Aid cuts leave children hungry

The main increase in costs that effect me are gas prices as there is nothing that I can do about that. I can reduce food cost by changing eating habits and relying on beans rice and other cheaper staples. I am still giving but there is so much that needs to be done that it does feel like the $10 and $20 that I give to other charities besides the the 2 children I sponsor is simply not going to make a difference.

The US government needs to assess the primary cause of the crisis and then look at what remedial steps can be taken. We can't continue these ridiculous pork barrel Farm Bills; we have to look at the the feasibility of using corn as an energy source given that it takes more energy to convert corn to fuel as well as the ramifications on food shortages; we have to examine these outrageous bail outs of Bear and Stearns greedy policies which continues the cycle of entitlement and we have to have alternate energy sources so that food transportation costs are not held hostage by oil as the only resource for energy.

Most of all we have to maintain our conscience to not look away.

IMHO I think that the US should stop giving away our tax money and keep it here at home. Cut our taxes and give it back to Americans.

Just for the f of it. Someone please explain to me how in the hell we allowed this to happen? It's rice. Freaking rice and it's not 1905 anymore. How do we improve this world for ourselves and everyone else in the last 100 years? I heard it said best from this guy a few months back. He said" We haven't contributed one thing to this world in the last 100 years except for some really really nice computers". That about sums up our contribution to the world in the last century.

We're seriously so lost. Even the ones in power don't know what to do with it all anymore and for all of man's limitlessness, we're making some serious bad decisions.

There are always some things we need to let take precedence though. If we can't afford ourselves we need to stop pledging our funds else where. How much of our own cities need repair? How much do we need those resources at home right now. Do you think our Vets could use 770 Million dollars? Could New Orleans? Why does the Federal Government even have the right to allot our funds internationally?

How can we keep, continueing to hand out 700 Million with an outstanding debt of 9 trillion? I just don't get what the hell we're doing.
As a new user, you may notice a few

There are hungry children right here at home! I am on disability - so my income doesn't fluctuate and I can't try to squeeze in an extra hour here and there on the time-clock at work. I make 700/month and get 102/mth in food stamps. That is 802 total for food, clothing, rent, electricity, insurance, medication, etc. My child and I are hungry. Our nation is not doing enough for us. I worked my entire life as long as I could. I have a background in law enforcement and did my part for humanity while I could. Now I feel forgotten and alone.

i agree with ron--no one likes to see hungry people, but WHY is this country always spending SO much in foreign aid? the tax payers here at home are footing every country's bills--no matter what the reason. Cambodia is in the far east--believe me, China has the money to help!! we arn't as economically sound as we were 8 years ago!

If bio-fuel and even the high cost of oil etc. is causing the price of food to increase perhaps more money needs to go into Solar, Hydro, Wind and even Tidal energy creation. For example, in Denmark more than 30% of electricity comes from these sources rather than coal or oil.

On top of this perhaps local, state and national govts need to plan for and provide more public transport so less of us need to use private cars. Or perhaps we need to live closer to work or where ever it is we travel to each day.

Let's try to reduce our carbon footprint! It could save us money too.

And if these environmentally friendly measures were to take off in the USA and then spread to the rest of the world perhaps there would be more reasonably priced food for all.

Everyone needs to take a deep breath and calm down.

First, if you want to know what the US has done in the world for the last 100 years, go read a history book.

Second, if the government is so bad at solving problems, then stop insisting that the government do anything for us. Do for yourselves : THAT is the nature of the true American spirit.

Third, many countries around the world are light years ahead of the US in terms of alternative energy sources (Brazil--sugarcane ethanol in more than 75 percent of its vehicles; Netherlands--wind power; several countries in Europe, including France, nuclear power).

Finally, I suggest that those who think we are a "3rd World country" go and visit one: Even the poorest among us in the US would be considered rich compared to the living conditions in many developing nations. Start being grateful for what you have and for what you CAN do, rather than focusing on what you CAN'T do.

