Waste and Hunger: The Sadness of Government Disfunction

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35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  – Matthew 25:35-40

Yesterday I asked my husband to stop at the Commissary and pick up kitty litter.  The Commissary was closed.  I felt sad. Kitty litter can be bought elsewhere and to me it is only a minor inconvenience.  However, I have always had a fear of hunger and homelessness.  When I see waste and excess it makes me sad.

In a press release Joseph Jeu, Defense Commissary Agency Director and CEO said, “We are acutely aware of the hardships placed on all our customers if we cannot deliver their commissary benefit.”  Many retired and disabled veterans shop at over 200 Commissaries nationwide.   The cost savings is approximately 30%.  While active duty members are getting paid many of those with commissary privileges are not.  It is bad enough to not pay people, but then to take away their access to the Commissary increases their expenses.  But, that isn’t what made me sad.

I’m sad because the Commissary is full of food.  Food that isn’t purchased will spoil.  Sure, it is a ridiculous waste of government money to let food go bad, but more than that it is sad when we know there are people who are hungry and poor to whom the food could be given.  I’m sad because I imagine it will all be thrown out.  While Congress isn’t passing the budget to fund WIC, Meals on Wheels, Head Start, and other feeding programs Congress is also causing food to be wasted.  I’m rapidly coming to believe that these men are women are without compassion and the Christian values on which the country was build are lost in a House that is so caught up in worldly desires that they have forgotten to care for least among us first.

One thought on “Waste and Hunger: The Sadness of Government Disfunction”

  1. James Sorenson

    Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling: “I could end the deficit in 5 minutes,” he told CNBC. “You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election. The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 – before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land – all because of public pressure. Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around. Congressional Reform Act of 2013 1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they’re out of office. 2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. 5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/1/13. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work. If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Don’t you think it’s time? THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS! If you agree, pass it on. If not, delete.

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