People of Faith CT

The Connecticut Episcopal Diocesan Convention passed the following two resolutions on the final day of its convention, October 25, 2008:

Resolution #5 -- On Issues to come before the State General Assembly

Submitted by: Social Concerns and Witness Committee
RESOLVED: That the 224th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut urges the Governor and the members of the State Legislature to appropriate funds for the following legislation:

• A state supplement to the federal Earned Income Tax Credit that especially aids poor working families with children
• An increase in the Rental Assistance Program for at least a thousand additional families, with the ultimate goal of decent, affordable housing as an entitlement
• The provision of at least 600 additional units of supportive housing for the physically and mentally handicapped A continued expansion of the HUSKY medical insurance coverage for children
• Increased reimbursement to non-profit agencies and nursing homes at rates sufficient to provide essential staffing and cost of living increases for employees;

and, be it further RESOLVED: That this Convention urges the Governor and members of the State Legislature to enact legislation to:

• require employers to provide paid sick leave benefits
• facilitate the reduction of health insurance costs for municipalities, non-profit agencies and small businesses.

Explanation:

Legislation is badly needed in the face of declining family incomes and the increased cost of living in Connecticut. That Connecticut has the largest gap of any state between the income of the top 20 percent of families and the bottom 20 percent is unconscionable. From 1987 to 2006 the income of the bottom fifth of the state's families fell by 17.4 percent and for the top fifth increased by 44.8 percent. The Bible is full of passages that state that abundance should be shared. A basic ethos of the struggle for social justice is "from each according to ability, to each according to need." Taxes are a form of shared obligation in a democracy.

This gap has hit working families especially hard in the increased costs of housing and medical care. In urban areas, rental costs have increased dramatically, whereas family income has been stagnant or declining, causing an immense strain on low income families. The provision of a state earned income tax credit will ease this reality. If families are to have the right to affordable housing, all low income families that are forced to pay too much of their income for rent should be entitled to such a supplement.

Currently, the federal and state rent supplement provides assistance for only about a quarter of eligible families. An extension of the rental assistance program is essential. Additionally, the increased cost of housing has made it difficult to provide community care for the physically and mentally handicapped, who were cared for in state institutions, and now many of whom are at a high risk for homelessness. Supportive housing helps to pay for the needed rental costs, and supplies necessary social services.

The need for universal health care is increasingly recognized, but it is also recognized that this is not an easy goal. There needs to be state effort to reduce the number of uninsured, and reduce the cost of health insurance for employers. The lack of paid sick leave benefits further adds to the problem of illness, and is especially necessary for single parents with young children who work at jobs that do not include paid sick leave.

Requirements to Implement:

The Social Concerns and Witness Committee will be responsible for distribution of this resolution by sending letters to the Governor and appropriate State officials.