Cuts are affecting Missouri families

To the editor:

The latest reports from the Census Bureau show an increase of 9.1 percent of Missourians receiving food stamps in the last year. The number of people living in poverty is rising, while income levels are dropping. The economic recovery hasn't yet reached Missouri families.

Yet even as more families struggle to get by, the state and federal governments are cutting programs for the working poor. This summer Missouri eliminated 90,000 people from Medicaid. This month, Congress will debate whether to cut spending for the federal food stamp and Medicaid programs.

Our elected officials need to understand that these cuts are not just numbers in a ledger. Real families are being hurt. Write your state and federal legislators today and tell them to support programs to assist the working poor.

M. ELIZABETH GRIFFIN, Executive Director, Citizens for Missouri's Children, St. Louis