Equal Voice for America's Families

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66043294027714205752011-12-05T19:04:00.700-08:00Equal Voice for America's FamiliesThe Equal Voice for America’s Families campaign is bringing together low-wage working families from across the country to develop an agenda that voices issues that concern families. The Campaign includes townhall meetings, cross-region work and a concentrated media campaign to draw attention to the social and economic barriers low-wage working families face.Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.comBlogger4351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-84202128709308516082011-05-10T22:16:00.000-07:002011-05-13T15:19:26.808-07:00Gulf Coast Leaders Mobilize to Aid Tornado-Ravaged Communities

Photo Credit: The Crimson WhiteThe following is a press release about the recent devastation brought to the South via tornadoes, storms, and more recently, floods. Do you have information about the relief, recovery or reconstruction of the South? Do you know of volunteer or donation needs for the affected areas? Write them on the Equal Voice Facebook for our network to see or tweet to the Equal

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-64118008226725380442011-04-26T11:16:00.000-07:002011-04-26T11:21:53.041-07:00More Cities and States Targeting Wage Theft

The Seattle City Council has joined a growing number of cities and states passing legislation to strengthen laws and penalties for employers who commit wage theft.“The council’s action today sends a strong signal that wage theft will not be tolerated in Seattle. This legislation protects workers and gives the city additional tools to target unscrupulous employers. For those businesses who operate

Kathy Mulady - Equal Voice Newspaperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10861731482517019193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-47066790269408103592011-04-14T17:04:00.000-07:002011-04-14T17:07:25.229-07:00Economic Security Carries a Big Price Tag for Families

How much annual income does a family of four really need to have a certain level of economic security? According to calculations by Shawn McMahon, research director for Wider Opportunities for Women, the eye-opening answer is $67,920 a year. That’s two parents, each making $16 an hour, and two young children.McMahon discussed the research on NPR’s Morning Edition today. "We're not talking about

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-76064859043041595952011-03-18T10:09:00.001-07:002011-03-18T10:37:03.915-07:00The Color of Cuts in Washington State

WashingtonCAN -- the state's largest grassroots advocacy group -- released a report titled "The Color of Cuts" to discuss how 2011 state budget cuts "fell disproportionately on people of color," in areas such as: quality of life, health, education, and civil rights for low-income families. The report was endorsed by 68 community organizations in Washington state.Some highlights from the report:"

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-33003748281297941062011-03-17T13:43:00.000-07:002011-03-17T13:48:14.364-07:00520 tolling campaign overlooks ethnic media

This commentary originally appeared in Northwest Asian Weekly.Recent information from the Seattle Times’ analysis of 2010 Census data indicates that the number of minorities has quickly risen on the Eastside over the past decade. Since 2000, in Bellevue alone, the minority population climbed 62 percent, and the non-whites now make up 41 percent of the general population.The rise should not

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-77171279854285647552011-03-17T10:55:00.000-07:002011-04-04T09:24:06.249-07:00Upcoming Cases in U.S. Supreme Court Could Alter How the Constitution Affects Kids

By: Reclaiming FuturesThe United States Supreme Court is set to hear a number of cases this month that look at how the Constitution applies to children. In each of the cases kids were questioned behind closed doors at their schools with no attorneys present and without being read their Miranda rights.In one of the cases an Oregon family is suing a case worker and deputy sheriff for “badgering”

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-50739963439430316862011-03-17T09:31:00.000-07:002011-03-17T09:46:59.630-07:00Louisiana Justice Institute Co-Director Honored as Black Leader

The Root, a daily online magazine published by Washington Post/Newsweek Interactive and edited by prominent academic Henry Louis Gates Jr, has has named Louisiana Justice Institute Co-Director Tracie Washington as one of it's "Twenty Leading Black Women Advocating Change."The Root writes about Washington: "After Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, Washington was displaced, like

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-23145453837646911382011-03-14T12:58:00.000-07:002011-03-14T13:03:40.898-07:00Child Prodigy and Grandmother Show Hidden Face of Poverty

Marquise Cormier, in photo, shows posters announcing from his younger days as a child author and motivational speaker. Photo: Charlene Muhammad. On the surface, Marquise Cormier seems like an average teenager—he’s happy, plays on his high school football team and likes going to parties. But underneath his 16-year-old shoulder pads is a weight of poverty and want brought on by the death of his

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-39436831161663270782011-03-10T09:43:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:47:03.969-08:00Exit Interview

Because she has been deemed a suspicious person, I am uncomfortable using her real name. For the purposes of this tale, I will call her “Sara.”She is a Canadian, and she had come to the Rio Grande Valley with eight other colleagues to see what she could learn about how our community cares for its children. She is a physician, and her life’s work is to care for others. In her case, she carries a

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-86603507903576330592011-03-04T14:14:00.000-08:002011-03-04T14:21:28.637-08:00Raising Hope featured on KNME's New Mexico in Focus

KNME, Albuquerque’s PBS station, released video of its recent show featuring Raising Hope: The Equal Voice Story. The episode aired on February 25, 2011 on the station’s public affairs show, New Mexico in Focus. The show featured a panel of Equal Voice partners who discussed topics around the documentary and other policy issues in New Mexico. Panelists were: Diana Dorn-Jones of United South

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-14077167466488044232011-02-10T15:30:00.000-08:002011-02-10T15:32:44.931-08:00State Groups Tackle Tax Fairness

