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Intensive lobbying by advocates and consumers across the country convinced the Senate Agriculture Committee a few weeks ago to vote out a budget measure which did NOT cut food stamps. A very significant victory, showing how 30,000 phone calls can really make a difference. The on-going budget reconciliation process though, as of this writing, continues to move towards massive cuts for social programs and tax cuts for the rich.
Both the House and Senate Budget committees are presently discussing and voting on their respective plans, after which they will go to the floor in their respective chambers.
There are large discrepancies between the House and the Senate bills. The Senate Agriculture bill, for instance, cuts $3 billion with no food stamp cuts, while the House Agriculture bill would slash $844 million from food stamps. The Senate will also feature a showdown over an attempt to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. The House bill includes reauthorization for TANF (cash welfare) which up until now was a stand-alone bill.
Other cuts which promise intense debates include Medicaid and Medicare, foster care payments, child support enforcement, housing, scholarships, Hurricane relief and the size of the tax cuts for millionaires.
Some moderate Republicans are beginning to question the priorities of their party in unfairly targetting the poor and disadvantaged, especially poor children. And especially when Republicans move in the coming weeks to cut taxes for the fifth time in five years.
The food stamp debate is a good example of divisions within the Republican party. The House measure would cut about 300,000 people off food stamps. These include people who, by being eligible for certain low-income programs are also “categorically eligible” for food stamps. Legal immigrants, whom Bush has been courting lately, would have to wait seven years instead of five years to be eligible for food stamps, even if they have been working and paying taxes all that time and dying in Iraq.
The rift between the conservative and moderate Republicans on some of these issues is viewed with glee by many observers who still hold out hope that the House and Senate won’t be able to agree finally, and that the budget reconciliation effort will fail.
After each chamber votes, their differences will be ironed out by a conference committee which will bring them back for a final vote. This could take until Thanksgiving.
ACTION: Call your Congress-person and Senator right away. Tell them to vote against cuts to programs for vulnerable people and tax cuts for millionaires. Vocal opposition to budget reconciliation remains vital to protecting food stamps and other low income family supports. Recent experience proves that these calls do work!
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Much has been said about the failures of the federal government to respond to the humanitarian tragedy of hurricane Katrina. For a moment, the world saw the reality of New Orleans beyond the French Quarter façade that most associate with the Big Easy. Katrina drew back the curtain in this land of Oz and the nation caught a glimpse of the politics of race and class behind the curtain that controls so much of America. “Racism took over and spoke for the people of the U.S. through the voices of its government and formal institutions.” (People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond statement at www.pisab.org) Despite all the city’s diversity and its fun-loving Mardi Gras reputation, New Orleans suffers from the disease of racism that is as bad as the racism present in Pittsburgh and Southwest PA. The politics of race and class did not arrive with Katrina, it is part and parcel of this nation’s history and the world got a glimpse of its ugly face in this nation’s failure to respond to its citizens in greatest need. This has been a part of this nation’s response to natural disasters throughout history, whether the scapegoating of Irish immigrants during the Chicago Great Fire of 1871 or the Hungarians during The Johnstown Flood in 1927.
Signs of racism speaking for America today include:
- A statement by HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson soon after the disaster that, “New Orleans is not going to be as black as it was for a long time, if ever again.” How in the world can he know the future racial make-up of the city (approximately 2/3 Black before the storm) unless there is a massive gentrification plan for New Orleans, on a scale even larger than the current gentrification plan for East Liberty and Garfield? Jackson claims the city will become 35-40% Black (coincidentally low enough to ensure no Black Congressman will be elected in that city)
- Congress is going full-steam ahead with efforts to cut food stamps and other vital programs in order to pay for Katrina “recovery efforts.”
- Contracts to rebuild have been promised to Halliburton and other major corporations closely connected with the Bush administration, ensuring who will profit off the disaster. Are we talking New Orleans or Iraq? Two of the latest colonies for Emperor Bush!
- Federal prevailing wage laws were suspended in New Orleans and only reinstated after fears of “low-wage Mexicans” getting all the jobs.
Katrina exposed the original sin of racism that is as American as apple pie. The only hope is that social movements will learn the lessons of history and organize to redefine this nation’s character. An earthquake in Nicaragua served as the spark for a revolution that brought together some sectors of the upper class and the poor masses to overthrow a corrupt dictatorship. What will it take in this country for such a revolution? If Katrina is not the spark, what will it take to wake people up? If not us, who? If not now, when?
