Posts Tagged social safety net

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Fort Lauderdale is arresting people for the crime of giving food to the homeless

“One of the police officers said, ‘Drop that plate right now,’ as if I were carrying a weapon.” 

Last month, Fort Lauderdale, Florida passed a new local ordinance making it illegal to give food to the homeless in public. And now Arnold Abbott, a 90-year-old advocate and soup kitchen volunteer, and two local pastors have been arrested under the law and are facing 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. 

“One of the police officers said, ‘Drop that plate right now,’ as if I were carrying a weapon.” 

Last month, Fort Lauderdale, Florida passed a new local ordinance making it illegal to give food to the ...

Chart of the Day: Blame US policies, not single mothers, for child poverty

Single mothers in the US are disproportionately likely to be poor — a fact that some like to point to explain why we have such god awful rates of child poverty. The US ranks 34 out of 35 developed countries in terms of number of children living in poverty, which should be a national scandal but isn’t. Conservatives — who like to wring their hands about the plight of single mothers without actually asking them what they need (like, maybe health insurance?) — think marriage is the magic bullet. The federal government has spent nearly one billion dollars since 2001 on marriage promotion — a colossal waste of money. Just recently, a Heritage Foundation panel said ...

Single mothers in the US are disproportionately likely to be poor — a fact that some like to point to explain why we have such god awful rates of child poverty. The US ranks 34 out of ...