We Are Community 249
In some ways the week was normal-Macomb on Monday for groceries and kitty food. Noted that some stations had gas at 3.09 and others 3.49 which is unusual for Macomb where prices are consistently the same. Voted on Tuesday where I was the 26th voter. Talk about low voter turnout. Attended the Plymouth Village Board meeting on Wednesday where most of the business was put off until a later meeting. Finally got the van unloaded and the things put away from the show in Paris. Rode my bike one day this week. Still pretty cold and windy. Had fish at Rudy’s Friday and chicken on Sunday. Got called to the store early on Saturday and this is fine. If you need to shop Plymouth Rock, my number is on the door and I am glad to open at any time I am in town. Thanks for calling and coming in!
What was not so normal this week was attending the March 5th rally in Macomb. You may want to stop reading now as it just is not possible to remain silent any longer. We are told that DOGE is here to cut government waste. That Musk is stopping payments to 250-year-olds collecting social security. There is government waste. Examples include we taxpayers paying approximately 3.4 million each weekend that our president goes to Florida to play golf. I believe that his trips to the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500 were equally as costly. Then we paid for Vance and his family to fly to Greenland where he clearly was not wanted. Musk flew to Wisconsin to attempt to buy another election and it appeared he took Air Force 1 which the tax payers also fund. I suspect he has a fleet of his own planes to use. This is clearly government waste.
Living Faith United Methodist Church is the home of the Southeastern food pantry. It was announced at church this morning that the River Bend Food Bank which serves 18 counties in Illinois had over $470,00 cut from its budget. I believe there are 5 such Banks in Illinois so multiply that cut times five just for Illinois. A lot of our fresh foods came from River Bend. Also there have been significant cuts in the SNAP program which provides food for many. Taking food from the hungry is not the way to allow for deeper tax cuts for those who do not need them.
Even if you do not rely on food programs, you should also know that 20% of the workforce at NOAA have been cut and offices closed. NOAA is the agency responsible for weather predictions and storm warnings among many other things. Imagine not knowing that a tornado is coming toward you or that a Hurricane is predicted. Lives are needlessly lost. Then there are the cuts to FEMA. States simply cannot support the clean up from huge disasters and come in with timely help. There were many storms and floods just this week. It is difficult to imagine how the people who have lost everything will even survive without federal assistance.
I am upset and I think that we all should be. Psalm 37:10 says “A little while and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found”.
May you stay safe this week. May you have enough food to satisfy your body and may you reach out to help others if you are able. Be kind but understand that sometimes you also have to stand up for what is right. Spread Love not Hate.