This column appeared in the Fall 2010 issue of The Nonprofit Quarterly.It’s July 2010, and organizers from 10 state-level grassroots groups have traveled to Washington, D.C. Rob Brown of Opportunity Maine is at the front of the room addressing the crowd. “Firefighters and other local law enforcement are key allies in property tax-cap campaigns,” Brown says, as listeners scribble in notebooks

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-53753416850633554742011-01-24T16:37:00.000-08:002011-01-24T16:43:01.864-08:00Don't Mess With Texas

Two weeks ago, the Texas Legislature began its session in Austin, the state capitol. The state is in big trouble. Thanks to a series of foolish tax cuts set in place a couple of years ago, as well as the generally poor national economy, the state now faces a $27 billion deficit. As the session opened, instead of focusing on this pending disaster a dozen legislators spent an enormous amount of

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-31905997869264034902011-01-19T08:33:00.000-08:002011-01-19T08:43:18.220-08:0059% Hike? Thank You, Blue Shield Insurance

Insurer says the increases result from fast-rising healthcare costs and other expenses resulting from new healthcare laws. The move comes less than a year after Anthem Blue Cross tried and failed to raise rates as much as 39%.Another big California health insurer has stunned individual policyholders with huge rate increases — this time it's Blue Shield of California seeking cumulative hikes

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-82427066032246689572011-01-06T14:34:00.000-08:002011-01-06T14:36:30.713-08:00On Seeing

Gaspar is a tall, handsome young man who grew up amongst a large family in a crowded rental home in a tough neighborhood near Brownsville.In middle school, he decided that he really, really wanted to play the clarinet, and so he joined the band class.On the first day of class, the teacher apologized, telling him that there weren’t enough instruments to go around and that he, being amongst the

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-86630129778339202132010-12-22T15:07:00.000-08:002010-12-22T18:28:17.171-08:00Every time you use the word ‘illegal,’ Jan Brewer wins

By: Suphatra Laviolette“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can get me deported…”That’s how that rhyme goes, right?Words are playing a major role in America’s immigration debate. The “I” word – I mean the word “illegal” – has framed the conversation on what to do with the thousands of people that come to America every year without appropriate documentation. Their lives hang in the

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-29232604883059307442010-12-22T09:38:00.000-08:002010-12-22T15:16:02.409-08:00Employed But Struggling: 1 in 3 Working Families Near Poverty

Michelle Feliz, a single mother living in Boston, can't afford day care for her one-year-old son. She can't afford new clothes for her teenage daughter. Late last year, she applied for food stamps.Unlike many Americans increasingly seeking public assistance, Feliz, 35, is employed. Yet what she earns in her job as a secretary does not cover even her most basic needs, leaving her scrambling to

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-60778121273863354382010-12-13T10:17:00.000-08:002010-12-13T10:45:18.340-08:00A dream come true?

The timidity of elected officials in taking a position on immigration reform has incensed voters of every stripe. But in Illinois the perennially popular Jim Edgar, who was governor of the state from 1991 to 1999, has not shied from supporting in the DREAM Act. Edgar, a Republican, may not have the bully pulpit he used to but his name still carries weight. Now a distinguished fellow at the

His mother abandoned him at birth.His father was murdered when he was five years old.His grandparents beat him with electric cables and made him sleep on the curb in front of their house. He speaks an Indian language only known in the highlands of southern Mexico, and only has the most rudimentary Spanish.When he was fourteen, an aunt sent for him. It took him five days to cross the Arizona

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-5052885830734052652010-12-08T10:18:00.000-08:002010-12-08T12:11:25.301-08:00Who’s unemployed and who votes – note the connection

You can’t help noticing that tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans are commanding far more political attention than the continued dirge of miserable employment figures, despite the fact that 2 million people recently faced being cut from unemployment assistance. Ezra Klein of the Washington Post offers one reason for this disconnect.He paired the unemployment of high school and college graduates

Just when you thought no one cared about the voices of children, seniors or low-income families, California's parks department offers a glimmer of hope.The state agency has awarded Latino Health Access -- which organized hundreds of residents to lobby city officials for more some green space -- a grant of $3.5 million to build the only park and community center in the 92701 zip code of Santa

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-73101657773479537022010-11-16T11:07:00.000-08:002010-11-16T11:09:48.036-08:00Can You Fix It? The U.S. Budget, That Is.

If you could close the government's budget gaps, how would you do it? For once, you can actually try. The New York Times has created an interactive tool that lets you choose what you would like to chop off the American budget. Your choices would help save the American people from projected shortfalls of $418 billion (in 2015) and $1,345 billion (in 2030). All you have to do is choose what to

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-82239823202137289072010-10-25T10:03:00.000-07:002010-10-26T08:35:46.270-07:00"The impossible will take a little while"

"The difficult I'll do right now..The impossible will take a little while. . ."from Crazy He Calls Me,by Carl Sigman and Bob Russell Candidates' Forum, McAllen We began on a hot day in May, talking and planning an area-wide effort to get out the vote. The goals were clear; the task daunting. We would choose ten precincts in the area which had high-voter registration, but low voter turnout.

