from the Munster Times INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- As many as 10,000 Indiana children became eligible Wednesday for the State Children's Health Insurance Program under a recently approved expansion, state officials said.The expansion of eligibility to children up to age 19 in households earning up to 2.5 times the federal poverty level was approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in May. The new eligibility level is a sliding scale that includes families of two earning up to $35,000 per year and families of four earning up to $53,000.Families with children newly eligible under the expansion will need to pay higher premiums, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration said.Households earning 200 percent to 225 percent the poverty level will pay $42 per month for one...
from the Las Cruses Sun NewsBy Diana M. AlbaLAS CRUCES — Poverty is one of the most significant factors impacting public education in the state, said New Mexico Public Education Department Secretary Veronica Garc'a during a visit to Las Cruces on Tuesday.Garc'a addressed a group of educators from across the country attending the Interstate Migrant Education Conference, which runs through Wednesday.Garc'a said the state is taking a "holistic" approach toward improving education and is attempting to address all the needs of children. For instance, she said, school districts have worked to improve the health of students by removing unhealthy foods from vending machines. Also, she said the state is attempting to make sure students eat breakfast, which helps them focus in class and cuts...
from the Star Press By KEITH ROYSDONMUNCIE -- A new Ball State University study maintains that Muncie's poverty rate is lower than previously announced, which prompted one local advocate for the poor to say the study might be an over-simplification.One thing that the study's author and local experts in dealing with poverty can agree on: The number of the working poor locally is high and might even amount to a third of the city's population.The first of a three-part report, "Understanding Regional Poverty: What is Poverty," was released this week by the Bureau of Business Research at Ball State University.The report, by economist Michael Hicks, reiterates points made in September 2007, when experts said changes in how the U.S. Census measures poverty skewed the government's estimation of...
from the Washington Post By Joel BergWhen social services advocates like me hear that the cost of the federal bailout of the finance sector might top a trillion dollars, we're not quite sure how to process such a massive figure.Our country has been told that a gargantuan government rescue of the private sector is necessary because the collapse of major financial institutions would lead to unthinkable outcomes for society. Almost as if by magic, our nation's leaders conjure up vast sums to respond to this crisis.Yet when advocates point out that our nation is facing an altogether different kind of crisis, one of soaring hunger and homelessness, and that a large-scale bailout is needed to prevent social service providers nationwide from buckling under the increasing load, we are told that...
from the Buffalo News By Harold McNeilMembers of the three Abrahamic faiths and other religious traditions broke bread together and endeavored to collectively address local poverty during an event Wednesday in the Islamic Society and Mosque, 745 Heim Road, Getzville.The third annual "Tent of Abraham" coincides with the Muslim observance of Ramadan, a monthlong period of daily fasting. The aim, according to Dr. Khalid J. Qazi, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York, is to invite those of other faith traditions to join local Muslims in collecting nonperishable food items and cash donations for distribution to the area's needy through the Food Pantry of Western New York and Viva La Casa."The Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York started this two years...
from the Chicago Tribune By Judith Graham A groundbreaking bill extending hospital discounts to people without health insurance has become law after the legislature overturned Gov. Rod Blagojevich's amendatory veto.The Illinois House voted 97-0 Tuesday to endorse the original measure, which was passed unanimously in June. The Senate's vote Monday was 55-0. The legislation requires hospitals to offer significant discounts to uninsured Illinoisans. Instead of paying the full sticker price—typically two to three times the actual cost of care—consumers will pay charges based on the actual cost plus a 35 percent markup.To qualify for discounts, consumers have to meet financial criteria. In urban areas, families who earn up to six times the federal poverty level—$127,200 for a family of...
from Comtex San Juan, Sep 23, 2008 (EFE via COMTEX) -- Almost half of Puerto Ricans last year lived below the poverty line, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released Tuesday.The median household income in the U.S. commonwealth last year was $17,741, though the figure for families including a married couple was $26,930.The data published by the Census Bureau show that the 45.5 percent of Puerto Ricans living in poverty included 11.2 percent of the island's college graduates and more than 62 percent of people who didn't complete high school.The report also states that in 2007, 66 percent of the population over 25 years of age had a high school diploma, while in 2000 the figure had been 60 percent.Among the 25-34 age group, the percentage of those who had a high school diploma was...
from the New Orleans Times Picayune By Mark WallerWorried that welfare costs are rising as the number of taxpayers declines, state Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, said Tuesday he is studying a plan to pay poor women $1,000 to have their Fallopian tubes tied. "We're on a train headed to the future and there's a bridge out," LaBruzzo said of what he suspects are dangerous demographic trends. "And nobody wants to talk about it."LaBruzzo said he worries that people receiving government aid such as food stamps and publicly subsidized housing are reproducing at a faster rate than more affluent, better-educated people who presumably pay more tax revenue to the government. He said he is gathering statistics now."What I'm really studying is any and all possibilities that we can reduce the number...
