Your recent article, “Federal cuts mean an 18% reduction for food banks” (April 22), about cuts to the Oregon Food Bank from the federally-chartered Commodity Credit Corp., fails to paint the whole story.

The Oregon Food Bank, which once employed the governor, is highly influential in Oregon politics, and has a budget of $130 million a year, which it uses to fund 12 lobbyists currently registered with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.

The mission of the Commodity Credit Corp. is to stabilize farm prices, not to provide food to the public. In recent years, it had been buying surplus food production and giving it to food banks; however, in light of recent retaliatory tariffs, it is now propping up Oregon onion and hazelnut farmers, given the reduced demand for exports.

In no way does the mammoth Oregon Food Bank Inc. automatically deserve money, especially since it spends so much of its money on partisan politicking.

THOMAS BUSSE
Portland