St Paul, MN – Members of the Twin Cites-based Welfare Rights Committee made themselves visible at the Feb. 20 opening day of Minnesota state legislature. This session, members of the WRC initiated and are pressing for the passage of two bills.

First, there is the GAAIN Bill – for Give Aid to All in Need. This measure would give cash assistance to people who people who, under current law, don’t qualify for anything, even though they have no income. It will cover people whose unemployment has run out and families that have hit the five-year limit on welfare.

Second, the WRC is pushing for raising the welfare grants in a big way. A bill will be introduced soon that would place a retroactive cost-of-living increase on the MFIP grants – starting from 1986. The effect is an increase that more than doubles the amount that people on welfare currently get.

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee

Fight Back News Service is circulating the followings March 29 statement from the Welfare Rights Committee.

$13 per month? No. We need to DOUBLE the grants.

This week, a Senate Finance Division approved a bill to increase the welfare grants by $13 per month. This is an insult. The grants should be doubled.

The welfare (MFIP) grants have not gone up in 31 years – since 1986. At this point in time, the grants should be more than doubled to keep up with cost of living.

In 2017, the Welfare Rights Committee tried to revive their bill to double the grants (which would be an increase of $532 per month for a family of two). There was also a bill this year to increase the grants by $100 per month. Neither of these proposals survived.

Selling out poor families.

Instead of calling for doubling the grants, or even pushing for their own bill for a $100 MFIP increase, politicians (both Republican and Democrat), and some of the “advocates” for poor families quickly sold out. Some collaborated with right-wing politicians to amend their own (already inadequate) $100 increase and/or their ‘marriage bill’ to be a pathetic $10 to $13 per month increase. Their $13 increase amendment passed in the senate committee process.

Progressives speak out.

In both the House and the Senate, many progressive DFL members denounced the small increases as an insult. Starting back in 2013, many legislators have put themselves on the line for the bills to match MFIP grants to the cost of living. They went on a 24-hour hunger strike, tried (and failed at) the $437 challenge, and spoke out against the fact that grants are at 60% below the poverty level. They instituted a state task force to see how the federal TANF money was being stolen from poor kids. And this year, they rightly spoke out against the paltry proposals for $10 and $13 grant increases

Stop stealing poor people’s money.

MFIP is Minnesota’s welfare program for families with children. It is about half-funded by a federal block grant called TANF. For years, MN politicians have been stealing federal TANF funds for programs that were once state-funded. The $13 per month bill takes TANF funds from two programs, but does not commit to backfilling them with state funding – this is a bad precedent.

TANF funds should go to TANF families. Right now, less than 30% of federal TANF money goes into the pockets of families in need. The rest goes to programs that should be funded by state dollars. We say, all TANF money should go to TANF families.

What to do now?

There are still at least two months to go in this session. There is a possibility that Governor Dayton will veto the whole HHS bill. Then the process starts all over again. Besides the need to increase the grants, the Welfare Rights Committee also has the GAAIN bill – to Give Aid to All in Need. If Dayton vetoes the big HHS bill, we can keep up the fight for both.

Give Aid to All in Need!

Double the Grants!

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee

“We want to send a message to the governor that we are sick of our people being homeless and suffering with nothing. Lots of us in need can’t get any help at all,” says WRC member Darnella Wade.

The Welfare Rights Committee insists that lawmakers support the GAAIN bill, SF1426 and HF1533, which provides cash to help for families who have hit the 5-year public assistance limit and singles who can't find work.

“We want to show the governor what Minnesota will look like if something is not done to help people now,” explained Tracy Molm, a WRC member.

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #GovernorDayton

St. Paul, MN – The Welfare Rights Committee’s bill to double the welfare grants for poor families in Minnesota cleared a key senate committee March 25. Senators entering the hearing room in the state capitol passed through a crowd of low-income people. Members of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) held signs reading, “The rich got bailed out, we got sold out. Raise the MFIP grants,” and “Past due, pass SF432! 29 years is too long to wait.”

Welfare grants in Minnesota have seen an across-the-board increase in 29 years – since 1986. The current cash grants keep families 58% below the federal poverty level.

The WRC’s Darnella Wade testified, “29 years is a long time to fall behind the cost of living. Our country is experiencing hardship, yet in Minnesota there is a surplus. Doubling the grant could allow a family to pay the monthly rent, at best.”

