Image
Union canvassers outside of the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., last month.Credit.Bob Miller for The New York Times
To the Editor:
Amazon had its place during the pandemic for those lucky enough to be able to shelter in place and those who wanted to avoid being in public as much as possible. I bought everything clothes, dog food, toys on Amazon over the past year. But now that I’ve been vaccinated and feel comfortable going out in a mask, I’m committed to buying my items from a store.
I went to the local hardware store yesterday and there were most of the items I’d just ordered online. Not as many options (do I really need 100 options for measuring cups?), and maybe slightly more expensive. But the more we all buy from Amazon, the more powerful it becomes over its employees, the market and the consumers.
Part of the widespread problem stems from what MAZON called a “procedural barrier to assistance” for military families. Service members’ housing allowance is counted as revenue in determining their eligibility for food subsidy programs.
Junior enlisted military members are supporting families at higher rates than in the past. The MAZON report contends the Pentagon has not adequately adjusted base salary levels to reflect the modern military force.
“It is a persistent problem that is deliberately obfuscated and doesn’t receive nearly the attention it deserves,” Ms. Leibman said.
In the past year, COVID-19 also has worsened the issue for military families. Even before the pandemic struck, the unemployment rate for military spouses was 24 percent, far above the national average. Spouses also face other financial challenges such as frequent moves and finding affordable childcare, the authors noted.
POLITICO
Get the Morning Defense newsletter
Email
Sign Up
By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Presented by
With Connor O’Brien
Editor’s Note: Morning Defense is a free version of POLITICO Pro Defense s morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day’s biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.
Share this article
Share this article
WASHINGTON, April 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ Military servicemembers and their families make significant sacrifices for the United States, yet many regularly struggle to put food on the table, a
As demand at food banks remains at an all-time high amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report from
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger a national organization fighting to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel details the persistent food insecurity among currently serving military families. Drawing from decades-long expertise in the anti-hunger field, MAZON offers solutions to end military hunger in the report.
U.S. military families facing growing food insecurity, report says washingtontimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtontimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.