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Perpetrating economic injustice in an immoral budget
OK all you churchgoers, now's the time to get out of your Amen corner and in the face of national leaders who are failing to vote your values.
Were our congressmen sunning themselves somewhere exotic last August when us working stiffs heard the Census Bureau report that the number of Americans living in poverty has increased by 1.1 million to 37 million and that those without health insurance has spiraled to 46 million?
Wages are stagnant. Costs are rising. Need is up. So what does our House of Representatives do? They support $50 billion in cuts to programs like Medicaid, food stamps, child support enforcement, foster care and student loans.
If those cuts, approved by the House last month, aren't enough evidence of the Grinch-like ruling class in this country, consider that Congress is also pursuing a $70 billion package of tax breaks, most of which will benefit the top one percent of American wage earners.
On Wednesday night, concerned citizens, many of them Christians, braved the cold and snow and attended a "Vigil for a moral budget." The vigils were held at congressional offices around the country, including the new Northbrook office of Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, who apparently believes it's OK to rob the poor to pay the rich.
"Though Rep. Kirk voted for the budget cuts previously, we hope to persuade him to oppose the cuts this time around," said Ryan Canney, organizing director for Citizen Action/Illinois. "If the federal budget is a moral document reflecting our nation's values, Rep. Kirk has a chance to ensure that Congress doesn't pass a budget that reflects the wrong priorities."
As people of faith, our priority should be those in need — including a growing number of our neighbors in Lake County.
Catholic Charities in Waukegan reports a 9 percent increase in services to the working poor over the past year. Individual requests for help with basic human necessities — food, shelter, utilities — increased from 9,285 in 2004 to 11,057 this year — a 19 percent hike. The agency also served 7,000 more meals — for a total of nearly 100,000 — an 8 percent increase over the previous year."
"These are very high numbers to try and maintain," said Teresa Denny, Catholic Charities regional representative. "People are working two and three jobs but they aren't making a living wage."
The people who will be hurt most by the proposed cuts and in both taxes and programs are those who are barely hanging on in the first place: The young mother who depends on a child-care subsidy, the disabled who depend on Medicaid for health care; those who, despite their Link cards, still don't have enough for their families to eat.
Some religious leaders have raised their voices in protest.
Ministers from the Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran and United Church of Christ lambasted President Bush's proposed budget early last spring. They reminded our political leaders that to continue to ignore the poor will mean becoming like the "rich man" who pretended not to know the beggar Lazarus lying outside his gates.
The story in the 16th chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, the preachers said, "contains a warning that should deeply trouble those of us who live in a wealthy nation."
After the rich man dies and is sent to Hades, he implores Abraham to raise Lazarus from the dead and send him to his brothers so that they may be spared his torment.
"They have Moses and the prophets," Abraham replies. "They should listen to them." The rich man says, "No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent." And Abraham answers: "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."
The story, the religious leaders insist, makes clear that "perpetrating economic injustice is among the gravest of sins."
But Jesus recognizes our fatal flaw — a self-interest "so deeply ingrained in each one of us, that we will not renounce it, even should someone rise from the dead."
Bush's budget — the one supported by the majority Republican Congress — "takes Jesus' teaching on economic justice and stands it on its head," the pastors rail.
While agencies like Catholic Charities will continue to work in the trenches to meet the growing need among us, charitable efforts will continue to fall short in the face of incessant, grasping greed and the calculating callousness of the people we elect.
Even mercy — at least the human kind — can't make up for an immoral budget.
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Millions of people are depending on you to call -- and it only takes a minute:
Use the toll-free number to reach the Capitol switchboard. After you are connected with a staff person at the office of your Representative or Senator, tell them:
"My name is _______________ and I live in (your town/city). I would like Representative/Senator [name] to vote NO on the final version of the budget cuts (the deal between the House and Senate bills - H.R.4241 and S.1932 ) . Do not allow billions in cuts to vital services for vulnerable people, including Medicaid, SSI, foster care, Food Stamps, and child support. These cuts are the wrong priorities. I also would like the Representative/Senator to announce to constituents that he/she opposes this bill."
