Grays Harbor, Yakima, Clark, and Snohomish Counties Saw Biggest Increases in Poverty


 Posted by Andy Nicholas at Oct 11, 2010 09:00 AM | Permalink

   Though the recession has been disastrous for families throughout Washington, Grays Harbor, Yakima, Clark and Snohomish counties saw the fastest growth in total poverty or child poverty from 2008 to 2009, according to an analysis of new U.S. Census data by the Washington State Budget & Policy Center.

   The jump in people living in poverty comes amid a recession that’s caused a dramatic decline in state revenues. Especially in these counties, but in every corner of the state as well, more people are living in poverty while the services they need are being slashed.

    In addition to more than $4 billion in cuts passed the last two legislative sessions, Gov. Gregoire recently called for 6 percent across-the-board budget cuts – which drastically impact human services that support the growing number of Washington families living in poverty.

According to the analysis:
Child poverty grew fastest in Grays Harbor, Yakima, and Clark counties from 2008 to 2009. Grays Harbor County experienced the fastest growth (7.6 percent) in child poverty of any county in Washington (see graph below). Yakima County (6.3 percent) and Clark County (4.4 percent) also saw child poverty grow significantly.

Total poverty grew fastest in Grays Harbor, Yakima, Clark, and Snohomish Counties from 2008 to 2009. As with child poverty, Grays Harbor experienced the most rapid growth (6.3 percent) in total poverty of any other county in Washington state during this period.
The Poverty and jobless rates in Grays Harbor County is still climbing in 2011.

NOTE: 2008/2009  was about the time “Wild Olympics” Pew Environmental Group started to conjure up their proposed plan to inflict on the residents of the Olympic Peninsula.  A“Kick-em while their down” approach.  “Vulturous Predators” attacking our families by KILLING jobs.  Taking away our working land bases for wilderness enviro's to gather in, is not the answer to the health and welfare of our county or state. They already have a million acres of park/wilderness now. They should go enjoy it instead of worrying about hording more while others don't eat. Environmental fanatics are, disregarding, assuming and taking generational organizations. They have a job and money to vacation on. NO THANKS!
Total Poverty Rate in Washington State
Childpovertyrate

Child Poverty in Washington State By County

Child Poverty Washington State

    Child poverty and total poverty rates were highest in Yakima, Grays Harbor, Grant, and Franklin counties in 2009. As of last year, Yakima County had the highest child poverty and total poverty rates of any county in the state. In that year, nearly one out of every three children (32.6 percent) and more than one out of every five adults (22.2 percent) lived in poverty in Yakima County (see the second graph below). Total poverty and child poverty were also significantly higher than the statewide averages in Grays Harbor, Grant, and Franklin counties (See table below for total poverty and child poverty rates in 2009 by county.).
Poverty Table Grays Harbor


As of August 2011 Grays Harbor Hit #1 in  Unemployment in the State.
Do we really need MORE of this?  Like it or not we are getting it.
  The sharp increases mirror the increase in poverty statewide, and come amid major state cuts. Cuts to services for vulnerable populations include maternity support services for high-risk women, and mental health and medical services for those with disabilities. Child welfare and support services face a nearly $15 million cut, with reductions to foster care agencies and support for those in home care.
More than $120 million in reductions to health care including reducing coverage for more than 127,000 children, and cuts for adults which include pharmacy benefit, prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing, podiatry and hospice coverage.
Senior citizens face cuts in long term care, home care hours, and funds for boarding homes and other locations that care for older adults.
While K-12 education was not directly impacted, higher education will take a cut of $84 million to universities, and community and technical colleges.
Prior to the 6.3 % across the board cuts, more than $51 million was cut from TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) and related programs, among those was a reduction in the eligibility level for Working Connections Child Care, which will result in 2,500 families that will be losing child care subsidies over the next nine months.For the current budget year,o 2010

Two other special sessions were required to close a projected $1.1 billion shortfall in FY2011 and in a special session has made cuts in funding to K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and social services.
Washington has total state debt of $30,455,510,003 when calculated by adding the total of outstanding debt, pension and OPEB UAAL’s, unemployment trust funds and the 2010 budget gap as of July 2010.

Fiscal Year 2012-13 State Budget
1. The state faces a budget shortfall of between $5.3 billion for the coming biennial budget after a March 2011 revenue forecast knocked another $780 million out of budget-writers’ hands.[8] The budget is expected to be approximately $37 billion.[9] Tax collections for the FY21012-13 two-year budget period are expected to be around $670 million lower than previously expected.

Legislative Budget
The Senate on April 18, 2011, approved its proposed two-year state budget that reduces spending by $4.8 billion and cuts funding for K-12 education in an attempt to fill the $5.1 billion deficit. The Senate plan reduced K-12 education funding by $250 million, which budget writers assume would come from a 3% wage cut for teachers. It also cuts $95 million from school districts based on class attendance.  Gov. Gregoire said she is concerned about the Senate cuts of $350 million to the state's K-12 education system.

The House budget cuts higher education by $482 million, more than Gov. Gregoire's original proposal. It would cut state support for higher education to the amount spent 20 years ago, when there were 32,000 fewer students at the six four-year colleges. The University of Washington would lose $200 million for the 2011-2013 biennium, a 30 percent cut.

