New Freedom Bus Tour

Freedom From Unemployment, Hunger and Homelessness

Milwaukee, WI

The freedom bus stopped in the Central United Methodist Church of Milwaukee, Wisconson. We were welcomed by representatives of the Interfaith conference ! of greater Milwaukee, the W-2 coalition, the Hmong-American Freindship Association, and other organizations. "Wisconson Works," the state's welfare program, has received national and international attention as a model of welfare reform. But testimony given in the church's sanctuary made it clear that Wisconson Works has resulted in tragedy for poor people across Wisconson, with more on the way.

We heard testimony from people with disabilities who have been devastated by welfare reform. One woman with a five year old child developed severe, untreatable seizures. Unable to hold down a job, she went on social security. With welfare reform, her SSI income was cut, and she was no longer able to meet her and her childs basic needs. She survives by ! paying over half her income on rent and is becoming unable to pay for basic needs like electricity and milk. Others gave similar stories. When one parent facing these problems asked a legislator "What if I can't take care of my kids?" the answer was clear and true to what's going on across the country: "The state will take them away and take care of them for you."

One woman had a thirteen year-old son with serious cerebral palsey who needed constant supervision. With welfare reform, she was required to take a job that didn't pay a living wage, but was no longer eligible for childcare. She was faced with an impossible choice: give up her only means of support, or leave her disabled child at home with only her other children ! to supervise him. Choosing the latter, she took a job at Pizza Hut. While she was at work one day, her disabled son was left alone while her other kid went to the store. The child was scalded to death in a bathtub.

We heard testimony from the Hmong-American Friendship Association. When welfare reform first passed, legal immigrants like the Hmong were cut off all forms of public assistance. There were stories of people who had committed suicide because, with no income, they saw no other options. Others stayed alive, but had to struggle with starvation, filling their empty stomachs with water to get through the day.

Wisconso! n has cut thousands off of its welfare. No one has tracked exactly what has happened to these families, but its clear that thousands have not moved out of poverty. Shelters in Milwaukee are overflowing, and there are so many homeless children that shelters have become regular stops for school buses.

READ Cheri Honkala's speech to the church.

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