Funding uncertainty takes toll on state’s poorest residents, By Madeleine Baran, May 12, 2010, Minnesota Public Radio: ” Robert Fischer started out last year with big plans to improve his health, find a job, and get off welfare. But the Minneapolis resident decided to put those plans on hold when Gov. Tim Pawlenty began to propose deep cuts in assistance programs for poor people. Like dozens of other Minnesotans living in poverty, Fischer threw himself into organizing against the cuts, holding meetings at homeless shelters, speaking with legislators, and educating himself on public policy. For Fischer, there was a lot at stake. He faced losing his medical coverage when Pawlenty removed funding for General Assistance Medical Care last year. In February, he learned that the governor wanted to eliminate his only source of income — $203 a month from a program called General Assistance…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty