Roundup of the Convention

The Democratic National Convention is now behind us; the Republican National Convention starts on Monday; and then, next Saturday, September 6th comes the third convention -- the National Family Convention in Los Angeles, Chicago and Birmingham.

There will be plenty of news to report from those three cities, as more than 13,000 working families come together to make history and unveil the national family platform.

But for now, it's worth taking a look back at this week's convention in Denver. New America Media has a great roundup of reports from ethnic and alternative media sources. Among the stories worth reading:

Indian Americans Flex Muscle at the DNC
Obama's Minority Dream
Run DNC: Hip Hop Generation Comes of Age with Obama

Check out the complete collection of stories from New America Media here.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession, DNC, Democratic National Convention, Denver.

U.S. Census Bureau Report Shows Poverty is On the Rise

More than 37.3 million people lived in poverty in the United States in 2007 -- an increase from 36.5 million in 2006, according to the US Census Bureau's annual report on income, poverty and health insurance coverage, which was released today:

The poverty threshold for 2007 was set at 21,000 dollars for a family of four, regardless of whether they lived in a smaller US city such as Milwaukee or a large city like Los Angeles, where the cost of living was significantly higher.

"The number of people without health insurance coverage decreased to 45.7 million people in 2007" from 47 million in 2006, said David Johnson, head of the housing and household economic statistics division of the Census Bureau.

But while the report showed slightly more Americans had health coverage than in 2006, the changes were too little to cheer about...

Children are disproportionately affected by poverty, the report showed.

Eighteen percent of children in the United States lived in poverty, compared with 11 percent of adults, aged 18-64, and just under 10 percent of senior citizens.

More Americans aged 65 years and older would be pushed into poverty if they did not receive Social Security benefits, the report showed.

More Americans falling into poverty, and just a few gaining access to health insurance?

As Paul Fronstin, a senior research associate at the Employee Benefits Research Institute, puts it in the article quoted above:

"This isn't progress."

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession, DNC, Democratic National Convention, Denver.

Unleashing the Transformative Power of Star Paschal

New America Media has the latest in a series of portraits of families around the country who are involved in the Equal Voice for America's Families Campaign.

"Star Paschal had prayed for 2008 to be a breakthrough year for her. Newly divorced, suddenly the sole support of her three daughters at age 27, in December 2007 she asked for God's help for her family - but not only for her own family. She prayed for an opportunity to give back to her community."

Then Star attended an Equal Voice for America's Families town hall meeting in Montgomery, Alabama:

She watched as people like herself -- single mothers like herself, young adults like herself, African Americans like herself, tenants who knew the constant struggle she knew -- stood up before the microphone and described a community where everyone has health care, where jobs pay enough, where taxes aren't more than a family can afford, and where children thrive. She connected her own frustration with a greater sense of injustice. She suddenly heard all the stories in the room combine into one collective cry that the rest of the world seemed too unconcerned to hear.

Before she fully realized what she was doing, she found herself standing before the microphone. "I want to speak for those who are just stuck. This has been going on for too many years," she said. "It's time to stop just talking and start doing something. Parents come to me and just cry. I tell them there's nothing I can do because I don't make the rules. But here today, seeing my people coming together and supporting each other, speaking up against injustice, it makes me feel like we can set a better path for our children."

Eloquently and powerfully delivered, Star's words were received with excitement. When she reflected back upon the sense of community her grandmother described, when "everyone raised everyone's children," a heartfelt "mmm-hmm" ran through the crowd. People came up to her at the next break to tell her how inspired they were by what she said.

Describing the Town Hall Meeting afterwards, Star said, "I did not know I had it in me. For years I felt that no one understood. But these people had so much passion. You could hear in their voices that they were fed up. My heart was filled with joy, as these were my people. I feel a part of me has come alive, a part I did not know existed.”

Read the entire portrait of star here.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession.

America's Middle Class Families Still Losing Ground

Middle class economic security is taking an ever harder hit as economic conditions worsen, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress.

