As the 40th anniversary of the "War on Poverty" approaches, President Johnson's words are a cutting reminder of a war that we haven't won -- indeed, a war we haven't even fought. It has its casualties nevertheless: They are the children and grandchildren of the same people LBJ spoke of 40 years ago.

According to data in the Luxembourg Income Study, child poverty is significantly higher in the United States than in wealthy European nations and in Canada and Australia. In 1997 -- amid a robust economy -- one in five American children lived in poverty. This is about double the rate in other wealthy industrialized nations, such as France, Germany and the Nordic countries.

We in America have high child poverty rates because we choose to, not because we cannot do anything about it. Other nations make different choices and get different results. For example, British Prime Minister Tony Blair lifted spending on poor families with children by 0.9 percent of GDP. Now Britain's high child poverty rate is ebbing as ours continues climbing.

The truth is that America tolerates, even accepts, persistent child poverty. Our education system reflects it, as do our tax policy, child care policy and child support policy.

We say we will leave no child behind, but in fact we continue to drag millions of children behind each year. And they may never catch up and become fully participating members of society. Poor children in France, Germany and the Nordic countries are six times more likely to escape poverty than their American counterparts.

Decades of economic growth haven't lifted the worst-off Americans to a higher standard of living. Ten percent of America's children are so impoverished that their normal health and growth are seriously at risk.

Every policy decision has its consequences. We spend billions caring for our elderly through successful and cherished federal programs. We spend money here and shed blood abroad to fight terrorism. These are difficult and complex decisions, but policymakers find the will to make them.

That hasn't been the case with child poverty. Efforts that simply try to change the behavior of people living in poverty, and put the blame entirely on them, will fail. Working hard just isn't enough. The government must support people, not merely threaten them -- or in 40 years, a future government will be threatening their children.

Preventing future generations of children from growing up poor, undereducated and malnourished has been perpetually on America's ``to do'' list. Nearly seventy years ago we made a commitment to deal with old-age poverty, and we've been fairly successful in doing so. Nothing on that scale is being seriously considered in Washington to deal with our children.

President Bush cannot truthfully declare the state of the Union strong in the face of the harsh reality for America's poor children. In this holiday season he should truly dedicate America to fighting the War on Poverty that was proclaimed nearly 40 Christmases ago but never fought. There are millions of ground troops in our schools, on our streets, in our places of worship and in our government to support such an effort, if policymakers would stop dragging their heels and dragging our children behind them.

Smeeding is co-author, with Lee Rainwater, of ``Poor Kids in a Rich Country'' He is director of the Luxembourg Income Study, a project that assembles income data from a number of countries.

© 2003 San Jose Mercury News

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