LTE: GOP shutdown affecting people, not just national parks

A chain closes off the River Raisin National Battlefield Park from visitors.

I just drove down E. Elm Ave.and noticed that the River Raisin Battlefield Visitor Center has been shut down. Apparently, when Tim Walberg shut down the parts of government that he didn’t like, the other parts got shut down, too.

Republicans can say they didn’t want to shut the government down, but I don’t believe them. I was at a recent town hall meeting with Tim Walberg when the subject came up. Enthusiastic, hand-picked, Walberg supporters literally applauded at the prospect of shutting down the government to stop Obamacare.

Walberg told his supporters that he agreed. Then he expressed his concern that if they shut down the government, the president would have more latitude over spending than Congress and could continue to spend money on Obamacare.

The Republican war on Obam­acare isn’t just shutting down our battlefield museum and cutting back social benefits to low-income working people. It is holding up federal grants that help fund the state and local levels of govern­ment.

It is also beginning to impact one of Monroe’s leading industries — agriculture. Who would have guessed the same program that provides assistance to purchase food also provides assistance to produce food? Apparently Walberg is willing to hurt farmers to avoid helping low-income families!

It’s time for Republicans like Walberg to admit that this is their shutdown; they wanted it and they got it. 

Ernie Whiteside Monroe

(Re-posted from Monroe Evening News, Wednesday, 10/16/2013, Page A4.)