Who fights for the people?

Democrats fought to save the Food Stamp program from the cuts that were sought by Republicans. That “savings” was $5 billion, which literally took food off the table of 47.7 million Americans, mostly elderly, women, and children.

The Republicans demanded to shut the government if the Affordable Care Act was not defunded. They did not have enough votes to actually take it out of the budget, so they held the country hostage. It was, as one Republican senator said, “A fool’s errand.” The cost of that failed effort was $24 billion. In other words, enough to fund the SNAP program for five years.

The petroleum industry, which is extremely profitable, still receives $60 billion a year in subsidies, enough to fund the SNAP program for 12 years.

The Republicans got pushed too far to the right and lost the moderate voters. If another Tea Party-influenced Republican gets the nomination in 2016, they will get stomped.

When Republicans cut these vital safety net programs they hurt the most vulnerable citizens. Is this what Jesus would want us to do? Wall Street has made a spectacular recovery from the crash of 2007/2008. The middle class and working poor have fallen far behind. Our politicians should listen to Pope Francis, “trickledown economics does not work.” Start with making the minimum wage a livable wage, otherwise taxpayers are subsidizing those who don’t pay their worker enough to live on.

Jon Monday