Government
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Helping the Poor Quit Smoking
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Judge Rules Katrina Flooding Government's Fault
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Women and Children Hit Hardest by Hunger
44% of Congress are millionaires
Published November 16, 2009 @ 06:00AM PT
And we wonder why Congress can't pass bills to support low-income households and working people...ok, we don't really wonder, do we?
1% of Americans are millionaires, compared to 44% of Congress (237 elected officials, to be exact). The median income in the Senate is just under $2M, in the House it's just over $600k. Median household income in the US is $50,303.
Just because an individual is rich does not preclude them from pursuing pro-poor or equitable policies, nor does it suggest that they cannot relate to poverty or economic inequality. But when the group norm is staggering wealth compared to the typical American, including in countless districts these officials represent, then it is understandably difficult to consider or develop policies that truly address economic hardship. Add to this wealth disparity the reality that 9 in 10 House incumbents and 8 in 10 Senate incumbents are re-elected each election year, and my despair over Congressional legislation benefiting the average American certainly deepens.
I hear from political insiders that nothing is more important in running for election than a person's ability to raise money. Forget your political views, your commitment to social equity, your desire to make a difference. If you're not rich or you don't know rich people who can bankroll your campaign, it's over before you've begun. Yes, we need to keep putting progressive candidates up for election, and we need to diversify the ranks of political leadership along racial, gender and certainly class lines. But how can we do that, when we're up against the nation's economic elite? Maybe our Average Joe VP, who's net worth is $27,000, has some advice.
(Original graph of House incumbency trends here at the Center for Responsive Politics)
Swine Flu Driving Paid Sick Leave Laws
Published November 15, 2009 @ 11:39AM PT
President Obama is urging anyone showing symptoms of swine flu to stay home for at least four days - a nearly impossible task for the 50% of working Americans who lack any paid sick leave. With legislation stalled in Congress to mandate paid sick leave, 15 states and several cities around the US are proposing their own sick leave laws. Sen. Dodd (D-CT) has proposed mandatory sick leave just for those diagnosed with swine flu, a rather pathetic compromise, in my book. (And I already know people who likely had swine flu earlier this year only to have it missed by their docs.)
I wrote about this issue less than 2 months ago (first link above), and not too much has changed. Unsurprisingly, many lawmakers resist the reality that public health and labor issues can be intertwined as is the case here: ill workers showing up to their jobs cost businesses roughly $180B per year, more than the cost of absenteeism. (Also of note: how many women's policy institutes are providing the data on worker/labor policies - gee, I wonder why...)
We have a window of opportunity here to pass some long overdue laws. I commend Democrats for using swine flu to raise awareness of this issue, and states and cities for responding to the very serious reality of a pandemic sweeping through their populations. Now if only people could actually get access to the vaccine...
(Photo of mask, liquid soap and paper tissue bfishadow)
Poverty--'Prison Without Bars'
Published November 13, 2009 @ 05:03AM PT
While I think I know something about poverty, I could never succinctly describe it as Dorothy Thomas did, "Poverty is prison without bars." Her homelessness probably galvanized her way of looking at her income-deficit disorder.
It just takes a glance at headlines to realize that our country suffers from economic schizophrenia. We've got a bazillionaire plunking down a cool $43.8 million for Warhol's painting of 200 $1 bills, and 237 of the 535 members of Congress counting up their millions, although hard times have hit a few...
The Center for Responsive Politics reports that a number of lawmakers are estimated to have suffered double-digit percentage losses in their net worth from 2007 to 2008. The biggest losers include Kerry, who lost a whopping $127.4 million; Warner lost about $28.1 million; Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) lost about $11.8 million; and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) lost about $10.1 million.
Real Unemployment 17.5%
Published November 12, 2009 @ 12:00PM PT
President Obama announced this morning he will host a jobs summit next month at the White House, a political response to the reality that 1 in 6 workers were un- or under-employed in October. The news comes alongside an article in the NY Times this morning on the emotional and psychological toll - with potential lifelong impacts - widespread unemployment is having on American households - especially on children.
Pundits explain that summits like these are mostly signals to the public that elected leaders are prioritizing the issue - in this case, alarming unemployment. There's some indication that Democrats are considering a jobs bill, according to The Hill. But I wonder, even though this might be a great, needed government intervention, how much more can the impatient American public take?
Putting Veterans To Work
Published November 11, 2009 @ 10:46AM PT
This blog title is likely to ruffle a few feathers, as it implies an epidemic of layabout retired servicemen and women, when the reality for millions of Vets, as we know it, is much harsher. Every Veterans Day, amidst the tributes and thank yous, are the tireless activists pointing out* how difficult life can be for veterans after military service - due especially to the psychological and disruptive impacts of combat and deployments and the relatively low remuneration for service. Now, under President Obama, the Administration and civil society organizations are working to reduce veteran unemployment and poverty.
On Monday, the White House introduced a new initiative to recruit and hire more veterans into the federal government, citing their distinct preparation for careers in public service. Through the Council on Veterans Employment, the Homeland Security, Labor, and Veterans Affairs will work with WH personnel management to increase the number of veterans employed through the federal government.
Stimulus funds are supporting the American Legion Auxiliary's national Call to Service Corps VISTA project that puts volunteers to work fighting poverty among veterans and military families. The project will provide economic and social support to over 100 military families and enlist almost 2,000 veteran families in anti-poverty community service projects.
House Healthcare Bill Effectively Prohibits Abortion
Published November 10, 2009 @ 08:41AM PT
I took a lot of flak yesterday from commenters for celebrating the passage of the House healthcare reform bill. Like many feminists (and unlike many others), I celebrated some of the specific advances towards equalizing healthcare coverage for women and men. And like most feminists, I am floored, sickened, and outraged that House Democrats have passed the most restrictive policy on abortion since it was legalized in 1973.
I'm trying to get how the Stupak-Pitts Amendment works correct here, so bear with me. This bill creates insurance exchanges for "individuals and small employers to comparison shop among private and public insurers, including new health insurance co-ops." Included here are federal subsidies "to help low- and middle-income individuals and families purchase insurance." The Stupak Amendment prohibits any insurance companies that enroll these subsidized individuals and families from covering elective abortions. It is anticipated that eventually the majority of all companies and individuals in the US will be covered through these exchanges. FDL leads us to the Amendment's inexorable conclusion:
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.
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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:
