Activism
-
Helping the Poor Quit Smoking
-
Judge Rules Katrina Flooding Government's Fault
-
House Healthcare Bill Effectively Prohibits Abortion
House Bill Expands Medicaid to 15M more Americans
Published November 08, 2009 @ 11:34AM PT
Update, 11/10/09: I made an error in the # of Americans newly eligible for Medicaid via this bill. It is 15M Americans; through Medicaid expansion, subsidies, and insurance exchange options, 36M Americans overall will be newly covered through this legislation.
--
Congrats to House Speaker Pelosi, President Obama, the American people, and other elected leaders for their efforts to pass this historic healthcare bill. I'm always up for celebrating any social policy that is the next big victory since LBJ's achievements forty years ago.
Gay Rights blogger Mike Jones has some terrific info on one key Medicaid expansion in the bill that permits states "to cover early HIV treatment...a departure from a current policy that only allows states to use Medicaid funds once a patient develops full-blown AIDS." Let's take a look at the other wins for low-income Americans in the bill:
Bing Wins Full Term to Lead Detroit
Published November 04, 2009 @ 04:58AM PT
Lots of Mayoral races last night, with specific marching orders to revitalize and continuously improve our cities. I'll be back later today with some thoughts on their different charges, but here's a quick round-up:
David Bing is elected for a full-term in Detroit.
Wunderkind Luke Ravenstahl is re-elected in Pittsburgh.
Bloomberg wins by less than anticipated in NYC for his self-appointed third term (basically).
Menino wins easily, but also by a smaller margin than usual, in Boston. He's now the city's longest serving Mayor, beginning his 6th term today.
Lawrence, MA elects its first Latino Mayor, William Lantigua - the first in MA.
In Atlanta and Houston, no decisions yet.
Any key elections in your neck of the woods?
And Maine voters, WTH????
Growing Poverty, Homelessness Like No Tomorrow
Published October 23, 2009 @ 05:06AM PT
Last week in Boston, HEAR US joined with the MA Campaign to End Child Homelessness to plead on behalf of homeless families about looming budget decisions that...
...can have a devastating and life-long impact on a child; further erosion of the safety net as a result of more budget cuts would cause even more harm to homeless children and their families in Massachusetts.
Devastating, life-long impact, more harm...those claims are beyond true. The MA recommendations are way more urgent than this document can convey.
Flint: Back to the Land
Published October 19, 2009 @ 06:20AM PT
I thought about calling this post "Flint: Uplifting and Depressing" to quote the competing descriptors given to the city working to stabilize itself sustainably in the face of population decline and a lost economic base. This is one of those articles that often tires me, as its efforts to report on any source of progress during long-term shifts like rebuilding an eviscerated city can leave readers buoyed with false hopes or impatient for more positive outcomes ASAP. But it's a telling story of the highs and lows of fighting poverty - the reality that Flint is still deteriorating in places, even as potential new jobs and land uses come to the fore as officials and residents seek to turn around their hometown.
The main focus of the article is creative uses of land - an abundant resource in Flint - such as turning vacant properties into local gardens. For some Americans, a return to the land, rustic, pioneering movement is an economic necessity or the most viable economic solution. So it goes on one street in Flint.
As we know here at Poverty in America, both small scale and large scale efforts like this are happening all over the country. I praise local governments for allowing residents to exercise some creative control over their neighborhoods alongside government efforts to preserve housing, retain or bring in good jobs, and provide for citizens' economic well-being, safety and health.
(Photo of the Beresford Community Garden in San Mateo, CA by Vicky Moore)
Free Anti-Poverty Organizing Materials
Published October 19, 2009 @ 05:42AM PT
The Poverty Scholars Program has uploaded its training materials from its Leadership program, and I highly recommend those who are trying to do anti-poverty organizing in their own communities download them stat.
Many of the materials are in English and Spanish, and include: statistics on the current economic crisis, the causes of the current rates of poverty and inequality, and lessons on histories of anti-poverty organizing here in the US on which to build. There are lots of graphs and images and accompanying explanations.
This is a terrific resource for our anti-poverty activism. Many thanks to the Program for making these materials available.
Help Protect Housing Vouchers
Published October 16, 2009 @ 05:05AM PT
This country needs therapy. We've gotten to the point, collectively, when common sense fails us. The breaking point? I'd point to the current mindset that it's OK to cut funding for what little housing we have for limited-income families.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) reports that funding shortfalls for the 2009 Housing Choice Voucher Program could cause state and local housing agencies to terminate vouchers or raise rents to levels beyond the financial reach of many families.
This is why I'm in Massachusetts today, to join with activists calling for continued funding of the Housing Choice vouchers, one of the few resources to keep families housed instead of homeless. And we need your support!
How Environmental Justice Works
Published October 15, 2009 @ 09:03AM PT
Through MIT, I've had the opportunity to provide research and writing for a range of social justice clients, including grassroots groups fighting for environmental justice and green economic development. I've written occasionally about EJ here, but I've never really taken the time to define it. Embracing this frame is imperative as stimulus funds flow and talk of "green jobs" and "green development" abound.
Today, in honor of Blog Action Day 2009, in which Change.org hosts over 8k blogs from 135 countries worldwide to blog about Climate Change to raise awareness of this pressing global problem, I want to provide some important information on environmental justice, racism and equity to inform your climate change activism. To be effective climate change activists, we cannot forget the unequal and unfair impacts borne by low-income communities, often communities of color, often in the US South, on reservations and borderlands, from environmental degradation. Read on to learn more about these critical frames and see how one group in San Diego, the Environmental Health Coalition, is succeeding in pursuing environmental equity for low-income Latin@ communities there.
