If you were in Congress representing Page County, would you have voted for recent federal laws that gave tax breaks, especially to high income earners, but cut funds for food and healthcare for many Page County residents?
One of the law’s biggest causalities of the federal cutbacks is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
More than 2,000 households in Page County (about a quarter of all households in our County) depend on this program to put food on the table.
SNAP also gives people a chance for a better life, like the woman who could still feed her family so she could complete nursing school and pursue a career in health care. (Note: Fraud and abuse account for only 1% of the program outlays, contrary to what critics’ claim.)
The federal program that helps pay for free and reduced-price school lunches (National School Lunch Program) is being cut as well.
In this county, a huge number of our school children (55% to 60%!!) depend on this program to grow up healthy and be alert in school. What kind of future will they have without this program?
A third set of program cuts hurt local food banks.
The Page One Food Pantry has been serving the Page County community for 46 years. It serves over 3,000 of our residents (13% of our population).
According to Feeding America, a nonprofit network of food banks, some of the hardest hit areas in the country are in our valley.
One additional reality is that federal cuts shift the burden onto state and local governments, so we can expect more of our tax dollars will go to food programs.
Meanwhile, 60% of the law’s tax relief goes to the top 10% of earners in the country — people who make at least $170,000 a year.
So back to the original question: To give high earners tax breaks, would you take food from hungry school kids, parents and grandparents?
Jackie Bowers
Luray
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