Suicide by Sequester: US Feels Pinch of Erratic Spending Cuts

[marmar]

from Der Spiegel:



The pain of the sequester has been bearable thus far, but that will soon change. This summer, thousands of Americans will suffer due to cuts triggered by the entrenched budgetary battle in Washington -- and the damage could last for generations.

Despite being only 32, Alicia Tolliver has had no shortage of tough breaks in life -- a teen pregnancy, dropping out of school, unemployment and homelessness. Eventually, though, she found a resource in Head Start, an American health and human services program for young low-income children and their families. For Tolliver, Head Start served as a motivational program as well. She went back to school, completed a training course and found a job.

But then things went downhill again. With the financial crisis came unemployment and the loss of her apartment and car. Again, Tolliver found salvation through Head Start, as she fought to keep things together for herself and her three children.

But then came the sequester.

"It's frustrating," Tolliver says. Once again, she's about to watch everything fall apart. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-long-term-costs-of-the-sequester-battle-in-america-a-901734.html