If you look into this, food has risen because oil prices has risen world wide. The 43 billion dollar profits made by these companies is not only destroying this country but will cause food shortages worldwide.. This is totally out of control. Something must be done but what and how? The government has allowed this monster (oil money greed) to grow out of control. Continued un checked what we are seeing in Cambodia is a premonition of what to an extent will happen to us. If any one has noticed the news last week, our own food pantries are in crisis. Too many people needing help and not enough food.

My husband and I are giving more--we've contributed to CARE and the World Food Programme. We are also contributing to help here at home--the "food barrel" at church to help those locally who are hungry. It seems that Planet Earth is having a hard time right now, with rising food prices, cyclone, earthquake, hunger, mortgage foreclosures, etc. I know global warming and greed have played their parts in this. I'm glad I am able to do something, however small, to help in the face of such great adversity.

How much more can we americans take?? This is not a recession like the powers to be
forecast, it is a major depression. They do not want to admit it, Bush and Congress are
failures and the sooner they leave office we might be better off but maybe not. The rich
are getting richer and the poorer are getting poorer. Health care is a big worry. If the
government cuts our Medicare and downsizes our social security, we will be in trouble.
Many physicians will leave their practice b/c they fear they will not get paid. We used
to have such a beautiful country and what happened?? We all are not better off than we
were 8 years ago. Our autos and stomachs are on empty b/c we cannot afford to
feed our necessities. Clothes do not last forever. So I guess we go barefooted and
our dress is threadbare. It is scary.

We definitely have a food and gas crisis going on and it is getting worse. The powers to be
in Washington don't recognize it b/c they are too interested in sending trillions of dollars for an
illegal war in Iraq and helping out other countries. Bush, Cheney, and Congress need to go
and the sooner the better. America is going hungry.

Hand-outs or a hand up? The latter is a long-term solution. The nations could benefit from some agriculture technology assistance. Each must produce as much of its own food as possible. Failing that, they remain plagued by internal weakness and eternal risk.

Stumbling around in a constant state of fear doesn't help anyone.

I could not agree more backroads. We need to start producing our own food and canning it. Look around if you think the next administration is going to fix this problem think again. We as a country don't know what it is like to go hungry. This food shortage is not just here it is globally.

You can blame this crisis on three groups. One is the governments of the world, two is big oil taking greed to a new level, third is the biggest. It's the farmers themselves growing crops for fuel instead for food. They have become the next billionaires. As long as the government keeps giving out subsidies for these greedy farmers we will starve. Tell your reprensentives to stop all subsidies for all farmers who grow crops for fuel and things will return to normal.

Seems like money is not always the answer. How much has been spent to end poverty in Africa? For the last 40+ years of my life there has been a need. Poverty and need can not be ended everywhere so one must take account for ones own self. My parents did during the depression and their parents did during the first two world wars. Things have been pretty easy lately but we now face a new challenge with no given answers. Oil prices (and gas prices) are out of whack with the balance of money. If we are not willing or unable to spend as much on it, then we stop. One must provide shelter and food for a family and right now wages aren't increasing so as our parents and grandparents said and did "tighten up one more notch on the belt" because we have no choice but to make it through this...I HATE people who want to blame government and then want to have a hand out from them. Government is not to provide daily necessities. Only to provide an opportunity for each to develop and progress as far as ones own talent will allow. My fellow Americans, it is time for us 40ish folks to grow up!! (especially me)

Ok the question is why?
Why do we have hig oild prices when wehave newer techinloogies that can take over eh and why are those hybrids pricey again...eh Greed!
We need These things to go into opperation NOW:

The Only reason why research has not been invested inthis up tll now is cause there was no need for it.
Now I bet you 10 to 1 the goverments won't even Use this alternative as they can't make much of a prfit off of it... But still if we take matters into our own hands and becomse self empowered and try some oftheses things then maybe just maybe we can really save real money.

