Our safety net was already full of holes. They’re only getting bigger

By: Jessie Sicley

Outlets: Missouri Independent

Published: July 24, 2026

Words: 662

Last Updated: 3 months, 1 week ago

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Back when I was growing up, it seemed a bit easier to get by on next to nothing.

People could afford food and shelter on a working-class wage and get a little help from safety net programs when needed. But since the 1990s, the cost of housing and healthcare has increasingly exceeded wage growth. We’re also paying a larger share of our income on food now.

Even as recently …

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