Greetings USED KARMA readers - and those of you who access this column through John Derrickson's PsyPlan(tm) site (http://www.psyplan.com)! As I write this during the new moon in Leo, I am struck by the farcical nature of human existence. Normally we are all rushing around trying to meet our various obligations to ourselves and others, pursue our dreams, sustain interpersonal relationships and keep our bodies clean. Last month's column examined the effects of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in Retrograde. In addition, Jupiter is now Retrograde, and Mercury reverses course at the beginning of August. This frustration of forward motion is to force us to stop and go internal for guidance, wisdom and vision. Now that I understand what was holding things up during the last Moon cycle, I realize the only way to write this month's column is to trust one's intuition and study current events and try to get a larger perspective on planetary consciousness.
Regular Psychicbabble readers are aware of the cosmic cleansing forces that are focusing themselves on our corner of this dimension of this particular Universe -- whatever that may be. Modern medical use of lasers assures us that light can be most valuable in medical diagnosis and healing on an individual basis. When nature wants to heal a planet, she sends a photon belt. Photons are light particles, so right now our planet - indeed our entire solar system - is being cleansed and purified as we travel through this band of cosmic light. The five current planetary Retrogrades are forcing us to get in touch with ourselves and receive information directly and from the Earth. Thus the photon belt is not only evolving individual consciousness, but planetary consciousness as well. If humanity is to survive the coming Earth changes, we must listen to the Earth and incorporate her wisdom into our consciousness.
Hey, kids! Get a load of this!
From: Same Boat Coalition <sameboat@igc.apc.org>
Subject: ALERT: FAMILY CAP
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ALERT
July 23, 1998
BILL TO OVERTURN "FAMILY CAP" OPTION INTRODUCED
HOUSE COSPONSORS NEEDED!
BACKGROUND
On June 16, 1998, Representatives Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Donald Payne (D-NJ) introduced legislation to effectively stop states from implementing family cap policies. The bill (H.R. 4066) would deny federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to any state which has or plans to institute a family cap. Under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), states were given the option to implement the policy, which denies benefits to children born into families receiving welfare. To date, 23 states have exercised that option. They include: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
H.R. 4066 was introduced following a $1 million study of the cap in New Jersey by Rutgers University. The Rutgers study linked the family cap provision with an increase in the abortion rate. While the rest of the country showed a decline in the rate of abortions, New Jersey's rate went up by approximately 240 per year. As a result, since 1993, nearly 900 abortions have occurred in New Jersey due to the family cap. The report highlighted the terrible struggles women faced because of the family cap, some having unwanted abortions because of the lack of resources to care for another child, others trying to make their meager resources stretch to care for their new baby along with the rest of their families.1, 2.
Doesn't it strike you as odd that, in a Congress heavily comprised of rabidly anti-abortion congresspeople legislation gets passed that actually encourages abortion? Odd, isn't it? Or is it? Is the Congress against abortion or in favor of curbing the population of poor people?
Yes, friends - it's true. There is a civil war going on in this country, and it's being waged against poor people. Of course, this is a blatant violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law. On the other hand, there has never been a lawsuit seeking to designate poor folks as a protected class under the statute and existing case law interpreting that statute. Perhaps it's time to plan such action.
In addition to the purely moral justifications for such action, there are practical considerations as well. Not only is it just plain wrong for rich folks to discriminate against poor folks, but it is contrary to their best interests. After all, if these wackos succeed in significantly curbing the poor population, then who is going to mow their lawns for $6.00 an hour? Who is going to clean their houses, drive their cars, cook their meals and change their children's diapers? Hatred toward and discrimination against poor people is so absurd it would be humorous if it were not so deranged and mean-spirited.
As always, please feel free to share your opinions on this and anything cluttering cyberspace under the Psychicbabble moniker.
Copyright 1998 Marcy J. Gordon. All rights reserved. The author wants you to know you are free to copy and distribute this article for noncommercial purposes, provided you reproduce it in its entirety and credit the author. For quotation permission, please contact the author at mgordon@pipeline.com.
This article represents the author's personal views and in no way shape or form reflects upon the author's employer, although the author's employer is very cool. See http://www.ericmarder.com.
1. CURRENT COSPONSORS
Lead Sponsors:
Christopher Smith (R-NJ)
Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Co-Sponsors:
Bob Filner (D-CA)
Tony Hall (D-OH)
Mike Pappas (R-NJ)
Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Edolphus Towns (D-NY)
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
2. ACTION NEEDED
CONTACT HOUSE MEMBERS: URGE COSPONSORSHIP!
Worth Noting: If not for the effectiveness of our collective advocacy during consideration of (PRWORA), ALL 50 STATES would now have family caps. You may recall that the original welfare proposal made the cap mandatory. Now we have an opportunity to finish the job!
By Letter. SAMPLE LETTER BELOW (Feel free to modify as you see fit).
