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. Washington
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