The Truth Staff
Because of the ongoing federal government shutdown that began on October 1, supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits which 42 million Americans receive will end on November 1, the government announced last week.
Local elected officials responded on Monday, October 20 to express their anger and displeasure over the federal government’s actions and to plead with voters to pressure state government officials to make up the SNAP losses with rainy day funds.
In a press conference organized by the Lucas County Commissioners and attended by over 80 supporters of the action including elected officials, union members and representatives from organizations such as The Movement, Area Office on Aging, United Way, NAACP, among others.
“We are here to say ‘no,’” said Lisa Sobecki, president of the Board of Lucas County Commissioners, as she led off the press conference denouncing the planned program cuts. “This is about feeding our community.”
In Lucas County, 40,056 adults and 31,497 children receive SNAP benefits – 16,63 percent of the total county population
“What we are asking is that the State of Ohio dip into its stabilization fund – rainy day fund – to bring that money home,” she added. “Our food banks have already been stressed by lack of funding, it is time for Ohio to lead and not be like other states.”
Commissioner Pete Gerken blasted the federal government for shutting down the program that benefits the most needy in the nation and the county.
“Let’s not get this twisted, this is political. This government shutdown affects everyone,” he said. “First they don’t want to give people health care,” he said of the Republican decision makers in DC, “then they don’t want to give them food.”
It costs $13.1 million a month to maintain the SNAP benefits locally, not the amount of money that local governments can keep up with. Nevertheless, “in Lucas County we are going to help each other,” Gerken said announcing a planning committee to be formed that will deal with the upcoming crisis. “This is a crisis we didn’t ask for but we are going to stand up for those [in need].”
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur also spoke on Monday and assailed the Republican initiative that created the current crisis – the passage of the Big Beautiful Bil, or, as she terms it, the “Billionaires’ Bailout Bill,” that passed earlier this year that will cut healthcare benefits under the Affordable Care Act drastically.
Of her fellow Democratic Party colleagues in their desire to maintain ACA benefits, she said, “we have to change the fundamental alignment from last spring when the Billionaires’ Bailout Bill was passed; we are standing firm but the true cost of this administration is lethal.”
“We need to make sure the people in Columbus know we are not playing,” said state Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson as she urged people to “call, text, write folks in Columbus” in order to have those rainy days funds (that fund sits at about $350 million) released to local entities. “We need your voices, we need your help.”
Also speaking at the event were the three local Democratic Ohio House representatives – Elgin Rogers, Erika White and Michele Grim – who spoke of the need to pass House Bill 502 which will assist local governments with the funding problem.
“It’s inhuman, and inhumane, not to make sure that people in our community are fed,” said White during her remarks.
Rogers urged people “to get out and vote for those people who are going to impact your lives.”
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz also noted the impact on healthcare that the BBB will have. “When it passed, this meant that more people lost their health care than on any other day in history.” He added that the total impact of the BBB on the City of Toledo is a loss of $100 million in funding.
If there was one sentence that expressed the mood of many of the members of the large crowd, it was quite possibly Sobecki’s opening statement: “I’m mad as hell!”