In their testimony, WRC also pointed out that only 28% of TANF – the federal money for welfare that Minnesota gets every year – goes to families in the form of cash. The rest goes to programs that should be state funded. The WRC bill (SF432/HF585) to double the grants would use the federal TANF welfare money and then some.

“The TANF money won’t cover all the cost of funding this bill,” a recent WRC statement notes. “The rest of the funding should come from the budget surplus. That surplus was built on the backs of the poor: 29 years without an increase in MFIP or GA [welfare for families and disabled singles in Minnesota]. Lots of people can’t get any help at all. And the state sits on a surplus of $1.8 billion.”

Other testifiers included the bill’s Senate author, Senator Chris Eaton (D-Brooklyn Center), Sue Watlov Phillips of Integrated Community Solutions and Jessica Anderson of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Darnella Wade concluded her testimony with, “We ask you to contribute back into the working-class families with dependent children in Minnesota. The children are not only my future but they are your future also.”

Besides the WRC bill to double the grants, there is another bill, pushed by the non-profit community, that increases the grants by a flat $100 per family per month. The Welfare Rights Committee position is that both bills should pass. In a March 10 hearing on the smaller bill, WRC’s Linden Gawboy testified, “The grants should be more than doubled to keep up with the cost of living. The $532 cash grant for a family of three should be $1134 today – an increase of 113% since 1986, the last year the grants last went up. So, if we double the grants and do the $100 increase, it would get most families where they ought to be.”

The outcome of the March 25 hearing ensures that the bill to double the welfare grants will be in the financial mix for budget negotiations. After dozens of WRC protests at his office and mansion over the past few years, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton’s budget proposal contains the welfare grant increase of $100 per month. Assuming the Senate fights for more, there is a chance for a larger increase.

“We have kept the heat on,” said Gawboy. “Many of the politicians and non-profits are talking a better line now. But we only care about the bottom line. $100 is not enough. We need both. Do the $100 increase and double the grants. 29 years is too long to wait.”

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee

The Welfare Rights Committee clashed with Daudt back in 2011 when he was pushing extreme restrictions on the use of EBT cards to get the cash from people’s welfare grants.

At the time Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee testified in front of the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee on House File 171. Buechner told committee members, “We would like to address the provision that makes it illegal for MFIP [one of Minnesota’s welfare programs] families to withdraw cash from the cash portion of the MFIP grant – and in fact, appears to make it illegal for MFIP families to have any type of money at all in their pockets. How do you expect people to take care of business like paying bills such as lights, gas, water, trash and phone?”

The proposal received national publicity, see Minnesota Republicans say: Poor people with money should be outlaws.

Over the past several decades, politicians from both political parties have pushed attacks on public assistance. Minnesota welfare grants have not been raised since 1986.

#MinneapolisMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #KurtDaudt

Minneapolis, MN – About 40 members and supporters of the Twin Cities-based Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) came together here, Aug. 9, to celebrate the two-year battle to raise welfare grants. Speaking to the crowd, members of the WRC talked about some of the key protests and actions from the past year and expressed determination to continue the struggle.

Linden Gawboy of the Welfare Rights Committee told the crowd, “Because we were there to demand money for poor families, we won victories that will help thousands of kids and families in 2015. We exposed the state’s theft of federal money meant for the poor and won a law for a task force to investigate this theft. When we fight back together, we can win.”

Minnesota had not increased monthly grants in its welfare program, known as MFIP, since 1986.

Deb Howze, also of the WRC, urged event participants to join a Sept. 4, 11:00 a.m. protest at the Governor’s mansion to demand “Aid for all in need” and an increase in the MFIP grants.

#MinneapolisMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #Capitalism #workersRights

St. Paul, MN – On March 25 Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) members sat in at Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton’s office throughout the morning to demand welfare grant increases for poor families in Minnesota. The sit-in was timed to coincide with a Senate hearing on bills pushed by the Welfare Rights Committee.

“Use the surplus to pay back stolen TANF money,” and “Dayton’s budget hurts poor families!” were just two of the many signs visible to anyone who came by Governor Dayton’s office that day.

The WRC put forward bills this legislative session that move up the implementation dates of victories from last year. They want to put money in the pockets of poor families in the form of increases to the cash welfare grants. These increases would be the first since 1986 – 28 years ago.

