On Feb. 26 we held an action and press conference to say, “Double the grants. Give Aid to All in Need. Give Back the  Surplus.” WRC has a bill to DOUBLE the welfare grants. After the  protest  we distributed “Past Due” notices and talking points to every MN Representative.  The budget surplus is $1.8 billion. Yet the politicians are not talking about REALLY helping the poor. Here is the WRC statement from Feb. 26. It was read by Tahsha Jackson.

We are here today to tell the MN legislators to pass our bill DOUBLE the welfare grants. STOP the time limit. Give Aid to All in Need!

We’re here today, the day before the February forecast comes out, to say the time is PAST DUE to double the grants.  Tomorrow’s forecast is expected to show a surplus of nearly $1 billion dollars. Yet, in this “state of surplus” our families are living in EXTREME poverty and in homelessness.

We have a message for the politicians: “That surplus was built on our backs!” We have suffered year after year without an increase. Our kids have suffered year after year. Lots of us can’t get any help at all.  That surplus represents years and years of pain, and WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK!

The Welfare Rights Committee has bills to double the grants. We got them introduced right after the session started. There is another bill to raise the grants by $100, starting 16 months from now…but that’s too little and it is definitely too late. We’re fine if they pass that one AND our bill. We have been fighting to raise the grants for years.  Pass our bill to double the grants NOW!

What’s been the politicians’ big debate this month at the capitol? Whether the governor’s rich cronies can stand to wait 6 months for a salary increase. Six months. We have been waiting 29 YEARS! The governor’s people will be earning $150,000 per year – that’s over $12 THOUSAND per month! And yet the babies in this state are living in poverty,  year, after year, after year.

The politicians and poverty pimps know the situation, but most are making proposals that just tinker around the edges of what really needs to be done. We don’t need band aids, we need stitches. It’s like the house is on fire, but they aren’t saving the babies. They aren’t looking for a fire extinguisher. They aren’t even calling 911. They’re across the street at Sears checking out lawn tractors. The house is on fire people! Do something real!
Double the Grants! Stop the time limit! Give Aid to All in Need.