We are increasing our donations because I studied economics and see where the higher prices are all heading, but I don't know how long that can last due to increases in our personal expenses. I actually planted a garden that I think we'll actually eat from this year. I did quit sponsoring a child in Afghanistan when that program asked for a 30% increase in sponsorship due to food increases, but I increased the amount we send to another sponsorship organization voluntarily. In my opinion, we're all in this together, regardless of our geo-political boundaries. We contribute locally to food banks and a senior meals service, but my heart is with developing countries who face bigger obstacles toward the things we take for granted as Americans, like clean water, toilets and sanitation, basic health care and education.

To speak more politely than I really feel, I can't understand the piggedness of those who think governments serve no purpose unless it's something they want and somehow don't connect with someone not quite like themselves. Americans certainly feel free to intervene in other country's politics and there are certainly consequences. It's an economic reality all over the world - not just the US-Mexico border - that people will do anything to go to a country with better opportunities, so one way to practice isolationism, if that's want you want, is to actually offer a neighboring country something with which it can improve itself with (suggestion: not cluster bombs and guns).

I noticed that someone else mentioned population as a factor and I believe much of what people call "global warming" is really just the result of overpopulation as a root cause. Population has become a touchy subject, so it's just not discussed these days. It doesn't have to be a in-your-face "and you have HOW many kids?" kind of thing. There were about 2 billion people on the earth when I was born 45 years ago. Today, we're well past the 6 billion mark. That's quite a few more people needing food, a computer, a car, using gas, wanting to cut down trees, and the same (smaller percentage) who wish to rise to the crazy heights of power at any cost. In the meantime, the US has taken a huge step backward in family planning with impacts felt around the world.

Anyway, we're certainly headed for an interesting time.

Hmmm...

Allegedly, the USA is a nation of plenty. Among that is a plenty of excesses, as in the rich continue and the poor continue.

More than likely, no one wakes up one morning and makes the decision to become homeless, or sick, or injured on the job. Instead, people are usually beset with circumstances beyond their control.

I am on low fixed income, disability retirement, due to an on-the-job injury. The rising food costs are very noticeable. Buying things that are on sale has become almost mandatory.

The price of gasoline is a factor as well, especially for people looking for work. I have to very carefully plan the use of our car, to maximize the use. That means doing several errands on one use of the car.

Local food banks are hit hard by rising costs. If you have a little spare cash, it is a good idea to donate some dollars, rather than a can of green beans. Food banks need baby food, diapers, paper towels, toilet paper, in addition to food items. People in need can use some help with other items in addition to some help with food. An influx of some cash helps the food bank provide better help.

I budget $50 per month for my local food bank. I do not smoke and I do not drink, so the money I could spend on a couple of packs of cigarettes and a few drinks can go to the food bank.

If more people could help their local food bank just a little bit, it would make a very big difference.

Remember, it is not giving a hand out, it is helping give a hand up, to help others out of their bad situation. By donating some cash to help your local food bank, you are holding the torch light high, so that others might see and follow.

Having grown up during WW II in Europe, when even salt was rationed, I do feel that people are a bit spoiled in the USA. There are ways to economize even when food prices are rising. Beans and rice, for example, is a complete protein and healthy to boot. Breads can often be bought at outlets for less than half the price. Hot cereals, like oatmeal, are A LOT less expensive and much healthier than cold, boxed cereals. Ground turkey or chicken are also a lot less expensive than beef. Be a little creative, folks, instead of complaining and asking others to help. We had nothing during the war, but we survived. There were no food pantries for us, but we made do. Food is generally much less expensive in the USA than in Europe and other countries as well. Americans are spoiled to a large extent. You have more food in this country than most other countries ever dreamed of in the rest of the world.