In Minnesota, welfare cash grants for the poorest families have not been increased since 1986 – 28 years ago. The cost of living has doubled since 1986. The monthly cash grant for a family of two is $437 per month, “not enough to pay rent for legal housing in most towns, much less other needs,” according to WRC. Because the current welfare grant levels, 70,000 Minnesota children live in extreme poverty – over 60% below the poverty level. This extreme poverty has a devastating effect on children, who are the majority of welfare recipients.

Minnesota, like many states, has a surplus after several years of deficits. Now Governor Dayton is pushing for the surplus to be given to Minnesota business owners.

“We know what the right thing to do with the surplus is. It’s to give it to the 70,000 children in extreme poverty. Instead of coming up with excuses like computer glitches, they should focus on our children,” stated Evelyn Evans, a member of the Welfare Rights Committee who sat in at Governor Dayton’s office. Evans was referring to an argument given by Governor Dayton’s Department of Human Services that it was unable to program its computers to give an increase to welfare grants.

During the sit-in, WRC members gathered support from other groups that also happened to be at the capitol that day, including AFSCME union members who were there for their annual lobby day. Over 100 capitol visitors signed on postcards supporting grant increases. The postcards were delivered directly to the governor’s office.

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #TANF #sitin

St. Paul, MN – On Feb. 25, Minnesota politicians returned to the State Capitol for the opening of the legislative session and the Welfare Rights Committee and their supporters were there. Over 50 low-income people joined together, despite below-zero temperatures, to send a message to legislators: “Raise the welfare grants. 28 years is too long!”

Lorretta VanPelt opened the rally, reminding people, “In 1986 a family of two received $437 a month. Now, in 2014, a family still only receives $437 a month, despite the cost of living having more than doubled in the last 28 years.”

Over the previous weekend, Welfare Rights Committee members sewed together bed sheets and painted a very large banner that greeted legislators as they entered and exited the chamber. The banner read, “Raise the welfare grants now! Bring 70,000 MN kids out of extreme poverty!”

This session, the Welfare Rights Committee has a bill in the Minnesota legislature to increase the welfare grants – Senate File 1693/House File 2191.

Cherrene Horazuk, president of AFSCME Local 3800, reminded people how working people and unions need to be involved in fighting for raising the welfare grants: “Welfare is the line below which wages are not supposed to be below. Minimum wage continues to be so low partly because they continue to keep welfare grants small.”

In addition to dropping the large banner from the second story rotunda at the capitol, WRC members and supporters walked around the capitol with the banner chanting, “Hey politicians! We’re at your door! Stop the war on the poor!” and “What do we want? Raise the grants! When do we want it? Now!”

The protesters marched with the banner to Governor Mark Dayton’s office, filling both his inner office and waiting room, as WRC members reminded Dayton it’s time he raised the welfare grants for those most in need and help take 70,000 Minnesota children out of extreme poverty.

#StPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #lowincomeFamilies #workersRights #welfareGrants

St. Paul, MN – Organized by the Welfare Rights Committee, low-income people gathered in front of Governor Mark Dayton’s mansion, Dec 18, to demand the state budget surplus be used to meet the needs of the poor and for an increase in the welfare grants. Protesters did a spoken word version of the song Twelve Days of Christmas, called Twelve Days of Poverty. Building on the Christmas theme of the event, they threw brightly colored packages adorned with slogans over the mansion fence.

A statement by protest organizers said, “Two weeks ago, the state announced that there is a projected $825 million surplus. The surplus is there because of years to cuts to programs for poor and working people. For most of us, the economic crisis is still very real, and we need help now. But Governor Dayton announced that he will propose tax cuts, mostly for businesses and the relatively well-to-do. His proposal to increase the Working Family Credit is cynical, since for years this credit has been partially funded by raiding federal welfare TANF block grant dollars. We say, TANF money should go to TANF families, in the form of a cash grant increase.”

The statement continued, “For years, state legislators have stolen money from the federal TANF block grant that was meant for welfare. They have used TANF dollars to supplant General Fund dollars in many areas (including the Working Family Tax Credit). Last year, only 28% of the TANF welfare money went to cash MFIP grants for desperately poor families. The Welfare Rights Committee aims to reverse that trend in 2014.”

The Welfare Rights Committee has legislation drafted for 2014. Their bill does three things. It moves up the implementation date of their 2013 victories for a housing allowance and undoing the family cap. It also calls for putting all of the federal TANF dollars that Minnesota gets towards a grant increase for families who are on welfare.