Saturday dawned with a glorious cool, crisp bit of weather that is rare in these tropical parts. Across the Valley, men and women who normally spend their precious Saturday mornings at the market, or repairing the house, or setting straight the things that got of order during the work week, head out the door with a bounce in their step and purpose in their eyes.It is the “Equal Voice Campaign’s

Alejandra is proud of her home. It is not a house, but a travel trailer, parked in a small space at the back of her mother-in-law's house. We can reach the front door today because it hasn't rained in a while.Her husband had paid $1,500 or so for the trailer, buying it from a friend who had lived in it for ten years, who had bought it from a couple from Minnesota who, twenty years ago, had used

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-43025579808713405682010-10-06T15:50:00.000-07:002010-10-06T16:48:21.240-07:00The Poor are Much Poorer than You Think

If there is one thing we can agree on, from regular folks to think-tank economists, it’s that more and more people are falling into poverty. What most of us don’t realize is just how poor they really are.A new study puts it bluntly: In 2005, the richest quintile of Americans owned about 84 percent of the nation’s wealth. The poorest two quintiles put together owned less than 1 percent– an amount

Some background:This Tuesday, a marvelous piece of humanitarian relief for children will be considered by the United States Senate. This relief is not intended for the children of the Sudan, nor for the children of the flooded plains of Pakistan nor those children living on the streets of Port au Prince in Haiti. Ojalá que fuera así, but perhaps in another moment.This particular legislative

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-45383601988280093812010-09-17T10:14:00.000-07:002010-09-17T10:19:17.957-07:00From Homeless to Dishwasher: Rebirth Through Finding a New Job

While sitting in the café lobby of a brand new tech building in North San Jose, I signed my name on the last piece of paper of an employee packet for my new job as a dishwasher at a national catering company. It felt good to be able to shake the bosses hand after I filled out the forms, or even have a boss to shake hands once again. I feel reborn. Since March of 2009 I have been lead on a

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-76887989147669895922010-09-02T09:05:00.000-07:002010-09-02T09:12:29.493-07:00Lack of immigration reform may hurt voter turnout

SAN JUAN, Aug. 19 - The failure of the Obama administration to pass comprehensive immigration reform will hinder the Get Out the Vote effort being mounted by Equal Voice for America’s Families, its leaders acknowledge. “There is disillusionment and it is certainly going to make our job harder,” said Ramona Casas a community organizer with Project ARISE in Alamo. Project ARISE one of the ten

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-50869738615287334442010-09-01T12:09:00.000-07:002010-09-02T09:17:24.548-07:00Resistance: The Murdering of Immigrants

In the early morning light I pick up Barry Lopez’s novel “Resistance”, and turn to a new chapter. The first line reads “I watched my best efforts turn to coal.” That is as far as I get, for the news this week is overwhelming, and the violence close at hand.On this morning it does indeed seem that some of the best efforts in our world are turning to coal, the bright colors that mark life and

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-13047076227746025502010-08-26T11:01:00.000-07:002010-08-26T11:02:14.078-07:00A Primer on Activism from Unitarian Universalists

By Kim Bobo | Interfaith Worker JusticeArizona is ground zero for the struggle over immigration: when the Arizona legislature passed SB 1070 and the law was scheduled to go into effect on July 29, groups in Arizona began organizing and inviting allies from around the nation to join them. Despite the last-minute injunction halting the worst aspects of the bill, planned protests and prayer vigils

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-27317319880559032662010-08-25T17:42:00.000-07:002010-08-25T17:45:33.483-07:00Murdoch Published Imam Rauf's Book on Islam and America

Check out this revealing nugget at the end of Todd Gitlin's take on Cordoba Initiative leader Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's book What’s Right with Islam is What’s Right with America (my emphasis): The book closes with an appendix containing a fatwa issued by five Muslim clerics on September 27, 2001, at the request of the most senior Muslim chaplain in the American armed forces. Ending his book with

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-79679669421402120802010-08-10T10:49:00.001-07:002010-08-20T14:28:20.101-07:00What is 'America'?

Whatever your opinion on immigration policy, it is essential to know – behind the headlines and the politics – exactly whom you are talking about: Kids like Yves Gomes, 17, of Maryland, who has been in this country since he was 1 ½ years old and is scheduled to be deported to India on Friday; or Gladys Martinez, from Mexico, who says that high school in this country changed her world.video

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-56735918012947286362010-08-02T15:54:00.001-07:002010-08-02T15:57:13.411-07:00Cultural Extinction Looms Because of BP Oil

Houma Native Americans of south Louisiana face cultural extinction as the BP oil spill moves ever closer to their fragile cities and villages. Written by David HobbsLouisiana Weekly, News FeatureJul 20, 2010 DULAC, LOUISIANA — Some days the only people she serves are wayward journalists and well meaning volunteers come down to south Louisiana after the nation's worst oil spill. Some days not

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-92037692328112540752010-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:002010-07-19T10:03:25.936-07:00Creative Capitalism: "Sweat Shop" That Pays Living Wages

Factory Defies Sweatshop Label, But Can It Thrive?From the New York Times, by Steven GreenhouseVILLA ALTAGRACIA, Dominican RepublicSitting in her tiny living room here, Santa Castillo beams about the new house that she and her husband are building directly behind the wooden shack where they now live.The new home will be four times bigger, with two bedrooms and an indoor bathroom; the couple and

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-18491819827497896372010-07-16T15:42:00.000-07:002010-07-16T15:48:22.056-07:00'Waiting for Superman'

The much anticipated documentary, "Waiting for Superman", directed by Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim, will be released this fall. The film takes an insightful look into the state of public education in America.To learn more about the film or watch the trailer, visit their website.

