Bread and circus or bread and hope

To the editor: It has been an honor to serve with State Representative Julie Brown on the Strafford County Contracted Social Services Committee — to hear her passionate and articulate call that we do not forget those who, by age or health or finances, cannot any longer carry their burdens alone.

In Milton I serve on our Budget Committee and know what food our local pantry does not have. And as a Strafford Regional Planning Commission member I have more information about the "red list" for bridges than I really wanted.

Things are not good and things are not good for more of us. And yet Foster's in its editorial of Thursday, Sept. 18 says that money for infrastructure, unemployment benefits, job training, low income energy assistance or to pay Medicare or Medicaid costs "has (no) tangible economic benefit".

What do you think? Do you work at Prime Tanning — or did you? Do you hope for a new job and new skills? What temperature will your house be this winter? Will the bridge you drive send you to "nowhere"? If your children are sick how do you pay those bills and the next prescription? Will Meals On Wheels find you dead at your kitchen table? Will flu vaccine reach your grandmother before pneumonia?

Foster's may call this nothing but a politician's "Bread and Circus." I call it bread and hope. If we will not rebuild our own country and honor our citizens' lives, what have we done for our country?

Rep. Larry Brown
Milton

YOU read this week by host Arnie Arnesen