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #GovernorDayton

Saint Paul, MN – Members of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) ‘huddled’ in front of Governor Mark Dayton’s mansion Sept. 25. After a rally and speeches, low-income people hurled footballs over the locked fence. Written on streamers attached to the footballs were messages such as, “Help poor kids, not millionaires,” and “Raise the grants now!” Before they left, the protesters taped signs to the outside of the fence to hammer home the message.

Last legislative session, Governor Dayton found $24 million to give to Vikings football team owner Zygi Wilf for 2013, but no money for poor kids on welfare. The monthly amount of cash MFIP – the state’s welfare program for poor children and their parents – has not increased since 1986 – 27 years ago. Had the cash welfare grants kept up with the cost of living, they would be double. A family of two gets a cash grant of $437 per month. According to the WRC, “That $437 has to cover rent, clothing, transportation, utilities etc. The current welfare grants all but guarantee homelessness.”

According to the Welfare Rights Committee statement, “Governor Dayton could call for increasing the welfare grants. He could make helping the poor his priority. Instead he gives millions of dollars to millionaires like Vikings Football team owner Zygi Wilf.” Wilf was recently found guilty in New Jersey courts for defrauding his past partners and ordered to pay damages of over $80 million.

This fall, the Welfare Rights Committee will also be fighting cuts to the Food Stamp/SNAP program. Last week, Congress voted to cut millions from the program, passing, in the words of WRC, “an irrational provision saying that adults can’t get food stamps unless they are working, even though in much of the country there are no jobs to be found.”

For info, check out the Welfare Rights Committee at welfarerightsmn.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/104618039626888.

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #GovernorMarkDayton #Vikings #sports

Minneapolis, MN – More than 40 members and supporters of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) gathered here, Aug. 10, to celebrate past victories and look ahead to future battles.

Leaders of the WRC told how politicians from both parties, along with poverty pimps, opposed the WRC legislation to double the public assistance grants during the 2013 legislative session. In the end the WRC won the first grant increase since 1986 – $110 per month extra for people not in subsidized housing, starting in 2015.

“This was a wonderful event,” said Angel Buechner of the WRC, “and we’re going to keep putting heat on the politicians to raise the welfare grants now.”

For more info, check out welfarerightsmn.com

#MinneapolisMN #WelfareRightsCommittee #housing

St Paul, MN – Members and supporters of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) protested July 10 in front of Governor Dayton’s mansion to demand that he act now to raise the welfare grants in Minnesota. As things stand, about 70,000 Minnesota children are living in extreme poverty.

A statement from protest organizers stated, “The Welfare Rights Committee calls for Gov. Dayton to raise the welfare grants, so Minnesota families can get the help they need during these economic downturns. With 70,000 children living in extreme poverty, our children need help now! Tell Gov. Dayton to stop giving money to billionaires.”

The WRC’s Lena Buggs said, “The Welfare Rights Committee hosted a protest for our ‘Raise the Grants’ campaign to highlight the stories of real people in Minnesota who are living in extreme poverty. Welfare Rights hopes their experiences will spur the much needed course of action for Gov. Dayton to take immediate steps for people who are still struggling living in poverty.”

Kim DeFranco of the Welfare Rights Committee states, “It has been 27 years since welfare [MFIP] grants were last increased in the state of Minnesota. While the Welfare Rights Committee was victorious in getting a small increase through the 2013 legislative session, the politicians delayed the increase until 2015. Our kids can’t wait that long!”

The WRC’s Ebony Harris says, “The politicians said there wasn’t money to increase the grants in 2013, but they managed to find over $26 million to give to billionaire Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. This is an insult and an outrage.”

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #GovernorMarkDayton

St. Paul, MN – Because of the Welfare Rights Committee’s fierce battle at the State Capitol, the first increase for welfare since 1986 passed and was signed into law by the governor in late May. The Health and Human Services Omnibus bill includes a housing allowance for MFIP families (MFIP is Minnesota’s welfare program for poor families). The Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) won over $40 million dollars (over a 2 year period) that will go directly into the pockets of poor families. Specifically, MFIP families who do not live in subsidized housing will receive an additional $110 dollars a month.

It is a victory in that it turns the tide after 27 years of no grant increase. It is because of the relentless and persistent work of the WRC that this first cash increase passed. Members of the WRC exposed the theft of federal TANF (welfare) dollars and the extreme poverty of MFIP families. Legislative backers of the bill have declared that this is only a start. The message of poor families was heard loud and clear and the WRC will make sure it continues to be heard.