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-33740681922267219812010-07-15T10:28:00.000-07:002010-07-15T10:39:56.124-07:00Study: Hispanics View Racism at Center of Immigration Debate

A 30 percent plurality of Hispanics living in the U.S. view racism at the heart of the immigration reform debate, according to polling data released Wednesday by Latino advocacy groups.The LatinoMetrics study, co-sponsored by The Hispanic Federation and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and conducted by Hispanic marketing firms Garcia Research and Santiago ROI in the wake of

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-9985687462315933132010-07-13T11:04:00.000-07:002010-07-13T14:34:11.051-07:00PBS to Air Raising Hope

(Seattle, WA)— “You could say the government depends on me,” says Leticia Treviño, of McAllen, Texas, who like millions of Americans, cobbles together odd jobs to pay taxes and support her family. Treviño’s is one of five families profiled in Raising Hope: the Equal Voice Story, an inspiring documentary that chronicles the efforts of 30,000 low-income people to create a national platform for

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-74103125305487000512010-07-06T11:10:00.001-07:002010-07-06T11:12:05.951-07:00World Cup Highlights the Immigrant Story

This year's International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) World Cup is showing off the global appeal of futbol, as well as the ways immigration is playing a critical role in sports. The United States team, who recently lost their place in the tournament after losing to Ghana, was no exception. Of the 23 players, 15 were born from at least one immigrant parent, and one was actually

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-13880117642804532992010-07-01T11:44:00.000-07:002010-07-01T11:48:55.755-07:00Illegals Invite You to Take Their Jobs

Illegal immigrants boost the crime rate and take American jobs — right? Well, wrong. But if you don't believe the experts, see for yourself. The UFW invites unemployed Americans to take the farm jobs occupied by illegal immigrants. That's about half of all farm jobs. What's the catch? The jobs are absolutely grueling and you'll be working 10 hours a day, six days a week. Only after the 10th

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-54651823245895055512010-06-30T11:07:00.000-07:002010-06-30T11:18:19.770-07:00Workers Killed Themselves Making iPads

Chinese immigrants and Chinese-Americans in San Francisco protest the long hours and bad conditions at the Foxconn factory in southern China, where the Apple iPad is manufactured. They lined up in front of Apple's flagship store in San Francisco, holding signs with the names of workers at the factory who have committed suicide because of the conditions.Those conditions include 80 hours of

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-91780171849111734172010-06-30T10:28:00.000-07:002010-06-30T10:36:57.787-07:00In Los Angeles: Working Families Brace for 20% Bus Fare Hike

The MTA has scheduled a 20% increase of bus fare starting July 1.Eduardo Garcia takes advantage of the time he spends waiting at his regular bus stop to look for extra work in nearby businesses. Garcia doesn't have much choice these days, and an increase in bus fares of approximately 20%, scheduled to take effect on July 1, means he'll have to work harder than ever. Garcia says he buys

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-53752180581857158872010-06-28T11:51:00.001-07:002010-06-28T11:53:32.473-07:00Blacks And Gulf Disaster

Blacks may be disproportionately affected by Gulf disaster by Badili JonesI do love oysters. I like them raw on the half shell with some horseradish and cocktail sauce. I like them fried. Some oysters are cultivated for their pearls, but I couldn’t care less about that.Human beings have been eating oysters along with other sea food for thousands of years. I was getting all nostalgic about

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-10834305087148717412010-06-25T15:18:00.000-07:002010-06-25T15:21:39.720-07:00Sexual Abuse of Immigration Detainees Underscores Need for Oversight

For months, a male officer at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, an immigration detention facility in Texas, sexually assaulted women in his custody. The assailant had access to the female detainees while transporting them by himself, in blatant violation of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policies.At first none of the women reported the sexual abuse, likely fearing retaliation or

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-67245527409961081692010-06-21T16:02:00.000-07:002010-06-21T16:10:20.722-07:00Children as Weapons in Immigration War

Yesterday I went to visit a community-based organization in one of the neighborhoods in this Texas border region. The group was celebrating six young people – its “grupo de jóvenes” -- who had just graduated from high school. There were pictures, smiles, tears and a grand meal featuring roast turkey and cake.Sandra (her name has been changed) was one of the graduates expected to be there. But

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-27474739158366693932010-06-15T12:03:00.000-07:002010-06-15T12:25:13.694-07:00Could Your Child Live on $8 a Day?

While we wring our hands about oil belching from the ocean’s depths and ethnic bile spewing from Arizona, a long-term crisis is quietly unfolding within millions of American homes. New data shows that the recession has left about 7 million children in extreme poverty – meaning that they live on less than $8 a day. In “The Worst of Times,” the latest report from the Southern Education Foundation,

By Sandip Roy | New American MediaWhere is Nina Simone when you need her? Arizona needs her.First there was Sheriff Joe Arpaio, shackling the undocumented, and marching them to camps down the baking streets of Phoenix.Then came SB 1070 which requires the police to stop anyone who “looks” like they might be illegal and demand papers.Then came word that ethnic studies programs were being targeted

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-21300807405060315192010-06-11T10:23:00.000-07:002010-06-11T11:44:26.431-07:00Word From the Streets: The State of Hate

Looking toward Arizona through the smoky haze of hate coming from that state’s legislature, I, as an African American, must stand with those who oppose the new, racist laws in the border state.I stand up because I know that the history of African Americans in this country is intertwined with the history of immigration in this country. My ancestors were brought to this country (“legally,” I might

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-33435246879365918642010-05-28T12:42:00.000-07:002010-05-28T12:45:54.531-07:00Black on Asian Violence is About Vulnerability, Not Race

This week on YO!Radio -- we headed over to the San Francisco City Hall press conference where Mayor Gavin Newsom and community activists addressed the recent surge of interracial violence in the Bay Area. PLUS: Amanze Emenike shares his experience in robbing Asians and Latinos in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, and explains why these acts of violence aren't about race. Malcolm

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-4834222765815097462010-05-21T14:28:00.000-07:002010-05-21T14:37:22.990-07:00How Are the Children?

