While our state leaders are focused on being jerks to transgender Texans and passing giant giveaways to private schools, there’s a bigger issue that our politicians are blithely ignoring: a huge majority of Texans can’t afford food. According to a new poll of 1,100 people, an overwhelming 77 percent of Texans say it’s been tougher to pay for groceries over the past year.
No Kid Hungry Texas, a nonprofit focused on fighting childhood hunger, says that family incomes aren’t keeping pace with the cost of food. “More than half of public school families, about 51 percent, reported signs of food insecurity in the past 12 months due to cost,” Mia Medina, the group’s senior program manager told KUT. “In some households the pantry might be completely bare, while in others, mom might be skipping meals so that the kids can eat.”
And while inflation is definitely a factor, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has accused grocery chains of inordinately jacking up prices during the pandemic, using COVID-19 as a convenient excuse. It’s been profitable, too: During the first three quarters of 2023, grocery chains’ sales topped costs by 7%. Meanwhile, our state politicians clearly don’t give a rip about hungry kids. Texas was one of 12 states that did not participate in the Summer EBT program this year, which gives families of school-aged kids $120 per child to buy groceries during the summer.
But, hey, at least kids still have their Second Amendment right to get shot in school.
