A new report from No Kid Hungry Florida moved me to my core. It put words to what many of us feared was happening: 82% of families say food costs are rising faster than income, and 47% of families had to choose between buying food or transportation.
No family should face such agonizing choices. Even if you’re lucky enough not to be represented in these numbers, you likely know someone who is. And seniors aren’t faring much better. Although Florida was once seen as a retirement haven, home insurance premiums there are among the highest in the nation. As such, some advisors suggest people should avoid retiring in the Sunshine State.
In one of the richest nations in the world, individuals and families are making harrowing choices, such as whether to put gas in the tank or food on the table. The stark reality facing our neighbors is rising food costs, skyrocketing insurance rates, and exploding property taxes. These things have emptied the pockets Floridians spent years working to fill. Even before the war in Iran, Floridians were feeling the heat of a souring economy. Now, things are unbearably worse.
All people should be able to care for themselves and the people they love. And elected officials should devote themselves to making this happen. Instead, the administration advanced a fund to pay January 6 insurrectionists even though these individuals stormed sacred spaces, defied law enforcement, and instilled fear in legislative leaders and onlookers.
In the United States, far too many people are presented with a Sophie’s Choice of sorts. They are forced to make gut-wrenching decisions without assurance that the future will be better than today. Rather than seeing and responding to their needs, President Trump said he doesn’t think about Americans’ finances, not even a little. Juxtapose this with his personal and family’s fortune, which has increased dramatically in his second term in office.
Finances are only part of the problem. Each day, we wake up to a new assault on our Democratic government and institutions. There is a persistent undermining of the rule of law, and an aggressive assault on common decency.
Source: Voting For The Same Kind Of Leader Is A Devil’s Errand That Must Be Avoided
Recent Comments