This post by "Musings Along the Border", examines the welfare of children in the low-income and poor communities of Texas.How Are The ChildrenBy Michael Seifert Musings Along the Border"How are the children?"I was told last week that this is a traditional greeting amongst the Maasai tribal people in Africa. I like it very much, as I think that this greeting might be a way to shatter the shrill

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-37599646254077232932010-05-10T17:02:00.000-07:002010-05-11T11:12:35.879-07:00Evangelists Support Reform

Conservative evangelists are the new force for broad immigration reform, citing the Bible and its passages of protecting migrants and the vulnerable, as well as a respect for civil law, as the root of their support.New Force for Broad Immigration Reform: Conservative Evangelists By Dan Gilgoff May 10, 2010© CNN 2010Some conservative evangelical leaders call Arizona's new immigration law misguided

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-4937000835630273022010-05-10T16:29:00.000-07:002010-05-11T10:39:54.136-07:00Audit: 43 Businesses Have Illegal Staff

More than one-half of the Arizona businesses that have had their workforces audited by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents since July 2009 have been found to have illegal workers on their payrolls.Immigration department spokeswoman Virginia Kice said that 43 of the 84 companies screened in two rounds of audits have been sent letters listing employees whose employment eligibility is

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-36253031615913937532010-04-26T11:29:00.000-07:002010-05-04T10:28:58.748-07:00Mujeres Latinas en Accion Brings New Play to Chicago

To combat sexual assault and domestic violence in Hispanic communities, Mujeres Latinas en Accion brings “Monologos de la Vagina” to Chicago, – a Spanish-language version of Eve Ensler’s award-winning play “The Vagina Monologues.”A special performance of “The Vagina Monologues” hopes to raise awareness en españolby Adriana Diaz Medill Reports ChicagoApril 13, 2010Vagina: written the same in

Suphatra Lnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-12326210316735517682010-04-22T15:51:00.000-07:002010-05-04T10:30:51.746-07:00Trained to Fail

The following article is written by Yvonne Liu from the Applied Research Center, an organization that is one of Marguerite Casey Foundation's grantees. This article appeared in the magazine ColorLines and does not belong to the Marguerite Casey Foundation. The article links and refers to a previous feature written by Claudia Rowe about Green Jobs.Jason Smith needs a job. For two years, he’s been

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-75340241738256970852010-04-21T11:40:00.000-07:002010-04-21T13:21:57.359-07:00Have We Forgotten Why We Wanted Health Care Reform?

America is discontent with change. Only a couple years ago, we were calling for change, particularly in health care. Now change has come — and we are again grumbling. I witnessed this at a dinner party. The loudest dissenter was the epidemiologist, alongside the psychologist and mountaineer, who loathed being mandated to participate in a health insurance pool, and resented more the threat of a

Suphatra Lnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-81608499470710973462010-04-16T11:22:00.000-07:002010-04-22T10:59:10.448-07:00Grantees in the News: National Council of La Raza

Clarissa Martinez, immigration expert with National Council of La Raza (NCLR), was recently interviewed by Latino USA to discuss a new report criticizing a Homeland Security immigration enforcement program. The report found that the hotly contentious Immigration and Customs Enforcement's local enforcement program was disobeying its original agreements and lacking oversight of its officers.NCLR, a

Suphatra Lnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-19364756726692375372010-04-15T11:54:00.000-07:002010-04-16T10:50:16.417-07:00The Party of Me--not Tea

Written by Alan Brinkley, who is the Allan Nevins Professor of History at Columbia University, and the author of “The Publisher: Henry Luce and His American Century,” a forthcoming biography.The Party of MeThe Times/CBS News Poll shows that there is broad unhappiness with the state of the economy and the performance of Congress, but on the whole the participants seem to be responding fairly

Suphatra Lnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-83170426464394242732010-04-15T10:03:00.000-07:002010-04-15T14:57:28.299-07:00"Si se puede!" Seattle's Immigration Reform Rally in Pioneer Square

The "We Must Act Now!" Immigration Reform Rally on April 10th in Pioneer Square, Seattle drew an impressive crowd of 7,000 people. The rally hosted a line up of speeches from politicians, community leaders, and families affected by a broken immigration system, as well as entertainment from local and statewide groups. Below is a slide show of the rally. Check back for a written post about the

Suphatra Lnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-1638385123469266482010-04-06T11:08:00.000-07:002010-04-15T10:10:31.298-07:00We On the Border Don't Count

Ann Cass, member of our Equal Voice Network, wrote this while reflecting on the very poorly organized Census effort in our area. The blog post originally appeared on this blog and is entitled "More Than Just a Number."SAN JUAN, April 5 - I have been greatly disturbed by the news that census forms will not be mailed to families who live in the colonias.The amount of energy we have spent in getting

By now, everyone knows the dismal facts on foreclosure: Almost 8 million families are behind in their mortgage payments, and more than 8 million are expected to lose their homes over the next four years. Sobering, indeed. But to read the testimony behind these figures is shattering: The mother who sank all of her savings into a dream house and walked away with nothing; the father, forced to move

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-89446594683633522372010-02-12T10:37:00.000-08:002010-02-12T11:03:26.910-08:00Music to Count By

