Hurting the poor

President Bill Clinton sought to end welfare as we knew it. Since then, Republicans have gleefully rolled back funding of programs that assist the poorest.

There’s no dispute that poverty breeds ill physical and mental health, crime and social costs that burden all of us. Yet for the first time, African-American children living in poverty outnumber white children in poverty despite their overwhelming numeric minority.

What do legislators cutting back on programs to help the poor expect from this ratio? A bonanza for the corporations that run private prisons and accelerated bankruptcy for Medicaid.

This story was originally published July 16, 2015 at 7:50 PM with the headline "Hurting the poor."