Pay Up! $15 in Not A Living Wage in Most of the Country

Throughout the nation, the call for a $15 minimum wage is rightfully gaining momentum and – if enacted – would lift millions of low-wage workers from struggle to stability. While detractors suggest the wage is too high, a new report by the Alliance for a Just Society released today shows that $15 is really a modest demand.Continue reading “Pay Up! $15 in Not A Living Wage in Most of the Country”

Working Families Need Good Jobs – Not Just Any Job

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its January jobs report, showing that 257,000 jobs were added last month. Increasing jobs is great news, but only if those jobs allow workers and their families to make ends meet. The numbers have been praised, especially the average hourly wages that “soared 12 cents” to $24.75. While wages didContinue reading “Working Families Need Good Jobs – Not Just Any Job”

Minimum Wage Shouldn’t Force Workers to Live in Poverty

On New Year’s Day, 20 states raised their minimum wages. That leaves a lot of states that aren’t increasing the minimum wage — along with the federal government. Even some of those employees who are getting increases don’t have much to celebrate. Workers in Florida might barely notice their 12-cents-an-hour raise. And the extra 15 centsContinue reading “Minimum Wage Shouldn’t Force Workers to Live in Poverty”

Poor, in Prison – and Pregnant

As poverty levels in the U.S. increase, safety nets are  slashed, and families are left with few options for survival. As a result, more people are forced into difficult economic decisions, including alternative street-based economies and crime from sheer economic desperation. Many of these people are women and mothers. Among women who are fortunate enoughContinue reading “Poor, in Prison – and Pregnant”

Project Vote Smart

Role in the Landscape This is part twelve 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. Project Vote Smart (PVS) is a transparency/data organization with a vast collection of data onContinue reading “Project Vote Smart”

Community Health Care Clinics Under Attack

Community clinics are an indispensable component of the health care infrastructure in the United States. They are widely regarded as a cost-effective way to provide basic care, saving the health care system billions of dollars every year. Clinics serve over 20 million people in America, and one out of three people in poverty rely onContinue reading “Community Health Care Clinics Under Attack”

On the State of the Union: Where Are We Going? A National Mystery

After watching the President’s State of the Union Address, I must confess that I am puzzled. I have no idea where our country is going.

Looking Back, and Forward, at Post-Katrina Justice and Accountability

August 29, 2010, marks the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Even now, survivors still face devastation and daily reminders of the governmental system that failed them. Hurricane Katrina raises the opportunity for all of us to question the role of government in communities, especially black communities. It also provides an opportunity to evaluate the useContinue reading “Looking Back, and Forward, at Post-Katrina Justice and Accountability”