Strib again gets featured with its local content, for a clear reason:
Food
shelves expect to see nearly 9 million visits this year, a 1.5 million
jump from 2023. Gov. Tim Walz plans to use $5 million in federal funds
to help with the growing demand.
The Minnesota Star Tribune -- November 27, 2024
$5 million is not very much on a city-wide or state-wide basis. It helps, it does not stretch as far as is likely needed. Trump/Vance ran on this, white folks at the food bank, and won. Taylor Swift endorsing otherwise, as a cat lady, did not carry the day. Advocacy of tax credits is fine for some, but does not help well below median income. It's for others, not us, is felt even by the people owning adult toys and a cabin on a lake, the boat, the snowmobile, yes they are comforts, but what else?
Bread and circuses is a term, Trump/Vance running on bread, Harris, with Hollywood ties, ran on circuses. Yes, a simplification, but if you do not simplify premises, you face complexity with no way out.
BOTTOM LINE: When people in too large a number live paycheck to paycheck, they feel Angst, an Angst which can be politicized. A world of interlocking elites all committed to interlocking trade and to avoidance of nuclear destruction, pushed too early for people of the "have" nations, pinching them, explains nationalistic feelings.
And what is "America First" in that context?
Yes, after WW II and one nation having nuked another, the learned coalesced upon a world order their wisdom and pocketbooks dictated, and it was propagandized.
Well, Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. Expanding Strib's headline:
“Since
COVID, it’s been really getting stressful,” said Jones, 62, of Inver
Grove Heights, who can’t always keep up with the costs of rent, food and
the car she needs to get to her St. Paul job. “I was considered
median-income and now I’m considered low-income, because I can’t afford
nothing.”
The number of people struggling to afford to eat has climbed over the past decade and Minnesota is on track for its third consecutive year of record-breaking visits to food shelves.
The state is likely to see close to 9 million food shelf visits by the
end of this year, about 1.5 million more than last year. Rising prices
have driven more people, particularly seniors, to seek help.
This
week, Gov. Tim Walz announced that the state will use $5 million in
remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to help food shelves
that are straining to meet the high demand. The COVID-era act provided
resources communities needed to bounce back from the pandemic, he said,
and the state has to commit any remaining dollars before the end of the
year.
“That recovery still continues for many families,” Walz said. “They are still behind, they are still trying to make do.”
Mentioned in earlier posting, it is said the Harris campaign went through a billion bucks. To give scale, DC consultancies had a good harvest. Hollywood too.
Back to Strib:
As a sometime volunteer with a family member we drive some Fridays for a Meals on Wheels delivery route for elderly assistance. It is prepared meals driven to recipients who may not have the mobility to show up to a food shelf, or to do much cooking. It helps. It is part of "infrastructure." Back to Strib:
While recent national economic reports
show solid growth, consumer spending and employment, lower-income
Minnesotans continue to struggle, said Pam Johnson, director of policy
and advocacy for Minnesota Community Action Partnership, which provides
services to address poverty.
“Despite
the fact that the economy was actually doing better numbers-wise, it
just didn’t trickle down to everybody,” Johnson said. “Yeah, there might
be more jobs, but our folks are working two or three of them, and so
they go to the food banks to supplement what they have.”
She has heard increased concerns about older adults having a hard time affording food and housing.
Jones,
who relies on food banks occasionally when her bills outweigh her
income, said she anticipates she will work for the rest of her life. She
said things are even more difficult for her sister and brother-in-law,
who are on a fixed income. Her sister gets Social Security Disability
Insurance and her brother-in-law receives Social Security.
“They
can afford their rent and their car insurance,” Jones said. “Other than
that, she can barely afford to do her laundry. She can barely afford to
buy food.”
[...] As
state leaders develop Minnesota’s next budget, some anti-hunger
advocates said they will be pushing to ensure that seniors also can
access food.
Lenarz-Coy
said they want to join other states that have a “senior bonus” in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit, also known as
food stamps. They want to raise the minimum monthly benefit from $23 to
$50 for people 60 or older.
Trickle down from Musk/Bezos and Harris campaign spending, to real people seems to be gummed up a bit, and Mr. Trump, will fix it. I saw that said during the campaign. Trump will fix it. Trump and Hegseth.
____________UPDATE___________
The home received a slick card from: Securing American Greatness, Inc. - PO Box 5203 Glouchester, MA 01930
While that's half a nation away from Minnesota, nonetheless -
It included a name, image, and likeness of Congressman Thomas Emmer, while fearmongering about crime. When people are food-banking, why is Mr. Thomas Emmer not authorizing his name to be used to promote feeding them, rather than lending his name, image, and likeness to fearmongering? Why do that?
Not that fearmongering lacks a place in Republican lore, but, really, Mr. Thomas, are your priorities sound? The district doesn't have that much crime, so why fearmonger? Mr. Thomas, after people are fed, tell me about your crypto. Huh?
____________FURTHER UPDATE____________
That operation, Securing America's Greatness, Inc., using Mr. Emmer's name that way got me to thinking. First, isn't it Great when people are not scrounging for food?
Beyond that, demographics for Mr. Thomas' quite gerrymandered Congressional district and its politics are treated by the district's Wikipedia entry. Which teaches:
With that median income, and 84.1 white, people are likely well fed, and not food-banking, but also low crime since, well, those people, they're not there!
So, not touting feeding the needy fits the district, touting crime fearmongering does not. So what are these PO Box Massachusetts people bothering us for?
Moreover, the district voted:
So, these out-of-state people mailing stuff in district have no political need to propagandize us, if Republican. If not, why would their mailing use Mr. Thomas?
It seems a disconnect with reality is afoot, and should stop. Why? Because it is an offensive intrusion into other people's business from some swamp group.
Who the fuck are they: Security for American Greatness, Inc. - these operatives? These swamp critters.
Why should I think other than that they are out-of-state troublemakers? With a will to propagandize and fearmonger, here where I live, while hiding their actual identity. Google it! Or try and good luck. I hope their harvest is lean.
