Problems/ Questions, FALL 2013: SOME QUESTIONS WE WANT TO ASK
- Roughly 21 million American people** are unable to buy adequate food supplies or receiving $4.50 day on food stamps. Is this a problem? If so how should we solve it? Should the Federal government respond? Is there an alternative response from the private sector or somewhere else?
2. Many Republicans want to curb “Obama Care” (we will call it AHC or “affordable healthcare” after the act past in 2010—the full name is Patient Protection and Affordable HealthCare). Or they want to gut the program entirely (political fantasy though that might be). If this act is deeply flawed, what exactly do Republicans and Conservative propose in its place? Obama-care is the law, almost entirely held up by the Supreme Court. If the federal government is not responsible for improved affordable health care, then how will it be achieved?
3. The infrastructure of the United States, e.g. highways, roads, bridges, public school buildings, airports, etc. is in a state of serious disrepair? Can the government afford to address this problem? To put money into the economy by creating jobs, in cooperation with the private sector that would a. fix the broken infrastructure, b. increase consumption and stimulate the economy through the Keynesian multiplier effect?
4. How are the following areas being affected by the current federal budget and the sequestration of funds? a. schools/education b. federally funded research and development, c. college student loans, grants? d. entitlement programs for the poor and elderly… there are a number of other areas—the National Park system, for instance, but we will stop here for now.
- ** Source: HUNGER IN AMERICA
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/hunger-and-poverty-statistics.aspx
- In 2011, 50.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 33.5 million adults and 16.7 million children.
- In 2011, 14.9 percent of households (17.9 million households) were food insecure.
- In 2011, 5.7 percent of households (6.8 million households) experienced very low food security.
- In 2011, households with children reported food insecurity at a significantly higher rate than those without children, 20.6 percent compared to 12.2 percent.
- In 2011, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (20.6 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (36.8 percent) or single men (24.9 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (25.1 percent) and Hispanic households (26.2 percent).
- In 2011, 4.8 million seniors (over age 60), or 8.4% of all seniors were food insecure.[v]
- Food insecurity exists in every county in America, ranging from a low of 2.4 percent in Slope County, ND to a high of 35.2 percent in Holmes County, MS.[vi]
