Food Banks...
I've mentioned them before and given my views but came across another blog that mentioned the topic...I think it is easier to link directly and let someone else say their piece...
Unbelievable govt comment on Foodbanks
Its frightening and there I was thinking back to what we were being expected to pay when I was walking around the quayside around Gateshead and Newcastle. The money is still out there but its disportionate to what many have income wise to spend on food. I find it difficult to accept that a pot of tea and a coke came to almost £5(I know that staff have to be paid)and other costs are incurred but I eat and drink each day for no more than £2 and often less.
Unbelievable govt comment on Foodbanks
Its frightening and there I was thinking back to what we were being expected to pay when I was walking around the quayside around Gateshead and Newcastle. The money is still out there but its disportionate to what many have income wise to spend on food. I find it difficult to accept that a pot of tea and a coke came to almost £5(I know that staff have to be paid)and other costs are incurred but I eat and drink each day for no more than £2 and often less.
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 7:47 pm
5 Comments:
Hi Gildy, unfortunately i have timed my comment here to coincide with another political post! It wasn't intentional.
I have commented on that Skwawkbox post, my comment is awaiting moderation; it was:
"You lot are all missing he point, it matters not one jot if the number of food banks doubled, tripled or went up 10 fold or 100 fold. It also matters not one jot if it is a Labour government or hamstrung Coalition…or conservative or UKIP for that matter.
Consider a possibility of NO food-banks…NOBODY would starve. But if there are food-banks THEY WILL BE USED. Triple the food-banks again in another single year…and guess what…THEY WILL ALL BE USED. Take every single one away and guess what…NOBODY will starve!
By the way…show me the posts and comments you made about food-banks and Blair’s government and then Brown’s government – or why we are in the situation we are in – and I may have more sympathy for the point you are making.
Its a fair point I guess...to be honest we're back to is any political party trustworthy. Or are really different?
Perhaps once they were and you could find more that seperates, now they are similar on so many levels. Even the newer ones. The difficulty is finding one that kind of fits your individual opinion the most.
And yes Food Banks existed under Labour and many policies this Government are following were started under the previous party when in power.
And though many are being passed with the LibDems via the coalition, Labour does vote in favour of some laws that probably they should not on principle.
They will because when they come into power again(and they will)they will continue to impliment them but can say "We did not come up with the idea!"
I seem to have ruffled a few feathers over on Skwakies blog, I hope they don't trace me back here and think it's you!...
no chance! ;-)
sorry!
All I can speak to is what it's like here the States and in my area in particular.
Although it MAY be true that if the food banks closed no one would starve to death...I don't really know (and, frankly, I really don't want to find out). It IS true, however, that even WITH food banks, people ARE going hungry here.
Local government Budgets are cut so tight the food stamp program has diminished considerably and many people no longer even qualify.
I'm not talking about lay-abouts, I'm talking about fully employed adults, families, students, the elderly, etc...!
We have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country (this was true before the financial crisis...it's even worse now).
Food prices, medical costs, prescriptions, gas, electricity and water all continue to rise every day yet income does not.
These aren't "extras" these are things we MUST have to survive in todays society. I don't have a fireplace to keep warm or cook over, I don't have a river I can get to to haul water, even if I COULD physically manage it.
Food banks are trying to keep up, but the need is so great they frequently run short.
Many times, folks have to choose between getting their medication, or staying cool in 110F weather (we've had many deaths during the Summer months because of this), paying for gas to get to work (our public transportation is atrocious), paying the water bill or eating.
Poor kids who can't get jobs (cause there aren't any to get) or can only get jobs with low wages, are taking advantage of the time and government grants available to attend college in hopes that when they do graduate a miracle would have happened and things will have gotten better and they can actually get employed.
My eldest is working AND going to school full time. His wife is taking the largest course load she can manage to finish sooner in hopes of finding a job to support them both while he finishes his schooling. They have no medical coverage and have had to take on student loans along with the grants to make ends meet. They will be starting life with a huge debt load and they've barely gotten started.
I have a fairly large plot of land and we've put in a vegetable garden to help supplement food for my family, my son's family, my brother and my dad.
We've all had to make do with with a dinner of Ramen noodles for dinner as our food for the day more than once.
I will never be convinced that there is ANY good reason for people to EVER go hungry in a nation as rich in money, resources, food and labor as the United States of America!
There have been instances here where dairy farmers poured milk down the d*mn drain because they couldn't get a good enough price to break even while little kids within twenty miles are hungry!
That is a wicked, wicked sin in my book and should NEVER...EVER happen!
You can hardly blame THEM. They need money too. Many small farms that have been in a family for a hundred years and more have had to sell-up and look for jobs themselves.
If history has taught us nothing, it has taught us that when people go hungry in a society things go very, very bad very quickly.
I think if not for the sake of common decency, then for everyones own basest self-interest, folks should make d*mn sure people are fed at the very least.
Sorry for the rant, but this is a subject very close to my heart.
Jan
Rant away Jan...I'm not sure where we are heading. The media rarely shows a true picture of life in the States/UK and its only hearing the views of people like yourself we hear what I see as the "Real" people.
Its the same with many public figures who run the country too, its a film star world.
In public life you have to get away from those that are often shown on TV and see those working on the coalface with a decreasing budget making decisions that hurt so many...
Here's another article frpm the last day or so...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/27/food-banks-struggle-demand-rises
Post a Comment
<< Home