• May 26, 2012
GOD DAMN US EVERYONE

November 22, 2010

America’s Richest County Giving Away Thankgiving Meals For First Time

by Ken Layne  

'I'll have the eel.'Now that the economy has “rebounded,” everyone will have a much happier, richer Thanksgiving — except for all the hungry people! Yes, even in a nation as obese as America, tens of millions of people can’t afford basic food. In fact, “food insecurity” is actually a major cause of obesity, as the poorest people will buy the most calorie-dense high-fat processed foods they can afford. Anyway, in America’s “richest county by median income,” which is Loudoun County in Virginia, the food pantry groups are getting ready for the first-ever Turkey Day charity meal for 2,000 families. Jesus christ ….

The Washington Post reports on the economic devastation around the nation’s capital:

With this economy, things are pretty bleak,” Brantley said. “People on Main Street are not rebounding.”

Bread lines have become commonplace, including the 3,000 people who waited for groceries and personal-care items in Northeast last week at a giveaway co-sponsored by PepsiCo and the dozens who gathered in front of the Loudoun Interfaith Relief center Friday.

Many are unemployed or underemployed, and their desperation is palpable.

“Bread lines have become commonplace.” Welcome to the 2010 Holiday Season! [Washington Post]

{ 74 comments }

sherriawilson November 22, 2010 at 1:45 pm

If only we had some sort of tax breaks for the rich so we could all have jobs again… Oh, wait…

genxr November 22, 2010 at 2:42 pm

Are you kidding? they can't give away free food if there's uncertainty about whether the tax cut on their earnings after the first $250k will be extended!

V572625694 November 22, 2010 at 2:49 pm

Olberman's irritating, but right on this one: "Where are the jobs, Speaker-Presumptive Boehner?"

slappypaddy November 22, 2010 at 1:49 pm

hungry people are sinners and god is mad at them and that is why they are hungry and everybody knows this is true.

damn, i'm hungry.

horsedreamer_1 November 22, 2010 at 1:49 pm

Meanwhile, the Natives remain at their semi-autonomous Reservations, getting fat on the profits of the Pale-faces's ignorance of statistics.

In other words: I'll be at the Potawatomi Bingo & Casino for Thanksgiving.

WriteyWriterton November 22, 2010 at 3:48 pm

I've reserved a seat at the Binge and Emo-Casino we call – for want of a better term – "family."

OneYieldRegular November 22, 2010 at 1:52 pm

“Bread lines have become commonplace.”

I just heard from some lady carrying a fetus in a jar that there's almost no waiting in the cake line.

mrblifil November 22, 2010 at 3:45 pm

With all these free handouts, these people are getting a pretty good deal seems to me!

Not_So_Much November 22, 2010 at 1:53 pm

So, we should all hop a freight train to Fuckheadville, VA if we want to give thanks? Sounds like a hassle. The temp here is is 11 degrees, but I got my refrigerator box pimped out pretty nice…

BaldarTFlagass November 22, 2010 at 2:08 pm

But they will give you nice warm measles- and smallpox-infected blankets as well, as depicted above.

jim89048 November 22, 2010 at 2:37 pm

I just replaced my refrigerator, and I got more hits on the box than the old fridge I was getting rid of.

BaldarTFlagass November 22, 2010 at 1:54 pm

I wonder why those Pilgrims are wearing witch hats instead of the traditional flat-topped Puritan hats. This must be depicting Salem pilgrims, rather than Plymouth pilgrims.

LionelHutzEsq November 22, 2010 at 2:44 pm

I assumed that they were Delaware Teabaggers, honoring Christine O'Donnell.

metamarcisf November 22, 2010 at 1:54 pm

This is Glenn Beck for food insurance. If you're like me, you're scared. That's why the cellar of my NY penthouse suite contains 3,792 frozen food pellet entrees.

Beowoof November 22, 2010 at 4:56 pm

Food pellets or rat feed pellets he stole from the medical research lab down the street.

PublicLuxury November 22, 2010 at 1:54 pm

Alms for the poor. A ruling class mandate during the holidays. For Xmas they will scrape their leftovers into a trough in the center of the city and the poor can wrestle for a few scraps.

Kidneys4Sale November 22, 2010 at 2:06 pm

The advent of the libertarian paradise is upon us, after all, also, too.

horsedreamer_1 November 22, 2010 at 2:16 pm

Food Pyramid designed by Howard Roark.

V572625694 November 22, 2010 at 2:51 pm

And ptui, we spit on Ellsworth Toohey!

Beowoof November 22, 2010 at 4:57 pm

Hey you know that will be a reality TV show, the haves can stay home and watch fighting for table scraps.

elviouslyqueer November 22, 2010 at 1:55 pm

I eagerly await Sarah Palin's tweet that she will donate all the proceeds from her book sales and TV revenues to these types of charities. Really. Any second now…

PsycWench November 22, 2010 at 2:17 pm

I'm trying to think of any charity to which Sarah Palin has donated significant chunks of money, other than the Sarah Palin personal enhancement fund. And I'm failing in this endeavor.