Just in case getting a chunk of $400 billion for local schools and hospitals doesn't motivate you to fill out a U.S. Census questionnaire, how about free music?The group Voto Latino, which was co-founded by actress Rosario Dawson and works to increase political engagement among young people, offers 25 free downloads from iTunes to anyone who visits the web site BeCountedRepresent.com and pledges

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-62061784768616053492010-02-04T14:26:00.000-08:002010-02-05T14:02:56.487-08:00With Idealism, and Homework, Kids Help Chicago Elections

On Tuesday, more than 2,000 Chicago students, many of whom are not old enough to vote, nonetheless hit the polls, acting as election judges in the Windy City's important primary election. They brought their homework -- and idealism -- and in some cases taught an important lesson to older judges who had been doing the job for years.Mikva Challenge, an organization that works to improve civic

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-34004989116190727592010-01-15T15:12:00.000-08:002010-01-15T15:59:06.216-08:00Unemployment For Blacks: A New Great Depression

It won't surprise many to learn that the weighty toll of joblessness falls unequally on Americans, or that blacks and Latinos are unemployed at rates that far exceed those for whites. But new figures from the Economic Policy Institute illustrate these inequities with jaw-dropping clarity. According to the report "Downcast Unemployment Forecast": - We can expect that by the third quarter of this

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-37327362663420083992010-01-08T12:17:00.000-08:002010-01-08T14:25:28.285-08:00Ammo for Advocates of Immigration Reform

It's not every day that the U.S. government bluntly announces its own shortcomings. But the Dept. of Homeland Security has done so in a report on current detention policies for undocumented immigrants.In short, the study notes that of the approximately 379,000 people held by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement at some point last year, only 5.6 percent had committed violent crimes and half had

Granted, few of us relish the thought of filling out a census questionnaire. But consider this: In 2000, more than 1.75 million children under age 10 were never counted at all.That is significant because the 10-year temperature-taking of America’s population is among the most important information-collection tasks our government undertakes. It informs the way voting districts are drawn and –

With an avalanche of articles about the recession, unemployment and hungry children, it's easy to go numb after a while. Really, how many statistics can you process before all the numbers get blurry?AmericanPoverty.org, remedies that. If you never read another word about the economic crisis many Americans are suffering, just scan this web site.It puts real meaning to the motto "A picture's worth

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-28155418652153070882009-11-24T12:31:00.000-08:002009-11-24T13:00:38.254-08:00Newsroom Decision-Making 101

Any reporter knows that being "fair" is not the same thing as being objective. Contrary to popular phraseology, there is no such thing as "objective" journalism. News stories are written by humans, who make choices about which subjects to showcase and which quotes to use -- choices, therefore, that kill so-called objectivity.But you can be fair.Which brings me to today's Washington Post. A story

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-12560721239865775722009-11-18T12:22:00.000-08:002009-11-18T13:30:51.361-08:00If You Think No One's Listening, Think Again

Latino civil rights advocates in Texas say two unexpected victories earlier this month give them hope for the possibility of real immigration-policy reform in 2010. Both events were symbolic, rather than policy-based, but in these media-driven days, symbolism can galvanize masses. The first was the well-publicized resignation of frequent immigration-rights critic Lou Dobbs from his news anchor

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-18539465286596858232009-11-17T11:22:00.000-08:002009-11-17T11:28:26.101-08:00Immigration Reform on the Map

Tomorrow night, Nov. 18, communities across Texas will hold "listening parties" to get a sense of the immigration reform legislation about to be proposed by Illinois Rep. Luiz V. Gutierrez.Perhaps there is enough of a groundswell nationally to finally move the dial on this issue -- one that has been mired in endlessly politicized debate. Already, The New York Times has weighed in and President

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-65418787247471575242009-11-16T16:50:00.000-08:002009-11-16T17:02:03.464-08:00Down to Basics: Recession and the Dinner Table

On Monday came word that will be old news to 17 million households: parents are scrimping on food and children across the country went hungry in 2008. According to a government report -- the same one that has been conducted each year since 1995 -- millions more people went hungry in 2008 than had in 2007. And Vicki Escarra, president of Feeding America, a nonprofit organization with a national

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-1492184878433963762009-11-13T13:38:00.000-08:002009-11-13T14:30:38.210-08:0016 States Tell Poor, 'Show Us the Money'

A national analysis by the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has found that 16 states -- including many identified by Marguerite Casey Foundation as having some of the neediest residents in the country -- tax the working poor even deeper into poverty.In the south last year, Alabama collected almost $500 from two-parent families raising children on less than $22,000.In Georgia,

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-45154996977024294782009-11-03T10:57:00.000-08:002009-11-03T10:58:44.498-08:00Help with heating bills available for poor

Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas customers in need of help with their heating bills can apply now for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Customers may be eligible if their income is 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of four, that is a 30-day income level of $2,756. For a single individual, that is $1,354.Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-71103928694252777452009-11-03T10:56:00.001-08:002009-11-03T10:57:47.024-08:00More districts use income, not race, as basis for busing

Struggling to improve schools that have large populations of poor and minority students and under legal pressure to avoid racial busing, a small but growing group of school districts are integrating schools by income.Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-49845636981626445812009-11-03T10:52:00.000-08:002009-11-03T10:55:27.270-08:00=Half of American kids will live in households receiving food stamps before age 20, according to a study reported Monday in Archives of Pediatrics & A

