Letters: June 15

Federal budget “Robin Hood in Reverse”

The federal budget proposal released by President Trump would cut and eliminate a vast array of critical programs that fight hunger, help people meet their basic needs, and lift people out of poverty. Essential services like food assistance, Medicaid, affordable housing, utility assistance, and basic support for people with disabilities are all on the chopping block – all while expanding unprecedented tax cuts for the wealthiest. This “Robin Hood in reverse” budget must be rejected by Congress. Congress’s own budget should maintain investments in the programs we know work for our community – and countless others like ours – to fight hunger, homelessness and poverty.

The Whitman County Food Coalition is comprised of diverse organizations and community members who are committed to promoting health, improving nutrition, and ending hunger in our communities.

This Coalition of folks who have a vested interest in the well-being of our community members have come together to bolster the resources available to those in our community who are hungry, needy and underserved.

We have teams of members who focus on advocacy, getting fresh, nutritious food to the pantries, educating our families in need about healthy living (which ultimately leads to greater self-sufficiency), and fund/food raising to fill gaps in the system.

We are growing relationships between local growers and our food pantries.

We are offering some of our most fragile community members a hub where they can get life’s most basic necessities.

Based on the people we serve and the programs we manage, we know what works. We know that programs on the chopping block work to lift people out of poverty - they also create jobs and boost local economies.

As our nation’s first and best line of defense against hunger, we know that SNAP (food stamps) works. SNAP is a critical source of nutrition for many of our clients and for nearly one million Washingtonians statewide-including a great number of children and seniors. SNAP benefits are spent in our local grocery stores and in farmer’s markets across our state, supporting all kinds of food businesses and their employees and generating $1.79 in local economic activity for every $1 spent. President Trump’s budget slashes SNAP funding and fundamentally restructures the program so families and communities could not count on the program that is working for them now.

Trump’s budget not only cuts $193 billion from SNAP over the next ten years, it also ends the federal commitment to provide food assistance to low income people by shifting 25 percent of SNAP’s cost to states over 10 years. For Washington alone, this would cut over $2.5 billion in federal funding. As most states would not be able to backfill the hole created by these cuts, Trump proposes allowing states to cut back benefits, even eliminating the minimum benefit – currently only $16 per month for a household. Just eliminating the minimum benefit alone would result in 54,000 people in Washington, mostly elderly and disabled people, losing SNAP benefits altogether.

We also know that Medicaid works. Expanding Medicaid means 600,000 low income Washingtonians now have health insurance and can afford to see a doctor when they are sick. Expanding Medicaid also added 51,000 jobs in our state over the past few years. Medicaid works to keep people healthy and it supports local jobs. Yet President Trump’s budget cuts Medicaid funding by 20 percent over 10 years – on top of Congress’s attempts to roll back Medicaid and leave 23 million Americans uninsured. In Trump’s budget alone, our state would lose approximately $2.5 billion in federal funds per year by 2027. That won’t work.

The president’s budget would create long-lasting damage to the foundation of our community’s well being. Far too many Americans are just one illness or one emergency away from financial disaster, and there are many, many more cuts to the safety net in this budget proposal – programs like child care, 21st Century Learning grants, affordable housing, utility assistance, job training, Social Security Disability Insurance – that all work to bolster kids, families and communities when they need it.

When Congress writes its budget, they must not ignore the evidence that our communities are better off because these programs work. Congress must protect the programs that help people who are struggling now – and for those among us who may need help in the years to come.

Paige Collins and Ryan Avery, Chairs of the Whitman County Food Coalitiona

Need to echo

In a letter to the editor last week Richard Stanton ended with, "I pray that God will save the United States of America and all it stands for." I agree.

When I see a comedian (not one I ever thought was funny) hold up a bloody head that resembles our President, I echo Mr. Stanton's statement.

When I see thugs take over Evergreen University here in our own state and the President of that university just caves in and gives up. I echo Mr. Stanton's statement.

When I see Harvard having separate graduation ceremonies based upon the race of the students. I echo Mr. Stanton's statement.

When I read about New York City's "Shakespeare In The Park" Depicting President Trump's Violent Murder. I echo Mr. Stanton's statement.

When I hear the violence being threatened by "the resistance". I echo Mr. Stanton's statement.

When I hear the Pullman Hospital is going to do transgender surgeries. I echo Mr. Stanton's statement.

When I hear a U.S. Senator from the State of New York Kirsten Gillibrand (D) go on a profanity laced tirade last Friday. I echo Mr. Stanton's statement.

Truly, we need to heed the ancient wisdom literature of 2 Chronicles 4:17 and turn from our wicked ways and return to our judeo-christian values that made America great in the first place. We need to echo Mr. Stanton's statement and, "...pray that God will save the United States of America and all it stands for."

Travis Brock,

Colfax