from the New Statesman by Nick DeardenBailing out the banks without progress on the world's problems such as poverty and climate change is like socialism for the rich. It's time for proper regulation...Gordon Brown’s conversion to financial regulation this weekend is certainly better late than never. He has joined a wide range of statesmen who, despite their role in maintaining “hands off” global finance, have come to see the error of their ways.In May the great and the good of European social democracy, led by Jacques Delors and Jacques Santer, both former Presidents of the European Commission, declared in a letter that “Financial markets can not govern us!”.In fact much of the world has been governed by financial markets for decades, and the severe poverty which still exists...
from the Tribune Review Vickie Allman said she was in the midst of a tough time in her life emotionally and financially as a divorce left her a single mom with four kids ranging in age from 5 to 17. "I was at that point in my life that I needed to do something. I wasn't sure what exactly I needed to do," she said. Today she is one of four Jeannette residents who are the first to graduate from a program called Circles, presented by Westmoreland Community Action. It's geared toward ending poverty and changing the mind-set and goals of a community. The four graduates are known as "leaders" in the Circles program. "It's a real good feeling, because we had a chance of losing our house," said Eugene Smorey, who is involved in the program with his wife, Tina. "We learned a whole lot from the...
from the Chillicothe GazetteBy JONA ISONBAINBRIDGE - As Pike County prepared to walk for hunger, a group of Paint Valley High School students emerged from cardboard boxes in an effort to raise money for the same cause.The fundraisers were for CROP - Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty - which was begun in 1947 by Church World Service. CROP is an officially endorsed charity of the Ohio FFA, which is how students at Paint Valley became involved.Instead of doing a walk, the traditional fundraiser for CROP, FFA advisor John Peters has been doing a "Cardboard City" for the last 12 years. When he started at Paint Valley, he brought the concept with him and has had between 40 and 50 students volunteer each year to sleep in a cardboard box overnight in front of the school for a minimum...
from Peace FM Online, Ghana Ghana and the United States, starting this September, would begin distributing medicines to about eight million people as part of a new initiative to fight neglected tropical diseases, President George Bush, has announced.The two countries, he said, stood as one in their work to free people from diseases.President Bush was speaking after bilateral talks at the Oval Office in the White House with President John Agyekum Kufuor, who is on a four-day State Visit to the country.The visit at the invitation of President Bush is to re-enforce the strong and enduring ties of friendship between the two countries. Their discussions centred on the promotion of economic opportunities, education and the fight against malaria and other diseases plaguing Africa. President...
from Kansas City Info Zine By Christine VestalEven as the economy pushes more people into poverty, revenue-strapped states can be expected to make further cutbacks in social welfare spending, particularly in poor states where people need it most.That's according to a new report by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, which tracked state and local spending on all forms of low-income assistance programs from 1977 to 2006."As states deal with the economic downturn in 2009, I would expect more cuts in social welfare programs while the reported number of poor people is increasing," Thomas Gais, lead researcher on the study, told Stateline.org.Making matters worse, he said, states will be trimming welfare budgets that already are lower on a per-person, inflation-adjusted basis than at any...
from the Boston Globe By David Abel,The number of children in the state living in poverty is increasing, pushing Massachusetts lower in the ranking of states with children in need, according to a new report.The report, released yesterday by Massachusetts Citizens for Children, highlights new data from the US Census Bureau that show 182,000 children, 13 percent of all children under age 18 in Massachusetts, lived below the federal poverty line last year, 4,000 more than in 2006.The state last year ranked 11th in the percentage of children living in poverty, below Alaska, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, Hawaii, Minnesota, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. In 2006, Massachusetts ranked fifth."These 182,000 children would form an unbroken line the entire length of the 138-mile...
from The Salinas Californian This is a little off topic, but it was an angle of the foreclosure crisis that I haven't seen explored before. - KaleBy NICK RAHAIMAfter a few, futile months of perusing classified ads, talking to property managers and checking out houses for rent, it took a connection through a family friend for Penny and Tom Bubnis to find a place to live."It was a major pain to find an affordable, clean house in a good neighborhood," Tom Bubnis said.The Bubnises - like thousands of other families in Salinas - entered the rental market after their house was foreclosed upon."Rental units are in high demand at this point," said Michael Rodriguez, broker/owner of Platinum Capital Mortgage & Estate. "The folks who were displaced outnumber the number of rental units...
