Needy families must be top priority

By Terry Haven
Published: Friday, Sept. 2, 2005 9:16 a.m. MDT
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On Aug. 30, the Census Bureau released income data that showed only a slight increase in the number of people living in poverty nationwide. While that is certainly good news, a celebration is not in order. Child poverty rates in the United States remain unacceptably high — one in six children lives in poverty. While news articles were quick to say overall poverty did not rise in Utah (it didn't decline either), not much was said about the increase in child poverty to 13.1 percent. These children, almost the equivalent of every man, woman and child in Tooele, Summit and Wasatch counties combined, are the ones who will be hurt by cuts being considered by Congress this September.

In Utah, there are almost 100,000 children living in poverty. The official 2004 poverty threshold is $19,311 for a family of four. If a parent works full time earning only minimum wage, he will take home less than half of the federal poverty threshold. And studies show it may take double that level just to make ends meet. It's time to support hard work and make sure the children in these families stay healthy, do well in school and grow up to become productive adults.

The economy may be beginning to show signs of recovery, but it is a slow and weak recovery in comparison to similar periods in our nation's history. Salaries and wages have increased by only 2 percent, while corporate profits have skyrocketed more than 15 percent.

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Census data show an increasing number of families in Utah rely on food stamps and Medicaid to make ends meet. In Utah 134,586 individuals rely on food stamps and 222,000 thousand receive Medicaid, including 140,000 children.

Instead of doing something to help, Congress is on the verge of balancing the budget on the backs of working families and their children. Come September, Congress will consider cuts to food stamps, Medicaid and other vital programs by $35 billion over the next five years while spending $70 billion more in tax cuts targeted mainly toward CEOs and multimillion-dollar households. A vote in favor of these budget cuts or more tax breaks is just wrong.

The Senate and House agriculture committees may cut as much as $3 billion from the food-stamp program. Since 80 percent of food-stamp households are families with children, this is the largest child nutrition program.

When Congress finalizes this year's budget, the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Ways and Means Committee will vote on cuts to Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and child care among others totaling $10 billion. Since many employers no longer provide health insurance, Medicaid is more important than ever to children of working parents. If Congress cuts $10 billion from children's health care, millions of kids will no longer be able to see a doctor when they are sick.

It's not too late. When Congress goes back to work after Labor Day, it can make decisions that improve living conditions for all of us. After all, what is more important: food and health care for families who are working hard but getting low wages? Or more tax breaks for CEOs and multimillion-dollar households that never felt the recession? The answer should be clear. We don't need more data, longer reports or another blue ribbon commission to tell us what common sense already dictates.

Our leaders in Congress have the chance to save childhoods — and even lives — when they make tax and budget decisions this September. Let's hope they take it.

Terry Haven works with Voices for Utah Children.

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