No New Jails: Consider Alternatives to Incarcerating Children

King County Council members in Washington state are charging ahead with plans to build a new juvenile detention center to be known as the Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC). The county’s existing youth facility in Seattle has 50 beds – and is not even filled to capacity. The new jail triples the number ofContinue reading “No New Jails: Consider Alternatives to Incarcerating Children”

Colorado Progressive Coalition Hails Payday Lending Reform Passage

On May 5th, 2010, the Colorado state legislature passed a payday lending reform bill that is a huge victory against predatory lending, and will benefit an estimated 200,000 low-income Coloradans annually.

Maine Small Business Owners Take on Big Insurance

Big Insurance and its Bag of Tricks The ink may have dried on the federal health care reform bill, but the health insurance industry isn’t packing up its bag of tricks and going quietly into the night. Instead, insurers actually appear to be stepping up their attempts to game the system, seeking to exploit theContinue reading “Maine Small Business Owners Take on Big Insurance”

Marcelas Grows Up in Community Organizing, Finishes What His Mother Started

History loves a hero. The historic health reform legislation signed this year by President Obama received its hero in the form of Marcelas Owens, eleven-year-old Seattleite who, in the weeks leading to the bill’s passage, became the country’s most visible spokesman for reform.

Coloradans Tell Congress to Listen to People Power, not Corporate Power

On February 17th, 200 Denver activists turned out on the busy corner of 17th and Lincoln in front of the Wells Fargo building to call on Congress to listen to people, not profits. Colorado Progressive Action, joined by a coalition of community-based organizations, pointed to powerful corporations like Wells Fargo as the prime roadblocks toContinue reading “Coloradans Tell Congress to Listen to People Power, not Corporate Power”

Washington CAN! Demands That Chase Pay Its Fair Share!

On March 15th, 2010, Washington Community Action Network and close to 100 protesters chanted outside of Chase’s headquarters in downtown Seattle, demanding that the company and other big Wall Street banks pay their fair share to help maintain crucial state services.