from the Wisconsin State Journal By Matthew DeFourMayor Dave Cieslewicz's plan to disperse Madison's pockets of poverty around the county is moving forward this week, though legal issues could limit the mayor's proposal to merge city and county public housing operations.Cieslewicz in April floated the idea to create a regional housing authority by joining the Dane County Housing Authority and Madison's Housing Operations division, which is overseen by the Community Development Authority.A regional authority could ensure that poor families aren't concentrated in Madison's public school system and would save money by reducing duplicated services, Cieslewicz said during his state of the city address.Since then, City Attorney Michael May issued an opinion that the city and county agencies...
from The Star Press A new U.S. Census Bureau report which found 41 percent of Bloomington residents living in poverty is somewhat misleading because of the city's large population of college students, officials say.The report, which includes Indiana University students in its figures, found that Bloomington's poverty rate grew from 34.7 percent in 2006 to 41.6 percent 2007 — a nearly 7 percent rise.But the numbers are skewed because many IU students either have no incomes or paltry paychecks from part-time jobs, said Barry Lessow, executive director of United Way of Monroe County."These numbers reflect the reality that poverty is certainly an issue in our community," he said. "But as we look at the poverty numbers, we're also cognizant that they are impacted by the large number of IU...
from the Toledo Blade By DAVID YONKEOn the seventh anniversary of a terrorist attack by religious extremists, a multifaith group assembled in a Toledo church last night to express unity in alleviating hunger and poverty.Representatives of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu faiths participated in the third annual Interfaith Hunger Awareness Service, attended by about 100 people at Epiphany Lutheran Church in South Toledo.Scriptures from four holy books - the Jewish Torah, the Christian New Testament, the Islamic Qur'an, and the Hindu Bhagavad Gita - were read, commanding followers to aid the poor and feed the hungry.The program included music, prayer, and two children's skits as well as short sermons by Muslim and Christian clerics.In one skit, seven children representing the continents...
from KMPH Organizers of the Mayoral Forum on Poverty and Possibilities cite a recent study by the Brookings Institute that says the nation's highest concentration of poverty is right here in Fresno.The group brought candidates Henry T. Perea and Ashley Swearengin together to hear their plans to help.Both candidates say solving it won't be easy."There are so many issues that go hand in hand with the issue of poverty," Swearengin said."Were talking about the real concentrated poverty that has held this city back for a long time," Perea said.Swearengin and Perea each have plans for lifting their Fresno neighbors out of poverty.Highlights of Swearengin's plan include ways to: help private business to create jobs, improve city bus service to help people get to work, and more job training...
from US News and World Report Non-Hispanic whites have the lowest poverty rate--8.2%: Poverty rate in 2007 for non-Hispanic whites--24.5%: ...for blacks--21.5%: ...for Hispanics--10.2%: ...for AsiansSource: U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007 (http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p60-235.pdf)...
from Deutsche Welle Germany's development minister slammed the US plan to build a missile defense shield in eastern Europe as well as billions being diverted from fighting poverty to new weaponry, triggered by the Caucasus crisis."We must avoid falling back into a situation where we have a new arms race," said German Minister for Development Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul at an informal conference in Berlin on the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDG), which aims to boost developmental aid and slash poverty by the year 2015.Wieczorek-Zeul was referring to billions of dollars being spent on new weaponry triggered by the Georgia-Russia crisis last month that was diverting funds much needed funds to fight hunger and disease."The arms race is a distraction," the Social Democrat minister added....
from My Fox Atlantareported by: Justin Grayedited by: Jacqueline GulledgeATLANTA (MyFOX Atlanta) -- City of Atlanta officials plan to announce a new plan to help fight panhandling within the city. In 2005, the city made it illegal for people to ask for food or money in the downtown Atlanta district. Now, officials want to take it a step further.It's called 'Give Change That Makes Sense'. But some say the plan doesn't make any sense at all."When a man gets hungry he's going to do what you have to do to eat," said J.J. Harvest.J.J. Harvest has been homeless for six years. He knows about begging for money. And he knows about aggressive panhandlers."The aggressiveness is a little bit too much some time, but I don't know how hungry a man is," said Harvest.City councilman Kwanza Hall says...
from the Bakersfield Californian A $300,000 program to encourage low-income Kern residents to save money with matching funds is launching Wednesday morning at a United Way of Kern County press conference.Funding comes from a federal grant of nearly $153,000 and contributions from United Way and three local donors.The Pusateri Family Trust donated $100,000. Wells Fargo Bank kicked in $30,000. Union Bank of California gave $20,000.Participants who meet savings goals of $1,000 to $2,000 will receive $2 of matching funds for every dollar saved.The savings accounts can be used to help buy a first home, start or capitalize a small business or get higher education or job training.Federal funds are provided through the Department of Health and Human Services. The accounts, known as...
