tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66043294027714205752026-01-20T03:23:24.379-08:00The Equal Voice for America’s Families campaign is bringing together low-wage working families from across the country to develop an agenda that voices issues that concern families. The Campaign includes townhall meetings, cross-region work and a concentrated media campaign to draw attention to the social and economic barriers low-wage working families face.Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.comBlogger435125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-84202128709308516082011-05-10T22:16:00.000-07:002011-05-13T15:19:26.808-07:00

Photo Credit: The Crimson WhiteThe following is a press release about the recent devastation brought to the South via tornadoes, storms, and more recently, floods. Do you have information about the relief, recovery or reconstruction of the South? Do you know of volunteer or donation needs for the affected areas? Write them on the Equal Voice Facebook for our network to see or tweet to the Equal

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-64118008226725380442011-04-26T11:16:00.000-07:002011-04-26T11:21:53.041-07:00

The Seattle City Council has joined a growing number of cities and states passing legislation to strengthen laws and penalties for employers who commit wage theft.“The council’s action today sends a strong signal that wage theft will not be tolerated in Seattle. This legislation protects workers and gives the city additional tools to target unscrupulous employers. For those businesses who operate

Kathy Mulady - Equal Voice Newspaperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10861731482517019193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-47066790269408103592011-04-14T17:04:00.000-07:002011-04-14T17:07:25.229-07:00

How much annual income does a family of four really need to have a certain level of economic security? According to calculations by Shawn McMahon, research director for Wider Opportunities for Women, the eye-opening answer is $67,920 a year. That’s two parents, each making $16 an hour, and two young children.McMahon discussed the research on NPR’s Morning Edition today. "We're not talking about

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-76064859043041595952011-03-18T10:09:00.001-07:002011-03-18T10:37:03.915-07:00

WashingtonCAN -- the state's largest grassroots advocacy group -- released a report titled "The Color of Cuts" to discuss how 2011 state budget cuts "fell disproportionately on people of color," in areas such as: quality of life, health, education, and civil rights for low-income families. The report was endorsed by 68 community organizations in Washington state.Some highlights from the report:"

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-33003748281297941062011-03-17T13:43:00.000-07:002011-03-17T13:48:14.364-07:00

This commentary originally appeared in Northwest Asian Weekly.Recent information from the Seattle Times’ analysis of 2010 Census data indicates that the number of minorities has quickly risen on the Eastside over the past decade. Since 2000, in Bellevue alone, the minority population climbed 62 percent, and the non-whites now make up 41 percent of the general population.The rise should not

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-77171279854285647552011-03-17T10:55:00.000-07:002011-04-04T09:24:06.249-07:00

By: Reclaiming FuturesThe United States Supreme Court is set to hear a number of cases this month that look at how the Constitution applies to children. In each of the cases kids were questioned behind closed doors at their schools with no attorneys present and without being read their Miranda rights.In one of the cases an Oregon family is suing a case worker and deputy sheriff for “badgering”

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-50739963439430316862011-03-17T09:31:00.000-07:002011-03-17T09:46:59.630-07:00

The Root, a daily online magazine published by Washington Post/Newsweek Interactive and edited by prominent academic Henry Louis Gates Jr, has has named Louisiana Justice Institute Co-Director Tracie Washington as one of it's "Twenty Leading Black Women Advocating Change."The Root writes about Washington: "After Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, Washington was displaced, like

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-23145453837646911382011-03-14T12:58:00.000-07:002011-03-14T13:03:40.898-07:00

Marquise Cormier, in photo, shows posters announcing from his younger days as a child author and motivational speaker. Photo: Charlene Muhammad. On the surface, Marquise Cormier seems like an average teenager—he’s happy, plays on his high school football team and likes going to parties. But underneath his 16-year-old shoulder pads is a weight of poverty and want brought on by the death of his

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-39436831161663270782011-03-10T09:43:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:47:03.969-08:00

Because she has been deemed a suspicious person, I am uncomfortable using her real name. For the purposes of this tale, I will call her “Sara.”She is a Canadian, and she had come to the Rio Grande Valley with eight other colleagues to see what she could learn about how our community cares for its children. She is a physician, and her life’s work is to care for others. In her case, she carries a

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-86603507903576330592011-03-04T14:14:00.000-08:002011-03-04T14:21:28.637-08:00

KNME, Albuquerque’s PBS station, released video of its recent show featuring Raising Hope: The Equal Voice Story. The episode aired on February 25, 2011 on the station’s public affairs show, New Mexico in Focus. The show featured a panel of Equal Voice partners who discussed topics around the documentary and other policy issues in New Mexico. Panelists were: Diana Dorn-Jones of United South

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-14077167466488044232011-02-10T15:30:00.000-08:002011-02-10T15:32:44.931-08:00

This column appeared in the Fall 2010 issue of The Nonprofit Quarterly.It’s July 2010, and organizers from 10 state-level grassroots groups have traveled to Washington, D.C. Rob Brown of Opportunity Maine is at the front of the room addressing the crowd. “Firefighters and other local law enforcement are key allies in property tax-cap campaigns,” Brown says, as listeners scribble in notebooks

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-53753416850633554742011-01-24T16:37:00.000-08:002011-01-24T16:43:01.864-08:00

Two weeks ago, the Texas Legislature began its session in Austin, the state capitol. The state is in big trouble. Thanks to a series of foolish tax cuts set in place a couple of years ago, as well as the generally poor national economy, the state now faces a $27 billion deficit. As the session opened, instead of focusing on this pending disaster a dozen legislators spent an enormous amount of

