Hunger and health care

Having previously assumed the general Republican response to hungry poor people to be "Let 'em starve,"�imagine my delight at finding Freeholder and GOP candidate for the New Jersey Assembly Gail Phoebus and several other Republican worthies at the Newton ShopRite today, serving as �honorary baggers,�this being their contribution toward ending world hunger. Commendable.

One wonders, however, if Ms. Phoebus' newfound sense of compassion might now extend to poor women who rely on publicly funded health care and family planning programs like those provided by Planned Parenthood, without which many such women would be compelled to choose between feeding their families or obtaining vital health care services.

In another political stunt, Ms. Phoebus recently called for a state and federal investigation into spurious charges that Planned Parenthood sold unborn baby body parts. Based on a heavily edited video, these unfounded allegations have already been investigated by several states and deemed entirely fraudulent.

Nevertheless, and even though only 3 percent of Planned Parenthood's activities are related to privately financed abortions, Ms. Phoebus and like-minded grandstanding politicians still want to defund this laudable organization and deny such critical services as pre-natal care, mammograms, and Pap smears to many low-income women.

As my package of chicken wings passed beneath her watchful eyes, I nervously contemplated whether Ms. Phoebus would demand an investigation into my purchase of body parts. Thankfully, she declined to investigate, just as she failed to perform basic due diligence on the disastrous solar power debacle which has left Sussex County taxpayers liable for millions of dollars wasted with virtually nothing to show for it.

Apparently, Ms. Phoebus'�investigative zeal does not apply to real scandals, only imaginary ones. And so we see that not only chicken wings were on the menu today. A heaping helping of hypocrisy was, too.

Frank A. Brincka
Wantage