from the Greeley TribuneWow! This is really touching. - KaleBy Mike PetersIt's difficult for her friends, asking for donations to bury a woman they all miss, they all respect, a woman who gave so much to others. Terry Pettis was 52 when she died last week after battling breast cancer for three years. "She was a big-time volunteer who helped police officers and emergency service people after they'd gone through traumatic incidents," said Gary McCabe, former head of the Weld County Ambulance Service in Greeley. "She always gave, never expecting anything in return ... then she died in poverty and only wanted to be cremated and buried next to her mother." And there is the problem. McCabe and other friends of Pettis last week gathered enough donations to pay for cremation and burial of their...
from the Times Tribune A neat reclamation project in Scranton Pennsylvania that will help provide housing for poor families. - KaleBY JEREMY G. BURTONA wooden sign above the doors is all but faded. The brickwork is crumbling and pockmarked; windows are broken.It’s been a century since Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School opened its doors in South Scranton; decades since it last held classes.But Wednesday, the former school received a new life, as officials broke ground on a $5 million project to turn it into an apartment complex for poor, working families.The makeover is a project of United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania, a nonprofit United Way agency that offers services for those in need. The renovations will overhaul 830 Crown Ave. into 18 apartments for...
from the Lexington Herald Leader The Governor of Kentucky is making moves to get more children health insurance. The office admits that finding the money to do this will be difficult. - KaleBy Sarah VosIn an attempt to get more children covered by health insurance, Gov. Steve Beshear is simplifying the enrollment process and making other changes to the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program.His administration estimates the changes could encourage the parents of the 67,000 children who are eligible but not enrolled to participate in the federally sponsored program."To me, it is a moral obligation for Kentucky to provide adequate health care for its children," Beshear said.The changes make economic sense as well, Beshear said in a meeting Tuesday with the Herald-Leader editorial...
from the Columbus Dispatch The Columbus Dispatch broke down the census bureau numbers from last week, to detail poverty numbers in the suburbs. - KaleBy Sherri WilliamsThree weeks ago, Amber Browning of Delaware left her housekeeping job when her child-care arrangements fell through. Without employment, the single mother of four turned to a nonprofit agency to get her children shoes and supplies for the coming school year.Delaware County is Ohio's fastest-growing, but pockets of poverty exist there and are increasing, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released last week.There were 1,428 more people in the county living below the poverty line last year than the year before, reflecting an increase from 3.7 percent of the population in 2006 to 4.5 percent in 2007, according to U.S....
from the Star Tribune Now it's Minnesota's turn. The census bureau also found that the medium income in Minnesota dropped. - Kale By WARREN WOLFE, Star TribuneThe results reflect the downturn in Minnesota's economy that began two years ago, while the national figures were still improving, said state economist Tom Stinson."It's not a surprise," he said. "But the census report does reflect the reality that Minnesota hit the wall in job formation early in 2006 and pretty much stayed there. We probably won't begin to recover until next year."Even though the report shows Minnesota was declining while national measures were improving, the state remained among the highest in income and lowest in poverty.Using two-year averages, the report said Minnesota's median income dropped from $59,583 in...
from the Lexington Herald LeaderKentucky regressed in some areas in the census bureau stats. - KaleBy Valarie Honeycutt SpearsThe number of Kentuckians living in poverty last year increased only slightly, from 17 percent of the population in 2006 to 17.3 percent in 2007, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report.A much bigger increase was seen in the percentage of people without health insurance, rising from 13 percent in 2004-2005 to 14.6 percent in 2006-2007. Insurance rates are measured over two-year periods.Overall, Kentucky ranks 48th among states in income, compared with 45th in 2006. It is the fifth-highest state in terms of the number of people living in poverty.In reaction to the report, the state's leading child-advocacy group says that families in the state are faring far worse...
from Business Week If you are curious, Detroit was number one. - KaleBy M.R. KROPKOCleveland was the nation's second most impoverished big city in 2007, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey released Tuesday.The northeast Ohio city along Lake Erie is among U.S. cities which have suffered from job losses and a rising tide of foreclosures.The data indicates Ohio has pockets of poverty statewide. Ohio's poverty rate was 13.1 percent, ranking it 19th among states nationally and tied with South Dakota, just a tenth of a percentage point above the national average.Cleveland, with an estimated 29.5 percent of its population in poverty, is ranked only behind Detroit among cities with 250,000 or more people. Detroit had an estimated 33.8 percent in poverty last year.The...