Thanks to Robert Imbelli at Commonweal for posting this. This radio program from the BBC chronicles the situation that poor Americans are facing. It is a timely issue as a federal elections is going to be underway in the United States.
A couple of tangible, public policy issues could and should be advanced:
The current drug laws are not at all helpful. Addiction is a health and medical condition and not a criminal one. We need to move to decriminalize them because jails too often become alternative housing. Those of use who work in mental health and addictions are way ahead of the government in this regard.
Increase to the minimum wage:
The argument for welfare reform which I opposed when it began started as a poor bashing value judgements that people would rather be on welfare than work which is a completely false anthropology. But that issue aside, minimum wage jobs should allow people to have a reasonable standard of living (rent a safe, affordable apartment, savings, afford a vacation once a year). Measurements of poverty need to include what it costs to live, eat healthily.
Access to affordable health care:
Those who are poor frequently have significant health problems and early detection and treatment will help and be less costly in the long run.
I am sure that there are more. However, this issue needs to be advanced much more deliberatively.
Homeless in America
A couple of tangible, public policy issues could and should be advanced:
The current drug laws are not at all helpful. Addiction is a health and medical condition and not a criminal one. We need to move to decriminalize them because jails too often become alternative housing. Those of use who work in mental health and addictions are way ahead of the government in this regard.
Increase to the minimum wage:
The argument for welfare reform which I opposed when it began started as a poor bashing value judgements that people would rather be on welfare than work which is a completely false anthropology. But that issue aside, minimum wage jobs should allow people to have a reasonable standard of living (rent a safe, affordable apartment, savings, afford a vacation once a year). Measurements of poverty need to include what it costs to live, eat healthily.
Access to affordable health care:
Those who are poor frequently have significant health problems and early detection and treatment will help and be less costly in the long run.
I am sure that there are more. However, this issue needs to be advanced much more deliberatively.
Homeless in America
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