Is it Really a Good Time to Cut Programs That Help The Poor?

Like many of you I was pretty surprised to hear President Obama announce his intention to cut the Community Services Block Grant by 50 percent. This has been on my mind a lot for the past few days and this morning when I arrived at the office I was reminded one more time why now is not the time to cut aid to the poor. We have already seen our funding for LIHEAP cut considerably this past year we have had to reduce the number of staff who can help people sign up for heating assistance. We have reduced the number of days we can take applications to just a couple per week. The assistance that we can provide is just a drop in the bucket when you consider how many people will face disconnections when the weather warms ever so slightly.

It's sometimes hard to look into the faces of people who have been humbled by asking for help. It's not the same picture that some people want you to believe. "Why don't they just get a job" - I hear that a lot. Well, the fact is that many of them do have a job. I remember, not so long ago when working full time meant that you could have at least enough to pay for your basic needs. That's no longer the case. Especially when the job pays barely above minium wage and provides no benefits, like healthcare. Add to that the cost of renting a 2 bedroom apartment for over $600 a month, utility bills that exceed $300, the rising cost of gasoline and the list goes on. After it's all said and done that paycheck is already spent and a crisis like car repair, a trip to the doctor, or a broken appliance means you will more than likely either do without, or ask for help.

It's not a good time to cut spending for people who need help now. The economy is showing faint signs of recovery, but a lot of the people we help are at the very far end of recovery. Recovery for them would mean having a job that pays wages that they can afford live on, being able to live in a house that's clean, safe and energy efficient. Recovery means that hope is restored and the fear of not having enough to keep the lights on is gone.