Feeling challenged to share? You’re not alone. Most all of us have seen far better cash-flow days.

Forty-six million Americans live in poverty, 45 million are on food stamps, and 25 million are unemployed or under-employed.

At the other end of the spectrum are the “have mores” who may be more thankful for their abundance of wealth.

The 400 richest Americans have more net worth than the bottom 150 million; the top 1 percent have more wealth than the bottom 90 percent.

That’s a wide economic gap with precious little in-between.

Both the Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party protesters believe in their cause enough to take to the streets. Both movements think the country is going in the wrong direction. Let’s look behind the scenes.

The more egalitarian Democrats’ viewpoint is that by paying our fair share of taxes, we each benefit from the investment. Public schools, fire protection, law enforcement, a safe infrastructure and safety nets are among the most important things a government can help provide.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is concerned with taxing the rich at a fairer rate and getting them out of politics by allowing greater opportunity for all. Government must step in to regulate.

“Americans sense that the fundamental bargain of our economy — work hard, play by the rules, get ahead — has been broken, and they want to see it restored,” Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein blogged.

“Why have governments spent trillions of dollars in taxpayers’ money to bail out financial institutions, many of which fought any notion of government regulation or social assistance, while doing nothing for people who had life savings wiped out or lost homes through foreclosure?” environmentalist David Suzuki wrote.

The more conservative Republicans see independence and self-reliance as their main philosophy. They create their own personal and economic freedom. No government or societal rules or regulations are needed. Should someone fall on bad times, he must pull himself back up. The lazy are punished, the rich rewarded.

“Any plan that starts with job-destroying tax hikes is a nonstarter,” House Speaker John Boehner said.

But the general Republican view on taxing the rich is changing. “More than half of Republicans say wealthier Americans should pay more in taxes to bring down the federal budget deficit,” said Bloomberg’s Mike Dorning, referring to an October Bloomberg-Washington Post poll.  Now consider this for one brief, sincere moment: What else matters if you don’t have food to put on the table for your family? If your family is in need, there is help.

Kingston’s Sharenet Food Bank has food available Mondays  and  Fridays. Call them at (360) 297-2200 (sharenetfoodbank.org).

St. Vincent de Paul  at St. Olaf’s Catholic Church in Poulsbo will distribute Thanksgiving food baskets beginning Nov. 22. Call to sign up in advance, (360) 779-9980 (svdpusa.org).

The following churches and organizations regularly serve free meals:

– Third Monday, 5 p.m., St. Olaf’s Catholic Church, 18943 Caldart Ave. NE, Poulsbo. (360) 697-2679. 
– Last Monday, 5-7 p.m., Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1700 NE Lincoln Road, Poulsbo. (360) 779-4746.
– Fourth Tuesday, 5 p.m., North Kitsap Baptist Church, 20516 Little Valley Road, Poulsbo. (360) 779-4689.
– First, second, third and last Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., Suquamish United Church of Christ, 18732 Division Ave. NE, Suquamish. (360) 598-4434.
– Every Thursday, 5-6 p.m., First Lutheran Church, 18920 4th Ave., Poulsbo. (360) 779-2622.
– First Friday, 6 p.m., Gateway Fellowship, 18901 8th Ave. NE, Poulsbo. (360) 779-5515.
– Last Friday, 5:30-7 p.m., VFW Hall, 26096 W. 1st St. NE, Kingston.

Donations of food, money or time are appreciated.