August 22,2012__________ ®<F jportlauh (fiber ruer Diversity Special Edition Page 9 Be Careful What You Cut Fighting for justice for our children by M arian W right E delman Right before the U.S. House of Representatives left for the summer to go home to campaign for your vote, they voted to extend the Bush era tax cuts for the richest Americans millionaires and billionaires. For more than 10 years, the richest one percent have received almost $750 billion from these tax cuts. Income and wealth in equality have grown astronomically threat ening the very fabric of our democracy. The top one percent in our nation now possesses more net worth than the bottom 90 percent combined. In 2008, the400highest-income taxpayers earned as much as the combined tax revenue of 22 state governments with almost 42 mil lion citizens. It’s way past time to reset our moral and economic compass, demand a more just tax system, where those with the most pay their fair share and stop the reverse Robin Hood policies that take from the poor and young to give to the rich and powerful. There should not be one new dime in tax breaks for millionaires and bil lionaires as long as millions of children in America are poor, hun gry, uneducated and w ithout health coverage. A nation that does not stand for its children does not stand for anything and will not stand tall in the future. Like Thomas Jefferson, I tremble for my coun try when I think that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever. Yet the extension of the tax cuts for the wealthiest American, especially on top of the cuts approved in the Ryan budget, passed by the full House defies the prophets, apostles and tenets of all great faiths as well as com mon decency and economic common sense. The most recent vote continues to give huge tax breaks to those who need them least, while shaving away lifelines of survival from those who need them most. It would cut eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and the Child Tax Credit (CTC), two of the most effective investments we have that lift children out of poverty and from the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which helps struggling fam ilies pay for their children’s college. These cuts would push 900,000 children into poverty and at least 6.4 million children into deeper poverty. This is an unconscio nable act when 16.4 million children are living in poverty 7.5 million in extreme poverty. This is a year of stark political, economic and moral choices. Those who caused the deficit should be asked to pay to close it and not be rewarded with more tax breaks, which will increase the deficit and shave already inadequate safety investments. Children under five are the poorest age group in America, and one in four infants, toddlers and preschoolers are poor during the years of greatest brain development. If you believe as I do that we have more just and sensible choices, like helping babies during their early childhood development years rather than helping billionaires who need not one additional material thing, then speak up and fight back. Cascading federal, state, county and city budget cuts adding up to hundreds of bil lions of dollars are being pushed by lawmak ers pursuing a toxic ideological agenda of no new revenues, expanded tax cuts for the top one percent of Americans and billions of cuts for poor children and families. Our nation’s greatest deficit is not one of money, but of values and priorities that leave millions of children without hope or a vision of the future worth striving for in our militarily and materially powerful but spiritually ane mic nation. That’s why the Children’s Defense Fund has launched a new campaign to protect children from budget cuts at the national, state and local levels. The “Be Careful What You Cut” campaign lays out the irrefutable economic case that cutting children from the budget now costs all of us more later. It’s a simple calculation really. Protect children now or pay later. Together we can and must fight for justice for our children and protect them from draco nian tax cuts and budget choices that threaten their survival, education and preparation for the future. If they are not ready for tomorrow, neither is America. Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund. Living Legends Who Share Our Values Honoring Eric Holder and Bemette Johnson by M arc H. M orial Tw o recip ien ts of National Urban League awards at our recent an nual conference in New Orleans are emblematic o f o u r “O ccupy the Vote” campaign to pro tect the voting rights of millions of Ameri cans this November. Attorney General Eric Holder has likened the sudden proliferation of voter ID laws to modem day “poll taxes,” and has made stop ping voter suppression one of the Justice Department’s top priorities. But Louisiana’s first African American woman Supreme Court Justice Bemette Joshua Johnson, who is the second longest serving judge on the state ^lortlanb CDbsemer court and thus in line to be the next Louisiana ough reviews of proposed voting changes Bar A ssociation and the 2000 Medal of Chief Justice this February, is currently fac “in order to guard against disenfranchise Honor, which I was honored to present to ing an unconstitutional effort to deny her ment, and to help ensure that none of her during my last term as M ayor o f the that seat - a clear violation of the Voting these proposals would have a discrim ina City o f New Orleans. Rights Act. tory purpose or effect.” For much of her life, Justice Johnson I was proud to present a Living Legend Last Decem ber, his Justice D epartm ent has worked as an advocate for social ju s award to A.G. Holder and the President’s rejected South C arolina’s new voter ID tice and civil rights. Her election to the Award to Justice Johnson at our Whitney M. law, finding that it discrim inated against L ouisiana Supreme Court in 1994 made her Young awards gala on July 28. m inority voters. And in June, the Federal only the third African American jurist ever Since H older’s 2009 appointm ent by District Court in Miami granted an injunc to serve on the state’s highest court, after President Obama as the first African Ameri tion blocking Florida’s new and “oner the Suprem e Court ruled in 1991 that the can Attorney General in American history, ous” restrictive voter registration law. The state’s m ethod of electing Supreme Court he has reclaim ed the nation’s com m itm ent Ju s tic e D e p a rtm e n t a lso fo u n d th at Justices ensured that black voters would to fairness, and expanded opportunity. Florida’s effort to purge its voter rolls o f never be able to elect a black justice. The Over the past three years, his Civil Rights suspected non-citizens may violate Sec current move to deny her the C hief Justice Division has filed more criminal civil rights tion 5 of the Voting Rights Act. seat is clearly in violation o f the law. cases than ever before; and he has made Justice Johnson was first elected to Eric Holder and Bernette Johnson have significant strides in com bating discrim i serve on the Louisiana Suprem e Court in earned their status as N ational Urban nation in the nation’s housing and lending 1994 and is currently the second longest League honorees, and we will continue to m arkets. His com m itm ent to voting rights serving associate ju stice on the court. stand with them in support of the values is especially noteworthy. Highly respected for her legal acum en and we share. In response to the outbreak of voter ID fairn e ss, she has rec eiv e d nu m ero u s Marc H. Morial is president and chief and restriction laws across the country, awards, including the 2009 D istinguished executive officer o f the National Urban Attorney General Holder has initiated thor Jurist Award presented by the Louisiana League. Established 1970 Charles H. 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