Saturday, April 09, 2005
In the Doghouse
When I read stories like this one from the New York Times, I always wonder what the religious right must be thinking when proposals come forward that will hurt the poor. But they're probably too busy with their war against gay people or keeping people in vegetative states alive to notice. But for those who abide by truly Christian principles ("Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me"), these cuts to housing for the poor should put Bush and HUD "in the doghouse." Actually, the doghouse might be the only place for the poor to live if Republicans have their way.
From the NYT editorial:
"The Bush administration pays lip service to the goal of 'ending chronic homelessness' - while undermining the very programs that keep poor people from ending up in the streets. The Housing and Urban Development Department is proposing unreasonable cuts in federal subsidies, which would make it harder for underfinanced housing authorities to keep their developments livable and safe. And a proposal in Congress would make it harder for the poor to get rental subsidies from Section 8, the public-private partnership that underwrites rents for nearly two million of the country's low-income families and encourages builders to develop affordable housing.
This meat-ax approach has to stop. Congress needs to understand that poor people won't just disappear when the housing that serves them dries up."
It's a neat trick really. The Republicans create a greater percentage of poverty than we've experienced over the past decade, with larger gaps between rich and poor than we've ever seen. Then, with a greater number of poor in place, they begin cutting all of the support services in place for the poor. Evil, but clever.
The New York Times > Opinion > Editorial: Killing Off Housing for the Poor
From the NYT editorial:
"The Bush administration pays lip service to the goal of 'ending chronic homelessness' - while undermining the very programs that keep poor people from ending up in the streets. The Housing and Urban Development Department is proposing unreasonable cuts in federal subsidies, which would make it harder for underfinanced housing authorities to keep their developments livable and safe. And a proposal in Congress would make it harder for the poor to get rental subsidies from Section 8, the public-private partnership that underwrites rents for nearly two million of the country's low-income families and encourages builders to develop affordable housing.
This meat-ax approach has to stop. Congress needs to understand that poor people won't just disappear when the housing that serves them dries up."
It's a neat trick really. The Republicans create a greater percentage of poverty than we've experienced over the past decade, with larger gaps between rich and poor than we've ever seen. Then, with a greater number of poor in place, they begin cutting all of the support services in place for the poor. Evil, but clever.
The New York Times > Opinion > Editorial: Killing Off Housing for the Poor
