To the Editor:

This is an open letter to Rep Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers.

Rep. Meadows, your actions have already denied food for children in my community. They are already going hungry because the Women Infants and Children’s program is no longer providing funds. The federally funded Department of Social Services has asked the community’s largest local food pantry to provide baby food for the families they can’t serve. That pantry has already had a 34.9 percent increase in food distribution need before this latest boondoggle, and have not received a corresponding increase in donated resources they rely on to meet that need.  I presume that you think hungry children are a minor problem that can be met by the local community. Guess what? That assumption is plain sophistry. 

 The government shutdown, whether you actually considered this or not, has already hit my local community in lowered income expectations at a time when they should be seeing the highest income levels of the year. Instead, the tourists who are shut out of the national parks are not coming to the area. I personally know nine federal employees who are furloughed. These people have families to feed, can’t pay for child care to the local providers, who in turn can’t then provide for their own families. If the shutdown continues for any length of time, their credit ratings will be harmed as they fail to pay their mortgages, utilities and other bills. How can this be helping the nation? Thousands of 401k’s, mine included, lost huge amounts the last time we went through this and we’re already seeing a downturn in our investments with this unnecessary lack of action. 

Are you actually trying to see an upsurge in the number of people becoming the “takers” you so despise? What you have done to date seems to indicate that this is your motivation.

 Your actions as a member of the People’s House have certainly fallen far short of my expectations. You are supposed to act in best interests of your constituency but have not shown a willingness to do so. What I am seeing is a bunch of intractable bullies in full regalia; who, led by you, are careless of the honorable job they signed on to do and instead are willfully and totally ignorant of the needs of their constituents. Perhaps part of the Hippocratic Oath should be added to the oath for members of Congress, “Above All Do No Harm.”

If you can’t do something positive toward putting things back together on a long-term basis, get out of Washington now. Come back here and I’ll put you to work passing out the donated food to the families who need help and let you earn your pay doing real work. 

Penny Wallace

Waynesville