The Poor in Utah

Each year the Green Party of Utah participates in the Utah Issues Annual Conference in Salt Lake. This organization’s mission is line with the key value of Social Justice. Utah Issues, a Center for Poverty Research and Action, is a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop long-term, systemic and sustainable solutions and approaches to the problems of poverty in Utah. This is its 30th year of existence.

There is an article today on Utah’s Poor, which is published in the Salt Lake Tribune. The article takes a look at a family who is victim to circumstances which have led them into a life of poverty. A Utah Issues 2004 report is also referenced with these figures on poverty in Utah:

* More than 206,000 Utahns live below the federal poverty threshold, but another 86,000 are functionally poor (earning less than $26,123 for a family of four).
* Utah’s median hourly wage of $12.20 is 37 cents lower today than it was in 1979 (in 2003 dollars).
* Utahns earning below $16,000 annually spend 11.4 percent of their income on taxes, whereas those earning more than $280,000 pay 5.5 percent.

In the upcoming legislative session,
lawmakers will consider:
* Removing the sales tax on food.
* Boosting Utah’s hourly minimum wage from the federal standard of $5.15 to $7.

Advocates for the poor recognize that this is a good start, however it would be more realistic to raise wages to a living wage of $11. At $7 income is still considered at the poverty level.

Having been subject to having to survive below poverty level with my children at several times in my life, I understand some of the struggles associated with this issue. I hope to be be able to work on this issue more during the next year – at least on the level of exposing the facts and educating people on the realities of poverty.