Workers Emergency Recovery Campaign

In Support of Point 9 of 10-Point Platform

9) Defend and expand the rights and economic security of those unable to work. Grant living-wage  benefits to single parents, disabled, seniors, and the unemployed. End the arbitrary, punitive time limits, sanctions, denial of education, and forced unwaged workfare in the TANF welfare program.

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1.7 million people in the United States now live with zero income in great part because of the deadly policies of TANF or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.  Far more women must now stay with a batterer who supports a family because of TANF’s deadly policies — and at least 5 million single moms have been removed from and denied access to post-secondary education to support their families since the enactment of TANF. In addition, the unwaged workfare that moms must work to receive a puny TANF check has kept wages low for ALL low-wage workers and has eliminated many positions: moms work for 20 hours — no pay — at all headstart programs and public schools here in Milwaukee. Why hire anyone when you have all the free workers you want?

No one gets through life without needing public economic support sometime — whether as children, elders, disabled, injured workers, unemployed, sick, part-time/temp workers etc.

Pat Gowens, Editor,
Mother Warriors Voice
www.welfarewarriors.org

Mother Warriors Voice is a 22-year-old, international quarterly news journal that gives a voice to mothers to tell their stories and reports on worldwide resistance in the war on the poor from an activist, mothers-in-poverty perspective.