Tverdell: I work in Winnebago County, Illinois. Population approximately 280,000. There are 57,000 people getting money in some varying degree or other to buy food. To the tune of 7.5 million dollars annually. That averages to only $131.00 per person per year. On the surface that doesn't seem too bad. I certainly don't want someone to suffer because of poor nutrition. Neighboring counties have the same issues, but the mathematical proportions seem about the same.

But what I don't get is why this is a federal problem. Couldn't the state of Illinois take control of this activity? I travel on my motorcycle past acre upon acre of farmland in this part of the world. Beautiful farms. Some for sale. Do any of them say "The following acreage was purchased by the state of Illinois to provide meat, fruits and vegetables grown by those with food to help those without food"

Not yet in my lifetime.

$7.5 million could create quite a complex. Not to mention create some wonderful occupations filled with purposeful people who suffer from only one malady-pride.

Because what they do matters.

Maybe they could create food to help 75,000.

Don't get me started about fishing, or the lack of. With all these people in need of protein, where are the fisherman on the rivers, lakes and streams here? The only place I see any personal gardens are on properties of the more "well to do." This country needs a wake up call and it is about to start next November. We have to get lawyers out of politics and get in some more farmers and businessmen. Non-lawyers are running...Pay attention to what they are proposing.

The United States government is the largest corporation on earth run supposedly by its citizens...OK...good theory and it actually works some of the time-can conservatives and liberals agree on that much? If you have an idiot representative-change him or her. Unfortunately, in the two party system where money gets the word out we have some problems. The biggest being money appropriated back to the individual districts controlled by one of two parties. If your representative holds the line of the party, you will get money placed back to your district or state.

The only check and balance on this system is to NOT have your state send money to Washington in the first place. Keep it home! I'm not saying Washington doesn't deserve any money, just not as much as they presently get...Too much back and forth, back and forth...Good luck stopping this nonsense...Let the representatives of the national party system run Washington, let your basically "party free" governors run your state. Again, good luck on that one.

If only journalist's did their job getting the "truth" out...not pundits creating hysteria making unchecked opinions the creation of fact. If only people concerned themselves more with the boring details of effective spending and not the exciting details of who your representative is sleeping with...

But I would like to know what color tie the president wore during his last speech-you see I listen to them on the radio-lately, that might be the only thing worth knowing during the predictable rhetoric and liberal implementation of conservative ideas--liberals just make them sound better. I can never figure how they consistently pull that off.

I have only had a couple of brief introductions to individuals privy to "upper level" government goings on-mostly through ex-military medical, aviation, and engineering personnel. (I am not in the military nor in the government) I met these people through my private enterprise design business catering to the rich and mostly annoying.

My favorite conversation was with an individual involved with the engineering of the "bomb bay" doors in the stealth bomber program. Imagine being involved with that sort of "design" work. The pentagon wanted him to relocate badly...His terms to move were very amenable...His move cost me a great job...oh well...

Anyway, don't fret. All these people-be they liberal or conservative-are all extremely patriotic people. People laugh at that nowadays but what can you really do if you are not part of the process except cry, cry, cry. Our government is in good hands where it really matters. "Politicians come and go, but the CIA is forever," as the saying goes...and so it goes.

If you ever get the most unpleasant opportunity to look down the gun barrels of some two bit punks in a foreign land and afforded the good fortune to be able to get back under the stars and stripes again-as I did-unhurt and still defiant (because having nothing but an American passport means you can't back down to these fools)...believe me, you will never knock this country again.

Incidentally, I was scared shitless...

I have LONG maintained the ONLY difference between Obama & Bush is the color of his skin and 30 IQ points. I wonder how long it is going to take before Progressives wake up?