Tell Congress to support SNAP
About 3.8 million Texans — kids, the elderly, people with disabilities, veterans and workers who don’t earn enough to feed their families — turn to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly “food stamps”) to help buy food every month. It is the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program.
Now, SNAP is at risk because of proposals in the Farm Bill, the legislation that includes this vital program. The Farm Bill would make it harder for millions of working mothers to put food on the table by taking away or cutting their food benefits. The proposal would cut the actual money families receive to buy food by more than $17 billion, and instead would spend billions setting up a new system of untested work programs and requirements with punishing penalties.
You can help fight to protect SNAP by joining us for a National Call-In Day today to tell your member of Congress that you oppose cuts to the SNAP program.
Ann Beeson, CEO, Center for Public Policy Priorities, Austin
No border wall needed
This is in response to Jake Longoria’s May 4 letter, “The need for a wall.” The border wall is a nativist solution to a problem that has other solutions. The U.S. Border Patrol has a difficult job and I understand that. I have worked with the old Customs Service at U.S. ports of entry and as a special agent. As a special agent, I worked between the ports and in Mexico gathering intelligence and with Mexican federal agents because of U.S./Mexican government agreements. In some areas, the current border levee wall is over a mile from the Rio Grande and what it does is hurt land owners and very likely creates a staging area for smugglers. In south Mission, the river is over 100 yards wide and very deep. There is no need for a wall there, it only hurts land owners and at least one historical site.
The real problem is the American demand for illegal drugs and illegal immigrant labor. The solutions are not easy and long term and include rehabilitation, education and law enforcement. Law enforcement alone cannot resolve the problem. A wall is not needed. The real problem is drug addiction and the need for illegal immigrant workers. It is all about supply and demand.
Reynaldo Anzaldua Sr., Donna
Helping Valley kitties
Kitties Of The Valley started a trap/neuter/release program on Dec. 27, 2017, and as of April 27, we have already processed 228 cats, 86 of which were pregnant, and nine of them had kittens that are now in foster care. We maintain our efforts represent at least 10,000 cats that will never be born; never go through an animal shelter. With limited resources we have accomplished this in just four months.
It’s important for the public to know that we truly are Kitties Of The Valley. Here are the numbers of where the cats were trapped: Alamo=7, Brownsville=50, Donna=12, Edinburg=12, Harlingen=43, La Féria=2, Los Fresnos=2, McAllen=13, Mercedes=12, Mission=9, Pharr=11, Rio Hondo=2, San Benito=46 and 10 in Weslaco. That’s a total of 228 cats; none of which were euthanized.
We are working with people and rescuers who understand the importance of spay/neuter. A huge bonus is that we are creating a group of cat rescuers throughout the Rio grande Valley. We have adopted out 13 kittens, four cats and sent 10 kittens to rescue in Dallas. We currently have five cats and 43 kittens in foster care. To schedule trapping please email us at [email protected] or call (956) 245-7279 and we will contact you within 24hours.
We are very excited to say that our building should be complete in a few days.
It is a 16-foot x 50-foot pre-fabricated building in San Benito that we have to finish inside. Having this building will eliminate our need to take the cats to the veterinarian in Mexico for spay/neuter. This will allow us to handle many more cats and make it a lot more convenient for everyone involved.
We are in need of building supplies and funds. We also have to dig a well for water an unexpected cost. We could use donations and we need volunteers. For information please call (956) 245-7279.
Pat Turman-White, president, Kitties of the Valley, San Benito
