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To the Editor: Onondaga County is sitting on a$100 million surplus while families across Syracuse and the county struggle to put food on the table after deep cuts to SNAP (food stamp) benefits. The county legislature should immediately pass an emergency resolution to use the surplus to feed these residents. County leaders have said this is a federal issue — buthunger is a local problem. The county has chosen to bank its massive surplus rather than use it for urgent needs. This is a moral failure when our neighbors are skipping meals. Local food pantries are already overwhelmed. Here is alist of food pantries to help residents facing the SNAP freeze, but charity can’t replace leadership. Using even a small part of the surplus to supplement SNAP would be a smart investment in public health and dignity. I urge residents, nonprofits, civic groups and clergy to contact their county legislators and the county executive at countyexecutive@ongov.net. Contact information for all legislators is here. If your county legislator refuses to act, remember—you can vote for change this Tuesday. No one in Onondaga County should go hungry while our government hoards a surplus of your tax dollars. Sunny Aslam Syracuse