Redhead November 22, 2010 at 10:46 pm

The Bristol Palin enhancement fund…

kenlayisalive November 22, 2010 at 1:55 pm

Ah, just like everyone used to make fun of Russians having to wait in line to get bread.

Orange you glad we won the Cold War?

PocketsTheClown November 22, 2010 at 1:56 pm

Will there be a Halal option?

SmutBoffin November 22, 2010 at 1:56 pm

THANGS I AM THANKFULL FOAR

1) A lack of venereal disease
2) Cranberry 'business' cuz gelatin is gross
3) Electromagnetism
3.5) Americuh!!!!!
4) Alt-text

weejee November 22, 2010 at 2:03 pm

Three Two things I am thankful for
1) AL Cy Young
2) Two gold gloves
3) 101 losses

Throw the ball, catch the ball. Seems like the Ms are missing something.

horsedreamer_1 November 22, 2010 at 2:08 pm

Sorry about Dave Niehaus.

Are you going to have salami & rye bread for Thanksgiving, as tribute?

weejee November 22, 2010 at 2:13 pm

Absolutely!

Serolf_Divad November 22, 2010 at 2:06 pm

I can't believe you mentioned electromagnetism but left off accupressure magnetic wristbands.

genxr November 22, 2010 at 2:45 pm

Yeah those things really work! Unless you play for the Texas Rangers, in which case they suck.

horsedreamer_1 November 23, 2010 at 1:42 am

Similarly, I am thankful for all the little miracles. Like magnets. How the fuck do they work!?

… Oh, that way.

SorosBot November 22, 2010 at 2:09 pm

So Thursday night we're gonna party like it's 1929.

Beowoof November 22, 2010 at 4:59 pm

Actually, I think we are going to party like its 1932, when the effects of the crash had rippled through and everyone but the Bush family was poor.

fatoots November 22, 2010 at 2:11 pm

Meh, if they're hungry they can go and pick their own like those other scapegoats.

bitchincamaro2 November 22, 2010 at 2:13 pm

NO TAXPAYER BAILOUTS FOR FOOD BANKS!11!!!

Beowoof November 22, 2010 at 5:00 pm

That sounds like socialism to me. I work hard all day, I don't want to be buying none of those lazy sloth bags anything with my tax dollars.

Sgt_Biyatch November 22, 2010 at 2:13 pm

"You've heard of mental depression; these are just mental food shortages. We have become a nation of whiners, you just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of job and no food. Whiners, all of them."

- Phil Graham, Vice Chairman of UBS AG Financial Division

horsedreamer_1 November 22, 2010 at 2:18 pm

Phil's just projecting his anger over being fat. But it's his fault. Every time he eats his wife, he's hungry again thirty minutes later.

Sgt_Biyatch November 22, 2010 at 2:20 pm

Dammit, GRAMM , not GRAHAM!

Beowoof November 22, 2010 at 5:01 pm

Either way he is just an elitist cracker.

genxr November 22, 2010 at 2:46 pm

For full effect, read in the voice of Mr Potter from It's A Wonderful Life.

"What do we get for our charity? A restless rabble instead of a thrifty working class!"

Sgt_Biyatch November 22, 2010 at 2:55 pm

Or an Ebenezer Scrooge voice. "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"

I guess the rich have always and will always screw over the poor without a second thought.

CapeClod November 22, 2010 at 2:16 pm

Since most families eat early on Thursday there should be some rich dumpster diving opportunities by, say, 6 p.m.

SudsMcKenzie November 22, 2010 at 2:21 pm

Can Oprah just give out those KFC coupons again?

horsedreamer_1 November 22, 2010 at 2:29 pm

Double-down… on America!

Preferred Customer November 22, 2010 at 2:26 pm

Seriously, Loudoun County is "America's Richest County by Median Income?" How is that possible? Loudoun County is a deathhole of Nevada-style McMansions on land that used to be farms but now grows only carbuncular brick-front colonials (i.e., housefarms). In fact, it's so far west of DC it might even be in Nevada, for all I know.

Also, it's frigging commuter buses that run into downtown DC every minute on the minute are my nemesis. DAMN YOU LOUDOUN COUNTY TRANSPORT!

The fact that Loudoun County is America's Richest County is a far greater sign of the Apocalypse than anything to do with free turkey.

V572625694 November 22, 2010 at 2:55 pm

Except for Sterling. That's so downscale.

Doglessliberal November 22, 2010 at 3:07 pm

A lot of rich government contractors.

"Median Household Income: $114, 204
While it has traded the top spot with the neighboring Fairfax before, Loudoun County has had the highest household income average since 2007. Taking the top spot isn’t hard to do when 17% of households in your county make more than $200,000. Conversely, only 16% make less than $50,000, the national average household income.

Of all the communities on the list, Loudoun County also had the lowest unemployment rate, estimated to be around 4.9%."

gullywompr November 22, 2010 at 11:40 pm

Oh yeah? Well at least we…

Wait, I got nothin'. Never mind.

