[Amber Sun]

I have to say that I admire the news reporter. Actually I think that gov't officials should be made to live like the lower income people for a year before they are able to run for positions. And they shouldn't be able to live off of family, friends etc., because many people living below the poverty level don't have family and friends much better off than they are, or may have no family at all.

The problem with food stamps as I understand it is that many markets etc., won't accept them. Along with this something that I have noticed is that prices rise for meats and general goods just before the middle and end of each month when cheques and food vouchers are sent out. This effects even the working people as they usually get paid in the middle of the month and the end also. So when food vouchers (stamps) are given out at the end of each month the prices on everything have gone up. I live in Manitoba now but my daughter had pointed this out to me when we lived in Vancouver many years ago. So this appears to be the trend in Canada. I don't know if it is the same in the USA and elsewhere. something else that I have noticed just recently is that the portions or weight has dropped in a box of ?????? yet the price has risen or remained the same.

It's a shame that the reporter is only going to be doing this for one month. That isn't enough time to realize exactly what is happening out there. It will also depend on what time of the month he is given those food stamps.

When a person receives a decent paycheck they pay what the asking price is and don't question anything. When a person scrimps a little as I do I very simply don't pay what the store is asking and go else where or change my planned menu. Thankfully I make everything from scratch, even my own bread, so I pay more attention to nutrition and buy when sales are on.