Huron Expositor, 2009-06-10, Page 4i4-ttai00:-go9-:,•Aokkon;Fipittsow
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End of councillors'
ee lunch a
ing change in
climate of greed
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When it comes to the upper levels of government,
examples of greed and corruption seem all too easy
to find these days.
During the past few weeks, it was discovered that
four top executives of the Canada Pension Plan
Investment Board pocketed nearly $7 million in
bonuses this year despite losing $24 billion of tax-
payersmoney in bad investments, according to the
board's annual report.
And, At the provincial level, an eHealth executive
who already makes $380,000 a year decided to give
herself a $114,000 bonus after five months' work.
It doesn't seem to matter that we're in a recession
with a steadily rising unemployment rate and an
increasing government debt - those at the top, who
are in no danger of -visiting a food bank as recipients_
anytime soon, don't seem to have any qualms about
gorging at the public trough.
That's why it's refreshing to see councilors at Hu-
ron County council decide last week that they no
longer need to eat lunch at the public's expense at
their two committee of the whole meetings each
month.
While Warden Ken Oke argued that the $15,000 a
year on lunches is negligible and just one more cost
of doing business, the councillors* who voted for the
act of restraint are showing some understanding of
the belt -tightening many of their constituents are
finding necessary in the current economic climate.
"If you think you're impressing taxpayers, you're
not," said Oke to proponents of the motion during
debate at the county last week.
But, we disagree. The number of people unem-
ployed in Perth -Huron -Grey -Bruce jumped again
in May from 8.8 per cent to nine per cent (which
means 14,000 jobless people in the region), close to
double the rate from one year ago.
Numbers of recipients at local food banks are dou-
ble what they were last year and food bank workers•
expect those numbers to continue to rise.
If nothing else, county councillors buying their
own lunch is a show of solidarity with ratepayers
who might need some assistance buying their own.
Susan Hundertmark
ON, NOK i.WO
*
ay supply from the food bank
helps my family understand hunger
• A first glance through the box
containing my two-day supply
of food• from the local food bank
in Huron County was already
creating a hollow sense of hun-
ger in my stomach.
Feeding my family of four, for
even two days, including school
lunches was going 'to require
the creativity of a home economist who has the
Biblical talent of using a few loaf and fishes
to feed the masses.
My fussy 12 -year-old daughter was already
rebelling, telling me she'd buy her own grocer-
ies. I agreed but added that for the two days
we agreed to try to live on food bank fare to
recognize National Hunger Awareness Day on
June 2, she'd be buying any extra food with
her own money. •
My 16 -year-old son told his sister that they'd
sneak out together for pizza. And, I reminded
them both that anyone who needs to use the
food bank would not have that luxury.
But, a second glance through the box had
me wondering again how I was going to pull it
off.
For breakfasts, there was a small box of ce-
real, a bag of powdered milk, a can of apple
juice and eight teabags to last the two days.
There was no fresh fruit, no, fresh vegetables,
no eggs or cheese. A bag of eight hotdog buns
(but no weiners) and a bag of eight hamburger
buns could be popped into the toaster but there
was no butter to spread on top. A small jar of
peanut butter would have to do the trick. •
For school lunches, there were four juice
Ron & Dave
I want to be free and
fly like a birdl
Susan
Hundertmark
boxes. Two cans of Campbell's
soup might be sent each day in
a thermos along with a bun.
The nut ban at the
schools would prevent the pea-
nut butter being sent to school.
' While I understand the need
to prevent a life threatening
situation for kids with peanut
allergies, I wonder if anyone understands the
hardship the ban creates for families depend-
ing on the food bank.
For suppers, there was one precious pound of
hamburger and I kept wondering how it would
best be served --- in patties with the buns or
as spaghetti sauce with the can of sauce and
noodles provided in the box.
There was also no ketchup, mustard or oth-
er condiments for hamburgers or parmesan
cheese for the spaghetti. Other than the pea-
nut butter, the hamburger was the only pro-
tein provided in the box.
As the two days progressed, only my hus-
band and I really stuck to the food bank diet
but if the contents of the box had really been
the only food in our house, I'm not sure how it
would have fed us all.
endectup making a spaghetti casserole that
lasted for two days for supper but the pickings
were sparse the rest of the time. The peanut
butter jar got quite the workout for breakfast,
lunch and snack time. -
With my husband's birthday on June 2, we
had to celebrate with leftover casserole but
See NOTHING, Page 6
I wonder what kind of
things the birds think
about as they fly around
all day?
(It must
really deep
stuff.
by David Lacey
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