St. Paul, MN – Low-income people from around Minnesota are carrying out a powerful fightback against anti-poor politicians at the State Capitol. Reactionary legislators launched a wave of attacks against families on public assistance. Republicans, led by Rep. Goodno of Moorhead, are pushing bills that call for 100% sanctions on welfare.

“100% sanctions would completely cut families off of welfare and throw them into the street,” stated Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) member Didi Francis. “Every time we go to the Capitol, we fight against the stereotype of poor people. The politicians and their families aren't going to be affected by any of the welfare reforms laws that they pass.”

Protesters at MN Capitol Feb 1

Protesters fill steps of MN State Capitol February 1, demanding that politicians fight poverty, not the poor.

Fight Back! photo by Kim Defranco.

Opening Day

On February 1, the opening day of the legislature, 200 low-income people from cities across Minnesota came to the Capitol in St. Paul. They protested attacks on welfare, and demanded that politicians address problems that keep families in poverty. Busloads came from Duluth, Moorhead, Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Rally participant Jeanette Bobo, a member of the MN Welfare Rights Coalition, stated, “Welfare Reform is causing more disasters then actually doing good. It isn't working for the majority of the people. The welfare law is a weapon against people and it is used against mothers for punishment because they are poor.”

Protesters demanded that politicians give education as a first choice, stop the five-year time limit on public assistance, end all sanctions, and stop pushing parents into low-wage dead end jobs. “Stop the five year limit clock! Tick by tick! And tock by tock!” chanted rally participants.

Demonstrators marched into the Capitol and unfurled a block-long scroll of signed petitions calling for an end to the attacks on welfare and poor families.

Hearings Packed

Since opening day, low-income people flooded the capitol for every hearing on welfare. Members of MNWRC testified, picketed, protested and held press conferences. MNWRC pushed for positive legislation that has education rights, ends sanctions, and stops the time clock. They fought against reactionary bills such as the 100% sanctions.

Chili George, a WRC member, is being illegally sanctioned even though she is disabled and her family is homeless in Minneapolis. “It's important that we are here fighting, and fighting for the rights of the poor. Politicians are making laws that aren't helping the poor but makes us poorer. According to the state and the counties, the sanctions are supposed to force people to go to work. Anyone living on MFIP knows that no one needs to be forced to go to work.”

MFIP, the Minnesota Family Investment Program, is the state's welfare “reform” law.

    Low-income people sit in at Representative Goodno's office. Five were arrested pressing the demand that he drop his 100% sanctions bill. Fight Back! photo by Barb Bordner

“Goodno is No Good!”

Welfare rights protesters shadowed the author of the 100% sanction bill, Rep. Goodno, for a full day. Another day, over forty women and children from the Minneapolis/St. Paul based Welfare Rights Committee staged a sit-in Rep. Goodno's office. Five welfare rights protesters were jailed for civil disobedience.

Bear Maschenik, from Minneapolis (WRC) was one of the people arrested. “We're here because if the poor people don't fight back for our rights against these terrible politicians' laws to change things, then no one else will.”

Glenn Johnson from St. Paul, another WRC member arrested at Rep. Goodno's, said, “Getting arrested shows the inhumanity of the system and that this system is against poor people. It sends out a clear message that we are willing to risk arrest in order to stop an inhumane law.”

Two days later, People Escaping Poverty Project of Moorhead held a protest at a town meeting that Rep. Goodno held in his hometown. Twenty protesters demonstrated outside the meeting and then went in with signs stating “Goodno is NO-GOOD”, forcing Goodno to respond about his bill calling for 100% sanctions.

Two weeks later, MNWRC held another sit-in at Goodno's office, with five more protesters from Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth's Low Income People Organizing for Power, doing civil disobedience and going to jail. Three chained themselves to Rep. Goodno's office and had to be cut free with bolt cutters.

Joanne Gonzalez, (Minneapolis member WRC) arrested in both actions at the capitol, stated, “I got arrested because for the no good reason that they are taking children away from their parents along with food and shelter. We are here to tell them that they are wrong. If that takes going to jail – no matter how many times – I will continue to do so. I know how it feels to be homeless and hungry.”

Nancy Polonia, LI-POP- Duluth, agrees that the sit-ins are necessary to get our issues across to everyone and to drive home a message to the powers that be. “They can't get away with this.”

Elizabeth Wirtz, St. Paul, (WRC) who was also arrested, declared “It was important to be arrested because actions speak louder than words. I'm just trying to get a better program for the majority and the politicians don't seem to have that in mind. We need to take whatever steps we have to get that point across. If that takes going to jail then, yes, I will go.”

Marvella Davis, LIPOP-Duluth, said, “The sit-ins are great and it's an excellent way to show the politicians that we are serious about our belief that we should have the same rights as non MFIP recipients. We are not going to keep quiet, but we will sit-in until justice is served.”

The Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition and poor Minnesotans across the state have made it very clear to politicians that attacks on poor families will not be tolerated.

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