it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

did dickens have a hand in writing this story? hmmmmmm

Judge Must Release Woman Sentenced to Jail for Being Poor, ACLU Says in Court Papers

DETROIT – The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan asked for an emergency hearing today on behalf of an Escanaba woman sentenced to 30 days in jail because she is too poor to reimburse the court for her son’s stay in a juvenile detention facility.

“Like many people in these desperate economic times, Ms. Nowlin was laid off from work, lost her home and is destitute,” said Michael J. Steinberg, ACLU of Michigan Legal Director. “Jailing her because of her poverty is not only unconstitutional, it’s unconscionable and a shameful waste of resources. It is not a crime to be poor in this country and the government must stop resurrecting debtor’s prisons from the dustbin of history.”

In December 2008, Ms. Nowlin’s 16-year-old son was sentenced to the Bay Pines Center and Ms. Nowlin was ordered to pay $104 per month for his lodging. At the time of this order, Ms. Nowlin was homeless and working part-time with a friend after being laid off from her job. She told the court that she was unable to pay the ordered amount, however the judge found her in contempt for failing to pay. In addition, Ms. Nowlin’s requests for a court appointed attorney were denied..........

if you think i am overreacting

when i say there is ALREADY a food emergency, you're kidding yourself. if you think you are safe, think again. sure WE still have plenty of food, but the cost is going up by the second.

rice. people whose diets consist mainly of rice can barely afford it these days. RICE. i'm not talking caviar here.

the cost of gas is through the roof. how do you think your food gets to the grocery store? well a bunch of stuff happens first, THEN it gets loaded on a truck. what makes that truck run? you got it.

i heard on the news the other day, company owners are doing everything in their power to get the most out of the truck runs. waiting until that truck is ABSOLUTELY filled (for one), putting regulators on them so they can't go over 62 mph and adding something to the roof that makes it aerodynamically better. (this is all good practice ANYWAY. we should have been doing these things all along)

wait a couple of weeks and check your grocery tab out. it's hard now. wait
(if YOU are having a hard time putting food on YOUR table, think about someone who is trying to support a family on minimum wage OR LESS)

As Hunger Rises, Chew on This
By Terry J. Allen
A diet of bread and water used to be emblematic of poverty. Now a global food crisis is transforming that meager meal into a luxury for much of the world.
The prices of the world’s three main grains — corn, rice and wheat — more than doubled last year. The causes include poor harvests linked to climate change, diversion of cropland to biofuels, population increases, rising meat consumption, emerging diseases and soaring fuel prices.
In a globalized economy, issues of food scarcity and inflation should be a matter not only of humanitarian concern, but also of national security. A food crisis is exploding.
Last year, spiraling food prices sparked protests and riots in Cameroon, Egypt, Guinea, India, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Children in Yemen marched to draw attention to their hunger. Farmers in Thailand slept in fields to prevent rice crop theft. Hundreds of construction workers in the United Arab Emirates torched cars and ransacked buildings to demand higher wages to counter surging inflation.
The problem is not just price but actual shortage. World grain stores have not been this low since the end of World War II. Argentina and Vietnam have risked treaty violations to impose protectionist trade caps and taxes aimed at stabilizing supply and stanching inflation. The Philippine government asked fast food restaurants to serve less rice to ease shortages.
The poorest are the worst hit, especially as the lifeline U.N. World Food Program (WFP) frays. In late March, it warned that unless donor countries immediately kick in $500 million to offset price hikes, WFP will start rationing food aid that feeds 73 million people — from Darfur’s genocide refugees to Haiti’s children......