ONE Member Michael Castaldo of Dover, New Hampshire recently wrote in this excellent letter to the editor of the Foster’s Daily Democrat. It was so well done and well deserved, I hope Michael doesn’t mind if I re-post it here in full:

Don’t trim fat on the backs of the poor

To the editor: Right now, the world faces historic challenges. The economic downturn in our country has affected my own family with furloughs and fewer work hours, resulting in smaller wages. But I know that I am not the only Granite Stater, or American that is feeling the tough times. Sadly, so too, does much of the world feel the economic squeeze. But for the world’s poorest people who live in extreme poverty the margins are somewhat finer, and sometimes a matter of life and death.

I am proud to say that under the leadership of President Bush, a small portion of our meager International Assistance budget has been supporting The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria, and TB. This fund provides lifesaving medicines to people around the world and it is both accountable and transparent. It is a tremendously effective program and has won high praise for its nonpartisan, fair and compassionate approach — not divvying aid based on our personal interests, but instead valuing every life as important as the next. All the time, the program demands good governance and implements sustainable and empowering long-term solutions.

If I break a promise I made, I lose something intangible. But if our nation breaks our promise to the Global Fund, lives will be lost. It is impossible to calculate how many, but what is certain is that over two million people are alive today who would not be, because of the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund. This is a proven program that is demonstrating results by saving millions of lives and improving our global reputation around the world.

Yet for all the good it does and all the accolades it receives, there are some in the Congress that are not putting their full weight behind fully funding the Global Fund and behind keeping our promise. I call on both Senator Shaheen and Senator Gregg, the ranking member on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, to firmly stand behind the Global Fund. I ask that they stand up, and find the funds that will help save lives around the world. Make no mistake, the current fiscal crisis makes these international decisions difficult, but turning away now is antithetical to our own interests and beliefs — it is against who we are and what we believe. We need to trim the fat of government, but don’t do it with the lives of the world’s poorest.

Michael Castaldo