Brownback must reverse food stamp policy
Barb ShellyGov. Sam Brownback envisions Kansas as a state where the taxes are low, government is small and opportunities are bountiful.
But surely the route to this land of plenty doesn’t involve denying food aid to children.
As this story details, immigrant parents who lack documentation to be in the U.S. but whose children are U.S. citizens have been distressed to learn that the state of Kansas has cut off food stamp aid for their children.
Brownback didn’t comment for The Star’s story, but the policy originated in the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, whose controversial director, Rob Siedlecki, resigned at the end of December.
Brownback has vowed to curb child poverty in Kansas, including through an initiative promoting marriage. Cutting off food aid certainly conflicts with that goal. It is simply cruel to deny children healthy food and nutrition because their parents are in the country illegally.
The parents quoted in The Star’s story, like most undocumented immigrants, work at low-paying jobs. They are here because the circumstances in their home nations are desperate, and because the United States has a tacit bargain with undocumented workers. We like cheap food and consumer goods and we appease businesses by tolerating wages too low for families to pay their bills. So both U.S. citizens and undocumented workers seek help to put food on the table. It’s not a system we should be proud of, but it’s what we’ve got.
Brownback, a former U.S. senator, used to favor sensible, compassionate policies in regards to undocumented immigrants. For a time, he favored a federal law allowing the children of undocumented immigrants to attend college and follow a path to citizenship. That has changed. Brownback no longer favors Dream Act legislation, possibly because it’s not a popular position for a governor with his sights on something bigger. But Brownback hasn’t overly pushed anti-immigrant legislation as governor, either.
So this is a decision point. Brownback won’t be able to remain silent on the food stamp issue for very long. He needs to either reverse the department’s policy or stand by it. If he does the latter, he is signaling that political ambition means more to him than compassion. And that decision will haunt him as long as he remains in office.
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Mark Robertson
1 month agoBarb, if only you cared as much about children in the womb. You obvioulsy weren’t bothered by the rabidly pro-abortion Kathleen Sebelius, in fact you often defended her pro-abortion stance, and criticized her detractors, including Archbishop Naumann, as I believe I recall.
Most all of us want children to be fed. Private charity is an answer. There are many organizations that help with food for the poor.
By the way, will the Star, for a change, cover today’s March for Life today in Washington D.C.? There will be over 400,000 marchers. Over two-thirds will be young people. Other that Fox News, there is mostly a news blackout for this annual great and amazing event. Surprise! surprise! Thank you. Mark Robertson Independence
George Hunsucker
Northland
1 month agoPerhaps you can help me out here ms. shelly. Is an “undocumented immigrant” the same as an ILLEGAL ALIEN? If so, then they have no rights to any benefit an AMERICAN CITIZEN is entitled to, such as food stamps.
Their children, who are Americans according to the Constitution, should be removed from this illegal situation. Or, the parents can do the right thing and go back home.
Criticizing KS for doing the right thing merely perpetuates the illegality…. Why would we support law breaking?
Sam Abadir
Kansas City
1 month agoI keep having to repeat this…
First, the use of the word undocumented as the pc term for illegal immigrant is offensive. These illegal aliens all have documents or can obtain documents…just not ones that make them eligible to work legally in the US. For accuracy and fairness, the proper terms of illegal alien or illegal immigrant should be used.
Second, the situation these kids are in is terrible. Here are some options that are fair to tax payers and legal citizens.
Deport the illegals. Sounds harsh. Thats the law. Let’s assume most of the illegals are from south of the border. All the countries from south of the border would deport illegal aliens back to their countries including America. If they have kids, the kids can stay. It’s their birth right. Kids can go to foster care, stay with legal relatives, or be put up for adoption. Those are pretty awful options but they are the same ones we give to our military who fight wars overseas. The kids parents also have the option to take the kids with them back to their home country. The kids are welcome back anytime they like. This is similar to the option judges give to divorced dads here in the US. Dads get to see their kids very little in many cases. This is also similar to options we give citizens that do illegal things, aka criminals. When they go to jail, they get separated from their kids. Let’s not forget, these illegals by their very nature have committed a crime.
