Meeting Basic Human Needs
Individuals have a responsibility to care for themselves and their family to the best of their ability.
The foundation of any society rests upon the responsible exercise of freedom. Work enhances human dignity. Public policy should foster the opportunity for people to support themselves and their families through work.
Persons unable to help themselves should be assisted to meet their basic needs.
A person’s right to live with dignity should not depend on whether they are economically productive. Persons unable to work because of age, physical or mental health, or who care for family members with disabilities, should be assisted by their community and, if necessary, through government services such as food stamps, utility assistance, and affordable housing.
Access to basic healthcare is a fundamental human right.
Affordable health care should be available to all. Missouri should exercise all options to expand health care coverage to uninsured and underinsured people. Publicly funded health coverage should be made available when affordable health coverage is not available from private sources. Public funding for health care should not include funding for abortion, contraceptives and other unethical practices.
State policy should promote the dignity of workers.
Workers should have access to benefits that will enable them to maintain employment, such as child and dependent care, food stamps, transportation, and medical assistance. Missouri should establish a state earned income tax credit similar to the federal credit to reward work and supplement low wages earned by the working poor. A system of portable employment benefits, including health coverage, should be enacted to prevent lapses in benefits when moving from one job to another.
Predatory lending practices should be prohibited.
Current law permits lending practices that prey on economically disadvantaged individuals in need of credit. The state should further regulate lenders to ensure consumer protection and promote more effective financing alternatives. |
