Chicago Tribune
March 23, 2011
From Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Tribune,
Voice of the People, March 23, 2011
Our leaders in Congress face considerable challenges in ensuring the long-term economic stability and prosperity that is in all of our interests. As representatives of some of the largest human services, advocacy and community organizations in Chicago, we urge Congress to take a balanced approach to deficit reduction and to avoid slashing vital services that are essential to the stability and well-being of men, women and children in need.
The budget proposals to date would make deep, immediate cuts to health care, early childhood education and nutrition services that tens of millions of Americans rely on to lead healthy, productive lives. These programs are efficient and productive, strengthening local communities just as we are seeing the first signs of a fragile economic recovery. Moreover, these programs that meet basic needs are wise public investments that prevent lives from being harmed in ways that entail far greater societal costs in the future.
The budget battle comes at a difficult time. Month after month, we are seeing record numbers turn to food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters for emergency food and other assistance across the state. For example, 1.8 million people and 850,000 households in Illinois receive benefits from SNAP (food stamps) — the highest number ever. We also know that budget-cutting by the city of Chicago and state of Illinois will further imperil support for critical human services, and will likely reverse the recent improvement in unemployment levels.
When critical services are cut, low-income families make agonizing trade-offs to balance basic needs — housing, child care, medicine, transportation and food. More people turn to their local food pantry, their community health center, or other temporary supports for help, compounding record levels of demand.
What can we do? Members of Congress — who are still seeking to resolve the 2011 budget before turning to the proposed 2012 spending bill — must understand the grave consequences for millions of Americans if vital services are cut. In fact, we believe that no one better understands the challenges of balancing a budget than our nation’s low-income families. When families adjust their budget the first thing they do is make priorities.
We urge the president and Congress to make the most vulnerable in our communities — children, the elderly, the working poor — their priority and take off the table all threats to the stability of struggling households and our collective economic well being.
— Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO, Greater Chicago Food Depository; Sid Mohn, president, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights; John Bouman, president, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law; Kathy Ryg, president, Voices for Illinois Children