I am a grad student at USU studying social work. I was astounded when I read about Molly Orshansky. In the 1960s she worked for the Social Security Administration. She needed to find a way to identify poverty from census data. Orshansky decided the best way was based off the cost of food. Concurrently, The Department of Agriculture released four family food plans, most to least expensive. Orshansky proposed to take the second least expensive meal and multiply the cost by three. This formula made it so someone could feed their family and cover basic expenses. Any number below that would be below the poverty line.
In 1964 President Johnson declared the “War on Poverty.” However, the government didn’t know how to define poverty; so they adopted Orshansky’s proposal. Except, they based it off the least expensive meal plan. Orshansky came from poverty and she fought for a better poverty line but she didn’t win.
The U.S. Government still defines poverty this way today! This index has adjusted for inflation but in order to make the poverty line the same as when Orshansky created it, we need to multiply the lowest food cost by eight, not three!! This makes me realize just how many people live in poverty but don’t qualify for the help because of how the line was drawn.
Now Utah has made a huge increase to food taxes. Of all things the government increases taxes on, it has to be the one item that literally no one can live without — food?
Sen. Luz Escamilla has proposed a bill creating a task force on food security the last two years in Utah’s legislation. With the poverty level not set in the correct place and a huge food tax hike, we have never needed this task force more. Utahns deserve affordable and nutritious food. I encourage everyone to write to their legislators to gain more support for SB141. Utah needs food security and you can help!
Sally Morris, West Valley City
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