Aug. 20 is the 40th anniversary of the "War on Poverty," an effort by President Lyndon Johnson to give poor Americans the tools to succeed economically through education and jobs. It also set up hundreds of Community Action programs on the local level.
Minnesota program spokesman Jim Scheibel said while not all the goals have been met, life is better for millions of Americans.
"Children have gotten a head start, through the 'Head Start' program. People have gone on to good paying jobs, and pay taxes, because of the Job Corps program," Scheibel. "Many people receive legal assistance. Many communities have been organized through the work of VISTA volunteers. And many children have been helped through the companionship of the foster grandparent program."
The "War on Poverty" programs included Job Corps, Head Start, VISTA and funding for adult education.
Scheibel, the former mayor of St. Paul, said while there has been progress, the job isn't done. Too many Americans still live in poverty, don't have educational opportunities, can't afford housing and are in low-paying jobs, he said.
"We can use our resources to create a system to support people not to be in poverty," he said. "And, we've lost some of that spark. We need to put the same kind of energy into the war on poverty as we put into homeland security, because security at home is as tied to the well being of our families and children as much as is the threat of terrorists from other countries."
Minnesota Community Action Agency chairwoman Barb Dorr concurred with Scheibel's analysis.
"We still have people who are using our food shelves at an alarming rate," she noted. "We still have people who are homeless, living on the streets. Some families actually have two adults working, and they still can't make it. And we have people who don't have work."
Forty years ago, Johnson signed the "Economic Opportunity Act of 1964," which established the base programs of his war on poverty. Historians said many of the goals weren't realized because the nation's attention soon turned to the Vietnam War.
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Aug. 20 is the 40th anniversary of the “War on Poverty,” an effort by President Lyndon Johnson to give poor Americans the tools to succeed economically through education and jobs. It also set up hundreds of Community Action programs on the local level.
Minnesota program spokesman Jim Scheibel said while not all the goals have been met, life is better for millions of Americans.
“Children have gotten a head start, through the ‘Head Start’ program. People have gone on to good paying jobs, and pay taxes, because of the Job Corps program,” Scheibel. “Many people receive legal assistance. Many communities have been organized through the work of VISTA volunteers. And many children have been helped through the companionship of the foster grandparent program.”
The “War on Poverty” programs included Job Corps, Head Start, VISTA and funding for adult education.
Scheibel, the former mayor of St. Paul, said while there has been progress, the job isn’t done. Too many Americans still live in poverty, don’t have educational opportunities, can’t afford housing and are in low-paying jobs, he said.
“We can use our resources to create a system to support people not to be in poverty,” he said. “And, we’ve lost some of that spark. We need to put the same kind of energy into the war on poverty as we put into homeland security, because security at home is as tied to the well being of our families and children as much as is the threat of terrorists from other countries.”
Minnesota Community Action Agency chairwoman Barb Dorr concurred with Scheibel’s analysis.
“We still have people who are using our food shelves at an alarming rate,” she noted. “We still have people who are homeless, living on the streets. Some families actually have two adults working, and they still can’t make it. And we have people who don’t have work.”
Forty years ago, Johnson signed the “Economic Opportunity Act of 1964,” which established the base programs of his war on poverty. Historians said many of the goals weren’t realized because the nation’s attention soon turned to the Vietnam War.