They have ended welfare benefits to nearly 6,000 families with over 13,000 children, leaving most of those families with no incomes other than food stamps. They have ended disability benefits to over 20,000 individuals who had already proven that they are too disabled to work.
Municipal and county-funded shelters had waiting lists throughout the summer and service providers are in tears as they describe having to turn families away.
One night at Occupy Olympia, a family showed up with nowhere to go. The mother was over nine months pregnant and had an appointment the following day to induce her labor. They had been staying at the family shelter, but when an elderly woman showed up they gave her their bed.
Luckily the activists at the park had an extra tent they were using for medical care and the family was able to stay warm and dry that night.
Gov. Gregoire and the Washington Legislature have the opportunity this legislative session to heed the worldwide cry of the 99 percent and create a budget that puts people first. The direction from their constituency is clear.
In the meantime, they need to find short-term fixes for those whose lives they have devastated. Surely empty state buildings could be used to get people out of the snow, rain and freezing weather. It is truly a matter of life and death.