Tim Vining is a native of South Louisiana and still considers it home. He is former director of the Thomas Merton Center and currently doing a dissertation on Katrina and “The impact of natural disaster on poor people’s movements” in the University of Pittsburgh Sociology Department.
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New US Government reports confirm what anti-poverty advocates have feared: Poverty and hunger continue to grow across the nation even as policymakers threaten major cuts in safety net programs.
The Census Bureau released a report in August that concluded that 37 million Americans were living below the poverty line in 2004, an increase of more than one million from the year before. This marked the fourth consecutive increase in the number of poor people in the US. Poverty has grown 17% since 2000.
One in nine Pennsylvanians now lives in poverty, according to the report, and ours was one of only seven states with a measurable increase in the poverty rate.
Copyright 2005 Nick Anderson. All rights Reserved. Published originally in Louisville Courier-Journal. Reprint permission provided by Nick Anderson, Washington Post Writers' Group and the Cartoonist Group.
Consistent with this trend, more people appear to be in need right here in our own backyard. The Pa. Department of Public Welfare reports that 105,406 people in Allegheny County were receiving food stamps as of September. Food Stamp enrollment has been growing steadily and is now up nearly 4,000 in Allegheny County since the beginning of the year, to 104,000.
More evidence of these disturbing trends were also reported by the US Department of Agriculture in its October release of “Household Food Security in United States, 2004.” This report measures specific indicators of a lack of resources to purchase adequate food, collectively called “food insecurity.” USDA reported that 38.2 million Americans lived in food insecure households in 2004, including 19% of all children in the nation. These numbers, too, are up significantly: nearly 7 million more people are food insecure than in 1999.
USDA reported that more than 10 million people lived in households that experienced hunger in 2004. While poverty, hunger, and food insecurity strike people of all races and ages, children are disproportionately at risk, while African-American and Hispanic households experience food insecurity at about double the national average.
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A new report by the Washington DC-based Center for Economic and Policy Research shows that three out of four American workers (75%) have jobs that do not provide wages of at least $32,000 per year, health insurance, and a pension. Even though the economy has grown by 60% in the past 25 years, that proportion has remained about the same. To learn more, visit www.cepr.net.
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The National Priorities Project (NPP) reported in September that federal cuts in infrastructure funding worsened the impact of Hurricane Katrina. NPP cited cuts in Corps of Engineers funds not only in every budget proposed by Pres. Bush, but that go back to the early days of the Reagan Administration. “The Corps’ $5 billion budget is 25% less than it was 25 years ago,” NPP reported, with Bush proposing another 25% cut by 2010. Before the hurricane struck, New Orleans was already facing a cut of $5.2 million in federal funds for community development, housing, and economic revitalization. Now, whose responsibility was it? For more info, visit www.nationalpriorities.org.
“Innocent until proven guilty” does not apply to food stamp consumers in California, New York, Texas and Arizona. These states still require fingerprinting as a part of their application process. Fingerprinting was first introduced to cut down on fraud when paper food stamps could be faked or resold. Welfare reform brought about electronic benefits cards that virtually eliminated paper food stamps and provide adequate protection from abuse. Fingerprinting slows the application process and discourages eligible people from applying. California ranks last in food stamp participation rates, with only 40 percent of needy people enrolled in the program. Food stamp fraud is miniscule, so the millions of dollars that are being spent on fingerprinting would be better spent on outreach to the many families who are eligible but not receiving the benefits.
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BAD NEWS
The PA House bill (HB 257) that proposes to increase the state’s minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.15 an hour has been in the Labor Committee since February. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mark Cohen (D. Phila) and others, points out that 17 states now have a minimum wage higher than the federal and that 45% of Americans are protected by these higher rates.
Almost 8% of Pennsylvania’s workforce could be expected to benefit from such a wage increase, it says.
The bill’s opponents argue that: too many of the beneficiaries of a higher minimum wage are teenagers rather than families; increased wages will cost jobs; and Pennsylvania’s economy will suffer in comparison to neighboring states with lower minimum wages.
However, the Keystone Research Center has found that such concerns are not valid. According to their findings, 71% of those who would benefit directly from a minimum wage hike are 20 and over. Research also shows that a higher minimum wage does not cause significant job losses. And as for the final claim, we can simply observe recent events - after New Jersey raised its minimum wage in the early 1990s, no difference was observed in employment growth in fast-food restaurants there as compared with neighboring Pennsylvania.
The latest in the PA General Assembly’s panoply of gimmicks is the “Taxpayer Fairness Act” (TABOR), part of the Republicans “Plan for Progress.” It would legislate a cap on state spending!
