4 February 2012 Holes in the safety nets

         

          It comes as no surprise that Romney has publically expressed disdain and disregard for the poor Americans.  His promise to repair the social safety nets designed and implemented to protect the poor rings extremely hollow. 

          The safety nets in question include those designed to provide housing, food, health care, education, job training, and other programs intended to keep a large segment of the U.S. populace from falling into Dickensian conditions of poverty. The programs called for the various states to use federal funds to administer many aspects of the safety nets.  But years of GOP defunding along with increased need for services have left the states with nothing to provide except reductions in levels of services.  Many people now depend upon food banks and other charities for sustenance.  There is much less charitable contribution of housing and health care.  And some services can’t be and shouldn’t be provided by charities and churches. 

          For instance, family planning can be regarded as essential for purposes of mental and physical health, housing, education, and many other common needs.  However, Catholic and fundamentalist churches are opposed to birth control in many or all form.  Allowing them to limit services provided by other charities is essentially cutting out huge segments of the social safety nets while allowing the teavangelists to deny responsibility for reduction in services. 

          Are we ready to bring back the workhouses, perhaps under the guise of returning jobs to America?  If Chinese factory workers on manual assembly lines can pull 35 hour shifts. Are American workers any less capable?