If I read the article correctly, 5 local suppliers stopped supplying rice to schools since they can get higher prices somewhere else
so it is their own people who are trying to profit from high food prices in Cambodia, has nothing to do with us here in US
Those greedy Cambodians that have access to rice are the ones who will leave those kids hungry in the morning, not Natioanal Food programs or anyone else

shame on them for starving their own

My husband and I are senior citizens on a fixed income and the government pays my railroad
retirement and my husband's social security the first of each month. My benefits are deposited
on the 1st of the month and my husband's on the 3rd. We budget pretty well under the
circumstances but sometimes depending upon the calendar we have to wait five weekends before there is sufficient money in our bank. If our checking account is low, we have to wait
until the money is deposited and believe me, that is hard. There seems to be too much month
at the end of the money. Our parish had boxes and bags of food donated to our church and
every Sunday AM we were more than happy to bring food with us. Now there is little or nothing
in the food containers. Also there seems to be plenty of theft going on today. Grocery, gas stations, and retail stores are claiming people run off without paying. One incident, my husband
was shopping at our local Walmart and it was getting close to closing and one of the clerks
told my husband that some of the riding carts are missing out of the store along with wheel
chairs!! People are really getting desperate. I don't know what is going to happen to our
wonderful country but it will take a long time before we are the best nation in the world.
Can our new candidate whoever he/he/she fix it? I doubt it. All we can do is hang in there and
ride it out.

well i still have my job but it don't pay much , but any who , the prices for food and gas are killing me and we stopped dead cold on any plans for a vacation my son-inlaw lost his job and home this week they are moving in with us by the end of the week ?? we are barely making it now . they have three kids an they eat like food going out of style ha ha, . me an my wife have bills too credit bills car repair bill the norm suff . but i don't know how long we can keep going with all the bills and now hours being cut back an more money to drive to work ??? i mit need help soon !!! so the food banks are on there own , i had a idea stop spending money over seas for projects or should i say pet projects any where in the u.s. and everyone stop buying chinas stuff and japans stuff . put a half a tank of gas in the car only an not buy any in the gas stations but gas . no pop or smokes or candy, etc . this will send a message to the owner and then the oil ceos. and keep the so called experts of the air and papers !!!! because every time one of them opens his mouth the gas goes up an more and more people lose their jobs an can't pay for food .

thanks for listening

howard

It should not be up too the united states to feed and cloth every other country in this world. We have homeless people here that we don't even take care of properly. Also our elderly are not taken care of in nursing homes in this country. I strongly feel that we need to worry about our own country first. I have traveled around the country having spent 20 years in the U.S. Military. I have seen how other countries live and survive each day. The money and food we do send ends up in the hands of radicals, government officials not where it suppose to be going. Now why continue this charade of sending money and food overseas when, we have our own problems here in the U.S.! I will not donate one dime to any organization that sends money or food over too other countries. I will donate my money to worthy causes that support the homeless and elderly right here in the U.S. only.

I am not a democrat nor a republican. I am a centrist libertarian, Liberal conservative. I wholeheartedly believe that both parties are dillusional. and detached from reality. They do noyt give a damn about the public. We are here to pay thiere gravy train, in thier elitist eyes. The average joe hasnt been able to run for even a simple office in decades.

Thier actions and voting practices, and policies prove my words.

Much worse to come is just around the corner. When things get real serious we will find ourselves in another big war, just to distract us, and keep us from voting them out of office, and electing a party that will perform for us.

We now face the results of having the republican regiem in power for too long, and too powerful. Even though the tide has shifted, we still have too much lobbyism, and special interests working against the public interest. Elitist big money gives as much concern for us as big oil does about the dammage they are doing. In fact they LOVE IT!!! The more homeless they can create, the more immigrants they can crowd in, the lower they can drive our wages and bennefits, THE HAPPIER THEY ARE.

If Obama is elected he will be killed. If Hillary is elected she will also be a target. Mc Cain will be well funded, and backed by every corporate exec in the nation. Our foolish and deceived moral majority will follow the republican path tricked into thinking they will someday eliminate all abortions. So for this reason we get to throw everything away, and give it to the horribly greedy super wealthy. If you are suffering it is because you vote just that stupid. A few more free trading blocks, more foriegn nations controlling our ports, and more jobs going over seas, and it will all be over. Before you know it we will be living under martial law. We are allready so facist it is scarry. Our nation will break up into 4 quadrants so fast you wont have time to remember what happened to Russia under Gorbachev. Do you think I am crazy? Overreacting? Reading too much into it? I suggest you do your homework and get a clue!!! Everything is engineered to happen just so. Dont forget 1929!
Earl