However, the fact that it won’t help a single person for two years is an outrage. While it as an acknowledgement that the cash MFIP grants that poor families get don’t even come close to covering rent, it is cynical in the extreme in that it actively condemns kids to homelessness for another 2 years.

The Welfare Rights Committee has been fighting to increase the grants since last summer. The WRC introduced a bill to double the grants and struggled with legislators until the bitter end to get even a partial increase. One reason for the disappointing two-year wait before the increase takes effect is the cowardly legislative leadership putting election politics before people. Poof families had to continually urge and re-convince legislators to do right thing, after 27 years

“What a family of two lived on in 1986 was $437. What a family of two lives on today in 2013 is $437.00. The time is now!’ said Welfare Rights member Lena Buggs. Poor families have been struggling to pay their rent and bills with the amount of money that they receive in welfare.

“People are going homeless,” states Angel Buechner, member of the Welfare Rights Committee. If the welfare grants had kept up with inflation since 1986 – the year of the last increase – they would be double. The cash grant levels condemns over 70,000 MN children to extreme poverty.

Another barrier to the full success of the bill to double the grants was interference from the ‘poverty industry’ – agencies and other areas of government that use funds meant for poor families for their businesses or their ‘studies.’

The federal money meant for welfare, the TANF block grant, has been raided for years. Only 28% of the TANF fund goes to actual people in need. The WRC’s work caused many legislators – Democrats and Republican – to question this misuse of TANF funds.

As statement from the WRC notes: “It is clear to the WRC and poor families that the legislature and the governor clearly dance to the tune of the rich. They use regressive taxes to give General Fund money to billionaire stadium owners, then turn around and tell homeless kids that there won’t be money to help them for two years.

“We will take this truth to the streets, and continue to demand justice. This is just the beginning. We will keep up the fight to Raise the Welfare Grants until poor families in MN get the justice we deserve!”

The Welfare Rights Committee will hold a protest outside Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton’s mansion July 10. For more info, see http://welfarerightsmn.com/

#StPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #TANF #Capitalism #lowincomeFamilies

St. Paul, MN – Members of the Welfare Rights Committee and supporters brought dozens of cardboard boxes into the capitol rotunda here, April 15, to construct a ‘Poverty-ville.’ The homeless village was a warning to the ruling Democrats that, if they carried through with their current budget cuts to health and human services, they would be adding to the homelessness caused by the economic crisis. They called on the Democrats to increase the welfare grants.

This year, the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) has a bill to increase the welfare cash grants. Those grants have not been increased since 1986 – 27 years ago. After a continuous high-power pressure campaign at the capitol, there is a version of the WRC grant increase bill in current house and the senate budget proposals.

The WRC statement notes, “Despite the fact there will likely be tax increase on the rich, there is no talk of helping the poor. The DFL [Minnesota’s Democrat party] appears to be carrying on the Republicans’ history. Both the House and the Senate budget targets cut over $150 million from an already devastated Health and Human Services budget.”

If Minnesota welfare grants had kept up with the cost of living since 1986, they would be double what they are now. “The grant increases in the house and senate proposals are not enough,” said the WRC’s Linden Gawboy. “We are glad they are doing something, but we need a substantial increase this year, and we won’t give up fighting for that until the session is over. 27 years is too long. The welfare grants must be increased now.”

For more on the battle to “Raise the Grants!” go to http://welfarerightsmn.com

#SaintPaulMinnesota #SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee

St. Paul, MN – The Twin Cites-based Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) issued a statement today, Jan. 22, responding to Governor Dayton’s 2014-2015 budget proposal. It read, “A shameful part of the budget proposal is how it fails the poorest families in Minnesota, by not calling for a substantial increase in Minnesota’s welfare cash grants.”

Welfare grants have not been increased since 1986 – 27 years ago. Meanwhile the cost of living has doubled since 1986. In 1986, a family of two (a parent and a child) received $437 per month in cash to live on. Today, that same family of two still only gets $437. If the grants had kept up with inflation they would now be doubled.

The WRC statement notes, “The governor pays back the school funding shift, but it is also time to talk about paying back the TANF funding shift. TANF is the yearly block grant that Minnesota gets from the federal government to fund its welfare program. Year after year, TANF dollars have been raided to supplant general fund spending. Right now, there is almost enough money in the federal TANF block grant to double the grants in 2013, if it were used for poor families.”