If you can't get through on that line, please call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
Perpetrating economic injustice in an immoral budget
OK all you churchgoers, now's the time to get out of your Amen corner and in the face of national leaders who are failing to vote your values.
Were our congressmen sunning themselves somewhere exotic last August when us working stiffs heard the Census Bureau report that the number of Americans living in poverty has increased by 1.1 million to 37 million and that those without health insurance has spiraled to 46 million?
Wages are stagnant. Costs are rising. Need is up. So what does our House of Representatives do? They support $50 billion in cuts to programs like Medicaid, food stamps, child support enforcement, foster care and student loans.
If those cuts, approved by the House last month, aren't enough evidence of the Grinch-like ruling class in this country, consider that Congress is also pursuing a $70 billion package of tax breaks, most of which will benefit the top one percent of American wage earners.
On Wednesday night, concerned citizens, many of them Christians, braved the cold and snow and attended a "Vigil for a moral budget." The vigils were held at congressional offices around the country, including the new Northbrook office of Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, who apparently believes it's OK to rob the poor to pay the rich.
"Though Rep. Kirk voted for the budget cuts previously, we hope to persuade him to oppose the cuts this time around," said Ryan Canney, organizing director for Citizen Action/Illinois. "If the federal budget is a moral document reflecting our nation's values, Rep. Kirk has a chance to ensure that Congress doesn't pass a budget that reflects the wrong priorities."
As people of faith, our priority should be those in need — including a growing number of our neighbors in Lake County.
Catholic Charities in Waukegan reports a 9 percent increase in services to the working poor over the past year. Individual requests for help with basic human necessities — food, shelter, utilities — increased from 9,285 in 2004 to 11,057 this year — a 19 percent hike. The agency also served 7,000 more meals — for a total of nearly 100,000 — an 8 percent increase over the previous year."
"These are very high numbers to try and maintain," said Teresa Denny, Catholic Charities regional representative. "People are working two and three jobs but they aren't making a living wage."
The people who will be hurt most by the proposed cuts and in both taxes and programs are those who are barely hanging on in the first place: The young mother who depends on a child-care subsidy, the disabled who depend on Medicaid for health care; those who, despite their Link cards, still don't have enough for their families to eat.
Some religious leaders have raised their voices in protest.
Ministers from the Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran and United Church of Christ lambasted President Bush's proposed budget early last spring. They reminded our political leaders that to continue to ignore the poor will mean becoming like the "rich man" who pretended not to know the beggar Lazarus lying outside his gates.
The story in the 16th chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, the preachers said, "contains a warning that should deeply trouble those of us who live in a wealthy nation."
After the rich man dies and is sent to Hades, he implores Abraham to raise Lazarus from the dead and send him to his brothers so that they may be spared his torment.
"They have Moses and the prophets," Abraham replies. "They should listen to them." The rich man says, "No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent." And Abraham answers: "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."
The story, the religious leaders insist, makes clear that "perpetrating economic injustice is among the gravest of sins."
But Jesus recognizes our fatal flaw — a self-interest "so deeply ingrained in each one of us, that we will not renounce it, even should someone rise from the dead."
Bush's budget — the one supported by the majority Republican Congress — "takes Jesus' teaching on economic justice and stands it on its head," the pastors rail.
While agencies like Catholic Charities will continue to work in the trenches to meet the growing need among us, charitable efforts will continue to fall short in the face of incessant, grasping greed and the calculating callousness of the people we elect.
Even mercy — at least the human kind — can't make up for an immoral budget.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Millions of people are depending on you to call -- and it only takes a minute:
Use the toll-free number to reach the Capitol switchboard. After you are connected with a staff person at the office of your Representative or Senator, tell them:
"My name is _______________ and I live in (your town/city). I would like Representative/Senator [name] to vote NO on the final version of the budget cuts (the deal between the House and Senate bills - H.R.4241 and S.1932 ) . Do not allow billions in cuts to vital services for vulnerable people, including Medicaid, SSI, foster care, Food Stamps, and child support. These cuts are the wrong priorities. I also would like the Representative/Senator to announce to constituents that he/she opposes this bill."
If you can't get through on that line, please call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
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