Half of American kids will live in households receiving food stamps before age 20, according to a study reported Monday in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Although one in five children rely on food stamps for years, many more live in families who turn to food stamps during a short-term crisis, says author Mark Rank of Washington University in St. Louis. He analyzed 30 years of data

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-62656344238277451332009-11-01T11:58:00.000-08:002009-11-01T11:59:20.334-08:00Edelman remains the children's advocate

Marian Wright Edelman speaks softly and rapidly, rattling off statistics about children in poverty. "We lose a child to gun violence every two hours and forty-five minutes," the founder of the Children's Defense Fund said. "That's eight children a day."Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-15323913437761392702009-11-01T11:39:00.000-08:002009-11-01T11:56:40.150-08:00Deaths of Hospitalized Children Linked to Lack of Insurance

In research published online in the October 30th Journal of Public Health, researcher Fizan Abdullah, MD, PhD, assistant professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, found that children without insurance are 60% more likely to die from a serious illness than a sick child that does have insurance.Read More

When the temperature hits 40 degrees at night, Katherine Jhllenkenes starts shaking. "You have to drink sugar and water or wine," said Jhellenkenes, 48. She typically gets about an hour of sleep. On a good night, she might get two. She rests a lot during the day to make up for the lack of sleep. The evening before she was interviewed, Jhllenkenes was awoken by a police officer in the park where

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-79177434744651559542009-11-01T11:35:00.000-08:002009-11-01T11:37:10.092-08:00Illinois school test scores: Income-based gap proves hard to close

Surrounded by sports fields and suburban lawns, Hadley Junior High School could be the envy of the state.Nine of every 10 students at the Glen Ellyn school passed state exams in reading and math, according to the 2009 Illinois School Report Card made public Friday.Read More

In Humboldt Park’s Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School, one stairwell is adorned with pictures of Puerto Rican male activists with quotes beneath that speak to the men’s cultural pride and pain.Principal Matt Rodriguez says he wants to communicate that the school—overall, one of the higher-performing alternative schools in Chicago—is a place where the oppression his students may feel is

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-20652241453253899262009-10-29T12:33:00.000-07:002009-10-29T12:34:38.990-07:00Survey that shows drop in L.A. County homeless surprises some

A new report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority that seemed counterintuitive in the wake of a slumping economy and rising unemployment found that homelessness in Los Angeles County had dropped by about 25,000 people, a startling 38 percent since 2007.The findings also ran counter to a similar effort in Long Beach at the same time that found homelessness here climbing slightly during

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-10490011864515502572009-10-29T12:32:00.000-07:002009-10-29T12:33:28.359-07:00Showdown: Hundreds Gather to Talk About Foreclosures, Financial Struggles

Chicago - Hundreds of people from around the country gathered in Chicago for three days of events dubbed "Showdown in Chicago," intended to draw attention to the foreclosure crisis and related financial problems and to call for more regulation in the financial industry. While some protesters waved signs that read "Put people first" and "Wanted: Wall Street bankers," others chanted, "Bust up big

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-71306541995483721732009-10-27T10:21:00.000-07:002009-10-27T10:22:51.272-07:00Low-income families get help from energy company

WASCO, Calif. -- Low-income families received free weatherization upgrades to their homes on Saturday.The Southern California Gas Company helped 24 Wasco-area homes become more energy efficient by installing weather strips, replacing old furnaces and adding insulation to qualified homes.Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-8769167347606179752009-10-27T10:20:00.000-07:002009-10-27T10:21:35.584-07:00The LAPD fights crime, not illegal immigration

On March 12, Juan Garcia, a 53-year-old homeless man, was brutally murdered in an alley off 9th and Alvarado streets in the Westlake District, just west of downtown Los Angeles. At first, the police were stumped; there were no known witnesses and few clues. Then a 43-year-old undocumented immigrant who witnessed the crime came forward and told the homicide detectives from the Rampart station what

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-34530525991086783112009-10-27T10:10:00.000-07:002009-10-27T10:11:42.695-07:00Congress' health care bills leave millions uninsured

WASHINGTON — The high cost of health insurance premiums would continue to put coverage out of reach for millions even if Congress approves legislation President Obama says is intended to ensure "that every American has affordable health care."Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-12543611577134306762009-10-23T15:52:00.000-07:002009-10-23T15:56:38.202-07:00NM low-income families get help with energy costs

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Low-income households in New Mexico will be getting help with their heating bills this winter thanks to $15 million in grants from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the funds Thursday.Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-11512501229179827052009-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:002009-10-23T15:51:18.390-07:00Living in  a motel: Family struggles to get back on their feet after layoffs

Don’t tell Bryon Carlson and fiancée Rosa Garcia that economists are saying the recession is over. Garcia and their oldest daughter, Alayna, will celebrate their upcoming 27th and 7th birthdays in a motel room because they were evicted Wednesday from their Woodstock rental home.Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-7746495156243120502009-10-23T15:44:00.001-07:002009-10-23T15:59:16.028-07:00Poll: 1 in 4 Adults Say Family Member Lost Health Coverage

More than a quarter of U.S. adults report that at least one member of their immediate family lost health insurance coverage within the past year, a new poll reveals.Low-income families, those whose household earning is $35,000 and less, and young adults, ages 18-29 years old, are the most likely to have lost their health coverage, according to the Zogby Interactive poll. Thirty-seven and 35

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-75504764071603684072009-10-23T15:42:00.000-07:002009-10-23T15:43:36.366-07:00Stimulus cash to give low-income Illinois parents child care break

