orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) (03/25/86)
One of the little-noted consequences of Reagan's welfare cuts
has been the ax applied to any welfare benefits for those
Americans who work and yet are still poor, or take a job in
an attempt to get out of the Welfare System.
This is paradoxical since the major theme of Reagan's campaign
to gut aid to the poor is that they are lazy bums.
According to Thomas Edsall's "The New Politics of Inequality"
225,000 families with some earnings from *work* were cut from
the welfare rolls completely. All those families cut also
lost all Medicaid eligibility which was often more costly in
terms of health cost risks than the cut in dollar welfare benefits.
One million *working* poor were cutoff from food stamp
benefits. Is it any surprise studies now find hunger in America
again?
Finally it is instructive to look at the programs cut by the
largest percentage by Reagan's bludgeoning ax:
child nutrition 28%
social services block grants 22%
compensatory education 17%
general employment & training 35%
public service jobs 99%
This is not welfare "reform" it is a disaster.
tim sevener whuxn!orb