Further to the study released yesterday on hunger in America: "The report's main author at USDA, Mark Nord, noted that other recent research by the agency has found that most families in which food is scarce contain at least one adult with a full-time job, suggesting that the problem lies at least partly in wages, not entirely an absence of work. "
Yup. Been there, done that.
Booze & Dope play a role too.
Not in my case it didn't. I just happen to work for the gov., got divorced, have a kid, and the cost of living in MA is far removed from my salary. Don't drink or drug and I'm sure that is the first thing to come into many people's minds when they think of the working poor. I am educated, love my job, but I have also tried to change careers only to learn that itis hard for someone my age (50)to change careers. Everyone has a unique story.
It is not surprising (we talked about this in the thread yesterday) that the nexus between poor working people, their lack of 'leisure' time, and the choices they (are sometimes forced to) make is shit food with nil nutritional value.
HiredGoons & MHKC: Are we still pitching a soup & stews cooking show for The Poors?
Along with "What Not to Wear", "House Hunters," "Design on a Nickel (instead of a dime), etc. etc. You could go on ad-nauseum. In fact, why not start a network for the poors.
Of course it has to be on basic cable.
"Stoned Soup"?
Absolutely, intolerably infuriating. Why is this not Priority One in this nation, alongside homelessness?
I'd say, if this were a natural disaster, then instantly the government and the private (charitable) sector would leap to the fore and attempt to remedy it--but then, cf. Katrina, Lessons Learned.
What sickens me most is the constant harping from the 'capitalists' that you let the "Market" address these problems, that you allow noble private business and individuals, rather than the briggling and buttinsky public sector, to "step forward" to "do the right thing," and yet, and yet, and yet, ad nauseum, on a rumbling tummy.
Lessons Learned.
Does Mark Nord also work for the Department of Stating the Obvious?
It is ridiculous that this comes as a surprise.
see: Sen, Amartya
Indeed.
2008 saw the biggest spike in food prices in nearly two decades so it isn't very surprising that there was an attendant rise in food insecurity. It is even less surprising that the USDA don't seem to have mentioned this in their briefing to reporters.