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Poor shouldn’t bear brunt of state budget fix |
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By Joe Towalski
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Wednesday, 07 January 2009 |
On the World Day of Peace Jan. 1, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the need to live simply and work toward ending the poverty that threatens our brothers and sisters around the world.
 Editorial
Joe Towalski
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He referred to two kinds of poverty — one that is chosen as a way of life to demonstrate love for God and love for others, and another that isn’t chosen but is unfortunately experienced by millions of people around the world.
The latter kind of poverty is one “that impedes people and families
from living according to their dignity, a poverty that offends justice
and equality,” the pope said. It is a poverty that God does not want
for his people and that we, as Christians, are called to fight.
It is a poverty that is perpetuated by the greed and selfishness of the
powerful and the comfortable who forget about Christ’s command to care
for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked and the prisoner.
It
is a poverty that is often foisted on innocent children and parents
who, through no fault of their own, are faced with layoffs, mounting
medical expenses and a lack of good educational opportunities.
Cutting programs that help people meet basic daily needs and break the cycle of poverty is not the way to get the state back on the right economic track
It
is a poverty that sometimes occurs because people make poor decisions
or get caught in the downward spiral of dangerous addictions. These are
people in need of someone to reaffirm their self-worth and help turn
their lives around.
Budget challenges
Pope
Benedict’s message was global in its scope, but it offers an important
reminder as the Minnesota Legislature begins its 2009 session in light
of the state’s multibillion-dollar budget shortfall. While lawmakers
will have to make difficult decisions to balance the budget, they
shouldn’t do it at the expense of Minnesota’s poorest and most
vulnerable residents.
Cutting programs that help people meet
basic daily needs and break the cycle of poverty is not the way to get
the state back on the right economic track. Neither is forcing
charities — many of which are already serving record numbers of clients
— to stretch their resources even further.
Organizations such as
the Minnesota Catholic Conference and the Catholic Charities Office
for Social Justice will be working hard this session to protect
programs and initiatives that benefit poor and low-income families and
individuals.
At a prayer service thanking God for the blessings
of 2008, Pope Benedict said Christians should trust in God and resolve
to help one another in the new year.
“This year closes with the
awareness of a growing social and economic crisis, which now involves
the whole world; it is a crisis that requires of everyone more
moderation and solidarity, especially to help people and families in
greater difficulty,” the pope said.
That’s a message that every Minnesotan, including every state lawmaker, should take to heart.
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