Come here a minute November 22, 2010 at 2:30 pm

Reports of economic devastation are clearly false — the stock market is doing fine.

Gorillionaire November 22, 2010 at 2:48 pm

Huh – America's richest county is full of gummit "consultants". What a shock.

V572625694 November 22, 2010 at 2:53 pm

UnChristian? It's practically Communism! Certainly masculine Jeebus would never approve, as he invented capitalism, which is the real meaning of the loaves and fishes story, which is about tax cuts for the Pharisees.

Crank_Tango November 22, 2010 at 7:34 pm

well duh, with a name like "L. Saba Bekele" (what's that L stand for anyway, what is she hiding?) she has to be a kenyan muslin islamofascistcommunisthomosexual, right? I mean, duh.

PsycWench November 22, 2010 at 7:42 pm

I dunno, I think she sounds like a one-woman martial art.

Kidneys4Sale November 22, 2010 at 3:02 pm

Tofurkey? Pfff… Why go small says I. Do that shit up madden style and build yourself a Tofucken.

…sigh…

I suck extra today.

Doglessliberal November 22, 2010 at 3:03 pm

We actually have seven of the top ten richest counties in the country here surrounding the Capital. http://www.wtop.com/?sid=2115275&nid=25

Plus a whole lot of folks whose umemployment is about to run out. And a lot with preexisting conditions who will be royally fucked should they ever be employed again because Boehner and Cantor have decided "Obamacare" is Socialism and thus must be repealed. The What Me Worry Party thinks everyone is just whining. Do they all have empathy removed at birth or is it taught out of them?

the_onceler November 22, 2010 at 3:13 pm

So what you're saying here is that you'd like tax cuts for the wealthy?

Doglessliberal November 22, 2010 at 3:18 pm

Ah, I see you are wearing the patented "Republi-Filter(TM)", which translates everything people say into what they really MEAN. So yes, "help me, I need a job and health insurance" really means:

"Fuck the browns. Moar monies for country club membership subsidies"

Doglessliberal November 22, 2010 at 3:05 pm

Needs more urchins to be totally apposite.

Worthly Wokette Skum November 22, 2010 at 3:05 pm

Those bloody turkeys in the pic just don't look right without a Palin interview in front of them.

Pragmatist2 November 22, 2010 at 3:17 pm

Can illegal immigrants get free meals also?
Were the Pilgrims illegal immigrants?

thefrontpage November 22, 2010 at 3:20 pm

What time is the meal in Loudoun County? I'll go–I'm not proud.

Have you priced groceries lately? Stupidly expensive.

Have you priced gas lately? Up to $3 a gallon in some spots? That's stupid.

Have you priced houses? Stupid.

Have you priced cars? Stupid.

Have you priced clothes and furniture? Stupid.

Utilities, car repairs, medical bills? Stupid.

Taxes? Stupid.

Well, it's no wonder people are going hungry–and that's not a joke.

When prices come back down to a normal level for the basics of life, and when we're not taxed to death by an over-expansive government, then we'll see less people in food lines.

donner_froh November 22, 2010 at 3:26 pm

The turkeys appreciate it though. Turkeys think that freshly caught rat is a perfect Thanksgiving dinner.

finallyhappy November 22, 2010 at 3:43 pm

I had a tofurkey sandwich with home made cranberry sauce on Saturday. I like it- really!

bureaucrap November 22, 2010 at 3:43 pm

The original of that clip art is hanging in the East Wing of the National Gallery of Clip Art. One of PowerPoint's masterworks.

Lazy Media November 22, 2010 at 3:45 pm

You know why this is their first hobo Thanksgiving ever? Because they're hitting that spot in the sprawl cycle. Suburbs go like this: 1) White flight. Yay! Easy commutes, big houses, good schools. But hard to shop. 2) Massive overbuilding. Yay! Shopping. Boo! Traffic is getting terrible, and schools are overcrowded. 3) Inevitable decay. Boo! The Wal-Mart is now a Goodwill. 4) Slumification. Boo! Somos pobres!

mrblifil November 22, 2010 at 3:46 pm

The percentage of poor and indigent is too damn high!

genxr November 22, 2010 at 3:47 pm

Now just because you don't qualify for the Republican tax cut doesn't mean you can't have a first-class Thanksgiving. This year I'm making rat stuffed inside a squirrel, stuffed inside a raccoon. With a side of hobo beans in bourbon and orange zest.

MistaEko November 22, 2010 at 3:55 pm

Steven Tyler was right. It is time to Eat the Rich.

chascates November 22, 2010 at 4:13 pm

Free Pepsi!?!?! I'm willing to be groped at the airport for that.

Preferred Customer November 22, 2010 at 5:02 pm

Protip: If you hang around just outside the security line at the airport, you can collect everyone's half-drunk 20 oz Pepsi bottles and you don't even have to get groped.

MilwaukeeKent November 23, 2010 at 12:39 am

I'd go, but it's too difficult to hop freights in the East.

magginkat November 27, 2010 at 9:17 am

Let them eat cake!

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