Jill Stein on Welfare & Poverty

	Jill Stein on Welfare & Poverty Green Party presidential nominee; Former Challenger for MA Governor

Millions thrown off food stamps because they can't find work

Republicans have long been recognized as unabashed servants of the economic elite. But they have not been alone. Democratic priorities [include] job-killing corporate trade agreements, austerity budgets, health care reform that locked single payer out and private profits in, privatization of schools, expanding wars for oil and regime change, and unprecedented assaults on privacy and press freedoms.

As a result of this bipartisan assault, we have not had a recovery by any measure. One in two Americans remain in or near poverty including half of children in public schools. One in three seniors relies on Social Security to stay afloat. Wages are stagnant or declining, and real unemployment is nearly 10%, twice as high as the official rate. Forty-three million current and former students are locked in debt. Thirty-three million Americans are still uninsured, and up to a million more Americans will be thrown off food stamps (SNAP) this year, unbelievably, because they can't find work.

Source: Green Party response to 2016 State of the Union speech , Jan 12, 2016

Economic human rights: food, water, & housing

End Poverty: Guarantee economic human rights, including access to food, water, housing, and utilities, with effective anti-poverty programs to ensure every American a life of dignity.

Jobs as a Right: Create living-wage jobs for every American who need

Source: 2016 presidential campaign website, jill2016.com, "Plan" , Jun 25, 2015

Right to affordable housing: expand rental & home assistance

We will honor the right to decent affordable housing, including an immediate halt to all foreclosures and evictions. We will create a federal bank with local branches to take over homes with distressed mortgages and either restructure the mortgages to affordable levels, or if the occupants cannot afford a mortgage, rent homes to the occupants. We will expand rental and home ownership assistance, create ample public housing, and capital grants to non-profit developers of affordable housing until all people can obtain decent housing at no more than 25% of their income.

We will honor the right to accessible and affordable utilities--heat, electricity, phone, internet, and public transportation--which will be made available to all through democratically run, publicly owned utilities that operate at cost, not for profit.

In honoring these rights we will create the basis for a new economy--an economy that is stable and not vulnerable to speculation.

Source: Green Party 2012 People's State of the Union speech , Jan 25, 2012

Don't prevent church-based welfare, but not as substitute

Q: Should churches be allowed to provide welfare services that are currently provided by the federal government?

A: We don't believe in substituting church programs for service that should be provided by government but we never oppose having a church do one particular thing. Should the government pull back and allow churches to provide services? That quickly becomes inherently discriminatory toward anyone not affiliated with that church.

Source: 2011 OnTheIssues interview with Jill Stein , Dec 21, 2011

Affordable housing & community development

Encourage community economic development
Support affordable housing, not real estate speculation
Create jobs through just, sustainable development

Source: Campaign web site, JillForGov.org, "Issues" , Nov 24, 2001