Governor's Proposed Budget
Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed a state budget. The proposed budget is based on a shortfall of nearly $5 billion. It  would eliminate the arts commission and the state food-assistance program, reduce a host of other health and social-service programs and cut funds for higher education. The governor also said she intended to consolidate 21 state agencies down to nine to save $22 million.
Education
The governor proposed spending $13.8 billion on education over the next biennium, an increase over the prior budget, most of which stems from the fact that the state is expecting more students. Those funds are still about $1 billion short of the level that would keep schools "treading water."
Gregoire's budget includes a  proposal of  reducing or eliminating everything from gifted education to bonuses for teachers who earn the prestigious National Board Certification
"Should Park expansion be a priority during the biggest economic breakdown in US history, that now topples the "Great Depression" ?????
Unemployment is at a high with no solid jobs in sight.  All jobs that are talked about being created in the Harbor,  are based on projection.  Few businesses planning to hire are doing just that "planning on". All the spew about hoping to employ X amount of people. Hoping???? Once again these are projections of visions not fact. We all know where "projections", "planning on" and "hoping for" have led our country. "Another day older and deeper in debt".  These UNSTABLE practices have crushed our nations present and future chance of prospering and in some instances able to mearly exist. 
 Unemployment, depending on who is doing the study. It varies. The Washinton State Employment Security Department under Grays Harbor County Profile
are some interesting figures on the jobs status.  Last updated in May 2011. We can assume the statistics have grown.

  The Employment Security Dept. bases their studies on those currently receiving benifits. You must keep in mind these statistics do not include those who's benefits have run out. There are also those who don't qualify (lack of required hours) or HS graduate students etc. that have not yet entered the job market. To be accurrate all these statistics have to be included in the percentage of those without jobs. Depending on when these stats are recorded also make a difference. During seasonal part time work, temporary Christmas employment etc.  will prove to hide stable findings in their study's. These are important factors to consider which puts a much larger section of the population under the gun.  Shown statistics are at a much lower level then an accurrate indepth study would prove.

Tightening harvests of renewable resources of any kind, that can be replentished to produce over and over again, is killing the hands that feed them.  Does it make sense that a responsible congressman or senator would even concider adding debt and destroying jobs? Should this be their top priority for the people of these Counties and State? Especially when infrastructures Nation wide are disintegrating?  NO!  It is incompetency at it's best. What should be the responsile decision of congress?  JOBS, HEALTH and REBUILDING BROKEN STABILITY!  

Safety has also been an issue due to forced lay offs,
Austerity Hits Grays Harbor- http://www.pugetsoundanarchists.org/node/919




























































The sharp increases mirror the increase in poverty statewide, and come amid major state cuts. Cuts to services for vulnerable populations include maternity support services for high-risk women, and mental health and medical services for those with disabilities. Child welfare and support services face a nearly $15 million cut, with reductions to foster care agencies and support for those in home care.
More than $120 million in reductions to health care including reducing coverage for more than 127,000 children, and cuts for adults which include pharmacy benefit, prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing, podiatry and hospice coverage.
Senior citizens face cuts in long term care, home care hours, and funds for boarding homes and other locations that care for older adults.
While K-12 education was not directly impacted, higher education will take a cut of $84 million to universities, and community and technical colleges.
Prior to the 6.3 % across the board cuts, more than $51 million was cut from TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) and related programs, among those was a reduction in the eligibility level for Working Connections Child Care, which will result in 2,500 families that will be losing child care subsidies over the next nine months.


2010    For the current budget year, the 

Two other special sessions were required to close a projected $1.1 billion shortfall in FY2011 and in a special session has made cuts in funding to K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and social services.
Washington has total state debt of $30,455,510,003 when calculated by adding the total of outstanding debt, pension and OPEB UAAL’s, unemployment trust funds and the 2010 budget gap as of July 2010.

Fiscal Year 2012-13 State Budget
1. The state faces a budget shortfall of between $5.3 billion for the coming biennial budget after a March 2011 revenue forecast knocked another $780 million out of budget-writers’ hands.[8] The budget is expected to be approximately $37 billion.[9] Tax collections for the FY21012-13 two-year budget period are expected to be around $670 million lower than previously expected.[10]
Legislative Budget
The Senate on April 18, 2011, approved its proposed two-year state budget that reduces spending by $4.8 billion and cuts funding for K-12 education in an attempt to fill the $5.1 billion deficit. The Senate plan reduced K-12 education funding by $250 million, which budget writers assume would come from a 3% wage cut for teachers. It also cuts $95 million from school districts based on class attendance.  Gov. Gregoire said she is concerned about the Senate cuts of $350 million to the state's K-12 education system.
The House budget cuts higher education by $482 million, more than Gov. Gregoire's original proposal. It would cut state support for higher education to the amount spent 20 years ago, when there were 32,000 fewer students at the six four-year colleges. The University of Washington would lose $200 million for the 2011-2013 biennium, a 30 percent cut.
Governor's Proposed Budget
Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed a state budget. The proposed budget is based on a shortfall of nearly $5 billion. It would would eliminate the arts commission and the state food-assistance program, reduce a host of other health and social-service programs and cut funds for higher education. The governor also said she intended to consolidate 21 state agencies down to nine to save $22 million.
Education
The governor proposed spending $13.8 billion on education over the next biennium, an increase over the prior budget, most of which stems from the fact that the state is expecting more students. Those funds are still about $1 billion short of the level that would keep schools "treading water."
Gregoire's budget includes a  proposal of  reducing or eliminating everything from gifted education to bonuses for teachers who earn the prestigious National Board Certification.

Since this article was written another 4% cut is being put into motion.