Please read this breaking news story below my comments.
I just read a story in my old local paper The Dundalk Eagle about a family of 3 living under a tree in a tent at the local park because they are bogged down in government red tape trying to get help with Section 8 housing. That said, the President wants to open up the checkbook and send $770 million overseas because he wants to help stop outbreaks of violence because of shortages and high prices.
Is it just me or have we as a nation lost our focus? Anyone for going out and finding an Isolationist to run for President? I think that we need about a dozen years to lick our own wounds and get our house in order instead of being the world’s keeper.
WASHINGTON — DEVELOPING STORY: President Bush is announcing $770 million in new international food aid at a 3:30 p.m. ET event at the White House. The money would have to be approved by Congress.
The president is also to discuss rising food prices and assistance to development programs, a senior administration official said. The president plans to announce programs being designed to make sure food aid isn’t needed in the future through increasing productivity and trade in communities so that they are less in need of help.
Prices for rice have spiked in recent months, in particular in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and other Asian countries. Rising fuel and fertilizer costs have been blamed for the hike, which is as much as 50 percent higher than last fall.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast global rice stocks for 2007-08 at 72 million tons, the lowest since 1983-84 and about half of the peak in 2000-01.
The money being offered by the president is aimed at meeting immediate needs but the president has said previously he is concerned about shortages causing outbreaks of violence.
