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Letters to the Editor
Affordable housing needed
Twenty years ago, very few families were homeless. It was in the 1980s that family homelessness began to grow because there was less housing for people in the lower income bracket.
There is a shortage of affordable housing in the St. Cloud area. Families become homeless because they lose their jobs and do not have enough money to pay the bills. Other families become homeless due to mental or physical illnesses that prevent them from working. Media reports of a growing economy and low unemployment mask a number of important reasons why homelessness persists. In some areas of the country it is worsening. These reasons include stagnant or falling incomes and less secure jobs which offer fewer benefits. The declining value and availability of public assistance is another source of increasing poverty and homelessness. A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs have contributed to the current housing crisis and to homelessness.
The gap between the number of affordable housing units and the number of people needing them has created a housing crisis for poor people. Between 1995 and 1997, rents increased faster than income for the 20 percent of American households with the lowest incomes (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1999).
Policies to end homelessness must include jobs that pay livable wages. In order to work, families with children need access to quality child care that they can afford and adequate transportation. Education and training are also essential elements in preparing parents for better paying jobs to support their families. We would like to urge the diverse sectors of this university to support service needs of individuals and families with low income so we can prevent homelessness in the future.
For anyone interested in aiding the homeless, A Place for Hope (320) 203-7881, is an organization that is looking for volunteers and sponsors to help restore rooms in a boarding house type building that will provide shelter for the homeless.
Ruby Roomi
Sophomore, BCIS
Joseph Meemke
Sophomore, Finance
Becca Scully
Senior, Mass Communications
Juvenile prank hurt others
In the last weeks of the year when everyone is busy getting ready for graduation, going home or summer vacations, CAASA is in the midst of educating about Sexual Assault Awareness Month and helping to organize the community event Take Back the Night May 2.
Unfortunately, one portion of our campaign has undeservingly been targeted by childish pranks. I thought that people when going to college would eventually grow out of their middle school, adolescent, Beavis and Butthead "huh huh, it says ass" mentality. The display case in Atwood, which proudly read April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, now reads something that is nothing more than a mockery of everything that CAASA stands for. Educating the campus and community about the prevalence of Sexual Violence has been the organizations focal point for as long as it has existed. However, it is unfortunate that there are certain people who feel that acts of rape and violence towards women are merely over-exaggerated and humorous. The fact that one in three women and one in seven men will be the victims of sexual violence in their lifetime is not a laughing matter. I truly hope that the ignorant person(s) who decided to vandalize the display case so that they could get a quick laugh at every victim's expense are pleased with themselves and their crude humor. Although the word "ass" may have been funny to hear or see in seventh grade, grow up. Sexual assault is not funny.
Carrie Hewitt
Senior, Community Psychology
Consumption tax better fix
I am replying to the letter that was published about our splendid tax system ("Taxes pay our tuition," April 24). I believe it is good to publish opposing view points on taxation, but Mr. Anderson does not realize that our government has a severely flawed tax system. When people are upset over paying taxes, it's not because they have to shell out money for government programs or defense. But people are upset at the way our government taxes us and the way they turn around and spend our money like drunken sailors. It seems today that our government taxes people at every level possible. The majority of Americans first pay income taxes (some would say the government siphons your check before you receive it), then after we take the money the government allowed us to keep we pay taxes at our gas pumps, on products we consume and substances and many things we enjoy. Then every April millions of Americans run off to their accountants and attorneys trying to get their money through one of the holes. This tax system with thousands of loopholes has to end. Some people in our country are becoming excited for a consumption tax. There are currently 24 representatives in congress who support such a bill. A consumption tax would benefit everyone because of a 1% drop on the price of goods because of the elimination of taxes that cause businesses to raise prices. We the people would have to pay a 20% tax on goods we pay. This would be the only tax we would pay, like the way people from South Dakota pay their state taxes. There would be no more income tax, gas tax or thousands of other pointless unfairly projected taxes. For the last three years HR2525 The Fair Tax, a bill proposed in Washington, has been shot down because of heavy lobbying from the thousands of people who are employed by the IRS, tax accountants and tax attorneys who lobby in support of our current system. If a consumption tax law is passed these people's jobs will be eliminated from our government and society. Well I and thousands of others say good riddance to bad rubbish.
Andrew Huff
Junior, Finance/Economics
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