War on Poverty, Part III: A Closer Look: State by State
Blog Feature: Yesenia Rojas
As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty, it is important to see the effects, progress, and problems taking place at the national level and also among all 50 states.
The Half in Ten report "Resetting the Poverty Debate: State of the States 2013" provides fact sheets and tables highlighting data and other information that evaluate a state’s poverty rate. They analyze unemployment insurance coverage, affordable housing, gender wage gap, etc, and show how inextricably linked the War on Poverty is to other factors in our communities.
One of the most important causes is unemployment insurance cuts; a strong trend in the data shows southern states like Florida and Georgia lead the nation with worsening coverage numbers.
What can we do? A call to action is necessary.
The Center of Budget Priorities explains that "approximately 5 million Americans are expected to lose emergency unemployment benefits over the next 12 months," without a doubt the shocking state-by-state impact numbers should urge citizens to contact Congress.
If our government does not invest in social programs the future of this war seems dismal.
Social security, food stamps/SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicare/Medicaid, and federal support for education should all be well funded so that our wavering economy may be sustained.
The safety net programs provide security and support both nationally and at the state level.
