Poverty Line

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User-submitted story by Ellie Cook

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Here is a letter I sent this morning to Shelley Keeney, Jo Ann Emerson, Tommy Sowers, and the White House.

Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 11:57 AM

To: mskeeney@hotmail.com

Subject: poverty line

I am a Bollinger County resident and I need to share with you the state of economy in our county. I was driving through Marble Hill yesterday and noticed a large crowd gathered in a line. As I approached I realized it was the food pantry line. I was totally blown away by the amount of people waiting for the free food. I was born after the "Great Depression", so I have nothing to reference the sight to except the pictures I've seen on TV of food lines for the starving masses during the "Great Depression". This has bothered me a great deal and I think you, as our state rep, should make it a priority to see that Bollinger County gets some assistance in creating jobs in order our starving masses can at least buy food.

I am in the process of trying to contact the media regarding this. I am contacting all political contacts I can reach regarding the poverty in our beautiful county. I am banking on you MS. Keeney to do something to help. Thank You.

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This is the result of lost jobs, lost opportunities, and poverty in our 8th district. Other counties in this area have the same lines forming to get commodity food. Now we need to get some new blood in Congress like Tommy Sowers to make a turnaround. Continuing on the same path is not the answer.

-- Posted by josietree on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 10:45 AM
Unfortunately, this is a common sight throughout southeast Missouri, if not the whole state. And it has been growing even before our economic "meltdown." Businesses have closed and factories have moved overseas. Our current representatives have evidently kept themselves removed from this plight.

Our Eighth Congressional District in Missouri is currently the EIGHTH poorest district in the COUNTRY!! And we are the FIRST poorest district for females. Businesses and factories closed or moved overseas. How and why did this happen??

Tommy Sowers is running for Congress in the Eight Congressional District with this at the top of his platform. A former Green Beret veteran of Iraq and a former professor at West Point, Tommy returned to Missouri only to find us in this day to day struggle. Tommy Sowers is an example of what we need in Washington to begin the restructuring of America's economic system.

In the meantime, the more fortunate of us can help our fellow Missourians by donating to our local food banks, homeless shelters, and programs that help clothe school children. And we must VOTE in November!

-- Posted by Mima45 on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 11:06 AM

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