The statement concludes, “The Welfare Rights Committee, supported by dozens of other organizations, has a bill to double the welfare grants. The bill will be introduced soon. We don’t care what the governor’s budget says – we will call on legislators to do the right thing. It is time to use TANF money for TANF families. It is time to double the grants.”

#StPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #TANF #GovernorMarkDayton

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech given by Cherrene Horazuk, president of AFSCME Local 3800, in support of raising Minnesota’s welfare grants. Horazuk delivered this speech at the Jan. 8 protest organized by the Welfare Rights Committee. Tax the rich! Defend public services and the people who provide them

We know that the United States is in year four of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression; and

We know that poor and working people are sinking deeper into crisis, while banks, corporations, and the wealthy continue to get bailouts and tax breaks; and

We know that during the Great Depression, working people organized for and won the creation of social safety net programs such as Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, that ensured survival for poor and working people; and that those benefits were expanded in the Great Society programs of the 1960’s to include welfare (or what is now called TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families); and

We know that the vast majority of welfare recipients are women, children, and families of people with disabilities. In 2008, when the current economic crisis began, 28.7% of the households headed by single women were considered poor. In 2010, the poverty rate for single-mother families was 40.7% compared to 8.8% for married-couple families; and

We know that, welfare provides income security and an economic safety net that allows women and children to leave abusive situations; and

We know that our communities are facing high unemployment, shortage of living wage jobs and the foreclosure crisis has caused rents to spike; and

We know that people are running out of unemployment insurance without a job that pays the bills to take its place; and

We know that 150 clerical workers at the U lost their jobs during this crisis. Jobs that barely paid enough to take care of their families. Now they are trying to live on unemployment and we know some have turned to public assistance.

We know that welfare creates a floor below which wages cannot fall; and

We know that public employees are on the front lines when families in our communities come in needing help and we see how inadequate the welfare grants are to meet families’ needs; and

We know that same politicians and media pundits who vilify public employees also vilify the clients we serve – the recipients of social safety net programs; and

We know that these same politicians try to turn us against each other; giving a choice between saving welfare programs or saving public sector jobs

We know, in our fight to defend our jobs; our most logical allies are the recipients of the services we provide; and

Today is the opening day of the legislative session and the state legislature and Governor Dayton have to set priorities and make choices.

They can listen to the people – the 99%, those who elected them. Or they can listen to the corporations and ruling elite – the 1%.

They can fund desperately needed services, and create public jobs with good pay and benefits, – supporting the people who really drive this economy – the working people who make things run, and the poor and unemployed who are desperately looking for a step up and the ability to care for themselves and their families.

Or they can give more handouts to the corporations and the elite who will enrich themselves.

They can rob Peter to pay Paul.

Or they can tax the rich.

We demand that they hold public institutions like the U of M accountable, and that the U stop bloating the administration while cutting frontline jobs and raising tuition.

We demand that they increase the TANF grants; which have not seen a single increase in 26 years; and

We demand that vital services are universally available and fully funded; and

We demand that they increase child care subsidies in addition to increasing TANF funds, so as to ensure a livable wage for childcare providers and full welfare benefits for recipients; and

We demand that they fund social programs that base their success on helping families achieve economic self-sufficiency through training and job placements that lead to stable jobs, living wages, good benefits and career ladders; and

We demand that they tax the rich.

#StPaulMN #WelfareRightsCommittee #TaxTheRich #AFSCME3800 #CherreneHorazuk

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech given by Cherrene Horazuk, president of AFSCME Local 3800, in support of raising Minnesota’s welfare grants. Horazuk delivered this speech at the Jan. 8 protest organized by the Welfare Rights Committee. Tax the rich! Defend public services and the people who provide them

We know that the United States is in year four of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression; and

We know that poor and working people are sinking deeper into crisis, while banks, corporations, and the wealthy continue to get bailouts and tax breaks; and

We know that during the Great Depression, working people organized for and won the creation of social safety net programs such as Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, that ensured survival for poor and working people; and that those benefits were expanded in the Great Society programs of the 1960’s to include welfare (or what is now called TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families); and

We know that the vast majority of welfare recipients are women, children, and families of people with disabilities. In 2008, when the current economic crisis began, 28.7% of the households headed by single women were considered poor. In 2010, the poverty rate for single-mother families was 40.7% compared to 8.8% for married-couple families; and

We know that, welfare provides income security and an economic safety net that allows women and children to leave abusive situations; and

We know that our communities are facing high unemployment, shortage of living wage jobs and the foreclosure crisis has caused rents to spike; and

We know that people are running out of unemployment insurance without a job that pays the bills to take its place; and

We know that 150 clerical workers at the U lost their jobs during this crisis. Jobs that barely paid enough to take care of their families. Now they are trying to live on unemployment and we know some have turned to public assistance.

We know that welfare creates a floor below which wages cannot fall; and

We know that public employees are on the front lines when families in our communities come in needing help and we see how inadequate the welfare grants are to meet families’ needs; and

We know that same politicians and media pundits who vilify public employees also vilify the clients we serve – the recipients of social safety net programs; and

We know that these same politicians try to turn us against each other; giving a choice between saving welfare programs or saving public sector jobs

We know, in our fight to defend our jobs; our most logical allies are the recipients of the services we provide; and

Today is the opening day of the legislative session and the state legislature and Governor Dayton have to set priorities and make choices.

They can listen to the people – the 99%, those who elected them. Or they can listen to the corporations and ruling elite – the 1%.

They can fund desperately needed services, and create public jobs with good pay and benefits, – supporting the people who really drive this economy – the working people who make things run, and the poor and unemployed who are desperately looking for a step up and the ability to care for themselves and their families.

Or they can give more handouts to the corporations and the elite who will enrich themselves.

They can rob Peter to pay Paul.

Or they can tax the rich.

We demand that they hold public institutions like the U of M accountable, and that the U stop bloating the administration while cutting frontline jobs and raising tuition.

We demand that they increase the TANF grants; which have not seen a single increase in 26 years; and

We demand that vital services are universally available and fully funded; and

We demand that they increase child care subsidies in addition to increasing TANF funds, so as to ensure a livable wage for childcare providers and full welfare benefits for recipients; and

We demand that they fund social programs that base their success on helping families achieve economic self-sufficiency through training and job placements that lead to stable jobs, living wages, good benefits and career ladders; and

We demand that they tax the rich.

#StPaulMN #WelfareRightsCommittee #TaxTheRich #AFSCME3800 #CherreneHorazuk

St. Paul, MN – Hundreds of people filled the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda here, Jan. 8, the opening day of the state legislature, joining protests to demand justice. The Welfare Rights Committee put forward the demands: “Tax the rich; no more cuts; raise the welfare grants.” Idle No More, which brought together Native Americans and others, drummed and danced in the rotunda under the slogan: “Honor the women, water and land.” Then the North Star Energy Coalition rallied to say no to the planned tar sands oil pipeline.

Speaking to the protest on the capitol steps, Barb Bordner of the Welfare Rights Committee stated, “We are here, on the opening day of the 2013 legislative session, to say, ‘Justice for poor and working people! Undo the cuts! Tax the rich! Raise the welfare grants!’” Bordner added, “Welfare grants have not been increased since 1986 – 27 years ago. In 1986 the monthly cash grant for a family of two was...$437. Today, in 2013, the maximum cash grant is still...$437. This is an outrage. The cost of living has more than doubled since 1986, but the poorest of the poor in Minnesota are stuck living 70% below the poverty line. We say, ‘Double the welfare grants!’”

After rallying outside, the groups joined in the capitol rotunda. Capitol security had stopped the Native American drums of Idle No More. But then the drums started beating again and the crowd immediately surged forward, locking elbows and forming security circles around the drummers and singers, who continued on without any more police interference.

Later, members and supporters of the Welfare Rights Committee marched through the capitol, chanting loudly: “Hey politicians, take a stance! Raise the grants! Raise the grants!” and “Hey politicians, here’s the fix: Raise the grants! Tax the rich!” They went to the chambers of both the House and the Senate and then Governor Mark Dayton’s office, where they presented giant checks for $437 – the monthly amount for public assistance – and challenged politicians to live on that amount for a month.

The Welfare Rights Committee is working to introduce legislation to raise the grants this session. Capitol insiders say that a small group of reactionary ‘non-profits’ are working behind the scenes to block this effort.

The WRC protest was backed by a broad range of labor and community groups, including African Women in Politics, AFSCME Local 3800, Anti War Committee, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha, Children's Defense Fund, Communities United Against Police Brutality, JOBS Now Coalition, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, MN ADAPT, MPLS Street Medic, Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, Occupy Homes, Occupy Minneapolis, Occupy Minneapolis Events, Occupy St Paul, Occupy the Hood, Old Lesbians Organizing for Change, Pro-Choice Resources, Ricardo Levins Morales Art Studio, Student Association for the Advancement of Children as People, Students for a Democratic Society University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Twin Cities RISE!, Unite Here Local 17, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness and the Women's Student Activist Collective – University of Minnesota.

