Put On a Happy Face

Bush's government is trying to put a happier face on the report that 35 million Americans had trouble putting food on the table this last year. In all previous years, this was referred to as the Hunger Report. This year, the White House's creative agents decided to put a happier face on this report calling it instead, "the very low food security" report.

The Washington Post reports:

Among several recommendations, the panel suggested that the USDA scrap the word hunger, which "should refer to a potential consequence of food insecurity that, because of prolonged, involuntary lack of food, results in discomfort, illness, weakness, or pain that goes beyond the usual uneasy sensation."

To measure hunger, the USDA determined, the government would have to ask individual people whether "lack of eating led to these more severe conditions," as opposed to asking who can afford to keep food in the house, Nord said.

Mark Nord is the lead author of the report. The bottom line is hunger has risen over the last 5 years. No doubt due to a lack of minimum wage increase, downward pressure on wages by illegal immigration, higher energy and transportation costs and of course medical care inflation. 11 million Americans reported going hungry some of the time, while 35 million reported having difficulty deciding whether energy costs, transportation costs for work, or food should be their main priority.

The U.S. Dep't. of Agriculture (USDA) indicates it is working to cut that number in half by 2010. I find that ludicrous. The wealthiest nation on earth with so many multi-millionaires and billionaires permits 35 million people to struggle with putting food on the table. Where is all this private charity Pres. Bush said would allow government spending on the poor and needy to go down saving tax payers money? Pres. Bush made sure the wealthiest got their tax breaks, but, apparently he forgot to make sure they trickled those tax breaks down to the truly needy.

Sometimes, it is hard to recognize America in stories like this, where our government attempts to hide hunger under fanciful phrases rather than simply feeding the people in need. Sounds to me like the new Democratic Congress needs to cut some funding to administrators at the USDA for office and travel and clerical budgets. They don't appear to be doing their job to the fullest, so, they shouldn't miss 20% of these non-program budgets. Is it possible the USDA has begun working a 3 day week like Congress and charging the taxpayers for 5 days work, like this Congress has?

Written by Editor ©. Posted at November 17, 2006 6:34 AM | TrackBack