Assemblyman Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) had the following published on nj.com:
“With the holidays often placing an emphasis on the haves and have nots, I am reminded of these words from President John F. Kennedy: “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
This simple, yet profound statement underscores the paradox that has befuddled government leaders since his successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, famously declared war on poverty. How do we help the less fortunate?
New Jersey is acutely impacted by this dilemma as we recently saw poverty spike to a 52-year high, according to a report released by Legal Services of New Jersey this year, with more than 2.7 million New Jerseyans — nearly one-third of the state’s population — now living at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level, putting them in true or actual poverty as they grapple to meet basic necessities.
Poverty is an immoral and scandalous circumstance that undermines our state and our country’s ability to meet its future obligations and needs. We can no longer afford to let this blight on the American spirit go unchallenged…”
Read the rest of Assemblyman Singleton’s op-ed here.