Millions being spent on politics in the middle of poverty, misery and hopelessness

‘Obscene’ – that is the word that comes to mind when I see the amount of money being spent on elections nationwide, but particularly in our area.

I want to emphasize that this is not a political endorsement for either party, instead it’s just food for though here on Election Day Eve.

Dodging the mud and outright BS that is being slung, and fending off the lies and distortions that are being told via television, radio, newspapers, websites and I’m certain carrier pigeon and smoke signal these days, I ran across an article about spending in this year’s general election that caught my attention. Along with a kicked-in-the-gut feeling, the article brought to mind an interview I had last week on my weekly radio show, “Sound Off” – that airs each Wednesday night from 8 to 10 p.m. on WQRL (106.3 and wqrlradio.com online). And … yes … that was an unabashed plug.

Let me explain.

During the show I interviewed Mary Abbott, who is the Southern Regional Director for the Illinois Hunger Coalition and also serves on Governor Pat Quinn’s Commission to End Hunger. Abbott doesn’t mince words and laid out in black-and-white just how bad the situation is here in Southern Illinois. Abbott also emphasized that the situation is much worse than it is being portrayed in many of the political commercials that are airing virtually non-stop.

Abbott, by her own admission, is “in the trenches” and sees firsthand the dire circumstances of poverty, unemployment and hopelessness that has engulfed many people right here in our backyard in Southern Illinois.

While I could devote this entire offering to those numbers let me just share a few with you.

In Franklin County unemployment is 12.8 percent – highest in the state. But, Abbott said that number is far too low because it does not take into account those who have fallen through the cracks or those who have just quit trying. In her estimation the true unemployment number is “in the ballpark of 15 percent.” Or, nearly twice the national average.  Along with being an embarrassment, that number is also unacceptable.

While it has been labeled a national disgrace that 1-in-6 people (16.4 percent) across the United States are now receiving food stamps that number pales in comparison to those using food stamps in the two biggest counties in the 59^th State Senate District and two of the largest counties in the 112^th Congressional District. According to Abbott 1-in-4 people (25 percent) in Franklin County and 1-in-5 (20 percent) in Williamson County receive food stamps. Based on actual numbers 10,183 people in Franklin County (population 39,627) and 13,000 in Williamson County (population 66,622) receive monthly food stamps and medical help.

Abbott also said that according to projections 2,500 more people will be added to the food stamp list next year in Franklin County, pushing the number to more than 13,000 in the county. Based on the population that is 1-in-3 or 33 percent.  Again, that’s embarrassing and unacceptable.

Abbott said is is also common for 50-70 percent of schoolchildren in many Southern Illinois counties to receive two meals a day at school as part of the free lunch program, provided for families that live in below-poverty level households.  My first thought was that a school calendar is 182 … so where do these kids eat the other 183 days?

With that list of numbers seared in your mind I want to share another contrasting set of numbers with you.

According to the Sunlight Foundation during the current election cycle there has been more than $7.3 million dollars spent on the 12^th Congressional race between Republican Jason Plummer and Democrat Bill Enyart. Those two, as I’m sure you know, are vying for the seat being vacated by Congressman Jerry Costello. And most observers, both Republican and Democrat, would agree that this race is perhaps one of the ugliest, most negative and just plain disgusting election races … ever.  Again, the number to keep in mind is $7.3 million.

And in the 59^th Senate race between incumbent state Sen. Gary Forby, (D-Benton) and Republican challenger Mark Minor, also of Benton, it was reported more than a week ago that in excess of $1.1 million dollars – with the vast majority being spent by Forby – had been spent in the state senate race.  Again, the number is $1.1 million.

OK, let’s compare those numbers.

On one hand we have people, and many of them children, hurting, struggling, unemployed and according to Abbott out of hope. And on the other hand we have political parties and deep-pocketed political action committees throwing fistfuls of money at a candidate or candidates right here in the middle of all that poverty and misery. In both races, again right here where the food stamp lists are growing and the food pantries are fighting to keep up, there will be more than $8.5 million spent to elect two candidates. After writing that last paragraph I feel like I need to take a shower.

I plan to trudge off to the polls tomorrow and vote my beliefs and my conscience regardless of party affiliation and I hope you will too.  But, I will also take with me to the voting booth tomorrow the knowledge that these contrasting numbers are a sad, and nauseating reality that our political system is broken, perhaps beyond repair.