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-31905997869264034902011-01-19T08:33:00.000-08:002011-01-19T08:43:18.220-08:00

Insurer says the increases result from fast-rising healthcare costs and other expenses resulting from new healthcare laws. The move comes less than a year after Anthem Blue Cross tried and failed to raise rates as much as 39%.Another big California health insurer has stunned individual policyholders with huge rate increases — this time it's Blue Shield of California seeking cumulative hikes

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-82427066032246689572011-01-06T14:34:00.000-08:002011-01-06T14:36:30.713-08:00

Gaspar is a tall, handsome young man who grew up amongst a large family in a crowded rental home in a tough neighborhood near Brownsville.In middle school, he decided that he really, really wanted to play the clarinet, and so he joined the band class.On the first day of class, the teacher apologized, telling him that there weren’t enough instruments to go around and that he, being amongst the

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-86630129778339202132010-12-22T15:07:00.000-08:002010-12-22T18:28:17.171-08:00

By: Suphatra Laviolette“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can get me deported…”That’s how that rhyme goes, right?Words are playing a major role in America’s immigration debate. The “I” word – I mean the word “illegal” – has framed the conversation on what to do with the thousands of people that come to America every year without appropriate documentation. Their lives hang in the

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-29232604883059307442010-12-22T09:38:00.000-08:002010-12-22T15:16:02.409-08:00

Michelle Feliz, a single mother living in Boston, can't afford day care for her one-year-old son. She can't afford new clothes for her teenage daughter. Late last year, she applied for food stamps.Unlike many Americans increasingly seeking public assistance, Feliz, 35, is employed. Yet what she earns in her job as a secretary does not cover even her most basic needs, leaving her scrambling to

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-60778121273863354382010-12-13T10:17:00.000-08:002010-12-13T10:45:18.340-08:00

The timidity of elected officials in taking a position on immigration reform has incensed voters of every stripe. But in Illinois the perennially popular Jim Edgar, who was governor of the state from 1991 to 1999, has not shied from supporting in the DREAM Act. Edgar, a Republican, may not have the bully pulpit he used to but his name still carries weight. Now a distinguished fellow at the

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-40862061009562572882010-12-09T17:08:00.001-08:002010-12-10T09:17:53.350-08:00

His mother abandoned him at birth.His father was murdered when he was five years old.His grandparents beat him with electric cables and made him sleep on the curb in front of their house. He speaks an Indian language only known in the highlands of southern Mexico, and only has the most rudimentary Spanish.When he was fourteen, an aunt sent for him. It took him five days to cross the Arizona

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-5052885830734052652010-12-08T10:18:00.000-08:002010-12-08T12:11:25.301-08:00

You can’t help noticing that tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans are commanding far more political attention than the continued dirge of miserable employment figures, despite the fact that 2 million people recently faced being cut from unemployment assistance. Ezra Klein of the Washington Post offers one reason for this disconnect.He paired the unemployment of high school and college graduates

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-77155420498658275882010-11-24T12:22:00.001-08:002010-11-24T12:22:59.497-08:00

Just when you thought no one cared about the voices of children, seniors or low-income families, California's parks department offers a glimmer of hope.The state agency has awarded Latino Health Access -- which organized hundreds of residents to lobby city officials for more some green space -- a grant of $3.5 million to build the only park and community center in the 92701 zip code of Santa

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-73101657773479537022010-11-16T11:07:00.000-08:002010-11-16T11:09:48.036-08:00

If you could close the government's budget gaps, how would you do it? For once, you can actually try. The New York Times has created an interactive tool that lets you choose what you would like to chop off the American budget. Your choices would help save the American people from projected shortfalls of $418 billion (in 2015) and $1,345 billion (in 2030). All you have to do is choose what to

Suphatra Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05820114850699598285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-82239823202137289072010-10-25T10:03:00.000-07:002010-10-26T08:35:46.270-07:00

"The difficult I'll do right now..The impossible will take a little while. . ."from Crazy He Calls Me,by Carl Sigman and Bob Russell Candidates' Forum, McAllen We began on a hot day in May, talking and planning an area-wide effort to get out the vote. The goals were clear; the task daunting. We would choose ten precincts in the area which had high-voter registration, but low voter turnout.

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-24144392574523051102010-10-19T12:13:00.000-07:002010-10-20T09:03:07.533-07:00

Saturday dawned with a glorious cool, crisp bit of weather that is rare in these tropical parts. Across the Valley, men and women who normally spend their precious Saturday mornings at the market, or repairing the house, or setting straight the things that got of order during the work week, head out the door with a bounce in their step and purpose in their eyes.It is the “Equal Voice Campaign’s

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-24457815554280423932010-10-07T14:18:00.001-07:002010-10-07T14:24:54.472-07:00

Alejandra is proud of her home. It is not a house, but a travel trailer, parked in a small space at the back of her mother-in-law's house. We can reach the front door today because it hasn't rained in a while.Her husband had paid $1,500 or so for the trailer, buying it from a friend who had lived in it for ten years, who had bought it from a couple from Minnesota who, twenty years ago, had used

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604329402771420575.post-43025579808713405682010-10-06T15:50:00.000-07:002010-10-06T16:48:21.240-07:00

If there is one thing we can agree on, from regular folks to think-tank economists, it’s that more and more people are falling into poverty. What most of us don’t realize is just how poor they really are.A new study puts it bluntly: In 2005, the richest quintile of Americans owned about 84 percent of the nation’s wealth. The poorest two quintiles put together owned less than 1 percent– an amount

Claudia Rowe @ Equal Voice For Familieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08005623175765302337noreply@blogger.com0