Called a “diversionary tactic” by Sen. Jim Ferlo (D-Allegheny County) who voted against it, the bill could put us in the same position as Colorado, which in 1992 capped their spending and now they’re worst in the country for low-income children receiving health care. When he voted against it, Sen. Jay Costa (D-Pgh) raised the question we’re all asking: Why does the General Assembly have to enact a law to limit their own spending? They could simply spend less.
Brand new Senator Wayne Fontana (D-Pgh) voted for the measure saying his constituents wanted it. We wonder how he knows this? Maybe he should be in the Senate a little longer before voting for drastic measures which could have disastrous long-term effects. Visit www.pahouse.com then TRAP to keep up on this issue.
LATE NOTICE: ON THE VERY DAY THE PA HOUSE VOTED FOR THIS TABOR BILL, COLORADO VOTERS RESCINDED THEIRS BECAUSE OF THE UNTOLD SUFFERING IT CAUSED! (Unfortunately, this game is not over!!)
ACTION: Call Gov. Rendell and tell him to VETO this bill.
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GOOD NEWS
In late September, State Rep. Dwight Evans(D-Phila) introduced legislation to establish a state Earned Income Tax Credit for Pennsylvania.
Currently, the state does provide a special “tax forgiveness” (TAX BACK) program for lower-income workers, but it is a non-refundable credit, meaning that it can only reduce or eliminate taxes already owed to the state-- not provide a special refund. House Bill 1997 would allow for a refundable Earned Income Credit (EIC) of up to 30 percent of the taxpayer’s federal EIC. That could amount to $1320 per eligible household.
Evans hopes the legislation will, “[Help] working families and individuals build assets and leave poverty behind,” as well as stimulate Pennsylvania’s economy.
It has been a year since Act 201, “The Responsibility Utility Customers Protection Ac,” also known as Chapter 1, was enacted. As its devastating consequences on low-income and poor Pennsylvanians have come to light, the Public Utility Commission(PUC), legislators and Gov. Ed. Rendell have proposed different means of reforming Chapter 14.
The PUC held proceedings to examine alternative interpretations of its payment arrangement policy. It had strictly interpreted the law and didn’t offer a payment arrangement to customers who couldn’t pay their bills. But they have now decided to offer one payment arrangement.
Sen. Jim Ferlo (D- Allegheny) introduced four bills (HB904-907) that would restore a 48-hour notice requirement and limit reconnection deposits to one month. It would restore limits on the ability of companies to shut-off during the winter without PUC approval and clarify that the PUC can negotiate one payment arrangement.
In the House, Rep. Camille “Bud” George has introduced HB 1925 that requires utility companies to give a written notice of termination at least 30 days prior to the date of termination. Both sets of bills have been assigned to committees but both of them exe pt Philadelphia which creates 2 classes of rate payers. Most advocates agree this is unacceptable.
Recently Gov. Rendell announced a Stay Warm PA program aimed at helping the state’s poorest residents by asking the legislature to appropriate $15 million to supplement federal heating assistance, reform provisions in the Chapter 14 law, and ask utilities to double enrollment in their community assistance programs. Also, a two-week sales tax holiday will be held for purchases of energy-efficient appliances and weatherization materials.
What we need, however, is a winter moratorium and repeal of Act 201, before more people die from cut-off utilities.
ACTION: Call your state Representative and Senator. Tell them almost 90,000 households have been shut off and they need to repeal Act 201.
Jeff Jamison (Dollar Energy) and Sally Petrilli (County Dept. of Human Services) share their ideas at a Nov. 1 Energy Summit in Pittsburgh, one of 8 statewide meetings organized by the Governor’s office.
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Young moms in McKees Rocks will be happy to know that their WIC office will be re- opened early in 2006. Although no date has been set, the WIC office will operate two days a week and staff will divide their time between the Carnegie and the McKees Rocks offices. The office will continue to operate out of the Focus On Renewal (FOR) Center upon completion of renovations to the basement offices.
The WIC office was closed 2004 due to floods. Clients chose another office to go to – most went to either the Carnegie or the Downtown office. Just Harvest, FOR Executive Director Father Regis Ryan, healthcare professionals and clients convinced County Council to work with the Allegheny County Health Department and Dr. Bruce Dixon to reopen the center because closing it created barriers to client participation.
Thanks to all who helped win this victory. Much more work is needed, but for now give yourselves a round of applause.
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The Emergency and Municipal Services (EMS) Tax of up to $52 which Pennsylvania municipalities can collect instead of the $10 Occupational Tax has been enacted by Pittsburgh and 69 other Allegheny County municipalities.
