorance to keep their jobs. How much longer do you think this can continue before our debt sinks the nation? Is that what you want for your children? You must engage now. The process to select citizen candidates begins on Nov 5. State schedules are at http://goooh.com. Get involved with the process and make a difference.
C.C. Rice
Texas City, Tex.
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OWS: In It for Excitement
Democrats have always had a flair for creating a social whirlwind into which excitement-loving kids are drawn. The current Occupy Wall Street farce has evolved into just another successful attempt by devious Democrats to harness the youthful enthusiasm of young, impressionable college students in order to advance the Dems’ diabolical political agenda.
On the first day of the sit-in a number of student protesters were interviewed and none of them could give a plausible reason why they came to occupy Wall Street. Likewise, many college students who participated in the anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1960s didn’t have the foggiest idea where Vietnam was located and expressed more of an interest in Leave It To Beaver programming than in the international ramifications of our involvement in that war.
Let’s face it, kids just want to have fun. Hyper-bonding with other kids at an exciting media-contrived protest rally satisfies a youthful need to be accepted and liked, and nothing more.
William Santy
Chicopee