Some highlights:

* The sharpest deterioration in middle-class financial security is associated ƒ with the cost of a medical emergency. We estimate that only 33.9 percent of families had enough wealth in 2007 to cover the cost of a medical emergency, down from 35.0 percent in 2005 and 43.7 percent in 2000 (See table on page 3). This deterioration comes as a result of less wealth and higher costs of medical emergencies.

* Drops in personal wealth have contributed to the decline in middle-class ƒ financial security. Because house prices started to fall and debt continued to rise in 2007, we also observed the share of families who could weather an unspecified emergency equal to three months of income decrease to 29.4 percent in 2007, from 30.5 percent in 2005 and 39.4 percent in 2000.

* The share of families who had ƒ enough resources to cover a spell of unemployment has declined since 2000. In 2007, 44.1 percent of families had enough wealth to cover a spell of unemployment, little changed from 44.0 percent in 2005 but still down from 51.0 percent in 2000. Unfortunately, the 2007 data likely reflect only a temporary respite from decline since the labor market has substantially deteriorated in 2008, beyond the time series data presented here.

Read the full report here (PDF).

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession.

Hunger Hits Families Across the United States

Families from coast to coast are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the most fundamental of needs: feeding themselves.

Several articles from across the country recently have illustrated the affects of a stagnant economy on working and poor families.

A roundup:

Demand soars as donations decline at L.A.-area food banks
Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2008

Food stamps help 177,966 Mainers
Bangor Daily News, July 28, 2008

Increased demand strains supplies at local food pantries
South Coast Today (Massachusetts), July 28, 2008

Opinion: Need is acute, and getting worse, at local food banks
Morning Call (Pennsylvania), July 28, 2008

Needy Hoosiers struggle to get aid
Courier-Journal (Indiana), July 27, 2008

One in 10 Ohioans utilize public assistance programs
Star Beacon (Ohio), July 27, 2008

Low-wage workers, retirees join the growing list of needy
Springfield News-Sun (Ohio), July 27, 2008

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, hunger, recession.

The Measure of America Report

The challenges facing America's working families aren't insurmountable -- but for many, they seem to be growing larger every day.

From rising energy prices to static wages to declining access to health care, many Americans feel like they're working harder only to fall further behind.

It's not just perception. A new report funded by Oxfam America, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Conrad Hilton Foundation -- the Measure of America Report -- combined measurements of health, education and income into one measurement called "the human development index," which is based on an index used by the United Nations.

The results:

*[T]he US ranked 42nd in the world for life expectancy despite spending more on health care per person than any other country....

* Of the world's richest nations, the US has the most children (15%) living in poverty

* Of the OECD nations, the US has the most people in prison - as a percentage and in absolute numbers

* 25% of 15-year-old students performed at or below the lowest level in an international maths test - worse than Canada, France, Germany and Japan

* If the US infant mortality rate were equal to first-ranked Sweden, more than 20,000 babies would survive beyond their first year of life

The report broke down its findings by states and congressional districts. For a graphic showing the state-by-state results, click here.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration.

Measuring Poverty

How does one measure poverty -- and what difference does it make?

Since the 1960s, the US Government has measured poverty based on the results of a 1955 study that showed that poor Americans spent roughly a third of their after-tax income on food.

Since then, the government has determined the poverty level by simply tripling the annual cost of groceries.

But even while being updated for inflation, that model has been criticized for being out of date. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, today's families spend just one-eighth of their income on food (though this is clearly changing in recent inflationary months), with more money going to transportation, child care and housing.

And that says nothing about how the cost of living varies from city to city and state to state.

Given the high cost of living in New York City, the NYC government recently revised the way it measures poverty. The results are eye-opening.

The New York Times reports:

Under the new model, announced by Linda I. Gibbs, the city’s deputy mayor for health and human services... the poverty rate in New York City would increase to 23 percent of the population, compared with the official level of roughly 19 percent. Also, fewer people in the city would fall into the category of extreme poverty, partly because the new measure factors in government aid programs like housing assistance, food stamps and tax credits....

According to the current federal measure, fewer than one in five New Yorkers 65 or older are poor. But under the new model, that figure grows to one in three, largely because higher medical costs are taken into account....

Under the new calculus, the poverty threshold for a family of two adults and two children in New York City would be a $26,138 annual income compared with the official level of $20,444.