Low-income parents receiving help from the state to pay for child care services soon will see some extra benefits due to a $74 million infusion of federal stimulus money.The Illinois Department of Human Services is using the cash to lower co-payments for child care services and extend the time parents have to search for a job should they get laid off. Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-85941323004553224422009-10-21T14:53:00.000-07:002009-10-21T14:54:56.143-07:00Out of fields, into class for migrant kids

OCALA, Fla. — Elizabeth Pineda climbs out from bed, her 4-year-old son Adrian asleep nearby. She lays out a tiny pair of shorts and a white T-shirt for his first day of school, gathers her purse and tiptoes outside. Her cousin will get the boy up and off to class in a few hours.It is 4 a.m. and only a few solitary street lamps light the darkened roads in this rural central Florida community. She

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-37856917504176397622009-10-21T14:52:00.001-07:002009-10-21T14:53:40.908-07:00As aid shrinks, more 'stuck' for day care

For a month, Stephanie Torres has been phoning and filing paperwork, trying to get state help to keep her daughter in a Glendale, Ariz., day care center.The single working mom says she can't foot the $115 weekly day care bill on her $14-an-hour part-time office job. Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-53174960276128119482009-10-21T14:51:00.000-07:002009-10-21T14:52:19.117-07:00Growing Calls for Immigration Reform That Leaves No Family Behind

Congress has promised to begin the process of reforming America's broken immigration system later this year. There is widespread consensus that reform is urgently needed, and a growing insistence among lawmakers that any reform effort must adhere to our nation's long-standing commitment to family unification. Under current immigration law, millions of families remain separated because of

The level of poverty in America is even worse than first believed.A revised formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations show that approximately 47.4 million Americans last year lived in poverty, 7 million more than the government's official figure.The disparity occurs because of differing formulas the Census Bureau and the National Academy of Science use for calculating the

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-88394772052274834802009-10-20T09:38:00.001-07:002009-10-20T09:38:51.137-07:00Homeowners eligible for energy audits

San Mateo residents with financial restraints may be able to weatherproof their homes with help from the city.A survey of homes in San Mateo’s North Shoreview neighborhood indicated 89 percent of homes have not had energy audits performed and only a small number of homeowners had invested in energy-efficient retrofits.The findings were revealed in a City Council study session last night on the

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-52279143890128247952009-10-20T09:37:00.000-07:002009-10-20T09:38:03.724-07:00Judge halts cuts to California in-home aid

A federal judge on Monday halted the state of California's plan to cut or reduce caregiver services for 130,000 disabled and low-income seniors starting Nov. 1.Judge Claudia Wilken in Oakland imposed a preliminary injunction against the plan, which is intended to cut $82.1 million this year out of In-Home Supportive Services.Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-88531953195022048532009-10-19T13:10:00.000-07:002009-10-19T13:12:04.289-07:00Foreclosures Force Ex-Homeowners to Turn to Shelters

CLEVELAND — The first night after she surrendered her house to foreclosure, Sheri West endured the darkness in her Hyundai sedan. She parked in her old driveway, with her flower-print dresses and hats piled in boxes on the back seat, and three cherished houseplants on the floor. She used her backyard as a restroom.Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-32971243846412639932009-10-19T12:56:00.000-07:002009-10-19T12:58:18.391-07:00California gives the poor a new legal right

California is embarking on an unprecedented civil court experiment to pay for attorneys to represent poor litigants who find themselves battling powerful adversaries in vital matters affecting their livelihoods and families.The program is the first in the nation to recognize a right to representation in key civil cases and provide it for people fighting eviction, loss of child custody, domestic

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-751857875311470712009-10-19T12:55:00.000-07:002009-10-19T12:56:03.534-07:00Campaign to Make Immigration Reform a Top Issue in 2010

Last Tuesday, October 13, immigrant families from around the country gathered to join in a vigil and rally in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., where Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez and other elected officials launched a new push for comprehensive immigration reform, building to the opening months of 2010. Our banners read “Reform Immigration FOR Families” and “Family Unity Cannot Wait

Hindsight may be 20/20, but in this case, foresight is priceless.For the first time this fall, Alabama begins a new, proven approach to dealing with low-risk juvenile delinquents. During the 2008 regular session of the Alabama Legislature, lawmakers got it right when they passed new legislation to transform the state's juvenile justice system. The Alabama Juvenile Justice Act begins to repair the

Paul Krugman’s column certainly hit home, as I recently had to make the unprecedented, painful decision to close enrollment at LaGuardia Community College. More than 1,000 students — almost all of whom are low-income and the first generation of students in their families to seek a college education — were unable to enroll.We have neither the classrooms nor the faculty and staff to handle surging

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-20041071745536682312009-10-16T09:56:00.000-07:002009-10-16T09:57:01.549-07:00Thousands demonstrate in favor of comprehensive immigration reform

A 2-year-old U.S.-born boy was deprived of his rights when his undocumented parents were deported. At that age, he had no choice but to go with them."When they deported my parents, I was also deported," said Miguel, who is now a 24-year-old father and husband. He chose not to reveal his last name in fear the immigration system could victimize him and his family again."I missed out on growing up

A unique early-childhood program is helping low-income students enter Wichita-area schools prepared to learn, according to data released by the Opportunity Project, or TOP.TOP administrators on Thursday gave Gov. Mark Parkinson and community leaders a tour of one of the program's two Early Learning Centers, where students 1 to 5 years old receive eight to 10 hours of instruction a day. Read More

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0