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Opinion ‘Ryanomics’ Assault Poor, Hungry Children D ietrich Bonhoeffer, the great German Protestant theologian, who was exe- cuted for opposing Hitler’s holocaust, believed that the test of the morality of a society is how it treats its children. I agree and am deeply ashamed that the United States of America flunks Bonhoef- fer’s test every hour of every day as our policies and priorities per- mit 16.1 million children – more than 1 in 5 – to live in poverty in the richest nation on earth and 7.3 million to live in extreme poverty according to the new Census poverty data. Children under five are our poorest age group with one in four infants, toddlers and preschoolers – who did not choose their parents – poor during their years of great- est brain development. The U.S. Agriculture Department recently reported that a record number of families in America are struggling to put enough food on the table and that one in five children live in a food insecure household. Mil- lions of Americans, many of them hard working parents, have only food stamps to keep the wolves of hunger from their door. Yet, the Ryan budget passed by the House of Representatives not only would do nothing to decrease epidemic poverty, hunger and homelessness during this time of economic downturn and parental joblessness, it would increase their struggles by taking away food and other essential supports. Rya- nomics is an all-out assault on our poorest children while asking not a dime of sacrifice from the richest 2 percent of Americans or from wealthy corporations. Ryanomics slashes hundreds of millions of dollars from child and family nutrition, health, child care, education, and child protection services, in order to extend and add to the massive Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires at a taxpayer cost of $5 trillion over 10 years. On top of making the Bush tax cuts permanent, the top- income bracket would get an additional 10 percent tax cut. Mil- lionaires and billionaires would on average keep at least an additional quarter of a million dollars each year and possibly as much as $400,000 a year, according to the Citizens for Tax Justice. The Ryan budget does not name or touch any of the many expen- sive tax incentives, tax loopholes or tax subsidies that help the pow- erful and the wealthy. It doesn’t close tax loopholes or rein in incentives to corporations invest- ing or taking jobs overseas, several of which alone could gen- erate $129 billion over 10 years. It doesn’t touch the tax advantage for private equity partners that now provides a $15 billion wind- fall over 10 years or the tax preferences for oil and gas compa- nies that cost about $40 billion a year. Ryanomics widens the already huge wealth and income chasm in our nation and only benefits the richest Americans and powerful corporations while ripping apart already porous safety nets for vul- nerable children. Ryanomics masquerades as a fiscally respon- sible deficit-reducing budget plan to preserve our children’s future. C HILD W ATCH Marian Wright Edelman In reality, it is Robin Hood in reverse – stealing from babies to benefit billionaires and increasing the deficit. To come up with a portion of the Ryan budget’s savings require- ments, the House Agriculture committee chose to cut more than $33 billion from food stamps but left subsidies to large profitable corporate farms intact. By reduc- ing benefits and changing food stamp eligibility rules nearly 2 million children would lose bene- fits, about 22 million children would be in households with children and families to pay for from denying coverage for chil- all great faiths to protect the poor massive government handouts for dren with pre-existing conditions, and vulnerable. The U.S. Catholic rescinding coverage when chil- Bishops in a letter to every mem- the wealthiest. It: Does away with child tax cred- dren get sick, and ensures young ber of Congress on May 8, 2012 its 5 ½ million low income adults can stay on their parents’ said: “Deficit reduction and fiscal children, primarily in immigrant health plans until age 26. The responsibility efforts must protect families because of a new require- repeal would put 14 million chil- and not undermine the needs of ment that taxpayers must include dren at risk for losing health poor and vulnerable people” and their Social Security number on coverage by ending the mainte- declared that the proposed cuts in the House budget “fail this tax returns to claim the child basic moral test.” The tax credit. Working families Hungry child, much-publicized “Nuns on with incomes averaging I didn’t make this world for you. the Bus,” Catholic Sisters $21,000 a year would see You didn’t buy any stock in my railroad. committed to fighting their taxes raised about You didn’t invest in my corporation. poverty, challenged Rya- $1,800; Where are your shares in standard oil? I made the world for the rich nomics declaring: “We Eliminates the $1.7 billion And the will-be-rich insist on a Faithful Budget Social Services Block Grant And the have-always-been-rich. that affirms the life of all (SSBG) that funds critical Not for you, God’s children – not just the services for the most vulner- Hungry child. wealthiest few.” And Albert able populations, primarily — Langston Hughes, “God to Hungry Child” Camus, Nobel Laureate, low and moderate income speaking at a Dominican children and adults who are elderly or disabled. SSBG serves nance of effort protections that monastery in 1948 said: “Perhaps roughly 23 million people, about prevent states from cutting chil- we cannot prevent this world from half of whom are children. If dren from the Medicaid and being a world in which children SSBG is repealed, 4 million chil- Children’s Health Insurance Pro- are tortured. But we can reduce the number of tortured children.” He dren would lose child care and gram rolls; Turns Medicaid over to the described our responsibility as states in the form of a federal human beings “if not to reduce block grant and cuts spending by evil, at least not to add to it” and $810 billion over 10 years, giving “to refuse to consent to conditions states the power to slash eligibili- which torture innocents.” He said, ty, benefits, and payments to “I continue to struggle against this doctors and hospitals while raising universe in which children suffer costs on the poor. Today, Medicaid and die.” And so must all of us including provides comprehensive health and mental health coverage to our political leaders of all parties. nearly 36 million children and has Marian Wright Edelman is pres- helped to reduce the number of uninsured children as employer ident of the Children’s Defense child protective services for 1.7 sponsored coverage has eroded Fund whose Leave No Child million children and child abuse and families have struggled during Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a prevention and intervention for the economic down turn. Ryanomics is not only poor Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe 640,000 children would be dis- arithmetic, it is also poor morality Start and a Moral Start in life and rupted; Repeals the Affordable Care Act and gross injustice that turns successful passage to adulthood that prevents insurance companies upside down the requirements of with the help of caring families Children under five are our poorest age group with one in four infants, toddlers and preschoolers – who did not choose their parents – poor during their years of greatest brain development reduced benefits, and 280,000 low-income children would lose free breakfast and lunch at school. Ryanomics equals more hungry poor children. Ryanomics has no trouble nam- ing cuts to programs helping poor Week on the Web Federal Government Finds Cheating on State Highway Construction Contract …in NW News For The Skanner News on your smart phone go to www. theskannermobile.com or scan this QR code with your app. Department of Jus- tice: Portland Police Used Excessive Force Against People with Mental Illness …in NW News Weekend Events Will Observe 150th Anniversary of the Emancipa- tion Proclamation …in NW News Selena Gomez: The ‘Hotel Transyl- vania’ Interview …in Entertainment Gary Johnson: An Uphill Battle to Catch a Wave, Win the Presidency …in US News www. The Skanner.com has the latest news from Portland and beyond, on your mobile or your desktop, it’s your go-to place for the news you won’t see in mainstream publications. It’s your community. It’s The Skanner. September 19, 2012 The Portland Skanner Page 5
