A Lesson to be Learned

Anonymous retorted in the third comment: "Your comments about putting down a person who is taking time to assist a local food shelter show how out of touch Republicans have become."

In reality, Freedomwriter’s clever little story shows exactly the opposite. But you missed it.

As a Republican, Freedomwriter is very much in touch with human need and the need for generosity. But you judged and condemned the writer precisely because the writer is a Republican and you built yourself up as if you feed the hungry. In other words, as a Democrat, you politicized the hungry poor. That’s your first mistake.

Your second one is that you missed Freedomwriter’s statement: "Hunger and human need is a bigger load than what the little red wagon will carry. Big problems need big solutions." If you contemplate that, you will know the writer is not diminishing hunger, but you are too busy politicizing hunger to notice that.

Your third mistake is your failure to understand the meaning of the sentence: "Wagon was last seen being tugged along in public parades by State Representative Kalin. . ." In other words, Freedomwriter identified your problem and you could not even recognize it. There are some key words in that sentence—parade, public, Representative. These words indicate Freedomwriter was mocking the politicizing of the hungry by a politician.

Why does a candidate for public office walk a parade route? It is to become known and gain votes. There is nothing wrong with that.

Now put a red wagon in the hand of the candidate. There is nothing wrong with the red wagon, but it is serving some function in the parade. It is a prop to accomplish a certain goal.

Now write a letter to the editor (as Kalin did) that the red wagon will be used to collect food for the hungry poor and that candidate has implicitly politicized hunger. At the parade, the absent, but implied hungry poor, are used as props to imply the candidate’s compassion toward them.

Then make sure that letter states those hungry props are children (see Freedomwriter’s ". . . he alleges children in his legislative district still have to take turns on who will eat supper tonight") so one tugs hard on the heartstrings of the caring.

All these props, along with the LTE, point to the savior of the hungry (see Freedomwriter’s ". . . unless he comes to their rescue.") All these props are designed to get votes for the candidate. In other words, the candidate, Kalin, politicized the misfortune of some to pander for votes. And he did it in front of God and everybody!

Freedomwriter rightly mocked the public pandering for votes by using the hungry as props just like a politician uses an event as a photo op. Politicians do not respect the hungry in their need; the hungry are used for the politician’s own political end. Kalin put politics before people, or more precisely in this case, people served his politics.

We Republicans believe in quietly feeding the hungry through any number of means. The hungry do not exist for our political gain. We also know we can end up being the hungry ones. And if that happens, we Republicans pray for true compassion, rather than being used as props by Democrat politicians and their crowd.

Kalin Abuses the Hungry

In the local papers, Kalin (D-17B) wrote, "Last year, I took the "food stamp challenge" – to eat for a week off the average food stamp budget of just $3 a day. It was a humbling experience – to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes."

The $3 of food stamps per day is not meant to provide all the food for a person each day. It is a supplemental program. The government program rightly expects recipients to provide some money toward their own daily consumption of food. Kalin distorts the intent of the program.

He also claims, "I’ve since learned that most food stamp recipients are working families with children, and their struggles become even more difficult in the summer months." Well, what do you know?! This is consistent with the program.

With some exceptions, able-bodied adults between 16 and 60 must register for work, accept suitable employment, and take part in an employment and training program to which they are referred by the food stamp office. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in disqualification from the Program. In addition, able-bodied adults between 18 and 50 who do not have any dependent children can get food stamps only for 3 months in a 36-month period if they do not work or participate in a workfare or employment and training program other than job search. This requirement is waived in some locations.

The program rightly expects able-bodied people to work. The program is a supplement, not a replacement. The program aims to create some incentive to work.

While Kalin makes hay on the $3 food stamps per day, what does he collect? As a representative he can receive $77 per day for food and incidentals while the House is in session. In 2007, Kalin collected $8,448 of per diem on top of his $31,140 salary. The House was in session for 75 days. Kalin took less per diem than most legislators (to his credit). However, Kalin’s per diem of $8,448 spread over a year (8,448/365) amounts to $23 per day. On $23 per day, most of us would be eating better than we do. That is on top of his $31,140 salary.

And then this guy has the nerve to use the poor and hungry to leverage votes to keep him in office. That is despicable. Vote NO on Kalin in November.

Kalin Abuses the Hungry

Writing in the local papers, Kalin (D-17B) bemoaned, "Some of our neighbors in Chisago County are facing even tougher choices – which family member will go without dinner tonight, so that the others can eat."

OK Kalin. Tell us. Name one person you know who goes without a meal so the rest of the family gets to eat. Once, maybe. Consistently, no. This statement is so much political bunk meant to show your supposed political compassion with our money, not yours.

If it is actually happening, it is because they are not going to the food shelf or utilizing other programs. American businesses are extremely generous in making donations to a multitude of causes. Americans are very charitable to the Food Shelves, among other programs, and ultimately to the hungry. In fact, conservatives are consistently rated more generous than liberals. Maybe your liberal friends need your admonition, but we conservatives don’t.

It’s fine if Dems want to collect canned goods at their business meetings. It’s great if Dems bring food supplies for the Food Shelf to their annual picnics. Have at it. Do it quietly without fanfare. But collecting food as a feature of your political presence in parades is a ploy for votes. It stinks to use the hungry and poor to garner votes. Using the poor and hungry is self-serving. It places politics before people.

It’s clear as a nose on a face. Vote NO on Kalin this fall.