the poor are poorer

It seems to me that the poor are perhaps a little poorer in Louisiana then they are in the places up north where I have previously resided. People who get social security disability receive only just over $6oo a month. Cash assistance (welfare) for four children totals $284 for the month; I naively asked a worker if that was per child. I know for a fact that rent has increased dramatically post Katrina. Based mostly on logic and anecdotal evidence it seems the cost of living in general has increased too. Prior to Katrina I think the cost of living was probably lower here than in a lot of other places. This, is no longer true, yet benefits which are decided on a state by state basis even though they are essentially federal programs (like welfare and social security) seem to pay less here. At a meeting recently, someone from a legal aide agency (which assists the poor with legal problems) stated that it takes longer in Louisiana for people to be processed for social security disability benefits than it does in most other places and that more people are denied; they also receive less. I have heard women say that they do not bother to try to get welfare benefits because it is so little money for all the requirements. I am hopeful that the federal minimum was will increase, but doubtful that it will be high enough to really enable people to support themselves and their families.

I had a busy few days at work. This week as much as the bureaucracy and injustices frustrated me, the resilience, generosity and gratefulness of people who have so little amazed me.

After Mardi Gras things really did quiet down a bit in New Orleans. The green, purples and gold decorations, (which had replaced red and green Christmas decorations) came down. It is lent. But, to me, it feels like summer today!

Have a good week.
Love, Kathleen