Put a Moratorium on Time Limits
Minneapolis, MN – The Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition held an historic Emergency Summit here, Dec. 8, to stop the time limits on public assistance. Thousands will be condemned to hunger and homeless if the time limits are allowed to stand. Participants from across the state demanded state lawmakers put a moratorium on the 5-year lifetime limit on welfare.
The atmosphere was electric, as more than 200 people representing low-income, religious, labor, women's, and community organizations came together and declared that the war on the poor would be met with determined opposition.
Welfare Rights Committee member Dede Francis welcomed everyone with, “Thousands of families, up to 10,000 kids have their the time bomb ticking away.” Francis added, “ We must be united to confront the lawmakers who have created this situation, regardless of the political hype they throw at us! We must cast that aside and demand they put a stop to these attacks on our families, friends and communities.”
There was extensive information on welfare, poverty and the time limits in Minnesota. Speeches and discussions gave the facts about the welfare law and what is really happening to the families under Minnesota's welfare program, the Minnesota Family Invest Plan (MFIP), and the big picture on poverty. People on MFIP since 1997 will reach their 60-month life time limits in July 2002.
Kim Hosmer, a WRC member, connected the issues: “Welfare reforms, N.A.F.T.A., union busting, privatization of social security, and reduced personal liberties – brought to you by the right wing and their think-tanks. These so-called welfare reforms are nothing but a smokescreen to keep the public from realizing that they are being robbed blind by the upper tiny percent that receive 90% of the profits in this country.”
Hosmer added, “This smokescreen is to keep Americans down, to keep workers from thinking that they have any hope of a livable-wage; to keep us divided, to keep us fighting over the scraps while they walk away with the profits of our labor. Without welfare to provide a 'floor' there is no limit to how low wages can fall.”
The guest speaker, Winona LaDuke, of the White Earth Land Recovery Project and Green Party candidate for vice president of the U.S. in the last elections, stated, “The government talks about charity. Charity is good but we need justice – economic justice. Our people don't get promoted, they get laid off. Politicians who make the laws never had to worry about their life. We know how to make ends meet and how to stretch a dollar. We need justice in the federal and state budgets. I worry about the military budget. Money is being redirected to the military and less and less is being spent on human needs. Now, with all the world events, I worry even more.”
LaDuke added, “The government must fund human needs and end corporate welfare. The rich are doing fine, we need laws for the poor people. The U.S. is still one of the largest economies in the world. There is no absence of money, just an absence of the political will be do anything. We demand economic justice. In the short term – stop the time limits! In the long term – struggle for economic justice!”
Linden Gawboy, of Welfare Rights presented facts on MN's welfare law, “Last session, MN politicians passed a law that had some extensions and exemptions, but the categories are so narrow that they would cover less than half of the people who would reach their time limit.”
Deb Konechne, of the Minnesota Welfare Right Coalition, explained the political strategy behind the moratorium, “'Welfare reform' wasted five years of our lifetime limit, and trapped families in poverty, instead of helping them get ahead. Now we are in an economic recession, more families are falling into poverty, there are more layoffs, and more competition for the same jobs. This means that the number of us needing welfare will increase. Just as workers need extended unemployment benefits in this current economic crisis, poor families need extended benefits to keep our families alive.”
A panel from labor, religious, women's organizations and domestic violence advocates talked about what they can do to draw the connections between welfare with other sections of the people and how they can help stop the cuts. The summit made ties between the employed and unemployed.
After the summit, everyone went to rally at the state capitol building where the laws are made. Wanda Sayers, of Duluth and with MNWRC declared, “We are here to show the politicians that we are not going away. The reality is that there are no jobs that will get us out of poverty. The caseworkers don't let us start or finish our education so we can get a fighting chance. We see so much discrimination in Duluth.”
Francis stated, “This is not only a poor people's issue, it is a people's issue. This is a war. We need all the allies and all the people who think this is an injustice to join us in the fight and support us to win this battle, and to stop the attacks on our families and our communities. This has to be done now!”
At the end of the rally, Konechne put out a call for people to take action, “We need everyone to come with us to the State Capitol January 29, 2002 for the opening day of the state legislature. Join the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition and our supporters to force the politicians to do the right thing. Pass the moratorium now! Make sure that all families are protected! Save our families from the devastating effects of the lifetime limits on welfare! It will be a battle, but when the people stand united, we will win!”