Priorities misplaced

My family survived the Great Depression of the 1930s but not without many deep scars. My mother had three babies in the charity ward, where she was treated like dirt. My father lost his job and became an alcoholic. They clawed their way out of this morass, but the shame never left them or my siblings.

Born in 1945, I grew up in the golden age of the 1950s and went to state college when it was affordable. I have always paid my taxes because ultimately I believe in the United States. I have witnessed profligate spending on wars and innumerable boondoggle projects, including the massive bailout of corrupt Wall Street banks.

I can’t fathom the food stamp battle that is raging in Washington, D.C. American citizens have been bamboozled by a stacked deck dealt by special interests that dominate our country. Food stamps actually subsidize companies that pay poverty-level wages. I detest this, but they also help to feed children and keep families together. We blindly dedicate billions of tax dollars to corporate welfare but cringe at the prospect of opening our change purse for food stamps. Go figure, because I can’t.

David Webb

Spokane