I have one question for everyone reading this: besides a quick trip for milk or bread, when was the last time you walked out of the grocery store with a bill less than $76? That amounts to probably one or two bags of food. Now, how about that’s all you have to spend on food for the month?

Since everyone on Social Security got such a “BIG” raise in our benefits, they took some recipients monthly food allowance (SNAP) from a whopping $104/month down to $76/month (including this writer).

In 1969, four days after I graduated high school, I joined the U.S. Air Force and became a rescue medic in helicopters. Quite a risk as the Vietnam War was at its height and that particular job was very dangerous. But I wanted to be part of saving lives instead of taking them.

I did it not for some gung-ho reason, but as part of giving back and doing my duty to my country. Luckily, I made it through and continued to work for over 45 years, paying into SSI thinking the government would take their turn to “do the right thing.”

Now, that’s all I have to live on, and after helping people all my life I thought that maybe the government would help me. My mistake.

Cris Phillips, Chicora