Pittsburgh’s decision to collect the entire tax in the first month of a person’s employment, or during the first month of the year, led to hardship for many low-income workers last January. The original legislation intended that workers earning under $12,000 only be required to pay $10, but the bill lacked clarity.
To remedy this, the PA Senate passed a bill in May requiring that municipalities collect the bill quarterly and specifying who can be charged the full amount, solving both of these problems. A similar bill has been introduced in the House, and is sitting in the Finance Committee. We’re working to get this bill passed before 2006.
We’ll also be adding the EMS tax to our tax credit education this year and helping our tax clients to determine if they’re eligible for a refund and how to get it.
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Although the summer season has passed that doesn’t mean we stopped our work on the Summer Food Program. We are preparing now for next year so that many more children can have access to free meals in the summer. This summer we secured five new sites in areas where there were no sites. This year we want to double that number.
In 2005 the County Department of Human Services program served a total of 256,368 meals in 114 sites. The county’s Administrative Officer, Sally Petrilli said, “We had a good summer….we would like to feed more children and will strive to do so next summer”.
The City of Pittsburgh’s CitiParks served 403,169 meals in 158 sites this summer.
If your organization, church or community group would like to host a Summer Food Site call Just Harvest at (412) 431-8960. Federal government tax monies pay for the food.
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Dr. Walter Tsou, president of the American Public Health Association, speaks eloquently at the Just Health Care Rally at the State Capitol on Monday, October 17th. The rally highlighted the “Pennsylvania Balanced and Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act of 2005.” Universal health care access with single payer efficiency and cost savings are the focus of the bill, which has a statewide coalition behind it. JH Staffer Joni Rabinowitz spoke the same day at “And Justice for All” the annual conference of the PA Association of Social Workers. Joni shared information, there, about the federal food/ nutrition programs with seventy-five social work students, mostly from Shippensburg State University. Standing to Dr. Tsou’s left are Teresa Chalich from Health Care for the Homeless and Kristie Weiland from Just Harvest.
Our Welfare Justice Project (WJP) organized a workshop on August 25 about Employment & Training. The Welfare Department staff facilitated the session, and about 30 agency folks and welfare consumers attended.
WJP also convened a Career Seminar on September 9 for about 20 consumers; facilitated by Richard Roberts of Educational Opportunity Centers of SW PA (Penn State McKeesport). The seminar consisted of a career assessment and concrete tips on pursuing a career vs. a job.
On September 30, WJP held a Western PA Welfare Coalition meeting to plan a November 9 information workshop about Customer Service/Policies and Procedures.
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In September we hosted ten United Way Day of Caring volunteers. On September 15 six employees from the Federal Reserve helped with important tasks, including organizing boxes of files in our basement, hanging pictures and shelving to display Just Harvest’s many awards, organizing our hundreds of photos, and cleaning old information off computers which were then donated to Goodwill. On September 29 four employees from Community College of Allegheny County helped survey students near Oliver High School about their experiences with the school meals programs. All the volunteers worked diligently throughout the day and completed all of the assigned tasks.
Thanks to United Way and all of the Day of Caring volunteers who helped complete these much needed jobs. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Day of Caring team from Federal Reserve Bank spent a day with Just Harvest organizing storage boxes, putting up shelves and signs, sorting photographs, readying old computers for donation.
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Just Harvest welcomes volunteers Stephanie Buchholz and Beverly Johns and intern Lisa Miyashiro. We also welcome back Administrative Assistant Dawn Wallhausen.
Stephanie is setting up a Legislative Alert System that will allow us to target legislative advocacy work by district. She is also organizing responses to the new utilities Act 201 which makes it easier for utilities to shut off customers who cannot pay their bills.
Beverly has been working with Rochelle Jackson on the Welfare Justice Project. She has organized distribution of some of our new Education and Training brochures, and has also updated our mailing list.
Lisa, a graduate student at the Heinz School of Public Policy at CMU, is researching the state of poverty in Pittsburgh and will prepare a detailed current analysis of hunger and poverty.
Finally, as you may have read in our July/August issue, Dawn and her family spent August and September in St. Maarten. She has now resumed her regular duties.
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We send our thanks (and Happy Birthday wishes) to Joel Bloom for asking for gifts to us in honor of his 40th birthday: We are pleased to acknowledge birthday gifts from Steven Bloom & Robyn Neft, Linda Schultz, Howard Shapiro, Gary & Gina Silvestri, and Theresa Walton.
Just Harvest Education Fund acknowledges generous grants from Allegheny County Department of Economic Development, Mellon Financial Corporation, Public Welfare Foundation, and Share Our Strength.