These kids need to eat. If the kids are illegal their home country can feed them. If they are legal they should be eligible for food stamps and the money should be given to a legal citizen. There are lots of struggling people. It’s not fair to take from the legal poor to give to the illegal poor.
Churches and other volunteer groups can feed these people. It’s not the place for the government to feed illegals. We don’t have the money and it’s not fair to legal citizens.
There is an atrocious position that many libs in america take when it comes to illegals…and the Star board seems to take this position too. Its the position that nobody else is going to do the job so its OK to give these jobs under the table to illegals at low wages. This is such a racist position to take. It borders on (if it isn’t) indentured servitude which is one step from slavery. If the illegals were sent home, prevailing wages would help the legal poor find jobs. I hear the stories about produce prices going up - but that is frankly worth it if I know state sponsored indentured servitude is not being held up.
The best thing to do would be for our gutless Executive Branch to impose harsh economic, political, and military sanctions on the NAFTA countries where most of these immigrants are comping from. These countries are because of drugs and corruption. Place the sanctions. Get better neighbors and people will find prosperity in their home countries. Stop the Democrat vote buying schemes of welfare for all. All will win.
Mark Hastert
1 month agoFeed them???!!! Are you crazy??? Haven’t you ever read the children’s book “If you give a mouse a cookie”???
John Ferguson
4 weeks, 1 day agoI have never been so ashamed to be a Kansan. Our governor is denying aid to U.S. citizen children. How low will he go?
Melissa Carlson
Overland Park
4 weeks, 1 day agohttp://immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/unauthorized-immigrants-pay-taxes-too
This report estimates that these families pay over $11 billion a year in state and local sales, excise, income and property taxes. In Kansas, households headed by an unauthorized immigrant paid $57 million in 2010.
Carrie Watts
3 weeks, 1 day agoOne life saving pill, who do you give; your child or your neighbors?
Poverty comes to Johnson County, KS with a growing vengeance http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/print-edition/2011/06/03/poverty-comes-to-johnson-county.html
Think about the dollar amounts going to illegals kids when it could be going to educate, feed, house & provide proper medical care for our own kids. I’ve heard so many times how it’s not the fault of the illegal immigrant kids they are here, so why are we making it our kids fault? Education cuts when illegal immigrants get instate tuition in Kansas?
Brownback as well as all our elected officials have outsourced their humanity to children of other countries, those that should not be here. Until he sees this, no amount of cuts will aide Kansas as our illegal immigration population continues to grow.
Neglecting our own children to care for our neighbors is appalling, Americans must decide, Americans or Neighbors as we can’t have both! Truly concerned about the poor, they why do many continue to choose to support illegal immigrants over Americans? The billions being spent could be helping Americans poor, mandatory E-Verify would help put their parents back to work!
If ‘both’ sides truly cared about ‘us’ poor people, they would end the abuses saving taxpayers billions!! I personally know American single mothers who do not qualify for assistance, yet very low income. I personally know seniors who desperately need assistance would do NOT qualify, yet we give to illegals! What hypocrisy on both sides!!!
“According to the U.S. Treasury Department, illegal aliens are bilking the federal government for billions because they are filing fraudulent returns, and the sum is much higher than even a top group opposed to illegal immigration has estimated. The Treasury reported in July that the Internal Revenue Service coughed up $4.2 billion in child tax credits for illegal aliens in 2010.” http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/9027-illegals-collecting-billions-in-child-tax-credits
Immigration, World Poverty and Gumballs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzfGChGlE
Many Immigrants Leaving Georgia Behind “…people at Iglesia Bautista Vida Abundante on Clairmont Road have already fled to Kansas” http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/many-immigrants-leaving-georgia-967054.html
8 Million Illegal Immigrant Workers http://bit.ly/hnHEbs
30 Million Illegals in our United States http://bit.ly/h0jNr3
Costs of Illegals http://bit.ly/s976Jj
Hospitals Stuck With Illegal Immigrants, Uninsured ‘Permanent Patients’ at Massive Cost http://yhoo.it/Ahns5T84
Hospitals closed due to illegal immigrants http://bit.ly/wgiyxG
Alabama Miracle? Dramatic Drop in Unemployment Continues After Crackdown on Illegals http://bit.ly/trqV96
Alabama’s immigration reform again cuts unemployment - http://thedc.com/AnhvDs