America’s prosperity has grown enormously since 1964, yet the wealth has been unequally shared, write Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, and Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, in a recent op-ed. And policy makers appear to have replaced the war on poverty be with a war on the poor. In 2013, Congress let SNAP benefits fall for all recipients, and failed to renew emergency unemployment compensation for 1.3 million long-term unemployed. These programs not only assist Americans in their times of need, but also help stimulate the economy. According to USDA and Moody’s Analytics estimates, every SNAP dollar creates $1.73 in economic growth impact, while 13,718 jobs disappear for every $1 billion in SNAP cuts. Ending jobless benefits will, according to the Council of Economic Advisors, eliminate 240,000 jobs in 2014.
Source: The Hill, 1/8/14, War on the Poor
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