To the Editor:

Since Martin has warned us of his waning patience, I will honor his distress and briefly address Jean McLeod’s LTTE of last week.

Jean, the cost of lettuce I used was an educated guess by people more knowledgeable than I for a projected worst-case estimate of an extended loss of immigrant labor. You seem to be upset about several things, and I am sorry that you think I write to induce fear. I write to share what I see but, yes, the view is increasingly chaotic and alarming under this administration, especially for many independent farmers. Will the Republican congressionals ever function again to balance the powers of their newly-elected radical executive? So far, crickets.

Given the economic imbalance, there are many people, mostly children, who would experience extreme malnutrition in the “richest nation on earth” without SNAP or WIC. Is dying really your test of need? Many people you so ungraciously call “fat” may have metabolic or other issues, or can only afford cheaper higher-calorie carbohydrates, like bread or pasta, but can’t always financially access less processed sources of food. But you’re likely right that they sometimes splurge and buy that ice cream cone their kids don’t really need, but want. The shameless reprobates.

NB: There are ways to successfully identify and correct wasteful practices. Trump’s brilliant formula to appoint a man who is even more untethered than he to “burn this village to save it” is not one of them.

Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore, Ca.