Thanks to all our recent donors and supporters: Robert Abraham, Cynthia & George Balchunas, George & Jane Becker, Eva Bednar, Marvin Bellin, Donald & Helen Berman, Nancy Bernstein, Joan & Joseph Bruno, David Caldwell, Virginia Caretto, Theresa Chalich, Bill Coyne, Dale & Jenifer Dudik, Rosalia Floria, Robert Foley, John & Doreen Fraser, Joan & Simeon Freidberg, Martha Garvey, Mary Gilligan, Alex Gruskos, Wanda Guthrie, Donna Hansen, Ann Harris, Eva Havlicsek, Anne Hawkins, Henry & Elsie Hillman, Eileen Jardini, Chandler & Louise Ketchum, David Krupp, Christopher & Jane Lacey, Ginny & Millard Landis, Lawrence & Claire Levine, Michael & Jane Louik, Brigid & Clark Lund, Joan Luokkala, David & Margaret Lyle, Louise & Michael Malakoff, Janet & Robert Mather, Jeffrey Mccourt, Shirley Mcilvried, Cheryl Morden, Dennis & Marilyn Narey, Jim & Tricia Nowalk, John Oesterle, Leone Paradise, Nicholas Parrendo, Mary Pascarella, Karen Peterson, Carla Pfahler, Rita & David Pollack, Bonnie Robinson, Ann Roth, Joyce Rothermel & Michael Drohan, Lorraine Sauchin, Lorraine Sauchin, Anne Schifferle, Joyce Schlag, Ramin Skibba, Dorothy Sloan & Maureen Watson, Adelaide Smith, Marjorie Spenser, Bruce Springsteen, Brian Stagno, Judy & Jerry Starr, Tiffany Stevens, Timothy Stevens, Margaret Kirk Stone, Eugene Sucov, Edward & Sylvia Sussna, Lowell Swarts, Edie Swihart, Scott Tyson, Michael & Cheryl Weiland, Gina Wilson, Barbara Wolvovitz, Bill Wood, Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh , La Roche College, Our Lady Of The Sacred Heart, Riverview Presbyterian Church.
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By the time of our federal primary election in May 2006 Allegheny County and many others across the country will have moved into a new age with electronic voting machines thanks to the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA).
The federal HAVA, the most significant piece of federal election reform legislation in 30 years, seeks to enhance the accessibility and integrity of elections and authorizes federal funding to help states meet the law's requirements.
Accessibility is one of the most important aspects of the law. In Pennsylvania members of the disabilities advocacy community have been meeting with state officials for several years to make sure that the aims of HAVA are followed.
A variety of voting methods—from 800 pound mechanical machines like the ones in Allegheny County-- to paper ballots and punch cards-- are used in the 67 counties of Pennsylvania. But they will all be replaced with something else.
In most cases, these will be some kind of electronic machine. Whether the new electronic frenzy will result in more people having access to the election process, or to a will have sunk an estimated $15-$20 million into the system, about 2/3 of which will be fairer system with less mis-counts, remains to be seen. But Allegheny County, at least, paid by the federal government.
Many electronic machines are now on the market, leaving most states in an unenviable position – spending millions on an untested technology. Most of the ones used in several states have had myriad problems and been declared unacceptable.
Representatives of the disabilities community in Pennsylvania have been meeting regularly with state and county officials about this. Several machines are under consideration—as of this writing, only one has been “certified” by the state and the deadline for purchasing these is very close.
After much pressure, the county has agreed to schedule a time when the public may come downtown and try out the 6 machines they are considering. Please come and participate!!!
VOTING MACHINE EXPO!
Thursday, Nov. 17- 12 noon-6 pm
Westin Convention Center Hotel, 1000 Penn Ave
Somerset Room, Second Floor
For info call: Angela Chen at 412-350-5667
* Headline borrowed from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Join Just Harvest & United Steelworkers
for a Special FREE Screening of:
The newest documentary by Robert Greenwald, Producer and Director
of Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism
Thursday, November 17, 2005 12 Noon - 2PM
United Steelworkers, Blvd of the Allies and Stanwix St.
DVDs for sale at event - $20
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Purchase Enjoy Books
to benefit
Just Harvest
(412) 431-8960
only $25!
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Tax Season is Approaching!
We need your help to make it a success
- Volunteers to schedule appointments, greet taxpayers and prepare materials
- Intern to assist with outreach and media relations
- Part-time staff to prepare tax returns
Contact Kristie at 412-431-8960 if you can help!
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