The 32-year-old mother of two and her husband work behind the scenes at local television stations. But even with two incomes, they struggle to keep pace with the ever-rising cost of living and raising a family.
With staples like milk going for $3.50 or more per
gallon, just putting food on the table leaves a big dent in the budget
of middle-class families like the Cabans.
“It’s a big concern,” she said. “Our grocery bills are second on the list of expenses, right after rent.”
Things
are expected to get even tighter in the coming months as fallout from
the nation’s worst drought since the 1950s drives food prices higher.
Extreme
heat and an extended dry spell have put a big hurt on corn, soybean and
grain harvests in several states. These shortfalls are expected to have
ripple effects in global food markets, driving up prices for everything
from beef and dairy to corn flour and cereal, according to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
Underscoring those fears,
the global food price index climbed 6 percent in June after three months
of decline, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization. http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120826/PC16/120829369/1165/with-the-cost-of-food-rising-consumers-are-cutting-back-or-doing-without
While President Obama cannot be blamed for all the food problems, his policies certainly have not helped.
Next year, we are going to have even higher food and fuel prices because of the government's ethanol mandate. Even though ethanol sucks as a fuel additive, the government forces us to use it because it helps the corn farmers in Iowa and other places. Obama can suspend the corn and ethanol requirement and then we should have more corn for human consumption. But Obama puts the environment above humans, so we will be stuck with high price food shortages.
As the great pants down former president Bill Clinton says, "It's the economy, stupid". And if Obama thinks that putting more people on food stamps is a winning issue, he is sadly mistaken.
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