National Welfare Rights Union Eight Position Points to Dismantle Poverty in the U.S.

The National Welfare Rights Union is an organization of, by, and for the poor in the United States and beyond. We are building a social movement committed to ending poverty and ensuring a better world for our children and ourselves. We are dedicated to unity among low-income, public assistance recipients, and the unemployed.

National Welfare Rights Union Eight Position Points to Dismantle Poverty in the U.S.

www.nationalwru.org

America’s poor and disenfranchised are languishing in the misery of rising poverty, a circumstance mostly ignored across the country. A nation that does not have a concrete plan for the elimination of poverty is a country that is prepared to tolerate poverty, and is doomed to failure.

The following points were discussed by the National Welfare Rights Union (NWRU), the recognized representatives that speak for the victims of poverty. At our recent retreat/conference, the following eight position points were drafted and unanimously voted upon. We respectfully submit them to the Presidential Candidates as the foundation on which to start dismantling poverty in the U.S. The National Welfare Rights Union also believes that “8 is enough.”

(1) A Guaranteed Annual Income

All residents of the U.S. will be eligible for a guaranteed annual income to protect them from falling below the poverty level.

(2) Universal Health Care with a Single-Payee

All residents will be eligible for a single-payee health care system funded by the federal government. We oppose private insurance that profits off of the medical conditions of low-income, uninsured people.

(3) Nationalization of Child Care

All children should be eligible for free, quality child care. We also support a living wage for child care providers.

(4) Nationalization of Education, Including the Headstart Program

All residents will be entitled to education from birth to death. The Headstart Program must be preserved, funding must be increased, and eligibility should be expanded.

(5) Nationalization of Utilities

All utilities including electricity, natural gas, heating fuels, water, alternative energy, and communications should be properties of the public domain and not subject to privatization. All forms of communication, such as telephones and Internet access should be included.

(6) Nationalization of Housing

Everyone has a right to a home. It is the duty of the government to provide affordable housing for all residents, and provide periodic maintenance and upgrades. We recommend a permanent moratorium on the demolition of public housing.

(7) Nationalization of Public Mass Transit

All forms of mass, rapid transit should be fully accessible (including to those with physical disabilities,) and affordable to all residents in communities across the country. Routes must include access to major transportation hubs with connecting routes in small and large communities.

(8) Troop Withdrawal from Iraq, Afghanistan, and No New Deployments

The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have depleted the American economy with no end in sight. Poor people have disproportionately suffered from the last eight years of these costly deployments physically, emotionally, and financially.

THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS SHOULD FOCUS ON METHODS OF PEACE AND FUNDS SHOULD BE REDIRECTED TOWARD THE ELIMINATION OF POVERTY.

The National Welfare Rights Union is the union for low-income persons and public assistance recipients in the United States of North America. Following the National Welfare Rights Organization, the NWRU was reorganized in 1987 to represent the interests of lowincome

people, and to continue the work to eliminate poverty. The NWRU has chapters across the U.S. and affiliations with other antipoverty groups outside the boundaries of the nation.

NWRU 23 E. Adams, 4th Floor, Detroit, Michigan 48226. Phone (313) 964-0618. Fax (313) 964-2600