Comments on: You Tell Us: Local food banks can’t shoulder $33 billion in food assistance cuts

By: CF

CF — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:34:47 +0000

This commentary does an excellent job of framing the false choices being made by Congress right now. But I think it’s important to note that the House budget vote was widely believed to be a symbolic, election year tactic to force Congresspeople onto the record about whether they support SNAP or defense spending (another ridiculous set of choices).

A few days after the House vote, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted on their draft of the Farm Bill, which authorizes SNAP spending. This draft has much more of a chance at becoming reality than the House’s budget bill. SNAP was cut by “only” $4 billion. This level of cut, especially in the current economy, will strain the emergency food system, including our local food bank.

The House Agriculture Committee is currently holding hearings on the Farm Bill and is expected to follow the Senate’s lead in writing a Farm Bill. Anyone who cares about nutrition and SNAP should track this process.

By: Sf2oak

Sf2oak — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:53:20 +0000

Im very interested in what Alameda county food bank is going through. I give. I used to give food, pretty much my old pantry items. Then I started giving a check because I read that for every $1 it would buy $5 worth of food. The food bank ought to be able to purchase wholesale & what they need. Friends have told me though the act of giving actual food has a different effect on the psyche. What say you?

By: livegreen

livegreen — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:19:53 +0000

Thank you for this article. It’s a good reminder for a moderate why I still vote Democratic. And why we need moderate, reality based political parties. NOT extremists.