Will Health Coverage Translate into Receiving Health Care?

LeeAnn Hall, executive director of Alliance for a Just Society, published this article originally in Huffington Post. More than 7.5 million people have signed up for new health coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s state and federal health insurance marketplaces at the close of the first enrollment period. The Department of Health and Human ServicesContinue reading “Will Health Coverage Translate into Receiving Health Care?”

Living Wage: A New Battle in the War on Poverty

Fifty years after President Lyndon Johnson announced a War on Poverty in America, more than 46.5 million people in our country, about one out of every seven, still struggle to get enough to eat or have a place to live. The U.S. Census Bureau shows that for people of color, the poverty rate is evenContinue reading “Living Wage: A New Battle in the War on Poverty”

Underwater Mortgages and 1 Million Jobs

Today, The New Bottom Line, a coalition co-lead by the Alliance for a Just Society,  released a report detailing a solution to the foreclosure crisis. “The Win-Win Solution: How Fixing The Housing Crisis Will Create 1 Million Jobs” details how we can fix the housing crisis and revitalize our communities and economy if the banks wereContinue reading “Underwater Mortgages and 1 Million Jobs”

Debt Deal Puts a Bull’s Eye on Medicaid

As I write, the U.S. Senate has just passed the debt deal that was negotiated with the President over the weekend. It got 269 votes in the House yesterday and 74 votes in the Senate today. It was opposed by both the most progressive and most conservative members. The immediate effect is a cap onContinue reading “Debt Deal Puts a Bull’s Eye on Medicaid”

Washington Community Action Network’s Sunny Summer Conference

On July 23, 250 Washingtonians spent a rare sunny Seattle Saturday in a leadership conference! WashingtonCAN’s annual Summer Leadership Conference was attended by about 250 committed community members. Turnout included people from WashingtonCAN, Working Washington and other progressive organizations and labor unions across Washington. Folks from Vancouver to Tacoma to Spokane participated. Workshop topics rangedContinue reading “Washington Community Action Network’s Sunny Summer Conference”

Good Jobs First

This is part ten in a series of posts that will explore some of the leading organizations from around the country that are engaged in unearthing and combating the influence of money in the political process. Role in the Landscape Good Jobs First focuses on corporate subsidies and works to promote corporate and government accountabilityContinue reading “Good Jobs First”

Living wage jobs are scarce in Northwest and Colorado

The recently released 2010 Northwest Job Gap Study, Searching for Work that Pays looks at living wages in each county in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The study also compares the number of job openings paying a living wage to the number of job seekers in each state. The key findings are disturbing: 48%Continue reading “Living wage jobs are scarce in Northwest and Colorado”

Searching for Work that Pays: 2010 Job Gap Study

The 2010 Job Gap Study looks at the availability of living wage jobs in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. This report provides calculations of: A living wage for all counties in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington; The percent of job openings that pay a living wage in each of these states; and TheContinue reading “Searching for Work that Pays: 2010 Job Gap Study”

Race Matters: Living Wage Jobs in the Current Economy

It’s always been tough for working families in the Northwest to make ends meet. The recession has made it even harder – and harder still for people of color, who have historically faced racial inequities in the job market. The economic crisis has only worsened these disparities in employment, wages, and income. Race Matters shinesContinue reading “Race Matters: Living Wage Jobs in the Current Economy”

“This is a Movement, not a Moment” — Scenes from the Montana Organizing Project Founding Convention

This post was written by Amanda Harrow, Montana Small Business Program Director An energized diverse group of people came together this past weekend in Butte, Montana, to found the Montana Organizing Project. Seventy people from labor unions, faith communities, non-profit service organizations, and other interested communities around the state joined in committing to work forContinue reading ““This is a Movement, not a Moment” — Scenes from the Montana Organizing Project Founding Convention”