- For all Representatives: The Honorable (first name, last name), U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.
- Fax numbers and e-mail addresses can be accessed via NASW's website: www.socialworkers.org.
By Telephone. SAMPLE VERBAL MESSAGE BELOW (Feel free to modify as you see fit).
- All House Members can be reached through the Capitol switchboard: 202-225-3121.
- Direct line numbers can be accessed via NASW's website: www.socialworkers.org.
- When you call, ask to speak to the staff person handling welfare issues. If staff is unavailable, leave a message on voice mail or with the receptionist.
By District Visit. Many Representatives will spend time in their home districts during the August congressional recess.
- The House recess is scheduled for August 10-September 8.
- Call your Member's district or Washington office to schedule meetings (ask for the scheduler) or attend open forums in which you can ask for support for repeal of the family cap.
SAMPLE LETTER
Date
The Honorable (first name, last name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative (last name):
I urge you to cosponsor legislation that would effectively stop states from implementing "family cap" policies. Under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, states were given the option to implement the policy, which denies benefits to children born into families receiving welfare. To date, nearly half the states have exercised that option.
Representatives Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Donald Payne (D-NJ) have introduced legislation, H.R. 4066, that would deny Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to states with family cap policies. The bill was introduced following a $1 million study of the cap in New Jersey by Rutgers University that found that the policy increased abortion rates among welfare recipients in the state. According to Rep. Smith, "When you take away the incremental assistance for a new baby, one of two things will happen: the woman will have an abortion, or the family will descend further into poverty."
Therefore, supporters of H.R. 4066 include those who oppose abortion, oppose pushing families into deeper poverty, support a woman's right to make reproductive choices and/or support economic justice. Many conveniently ignore the fact that the federal government provides financial assistance for children born to the majority of families through deductions in the tax code. Under a family cap, new parents on welfare who have no tax liability are denied such assistance.
It is time to recognize that the family cap experiment has failed. I look forward to your support of H.R. 4066.
Sincerely,
SAMPLE VERBAL MESSAGE
I am calling to urge Representative (last name) to cosponsor legislation that would effectively stop states from implementing "family cap" policies. Representatives Christopher Smith (R-NJ) and Donald Payne (D-NJ) have introduced a bill, H.R. 4066, that would deny Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to states with family cap policies. A study by Rutgers University found that the family cap policy increased abortion rates among welfare recipients in New Jersey and forced other families, who did not abort their children, into deeper poverty. H.R. 4066 would put an end to a failed policy. I look forward to Rep. (last name's) support.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO ENHANCE YOUR ADVOCACY
- The additional assistance per child varies from state to state, but the median is $57 per month. Out of this the mother must pay for the child's clothing, shoes, diapers and other baby supplies, laundry, and bus fare for medical checkups. According to statistics compiled by Catholic Charities in 1994, the low-end costs for these items total $88.50 per month. So the mother is $31.50 in the hole even before she begins paying for the child's other expenses.
- Research has proven that proper care, stimulation and nutrition are critical for the successful development of children from birth to age three. A family cap prevents children born into poverty from receiving the care desperately needed at such a young age.
- According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the majority of pregnancies among poor women are unplanned and most mothers on welfare have small families - an average of 2.6 children in 1993.
Summary Findings of the Rutgers Study: Compiled by The Campaign to Repeal the New Jersey Family Cap
- The family cap has no effect on conception. It does, however, affect a woman's decision whether to give birth or to have an abortion.
- Under the family cap, there was a six percent increase in the quarterly abortion rate from 1991 to 1996 among women in New Jersey receiving welfare. At the same time, the quarterly abortion rate among the general population in New Jersey fell 24.4 percent.
- The family cap has added 240 abortions a year over the number of abortions that would have been expected without the family cap.
- The family cap disproportionately affects African-American women receiving welfare. The abortion rate of African-American women has increased at a greater rate than the rate of non-African-American women.
- From September 1993-December 1996, nearly 19,000 children in New Jersey were denied benefits because of the family cap. As of December 1997, the number of children born under the family cap and denied benefits was 25,668.
- The percentage of welfare cases with children not receiving assistance because of the family cap rose steadily from zero percent in September 1993 to 12 percent in December 1996.
- African-Americans receiving welfare were more likely than non-African-Americans to have children denied welfare assistance because of the family cap.
QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK
Cynthia Woodside, Government Relations Associate
National Association of Social Workers
750 First Street, NE, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20002-4241
Phone: 800-638-8799, ext. 324.
Fax: 202-336-8311.
E-mail: cwoodsid@naswdc.org. Please note there is no "e" on woodside in e-mail address.
Psychicbabble is a service mark of Marcy J. Gordon Copyright © 1998 Marcy J. Gordon Webmaster - John G. Derrickson - 1998AUG23 PsyPlan is a trademark of Psychic Planner, Inc.
Psychicbabble Archives