#StPaulMN #WelfareRightsCommittee #TaxTheRich #UniversityOfMinnesota #IdleNoMore

Minnetonka Beach, MN – On August 23, members of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) and others protested outside a fundraiser for presidential candidate Mitt Romney. In two days, WRC members will load up in a van for a drive to Tampa, Florida for the protest at the Republican National Convention, which takes place on Monday, August 27.

Romney’s rich friends paid $2,500 per person just to see him for a few hours. Some lucky people with $50,000 lying around had a private dinner with him. Outside the gates of the country club, WRC and a grouping of the 99% rallied and chanted, “Hey Romney, here’s the fix. Stop poor bashing! Tax the rich.”

The WRC’s Kim DeFranco said, “Families are still struggling during this continued economic crisis. The crisis might be over for the 1% but the 99% are still living on the edge between survival and total disaster. Romney continues to spread the lies on why we have to rely on public assistance. His comment about ‘putting work back in welfare,’ shows that he is out of touch with the reality that there simply are not enough jobs for everyone who needs one. It is clear that he will pander to the elite rich class in order to become president.”

A statement from WRC reads, “We are here to tell Romney and the 1% to bring our families out of poverty now. We don't need to be put in an endless hole of no jobs, no unemployment, no healthcare and no hope for us and our children ever escaping poverty.”

Several members of the Welfare Rights Committee will soon be climbing into a van for a 25-hour drive to Tampa, Florida, to participate in the protest against the RNC, which is happening August 27. The protest will begin at 10:00 a.m., at Perry Harvey Sr. Park, 1200 N. Orange Ave in Tampa.

The WRC’s Linden Gawboy says, “I am psyched to protest these crazy republicans in Tampa. We watched the cars drive into the county club today. Almost every one of them costs more than a house should cost. Meanwhile, people around the country are jobless and homeless. All of these politicians pretend that they’re clueless about what so many of us are going through. But they know, because they are getting rich off it. Tampa is where we can make our message heard loud and clear.”

#MinnetonkaBeachMN #WelfareRightsCommittee #PeoplesStruggles #RepublicanAgenda #RNC2012 #MittRomney #RepublicanNationalConvention2012

St. Paul, MN – People crowded into Governor Mark Dayton’s reception area, August 9, to tell him to “Raise the welfare grants” in the state of Minnesota. Despite harassment by capitol security, the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) members refused to leave until they felt they were on the path to securing a meeting with the governor himself.

Before the group entered the office, they held a short rally outside. Lena Buggs read the statement from the Welfare Rights Committee, which said, in part, “We are here today, at the office of Governor Dayton, to demand that he take action to raise the welfare grants for low-income families. We insist that he place language in his budget proposal for the 2013 legislative session that would increase public assistance for low income families.”

Angel Buechner led the way into the office bearing an oversize check for $437, the amount of cash that the state allots to a family of two. They left with the governor’s staff. WRC’s Paivey Ballayan presented staff with a large chart showing what a family of two really needs – nearly eight times as much as the grants are now.

Welfare grants in the state of Minnesota have not been increased since 1986 – 26 years ago. If the state’s welfare grants had kept up with inflation, they would be double what they are now, according to the government’s own Consumer Price Index calculator.

The WRC statement concludes:

“We are in the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the need for a public assistance program that keeps families afloat is needed now more than ever. As layoffs continue and unemployment runs out, more and more families are needing welfare.

“We understand that we have a tough fight in front of us. For decades poor-bashing politicians have been balancing the budget on the backs of poor and working people. We have seen one cut after another to the programs and services that we need. Last legislative session we had to face down a politician who was actually comparing low income people to animals. Politicians continue to blame the poor for poverty and we have had enough.

“Over the past 20 years the Welfare Rights Committee has put forward many of the bills and changes in legislation to make things better for low-income Minnesotans. We have organized everything from protests to sit-ins to fight back against attacks on poor and working Minnesotans. We are fed up with the rich in this state getting richer, while poor and working families suffer. We will not remain silent while our families sink deeper into poverty. We demand that Governor Dayton take the lead and take action to raise the welfare grants now!”

#StPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommittee #GovernorMarkDayton #lowincomeFamilies