July 11, 2018
Page 13
O PINION
MCS Still in
Business
Martin
Cleaning
Service
Carpet & Upholstery
Cleaning
Residential &
Commercial Services
Minimum Service CHG.
$50.00
A small distance/travel
charge may be applied
CARPET CLEANING
2 Cleaning Areas or more
$30.00 each Area
Pre-Spray Traffic Areas
(Includes: 1 small Hallway)
1 Cleaning Area (only)
$50.00
Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area
and Hallway
Poverty Won’t ‘Make America Great’
The assault on
safety net
for the poor
by e bony
s laughter -J ohnson
This summer, UN
special rapporteur on
extreme poverty Philip Alston
presented his observations on the
state of international poverty to
the UN Human Rights Council.
The country at the center of his
most recent report wasn’t a de-
veloping one — it was the Unit-
ed States. In one of the wealthi-
est countries in the world, Alston
found, many Americans live with-
out access to water and public
sewage services.
More alarmingly, at a time
when 40 million Americans live
in poverty — including over 5
million experiencing “developing
world” levels of poverty — con-
gressional Republicans and Presi-
dent Donald Trump are jeopardiz-
ing access to the social safety net
for millions, the report concluded.
Exacerbating poverty won’t
“Make America Great” for any-
one.
For instance, health care, which
is already prohibitively expensive,
could become more so. A new
rule allowing small businesses to
buy plans without certain “essen-
tial health benefits” required
by the Affordable Care Act
(ACA) is expected to in-
crease insurance costs for
people who need those ben-
efits.
Even now, ACA premi-
ums are increasing thanks
to the president’s decision to stop
sharing costs with insurers.
Rising out-of-pocket costs and
premiums could either push the
poor out of the market or force
them to contend with even higher
medical expenses. And by encour-
aging people to opt out of pricier
plans, that leaves those who re-
main insured confronting higher
costs, and subsequent financial
insecurity, themselves.
Lack of insurance either drives
the uninsured into hospital emer-
gency rooms, where they face
more expensive treatment they
have no hope of affording, or
promises an amplified public
health crisis. In a December re-
port, Alston recalled encountering
poor Americans who had lost all
of their teeth because they lacked
access to dental health care.
The social safety net, which
plays a crucial role in reducing
poverty among children, is also
under threat.
The Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) alone
kept 3.8 million children and 2.1
million children out of poverty
and “deep poverty,” respectively,
in 2014. The Center for American
Progress calculated that childhood
poverty alone stunts economic
output by $170 billion each year
and deprives the economy of $500
billion each year.
More importantly, poverty is
morally reprehensible, subjecting
children to a lifetime of harm.
It portends adverse health con-
sequences, limited educational
achievement, and lower rates of
employment. Yet SNAP is on the
chopping block for the House
Farm Bill.
Poverty has also been shown to
make communities fertile breed-
ing grounds for abuse by law en-
forcement.
America’s homeless have been
among those most vulnerable to
this abuse. Instead of addressing
homelessness with increased ac-
cess to affordable housing, how-
ever, the Trump administration
has suggested cuts to rental assis-
tance programs. These cuts could
push more Americans into home-
lessness — and then into the crim-
inal justice system.
Across the country, homeless
Americans are arrested and hit
with an avalanche of fines and
fees simply for trying to survive.
The criminalization of homeless-
ness deepens the poverty of the
homeless and creates a criminal
justice system that discriminates
against the poor. No one benefits.
Fortunately, such hostility to
the poor has been met with a wave
of progressive activism.
Only a day after Alston present-
ed his report, the Poor People’s
Campaign rallied in front of the
Capitol Building to cap six weeks
of anti-poverty advocacy. Law-
makers are already following the
campaign’s lead: Several influen-
tial senators and representatives
recently heard testimony from
struggling Americans.
Anti-poverty measures also
featured prominently in the win-
ning campaign of Alexandria Oc-
asio-Cortez, who is likely to be-
come the next congresswoman for
New York’s 14th District.
As Republicans pursue poli-
cies that make American poverty
a global concern, at least some
progressives are preparing to fight
back.
Ebony Slaughter-Johnson is an
associate fellow at the Institute for
Policy Studies who covers histo-
ry, race, and the criminalization
of poverty. Distributed by Other-
Words.org.
Stairs (12-16 stairs - With
Other Services) : $30.00
Heavily Soiled Area:
$10.00 each area
(Requiring Pre-Spray)
Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning
Regular Area Rugs
$25.00 Minimum
Wool Oriental Rugs
$40.00 Minimum
UPHOLSTERY
CLEANING
Sofa: $70.00
Loveseat: $50.00
Sectional: $110 - $140
Chair or Recliner:
$25.00 - $50.00
Throw Pillows (With
Other Services) : $5.00
ADDITIONAL
SERVICES
• Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning
• Deodorizing & Pet
Odor Treatment
• Spot & Stain
Removal Service
• Scotchguard Protection
• Minor Water Damage
Services
Call for Appointment
(503) 281-3949