God Bless Us, Everyone

Last year's Scrooginess from Governor Paterson seems to be shifting. As the the financial sector in New York dissolved throughout 2008, the Governor made sure everyone, including the hungriest, pulled in their belts. $5 million in emergency funding to food banks provided by Governor Spitzer flew off the table. Then $490,000 was cut in April, Then $1,217,000 was cut in the August special session.

It's not a big program. Even though the late Senator Everett Dirkson (R-IL) is supposed to have said "a million dollars here, a million dollars there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money," he said it back when a million dollars was worth, well, a million dollars. In short, cutting the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) was just bone-headed or mean.

But there is good news in Albany. Three spirits apparently have visited:

As demand for food assistance has grown to an all-time high in New York, Gov. David Paterson announced Tuesday a $1 million emergency increase in funding for regional food banks across New York.

And the Governor recognizes the ongoing horror:

The demand faced by food pantries and soup kitchens has increased by 35 percent this year, said Paterson. "People who never thought that they would want of food or shelter are endangered" in a way that hasn't been seen since the Great Depression, he said.

Paterson said he hopes the additional funds will help agencies until next year's budget takes effect April 1. The governor proposed a $4.4 million increase in funding for food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters for a total of $30.9 million in the 2009-10 budget.

We're getting close to 2007 levels, but we have a ways to go. Like $1,360,000, if you count all the cuts.