Sorry, kid. It doesn't matter how cute you are.
They're still cutting your health care and education.
America's already-fragile safety net has been taking a beating recently at both the federal and state levels—jobs and infrastructure legislation that would restart the economy is routinely blocked, Catfood Commission II has all manner of
devastating proposals, and even widely popular programs like
food stamps and
Pell Grants come under attack from Republicans.
Now, a new report, State Budget Cuts: America's Kids Pay the Price, details the impact that federal- and state-level cuts are having on kids, and it is brutal. As expansions of health care for kids through SCHIP and a range of education, nutrition, and safety programs passed in 2009 expire, not only is Congress not renewing the funding, but Republicans are pushing further cuts to programs like WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children). With state budgets already in trouble because of the weak economy and Congress refusing needed federal support, children are losing out in just about every state.
- In Scott Walker's Wisconsin, Head Start, K-12 education, and child care are all getting hammered, emergency funding to needy families is being cut, and the "Earned Income Tax Credit for 152,000 families with two or more children [is being cut] by 21 percent, which equals an average credit cut of $518 for families with three or more children and $154 for families with two children."
- In Rick Scott's Florida, tens of thousands of children will be affected by cuts to child care, while at the other end of childhood, teenagers may find they can't go to college because of a 15 percent increase in tuition, raising the total tuition increase since 2009 to 32 percent.
- In Minnesota, where Republicans forced a state government shutdown to extract cuts to services rather than asking the state's 7,700 highest earners to pay slightly more in taxes, 51,000 kids will be affected by cuts to child care providers and programs for abused and neglected children.
- Washington, home state of Catfood Commission II member Sen. Patty Murray, is cutting "funding for class size reduction, early learning programs, and teacher professional development by more than $1 billion, an amount equal to $1,100 per student." In fellow commission member Rep. James Clyburn's South Carolina, the state will be spending $840 less per student than the amount called for by its own funding formula.
Other states are cutting Medicaid, shifting to a four day school week, kicking poor kids out of a program to help them buy school clothes, and more. Just about any program out there that was intended to educate or protect kids or to help families feed or care for their children is being slashed. In just about every case, Republicans are much worse, actively fighting for these cuts and worse. But too many Democrats are complicit, at least in their refusal to fight for funding and make the case to the public that these programs benefit us all.