Despite Congress’ success at partially averting the “fiscal cliff,” Western Washington food banks and their patrons – including the food banks here in Mason County – continue to face a mountain of challenges in meeting basic food needs over the coming year.
 
It’s true that some disastrous hardships for nonprofits and low-income Americans were avoided by lawmakers’ actions to extend the current Farm Bill and to renew the food donation tax deduction. However, the catastrophic drought that parched Midwest farmland last summer is now hitting consumer pocketbooks. Shortages of grain, grass and corn feed resulting from the drought in 2012 mean increases in the costs of beef, poultry, and grain and dairy products in 2013.
 
Low-income families who already are struggling to put meals on the table will soon find shortages at food banks and higher prices at the grocery store. The USDA already has estimated that prices will rise at least 3 percent due to the drought.
 
The impact on local food banks will be dramatic. With food supplies low because of the drought, our state’s crops are being sold out of state. Even lower graded food – the smaller potatoes or the less-than-perfect apples – that normally would be donated as surplus to food banks is up for sale. That means less food for the estimated one in 14 Western Washingtonians – one-third of them children – who rely on food banks for their daily nutrition. 
 
All this also occurs at a time when our local food bank demand is at an all-time high. In 2011, Food Lifeline provided 35 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 27 million meals for more than 750,000 people – to some 300 food banks, emergency shelters and meal programs across Western Washington, including the Greater Hood Canal Food Bank andtwo others in Mason County. Last year, we shattered that record as demand for fresh, nutritious food increased by more than 50 percent since the start of the recession. 
 
To potentially make matters even worse, economists predict that the recession’s impact on hungry children, families and seniors will not wane for five to seven years, even as the economy improves.
 
While we gained short-term relief – the Farm Bill extension is in place until September 30 – challenges still lie ahead. Congressional action on the Farm Bill is tentatively scheduled for the end of February, when policymakers will embark on redrafting the legislation. 
 
Washington voters can take action today by urging lawmakers to preserve vital anti-hunger and nutrition programs, such as food stamps and the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which helps to keep the lights on and shelves stocked at food banks. Cuts to these programs will open significant gaps in the social safety net and extend lines at already over-burdened food banks.
Also, consider inviting your Congressional representatives to visit a food bank in their district to find out more about how emergency food is being supported in their community.
 
Finally, people should be aware of the food bought and wasted in their own households. Americans throw away 34 million tons of food – an average of 20 pounds a month for every single person in the country and 40 percent of all the food produced in the United States. If people donated the money they spent on surplus food to food banks instead, it would be enough to feed every hungry person in the nation – two times over.
 
Congress, and each of us, can take action to support local food banks at this critical time. Hungry people across our community are counting on all of us.


Linda Nageotte, Seattle

Dear Sheriff Salisbury,
As the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in Mason County you were required to take an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic. Having taken that oath I would like to know if you will honor your oath by refusing to enforce Federal rules, regulations and directives that violate the Constitution and/or the Bill of Rights. The Second Amendment clearly proclaims that the people have a right to own guns and in the Bill of Rights, the government is prohibited from infringing on the right of the people to own guns if they choose to do so. Your primary job is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the rights of the people that live in Mason County. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Federal government has no lawful jurisdiction in the counties and that when a Sheriff chooses to enforce an unconstitutional directive, he is violating his Constitutional Oath. The people of Mason County are the employer and you are the employee and we expect you to represent us and not the Federal government. As your employer, I would like to know if you are given an order that violates the Constitution, will you honor your oath or will you do as directed by the President of the United States?

Sincerely, Tammy Christensen, Hoodsport

Mason County Commissioner Elect, Randy Neatherlin (District 1) will take his official oath of office in Belfair on December 27^th, 2012 at 6pm.
Since Mr. Neatherlin is the first Commissioner elected from Belfair in over 30 years, he felt it was important to take his oath in the district he will so proudly represent. After verifying that he can be sworn into office outside of the county seat, Mr. Neatherlin decided to have his swearing in ceremony at the Theler Community Center in Belfair instead of the County Commissioners chambers in Shelton.
We are planning a very simple ceremony with the Honorable, Judge Victoria Meadows imparting the official oath of office.
We would like to share this moment with anyone who wishes to attend. Please come as you are and share in this joyful event.
 
Jennifer Hines, Belfair, WA