By The TimesLedger
An unlikely convergence in recent weeks of unrelated events leads us to question whether the social “safety net” that we take so much for granted is broad enough and strong to weather the difficult times that lie ahead.
On Saturday, 800,000 people saw their unemployment benefits run out. President Bush has asked Congress to grant another 13-week extension for those workers whose benefits have run out. How many of those workers live in Queens? How many will find a job in the next three weeks?
In last week's papers, we reported that Queens lost $250 million in unclaimed food stamp benefits, even as many of the borough's poorest residents are going hungry. Earlier in the year we reported that food pantries, soup kitchens and other nonprofit organizations reported that their food supplies were low, even as the demand continues to grow.
In a double whammy, the service providers say that they are facing major cuts in funding from the government at a time when donations from the private sector reached an all-time low thanks to 9/11 and the city's staggering economy.
On Dec. 19, a woman was brutally beaten allegedly by a handful of homeless Latin American immigrants living in makeshift shelters near the tracks of the Long Island Rail Road. There are reports that the number of homeless has reached a record high.
Like most New Yorkers, we have always taken comfort in the knowledge that in this city no one need ever go hungry. We have believed that any homeless person who wants to can always find a warm bed to sleep in and three hot meals in one of the many shelters run by the city or private organizations.
No one should have to shiver beneath the shelter of a cardboard box. No family should go hungry. But the safety net now appears alarmingly fragile. There soon may not be enough food in the soup kitchens and pantries to feed the growing numbers of the hungry.
At the government level, push has already come to shove. Unless New Yorkers are willing to shoulder even higher taxes, the city agencies will be forced to cut social services. This includes money for homeless shelters and money to feed the poor.
As government shrinks, we must be increasingly vigilant in the private sector to make certain that inconvenience does not turn to tragedy. As a community we must be committed to making sure that no person and no family falls through that safety net.
Editorial: What we said
State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) recently responded by letter to an editorial in which we questioned the way in which funding is distributed by the state to local communities. We questioned the concept of “member items” in which money is doled out based on the party affiliation and seniority of the respective legislator.
We used Padavan as an example because, as a powerful member of the Republican-led Senate, he gets more money than most senators. We did not suggest that the organizations that Padavan funds are not worthy. Nor do we blame the senator for using what we consider to be a corrupt process to benefit his constituents.
We did challenge Padavan to use his influence in Albany to change the way funding is distributed to community organizations. We believe that the funding should be based on need rather than the party and seniority of a senator or assembly member representing a given district. For the sake of good government, we are asking Padavan to help kill the goose that lays the golden egg in his district.
