Thoughts on Hunger and Poverty

By all means Treat the symptoms

food in·se·cur·i·ty n. the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food; being hungry (in the sense of “the uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food” for days each year).

* Food insecurity exists in every county in America.

* Hunger and malnutrition have devastating effects on our children’s ability to learn and grow.

* In the US, hunger isn’t caused by a lack of food, but by the continued prevalence of poverty.

min·i·mum wage n. the lowest wage, set by law or contract, that can be paid for a specified job.

* Most minimum wage workers are women, not teenagers.

* There is no state where a 40 hour minimum wage week is enough to afford a 2-bedroom apartment.

* McDonald’s, Walmart, & other low-wage employers encourage their employees to use food stamps.

* Federal minimum wage indexed to inflation for the past 40 years would be $10.90 (2014), not $7.95.

PolicyMattersOhio.org/sowo-2014 State of Working Ohio 2014 report

RaiseTheMinimumWage.org Provides facts, resources & campaigns; even a “Live the Wage” challenge

http://www.feedingamerica.org News & research from a foodbank network

Take time to Understand the cause

pov·er·ty n. lack of the means of providing material needs or comforts.

in·e·qual·i·ty n. an unfair situation in which some people have more rights, resources, and better opportunities than other people

*Since 1979, the top 1% has had a 70% income growth; the bottom 99% has had an income loss.

*More than half of all US fast-food workers rely on some public assistance to survive.

Talkpoverty.org/Poverty Interactive map for Ohio data; also basic and demographic statistics

Inequality.org connecting the dots on a growing divide

Work to Eradicate the disease

e·con·o·cide n. 1. The primary socio-political relation of the current historical period. 2. The political-economic arranging of the disappearance of ‘economic others’ – those deemed not needed nor wanted – from the universe of obligation. 3.The loss of democracy – surrendering power to corporate interests that now act as quasi-public bodies making decisions that serve their interests and undermine ours.