Editor,

I read your Oct. 2 front page article about the government shutdown with much interest. I am a subcontractor who maintains the Commissaries at both Oak Harbor and Smokey Point.

I work for J&L World Wide Services, and I am sitting at home because the stores have been closed. All of the Commissaries have been shuttered except the ones that are over seas.

There are many people affected by this.

The families of the men and women serving in the military are now forced to shop in commercial stores and pay the same high prices the rest of us do.

This is an increased hardship that they should not have. Congress is required by law to fund these Commissaries and they are not doing that.

Also, New Leaf employees are hired by the commissaries to stock shelves after hours and to provide janitorial services. There are also the many vendors/vendor employees, truck drivers and warehouse people that are feeling the effect of the government’s failure to meet their commitments to the people that they signed up to provide for and support.

I am disappointed with the actions of the leadership of this nation, the United States of America.

Harold J. Benedict

Oak Harbor