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Show TROUBLES WITH NATIONAL WELFARE REFORM For months, our L~N lobbyists in Washington have concentrated their efforts on getting a good welfare reform bill (HR ·· i) ~· • But they have been fru~tra,tecl by the proposals of ·the Senate Finance Committee. · Instead of stream,lin~rg ,welfare administration, the Committee is proposing to add two . _ more federal agencies, the Internal Revenus Service and a new Federal ·-,·. EmJ?J,oyqient Corporation, to the unwieldy 54 state administratqrs system we _, :;. •.,µ'13,ve now. What is the Federal Employment Corporation? - It .would be established to employ poor people at $1.20 per hour. This, of course, is below the minimum wage and would undercut the goal of a living wage, . locking people into poverty. At this point UN can no longer support HR 1. Instead we .· will be working for the Ribicoff Substitute on the Senate floor, hoping ·to effect a net gain in the opportunities for poor people to move out of povertyo NOW ABOUT TH.' T $700. . . . Did you know the National Convention spent over 7o% ·of their convening hours discussing financial ·problems? All Leagues--national 9 state and local-are , f ,inding the financial pinch painful. Those of you who have not -· been active .on the League Boards over the past few .years may not have re"alized .• •. that m'oney has been one of your Board's 1a~:-gest p;roblefl':3 . !t i.s difficuH • to increase communi.t y services and to improve th~ quality of program study without sufficient financial support. Two years. ago .· it was !"'ealized that the nFiftieth Drive," as successful as it was, wou~d not be the answer we had hoped ,.tor .. This :was particularly true after the 1970 Convention voted • to: dip, considerably into National Reserves, the effect of which was to eat up .mo~t of the Fiftieth funds. The 1972 Convention decision to assess· local leagues $4 per member for LWVUS means: that the Salt Lake League will need an additional $600-700 for the. 1972-73 budget year. There are several alternatives availableg we cari find. additional community support i those members who are fin·a ncially able can increase their contributions or those who have hot contributed in the past can begin doing so nowi we can raise our annual membership duesi we can begin money-making projectso Clearly, the National Board heard the cries, demancs ,and directions of the delegates at the Convention. It was told where to cut the budget, . and it was told that when costs zoom, they should continue to cut and are not to touch reserves. Now it is time for your voice to be heard for direction to your Local Board. At our June 12 Board meet:iig, we will decide hqw we will try to create the additional revenue. We want your . ideas now. Please call any Board member and let her know your positive feelings now. The decision to raise $700 has been made; the decision on how to do it is before · us. --Gina Rieke salt ·lake voter 6/72 P• 3 |