The change could affect local programs and policy decisions, like how the city cares for the elderly; city officials hope that the new model will be adopted by other cities and states, and will also start a national re-examination about the way poverty is gauged, according to the New York Times report.

The city’s formula was developed by its Center for Economic Opportunity and modeled on a proposal developed by the National Academy of Sciences.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, government, New York City.

Are Rebate Checks Enough?

Millions of Americans have been receiving tax rebate checks over the past weeks and months, as part of the government's economic stimulus program.

But are rebate checks enough to kickstart America's sputtering economy? Over at the Real Women, Real Voices blog, Blanca Rojas, the the Invest in America’s Future coordinator for the Georgia Rural Urban Summit Affiliate, argues that rebate checks are only one part of a broader solution:

Rebate checks are only one piece of the economic recovery equation; Congress must also create a growth package that contains proven initiatives for pulling the country out of a recession. This package should include four things: an expansion of unemployment insurance, a temporary increase in food stamp benefits, increased aid to state and local governments, and investment in infrastructure projects that would immediately put people to work....

Any responsible effort to pull the country out of the current recession should start with an expansion of unemployment benefits. The U.S. Department of Labor ranks expanding unemployment compensation as the No. 1 tool for stimulating the economy. Studies show that for every dollar spent on unemployment insurance, anywhere from $1.73 to $2.15 is re-circulated back into the economy.

A temporary increase in food stamp benefits is another quick way to stimulate the economy and assist those in need. The recession has forced more people onto the food stamp rolls, where they receive an average of just $1 per meal. A temporary increase in that allotment could be easily added to food stamp electronic debit cards and spent quickly, boosting the economy while helping to prevent millions of children and seniors from going to bed hungry.

Increasing aid to state and local governments is also imperative to stem job loss and halt further cuts in critical programs and services including Medicaid and SCHIP. Without help, the budget shortfalls confronting states will increase hardships for low-income people and push the country into a deeper recession.

Finally, investing in much-needed infrastructure projects would create jobs, rebuild communities, and strengthen the economy. This is especially true of projects that are already underway but could be accelerated or repaired.

What do you think? What needs to happen to revitalize our economy?


Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events.

Assets, Liabilities, and Poverty

Savings and assets are a critical resource for weathering hard times -- but a large percentage of working families in America lack those resources, according to a recent report from the non-partisan Urban Institute:

Nearly one quarter of low-income families do not have a checking or savings account, more than one-third do not own cars, 60 percent do not own a home, and 90 percent have no retirement account. In contrast, the typical middle-income family has checking or savings accounts, retirement accounts, owns a car and a home.

The report, based upon the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances, focuses on the bottom 20 percent of families ranked by income level -- ie, those with annual incomes of less than $18,000.

As might be expected, those with low incomes have limited assets: 24 percent of low-income families lack a bank account and 35 percent lack a vehicle.

In comparison, the typical high-income family has 82 times as much net worth as the typical low-income family.

Read the full report here (opens in PDF).

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events.

New York Times on the Working Poor and a Fair Wage

Last week, as the federal minimum wage marked its 75th anniversary, New York Times OpEd Assistant Editor Adam Cohen reviewed the challenging history and the current state of the minimum wage as it relates to today's working families:

In 1938, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act ... creating a mandatory federal minimum wage.

The new law was enormously effective: within a year, it brought millions of low-paid workers up to a wage of 30 cents an hour. It also had major weaknesses, notably that it was not indexed to inflation. Congress has to raise it, which leaves low-income workers at the mercy of politics.

The minimum wage continues to have powerful enemies. Businesses that pay low wages lobby strongly against increases, arguing that they cause jobs to disappear. The Bush administration has been hostile. When Elaine Chao was nominated to be the next labor secretary, she called for states to be able to opt out of the federal minimum wage — which would destroy the whole idea of a national minimum wage.

Cohen points out that while victories have been won to raise the minimum wage, the recent increase to $7.25 per hour -- which will go into effect in 2009 -- is still "far below where it was in the 1960s, in real dollars...and a family of three earning the 2009 minimum wage would still be well below the federal poverty line."

After 75 years, is that really progress we can celebrate?

Read the full article here

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events.