It was another Indian summer day in San Diego. I was working in my front yard when my older tough-as-nails neighbor wandered over to chat. We began talking about the upcoming election. I was happy to learn that the kid next door, who left for college in August, registered to vote as a Democrat. I said I knew she was smart, and this confirmed it. I said "How anyone could still vote Republican after everything that has transpired is beyond me"
My ex-Marine neighbor then said "I'm voting a straight Democratic ticket this election, because of what I read in the Union the other day, did you read it?"
Follow me for the story and the link
I replied that I didn't read the paper this week (I blog my news) and asked what had him steamed enough to vote a straight D ticket.
He said "Well, there was an article in the paper about the families up in Camp Pendleton having to go on food donations to make ends meet, while their Marines serve in Iraq. Some of em' for the fourth or fifth tour of duty..ain't that sumthin?
I shared this information in a comment in another diary, and thanks to KiaRioGrl79 who asked for the story and link, I am happy to provide the information.
The original story appeared Friday, October 13th, in the Local Section of the San Diego Union. It's lede in paragraph is like a gut punch-
The women and children who formed a line at Camp Pendleton last week could have been waiting for a child-care center to open or Disney on Ice tickets to go on sale.
Instead, they were waiting for day-old bread and frozen dinners packaged in slightly damaged boxes. These families are among a growing number of military households in San Diego County that regularly rely on donated food.
These are familes with loved ones serving in Iraq, and the Middle East. How can they be living on donations? Something is terribly wrong. This is not widespead is it?
The base's list of recipients swells by 100 to 150 people a month as the food programs streamline their eligibility process, word spreads among residents and ever-proud Marines adjust to the idea of accepting donated goods
.
This is not isolated to Camp Pendleton. Families at several other military sites in San Diego are struggling as well.
Barbara Chavez deals with many similarly challenged families in San Diego County. She is director of Military Outreach Ministries, which supplies bread and other staples to troops and their loved ones at the Miramar base, a Navy housing community in Lakeside and other locations.
"The bases are in the more expensive parts of the county and things like gas, food, insurance and rent are just higher here," Chavez said. "I got a call last night from a lady in need. She ran out of baby formula and diapers. She's 22 with two kids under 3 and her husband is in Iraq. She was distraught and cried for 10 minutes. This happens more often than not."
This is how we thank our all VOLUNTEER military and their families back home? We pay them so little they must resort to handouts and charity?
Millions of dollars lost in Iraq. No bid contracts with no accounting for cash. Iraq- a hell hole quagmire. Military families accepting donations and charity in order to live.
Yep, neighbor...that is sumthin!
It's a crying shame and a damn crime of the highest magnitude. It's so horrible that my ex-Marine neighbor and his family will be voting a straight democratic ticket!
Here is the link to the article
http://www.signonsandiego.com/...