By Josef Kolosky 10/14/15
The
North Dakota Economic Security and Prosperity Alliance is a statewide
coalition supporting policies to alleviate North Dakota's poverty and
helping North Dakotans build assets for our future.
We urge North Dakotans to consider that this story does not constitute some "other North Dakota." This story is about all of us—our neighbors and family members, children in school with our children, families sitting next to us in houses of worship, children who eat the food in the backpacks we fill on Friday.
Perhaps teachers, police officers and hospital workers are not writing letters to the editor because they are unwilling to expose themselves to criticism and pity when they find themselves struggling to make ends meet—working a "good job" now paying a salary insufficient to meet basic needs.
North Dakotans are proud Midwesterners; it's not our style to talk about what we earn.
Every legislative session, each of us can help by changing the rules. Herald readers should contact their legislators to ask them what can be done to help people in poverty. Ask them if they supported policies that help people earn a living wage and even earn enough to save a little for the future.
In 2015, several bills would have helped but failed to pass: a state Earned Income Tax Credit, a minimum wage increase, a tipped worker wage increase and funding for Head Start programs for preschoolers living in families with low incomes.
We can do better for all North Dakotans.When we change the root causes of poverty through a combination of support services and effective public policies,we can and will lift people out of poverty.
Josef Kolosky
Mandan, N.D.
Kolosky, director of the West River Head Start program in Mandan, N.D., wrote this letter on behalf of the North Dakota Economic Security and Prosperity Alliance.
We urge North Dakotans to consider that this story does not constitute some "other North Dakota." This story is about all of us—our neighbors and family members, children in school with our children, families sitting next to us in houses of worship, children who eat the food in the backpacks we fill on Friday.
Perhaps teachers, police officers and hospital workers are not writing letters to the editor because they are unwilling to expose themselves to criticism and pity when they find themselves struggling to make ends meet—working a "good job" now paying a salary insufficient to meet basic needs.
North Dakotans are proud Midwesterners; it's not our style to talk about what we earn.
Every legislative session, each of us can help by changing the rules. Herald readers should contact their legislators to ask them what can be done to help people in poverty. Ask them if they supported policies that help people earn a living wage and even earn enough to save a little for the future.
In 2015, several bills would have helped but failed to pass: a state Earned Income Tax Credit, a minimum wage increase, a tipped worker wage increase and funding for Head Start programs for preschoolers living in families with low incomes.
We can do better for all North Dakotans.When we change the root causes of poverty through a combination of support services and effective public policies,we can and will lift people out of poverty.
Josef Kolosky
Mandan, N.D.
Kolosky, director of the West River Head Start program in Mandan, N.D., wrote this letter on behalf of the North Dakota Economic Security and Prosperity Alliance.
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