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Apr 27, 2007

"Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." --Albert Schweitzer

A Governor's Food Stamp Challenge

If Gov. Ted Kulongoski seems a little sluggish this week, he's got an excuse: he couldn't afford coffee. He has $21 to buy a week's worth of food -- the same amount that the state's average food stamp recipient spends weekly on groceries. Kulongoski is taking the weeklong challenge to raise awareness about the difficulty of feeding a family on a food stamp budget. A mother of three who went on food stamps in the fall after her husband lost his job dispensed tips. Scan the highest and lowest shelves, she told the Oregon governor. Look for off-brand products, and clip coupons religiously. "I don't care what they call it, if this is what it takes to get the word out," Kulongoski said, "This is an issue every citizen in this state should be aware of."