[Winona Online Democracy] I'd like to respond to Mr. Voegeli's question about poor people. I think it was in regard to limited voter turn out or lack of involvement in the political arena. Having grown up in a single-parent, female-headed household, I think I am qualified to say that laziness isn't the issue. Lack of resources is. When a significant amount of one's energy is spent fulfilling both breadwinner and nurturer roles and making sure there is roof over one's head, enough to eat, fuel for the furnace, warm coats and boots to keep out the snow, there's not always a lot of energy left over for civic involvement. And, yes, we watched some TV, too. It was free if you could afford a TV. As a social worker I've found that poor folks will get involved if someone cares enough to let them know that what they have to say is important. My experience is that people simply don't see the political process or democracy as an arena in which they would be welcomed or valued. It takes a lot of courage to walk into a room of others who think "poor=lazy." Maybe they simply choose not to waste energy to convince others that they aren't lazy because they know better. I'm including a press release from the Children's Defense Fund that gives some data about children living in poverty. Maybe someone else out there has some better data about the realilties of poverty in the U.S. All I know is that it's important that organizations like CDF exist to give a voice to poor families who are often too over-burdened to speak out for themselves in the political arena. Washington, D.C. - Child poverty in America dropped from 13.5 million children in 1998 to 12.1 million in 1999, according to the U.S. Census Bureau figures released today. While the percentage of children living in poverty in America is at its lowest level since 1979, the percentage of poor children in working families continues to climb with 77% of poor children living in families where someone is working. The Children�s Defense Fund (CDF) hopes the downward trend continues but believes that 12.1 million children in poverty is still too high and that too many of America�s children remain at the bottom of the nation�s agenda. �We are very glad that 1.4 million children are no longer poor, but we are very sad that 12.1 million children are still poor and a great majority of them in working families,� said Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children�s Defense Fund. �It is shameful that more children are living in poverty now than 20 years ago. When has there ever been a better time for this nation to invest in its children than when it has huge federal and state surpluses, billions in tobacco settlements, billions in welfare reform money, millions in unspent child health money in the states, and 8 years of prosperity? If not now, when?� The Census figures show that more families are struggling to stay afloat in the workforce, and that the percentage of poor children living in working families continues to rise�up from 61% in 1993 to 77% in 1999. �Child poverty is America�s dirty little secret,� said Edelman. �We must get it out in the open and clean it up now. Every politician making speeches about Leaving No Child Behind needs to be specific about how they will provide for nearly 12 million children without health insurance, for the 12.1 million still living in poverty, and for the millions still not getting quality child care or a decent education and a fair share of our nation�s prosperity.� The Census Bureau defines poverty as an income below $13,290 a year, or the equivalent of $1,108 a month for a family of three. Kathy Seifert _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. ---------------- This message was posted to the Winona Online Democracy Project. Please visit http://onlinedemocracy.winona.org to subscribe or unsubscribe. Please sign all messages posted to this list with your actual name. Posting of commercial solicitations is not allowed on this list. Report problems to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
