The farcical Republican debt ceiling crisis, so eloquently described by Karla Von Huben (“Only one side to blame,” Our Readers’ Views, June 1) has died with a whimper. A global financial disaster has been averted.
According to Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, the harmful effects that the Republicans achieved are minimal. But Krugman says that the Republicans’ insistence on taking action against Americans on the food stamp program will cause some to lose their coverage.
America is the only wealthy, industrial country in which a significant proportion of its population, including children, are unable to obtain sufficient food. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food insecurity affects 12.7 percent of Americans. Most live in single-mother homes, abandoned by the fathers.
We can help compensate for this malevolent action by the Republicans by making donations to local food charities. An April 8 article in The Columbian describes the work of the Clark Neighbors Food Project. It is easy to work with this group to help relieve hunger in Vancouver. When you go to the supermarket, simply buy some extra nonperishable foods in cans and pouches and place them for collection in the green bag that the Food Project will give to you.
