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Over 1.3 million people, one in six New Yorkers, cannot afford enough food, with queues at soup kitchens getting longer, anti-poverty groups say.

The New York City Coalition Against Hunger says the number of people who use food pantries and soup kitchens in the city increased by 20% in 2007. … food distribution points are struggling to meet demand. Increased poverty as well as government cutbacks in food aid effect more and more indigents.

No Thanksgiving turkey

“This annual survey of food pantries and soup kitchens shows that more working families, children, and seniors are being forced to seek emergency food,” Joel Berg, the coalition’s executive director, said in a statement.

“Given that hunger continued to increase in the city, even when the economy was still strong last year, it is no wonder that now, when the economy is weakening, lines at pantries and kitchens are getting even worse.”

Some food outlets said their federal supplies of food had been cut by as much as three-quarters.

According to a survey, 59% of New York’s food programmes, up from 48% last year, said they did not have enough resources to meet demand.

The US Department of Agriculture says 12.6 million households nationwide, or more than 30 million people – 10% of the population – did not have enough food at some point in 2006.

Haven’t seen the US Media mention this sad state of affairs. Why do I have to visit BBC to find out what is going on in this country? This smells of political cover up because it is so embarrassing. The poverty level in this country is increasing at an alarming rate. People are struggling to stay afloat economically. Health care, rising prices of everything, including food, are a direct result of the administration obsession with waging wars for profit. Who’s profit? The American people were the envy of the world at one time. Now, the middle class is disappearing. There are the wealthy and there are those sliding into poverty, loosing their homes, their health, their family in the military. Broken veterans are returning to no home, shoddy VA support, and a government that wants its money back from it’s casualties. Recently revealed homeless veterans make up a large part of the Nouveau Poor. They are akin to the displaced persons from World War II. Witness the mass exodus from a living wage, like the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression.

The US economy has fallen disgracefully. Crooks and liars have had their way with us without remorse. The US population is polarizing into haves and have-nots. Lets see if the presidential election will demonstrate how separated we have become. The profiteers refuse to put their security at risk by taking responsibility for their actions. Politicians seem to be insulated from the consequences of words they put into bills, amendments or law. It always looks good on paper … Historians will tell you that this condition is a classic set up for major dissent. Dissent can easily dissolve into revolution. Oh, yes, thats how this country was formed, wasn’t it? Disgust with tyranny from remote, disconnected political royalty was the trigger for the Declaration of Independence. Some of us know what happened next … Disparity, disconnect and a population that feels helpless, and without voice, is a breeding ground for revolution.

This is the Holiday Season for everyone but the hungry. This is America, not just New York! Why is hunger growing exponentially in the golden land of opportunity?

Posted by bosskitty November 22nd, 2007 | Category: America, Collateral, consequences, cover up, Declaration of Independence, disparity, displaced persons, economy, Federal Cutbacks, food pantries, humanitarian, hunger, migrants, New York, Nouveau Poor, poverty, predjudice, Revolution, soup kitchens, USDA | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL