The Moral Arc and the Daily Line

Urge Legislators to Vote NO on motion to override Governor’s Veto

2013-07-05T12:47:00.001-05:00

"...they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."

- Isaiah 2:4

Gun violence is destroying our communities. As people of faith, we know that more guns are not the answer. Due to your dedication this past legislative session, we passed a guns package (HB1189) that included universal background checks and mandatory reporting of lost and stolen firearms.

But our gun safety bill was not the only gun legislation that passed that day.

This concealed carry bill – HB183 – also passed the Illinois General Assembly. The bill allows for many frightening possibilities, including the following:

Guns Permitted in Establishments with Alcohol Sales

Mixing alcohol with guns is irresponsible and dangerous. As drafted, this bill allows people to carry guns into establishments serving alcohol, including most family restaurants and other places where large amounts of alcohol are consumed.

Unlimited Number of Guns and Ammunition

The bill provides no cap on the number of guns or on the size or number of ammunition clips that may be carried. Instead, it allows individuals to legally carry multiple guns with unlimited rounds of ammunition, which is a public safety hazard.

Restricting Local Authority to Regulate Guns or Assault Weapons

This bill strips the authority of Illinois “home rule” governments to enact future laws on assault weapons to protect their local communities. This NRA-inspired provision is NOT related to the concealed carry of handguns and should be removed from the bill.

Fortunately, Gov Quinn has proposed changes in the form of an amendatory veto (to see full list of changes click here). The veto would allow this bill to fulfill its original purpose (the regulation of concealed weapons), while challenging the above provisions. Among other important changes, the governor is proposing:

NO Guns in establishments that serve alcohol
A concealed carry limit of one gun per person and only 10 rounds
Preserves local “home rule” communities’ authority to pass laws that ban assault weapons.

We SUPPORT the Governor’s veto! Pro-Gun legislators are trying to override these critical changes. It’s up to us to urge our legislators to VOTE NO ON THE OVERRIDE. Time is short. The General Assembly will likely take a vote on Tuesday, July 9, 2013.

Call or e-mail your representative TODAY (click here to look up their contact information)! You can use the message below for a phone call or an e-mail.

“Hello, my name is ________________. I support the Governor’s common-sense changes to the concealed carry gun bill. I urge the senator (or representative) to vote NO on the motion to override the governor’s veto. Thank you.”

Thank YOU for your advocacy!

Urgent: Common-Sense Concealed Carry Bill Stalled

2013-05-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

During the 2013 legislative session, PCG, CRS, and our partners, have been advocating for common-sense gun regulations – universal background checks on all gun sales, reporting lost or stolen firearms, and titling handguns similar to car registration – to be included in any gun trafficking legislation considered by the Illinois General Assembly. The Illinois legislature was ordered by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to craft a law by June 9 that will allow responsible gun owners to carry concealed weapons in public. Two radically different concealed carry bills are currently moving.

The House passed SB 2193 (Amendment #1), sponsored by Representative Brandon Phelps by a vote 85-30-1 on Friday. While this new measure bans firearms in some places, it strips all other gun regulations off the books, including assault weapon bans, and would allow nearly unrestricted carrying of concealed weapons. What’s more, it overrules local municipalities with existing sensible regulations and prohibits towns and cities, including Chicago, from enacting new common-sense gun regulations in the future.

Governor Pat Quinn, Senate President John Cullerton, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel are all strongly opposed to SB 2193. Both the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune editorial boards are against SB 2193 and support HB 183 instead.

Contact your Senator and tell them SB 2193 is bad for Illinois and overturning existing local laws will NOT make us safer. Tell your Senator to support HB 183 Senator Kwame Raoul’s true compromise legislation!

HB 183, sponsored by Senator Kwame Raoul, includes common-sense provisions for mandatory reporting lost or stolen firearms and universal background checks on all gun purchases, unlike SB 2193, which lacks any gun safety measures. Additionally, HB 183 allows local authorities and law enforcement to pass ordinances regarding who should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon. We support Sen. Raoul's amendment to HB 183, which was voted overwhelmingly out of committee but has yet to make it to the floor of either house.

Contact your legislators now and urge them to support common-sense gun regulations by voting YES for HB 183 and NO for SB 2193.

This is a crucial time to help stop the flow of illegal guns into our communities. Since the legislative session ends on May 31, lawmakers will be considering these proposals any day now. Please don’t delay. The legislative session will end soon, but gun trafficking won’t—unless we take action and make our voices heard.

Illinois Legislature Approves Medical Marijuana!

2013-05-22T13:08:00.004-05:00

Thank you advocates and patients!

Protestants for the Common Good has been advocating for legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Illinois for years. We are almost there! The Illinois General Assembly recently passed HB 1, the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program, which creates a four-year pilot program during which individuals with serious diseases would be able to buy limited amounts of medical marijuana from one of 60 state-licensed dispensaries

HB 1 passed the Illinois Senate by a 35-21 vote on May 17, 2013. The House previously passed HB 1 on April 17, 2013 by a 61-57 vote.

Please join us in thanking the legislators who supported this legislation to show mercy and compassion to people suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, HIV, spinal disease, ALS and other terrible ailments. Find out how your Senator and Representative voted.

Thank you to Chief Senate Sponsor William Haine and Chief House Sponsor Lou Lang!

Read Rev. Alexander Sharp’s Op-Ed in the Chicago Sun-Times and Shouts of Joy! article urging the Illinois Senate to pass this bill. You can also watch video of the recent Senate floor debate and the House floor debate.

The fate of this legislation now rests in the hands of Democratic Governor Pat Quinn. Gov. Quinn is reviewing the bill and remains “open-minded.” Read recent editorial blogs from the Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post and Chicago Magazine.

HB 1 has the support of Illinois Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, in addition to over 260 doctors in Illinois, religious leaders, and medical organizations, as well as a majority of Illinois voters according to recent polling.

Patients have waited far too long in Illinois. We urge Gov. Quinn to show compassion and mercy for those suffering from debilitating pain and swiftly sign HB 1 into law.

Tell Gov. Quinn: Record High Coal Exports at Huge Costs

2013-05-06T14:22:00.001-05:00

By Heartland Coalfield Alliance

Illinois’ abundant high-sulphur coal saw record demand oversees last year, according to according to a new report commissioned by the Illinois Office of Coal Development that was released Wednesday, May 2, 2013.

Click to read report

The study, prepared by Energy Ventures Analysis Inc., found that 13 million tons of Illinois coal was exported in 2012. That’s a fivefold increase from the 2.5 million tons shipped out of the U.S. in 2010.

Please take a moment to remind Governor Quinn this increase in coal exports comes at a huge expense to Illinois communities:

New surface and underground mines threaten the state’s agricultural communities by destroying and subsiding prime farmland.

Coal mines pollute our rivers and streams with impunity, racking up hundreds of pollution violations while our state agencies rubber stamp new permits.

“Jobless” coal boom – Illinois exported 5 times as much coal in 2012 as in 2010, but mining jobs only increased by 14% (~3,500 to 4,000 miners) – the fact remains, coal mining is an insignificant part of the state’s economy, so why is DCEO bending over backwards to please the industry?

Digging coal is digging Illinois even deeper into debt as the coal industry raids our mineral wealth without sending so much as a cent back to the state in severance or sales taxes, which all neighboring coal producing states collect.

Click for more and contact information for Governor Quinn.

Protect Illinois communities: Take action now!

PCG is a member of the Heartland Coalfield Alliance, which works to reduce impacts from dirty coal mining, coal burning and coal waste disposal while promoting cleaner, more sustainable and affordable energy solutions for the Illinois Coal Basin.

Testimony to Improve Charity Care Rules

2013-04-17T15:58:00.000-05:00

On April 17, 2013, Laura Dean F. Friedrich, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Protestants for the Common Good, a unit of the Community Renewal Society, testified at the public hearing on the Proposed Rules for Hospital Financial Assistance under the Fair Patient Billing Act to the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Illinois on April 17, 2013. Her testimony is below. Read Making Rules, Playing Fair for more information about PCG's and the Fair Care Coalition's involvement in the rule-making process. Final rules will be issued in June 2013.

Protestants for the Common Good appreciates this opportunity to comment on the Proposed Rules for Hospital Financial Assistance under the Fair Patient Billing Act. We commend the Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, and her staff for their diligent work on this important matter for the people of Illinois.

We affirm the clear definition of “Hospital Financial Assistance” which specifies that bad debt and uncollectible charges cannot be recorded as financial assistance, and we agree with the criteria established for presumptive eligibility. We also support the clear reporting requirements for hospitals, the opening language stating that a Social Security is not required to qualify for free or discounted care, and the best-practice language requirement of having the application in every primary language of at least 5% of patients served by the hospital. These provisions will help reduce barriers to free and discounted care for low-income, un-insured or under-insured individuals and, at the same time, ensure that hospitals meet their responsibility to provide charity care.

We at Protestants for the Common Good also believe that the Proposed Rules can be improved in the following ways:

Specify the Presumptive Eligibility Process. While the criteria for presumptive eligibility are appropriate, the rules do not clearly establish a process or timeline for determining presumptive eligibility. The rules should include language that requires that patients be asked about the presumptive eligibility criteria before being discharged from the hospital and that decisions determining presumptive eligibility be made before the patient is billed.

Simplify the application. The application proposed in the rules is long and burdensome to patients needing free or reduced hospital care. The application should ask only the minimum questions necessary to determine income eligibility for charity care and omit those questions more appropriately related to Medicaid eligibility. Detailed information about employers of the applicant and his/her family members and personal expenses, among other items, should not be required.

Include an affidavit for income verification. We support the language in the rules that allows for “other documentation provided by the patient” to verify family income, but it is unclear how patients who have no income or cash-only income should report that information. We suggest that the rules indicate that patients in this situation can sign a simple statement saying that they have no income or receive cash from their employers to verify that they do not have the customary documentation for their incomes.

Allow only one application. Additional language should be added to the rules indicating that a hospital may not create an additional application or add a form, e.g., a cover sheet with a list of required documents for multiple programs, to the eligibility/application process.

Revise the application certification. The certification paragraph at the end of the application is overwhelming and intimidating. A simple statement to the effect that the patient certifies that the information contained in the application is “true and complete to the best of my ability” should suffice. Some hospitals are already using a short and concise statement on their applications. We recommend that practice be applied to the universal application for the charity care process.

Protestants for the Common Good appreciates this opportunity to comment on the Proposed Rules for Hospital Financial Assistance, and we thank the Attorney General for her consideration of our recommendations.

Hundreds Pray and "Die-In" at Capitol to Stop Gun Violence

2013-04-16T18:04:00.001-05:00

CLERGY, YOUTH, AND PEOPLE OF FAITH CALL FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO ACT TO STOP ILLEGAL GUN TRAFFICKING

SPRINGFIELD – Today, 500 clergy, people of faith, and youth converged on the State Capitol to call on the Illinois General Assembly to enact common sense gun legislation to stop illegal gun trafficking and decrease gun deaths. At the end of the day, the group overflowed the Capitol Rotunda in a “die-in.” Community Renewal Society Activists, wearing the names of the more than 400 people killed by gun violence in Chicago last year, lay down on the floor of the Capitol. The activists hummed “Amazing Grace” as the names of the victims were read aloud by youth from the Chicago area.

“We are here to bring the voices of those who can no longer speak because of gun violence to the leaders of our state,” said Rev. Eddie Knox, pastor of Pullman Presbyterian Church on the South side of Chicago. “Gun violence is destroying our communities. We are here to act, with our prayers, our voices, and our bodies to call on the General Assembly to act to stop these deaths.”

The group was calling for Illinois to enact three new anti-gun trafficking requirements: creating a registration or a title for a gun, similar to the title for a car; mandating universal background checks for all gun purchases; and mandatory reporting of lost and stolen guns. They argue that these pieces would do the most the stop the flow of illegal handguns, which are responsible for the majority of gun crimes and gun deaths each year.

Youth from across the state played a crucial part in the rally, offering testimony and reading the names of the gun victims. Young people are disproportionately victimized by gun violence. The average age of a person killed by a gun in Chicago last year was only 26.

“We live every day in fear for our lives,” said Chari Stevens, a high school student from Covenant United Church of Christ in South Holland. “Every one of us has lost friends or family to this senseless gun violence. We need our elected officials to act to protect all our youth.”

The group spent the day asking members of the General Assembly to sign onto a letter declaring their support for these three pieces of regulations. The bill that the House has been debating for months currently has been amended to include gun registration and reporting of lost and stolen guns, but not universal background checks. It is not clear where these initiatives stand in the Senate. The activists were joined by members of the General Assembly.

“This is an issue that affects all of Illinois,” said Rev. Alan Taylor, pastor of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Oak Park. “Every gun death affects us all, and so we are calling on all our state representatives to act. Every day we delay, we are letting another person die.”

Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!

2013-02-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

Rev. Dr. Norval Brown is the pastor of the Thornton United Methodist Church in Thornton, IL and the Grace United Protestant Church in Park Forest, IL.

Yes, we read in the newspaper about the decisions the poor have to make: Do we pay the rent? Do we buy groceries? How about shoes and clothes for the children? These and other questions are pointed out as the plight of the poor, but we pay no heed to them because we are not exposed to the harsh reality in which our brothers and sisters live.

Take a look at the map below for just a moment. It converts the reality of their lives and their decisions into something we can easily understand - numbers! The high number of hours that an individual making minimum wage has to work simply to afford a two-bedroom unit - a space for mother and father and children - is outrageous and cries out for social change. The average number of hours a minimum wage worker in Illinois must work to afford a 2-bedroom unit at Fair Market Rent (30% of income) is 81 hours. That's two weeks just to pay the rent.

Raising the minimum wage so that it at least approaches a living wage is a first step. A look at the numbers tells it all.

Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition | Out of Reach 2012

For more information, check out Out of Reach 2012 by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

We Mourn Chicago's Children* Killed by Gun Violence in 2012

2013-01-16T15:33:00.001-06:00

Date	Name	Neighborhood

1/4/2012	Mark Watts	West Englewood
1/8/2012	Valentin Bahena	Belmont Cragin
1/20/2012	Anton Sanders	Rogers Park
2/5/2012	Deshun Winfert	Chicago Lawn
2/18/2012	Edgar Delgado	Avondale
2/21/2012	Damion Rolle	Greater Grand Crossing
2/27/2012	George Howard	Washington Park
2/28/2012	Albert Guyton	Chicago Lawn
3/8/2012	Joshua Williams	Chicago Lawn
3/17/2012	Aliyah Shell	South Lawndale
3/26/2012	Cedric Bell	West Englewood
4/7/2012	Roberto Luna	Brighton Park
5/4/2012	Donnel Rankin	West Pullman
5/18/2012	Alejandro Jaime	Brighton Park
5/19/2012	Nazia Banks	South Chicago
5/26/2012	Jeffrey Triplett	North Lawndale
5/29/2012	Ivan Alanis	Uptown
6/2/2012	Jamal Lockett	South Shore
6/9/2012	Joseph Briggs	Chicago Lawn
6/13/2012	Romelo Golden	South Chicago
6/16/2012	Shakaki Asphy	West Englewood
6/22/2012	Antonio Davis	Englewood
6/24/2012	Tyquan Tyler	Woodlawn
6/27/2012	Heaven Sutton	Austin
6/30/2012	Lenard Trust	Kenwood
7/12/2012	Martin Tejeda	Gage Park
7/19/2012	Jamauri Askew	Auburn Gresham
7/19/2012	Nathaniel Gonzalez	West Englewood
7/23/2012	Alixi Johnson	South Deering
7/25/2012	Douglas Bufford	South Shore
8/2/2012	Johnqualus Turner	Humboldt Park
8/2/2012	Cornell Ferguson	Humboldt Park
8/18/2012	Taylor Diorio	McKinley Park
8/21/2012	Jaime Ruvalcaba	New City
8/21/2012	Alejandro Valdez	Chicago Lawn
8/24/2012	Lucian Dreux	Greater Grand Crossing
8/31/2012	Jalen Stogner	New City
9/8/2012	Jesus Garcia	Gage Park
9/26/2012	Dejuan Jackson	Oakland
9/28/2012	Derrick Davis	Calumet Heights
10/8/2012	Jonathan Williams	South Shore
10/13/2012	Modell McCambry	Woodlawn
10/20/2012	Terrance Johnson	Rogers Park
11/8/2012	Rodney Stewart	Ashburn
11/12/2012	Taylor Fitting	Roseland
11/15/2012	Sergio Oliva	Chicago Lawn
11/18/2012	Emilio Palomo	New City
11/26/2012	Porshe Foster	Chicago Lawn
12/9/2012	Jeffrey Stewart	Humboldt Park
12/20/2012	Kentan Scott	Austin
12/29/2012	Neriyah Beller	North Lawndale

*List includes school-aged children under 18.

We also mourn the loss of all victims of violence. Click here to remember through pictures the 509 people murdered in Chicago of 2012.

2/3 of Corporations in Illinois Pay No Income Tax!

2013-01-04T16:38:00.001-06:00

Take Action Now - Support SB 282, the Illinois Corporate Tax Disclosure and Responsibility Act

Your help is needed NOW to pass SB 282, the Illinois Corporate Tax Disclosure and Responsibility Act that will require publicly traded corporations to disclose the amount of taxes paid and tax credits received.


This is an important transparency and accountability bill that will give legislators the information they need to help solve Illinois’ revenue crisis and stop cutting funds for education and other important human services.


SB 282 was passed in the Illinois Senate in November. The House Revenue Committee will meet Sunday, January 6th at 3 pm to vote on this bill.  It will be brought before the House on January 7th or 8th, 2013.

The Illinois Director of Revenue testified last year that two-thirds of corporations in Illinois are paying no Illinois corporate income tax. Because of current laws, no one can say which corporations aren’t paying taxes, or why.

TAKE ACTION:

There are two things you can do now to help pass SB 282 - the Illinois Corporate Tax Disclosure and Responsibility Act currently before the Illinois House Revenue Committee. Each one takes just 2 minutes.

1. Fill out a Witness Slip. These slips go to the House Revenue Committee that will vote Sunday on whether to send the bill to the full house for a vote. Fill out the IDENTIFICATION section completely, but skip the REPRESENTATION section (it's for lobbyists). In the POSITION section, check "proponent" and in the TESTIMONY section, check "Record of Appearance Only". Be sure to type the CAPTCHA, check Terms of Agreement. Click on Create (Slip).

2. Call your representative. Please leave a simple message: “My name is _____________. I live in Representative ___'s district. I’m a member of Protestants for the Common Good calling to urge the Representative to vote for SB 282, the Corporate Tax Disclosure and Responsibility Act. This is an important bill that will allow for transparency and accountability and help bring fairness to Illinois taxes. SB 282 will give us information we need to begin to solve Illinois’ revenue crisis.”

To determine your state representative, check PCG's website or call the State Board of Elections Springfield office at 217-782-4141.

If your representative is a sponsor of SB 282, please call them to ensure they know that we appreciate their support. House Sponsors include: Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie - Jack D. Franks - Sara Feigenholtz, Greg Harris, La Shawn K. Ford, Arthur Turner, Thaddeus Jones, Ann Williams, Kimberly du Buclet and Esther Golar.

THANK YOU for your help. Please let us know what response you receive.

'Tis the season...

2012-12-21T13:18:00.001-06:00

‘Tis the season ….
    To light candles and sing carols, to give gifts and greet strangers.

Protestants for the Common Good (PCG) wishes you joy and fulfillment in this holy time of year as we anticipate the coming of Christ and the indwelling of hope in all our lives.

Please support PCG with a year-end gift to grow our education and advocacy work.

Your gift matters. Imagine what it means to work in a low-wage job without an increase in three years. Think about a loved one who needs relief for chronic, debilitating pain. Consider what it’s like to worry that your drinking water might be contaminated due to nearby natural gas extraction. Think about the barriers that persons with felony records encounter as they look for a decent job or adequate housing.

‘Tis also the season ….
    To face tragedy and mourn losses, to show mercy and confront injustice.

Your support and involvement has made it possible for us to impact the lives of thousands of Illinoisans in 2012. Thanks to you, our Advocacy Network trained lay and clergy members in grassroots lobbying and worked faithfully in coalitions for positive legislative solutions to significant state-wide problems.

Together we achieved important results: expanding charity care for uninsured persons, protecting victims of sex trafficking, and closing two Chicago coal-powered plants.

But, we still have more work to do.

With your gift, we will faithfully advocate for raising the minimum wage, passing medical marijuana, creating regulations for hydraulic fracturing, i.e., “fracking,” and sealing felony records of persons who no longer have involvement with the criminal justice system.

‘Tis the season ….
    To renew spirits and lift hearts, to advance justice and proclaim hope.

Make a difference. Help support our advocacy for the common good in 2013. We are ever grateful for your generosity and support.

Thank you for your many gifts to PCG – invitations to your church, advocacy for good policy, participation in our events, and financial contributions to support our work. We also value your prayers. If you have already made a year-end gift to PCG, thank you. If you have not, please give now.

May you have a season of blessing and joy this Christmas.

Good News: Medicaid Eligibility Expands in Cook County

2012-11-30T17:40:00.001-06:00

Healthcare Policy Expert, Robin Scott, is a contributing blogger for Protestants for the Common Good.

Starting in 2013, tens of thousands of currently uninsured and low-income single adult patients may be able to get Medicaid in Cook County. This expansion is a result of a federal waiver granted to Illinois to expand Medicaid in Cook County through the Affordable Care Act one year early. The waiver approval allows Cook County Health and Hospital System to enroll more than 115,000 eligible individuals into a Cook County Medicaid network in 2013 rather than wait until 2014.

The new Medicaid program is called CountyCare. Only doctors that are part of the CountyCare network may accept CountyCare patients. The network will include Cook County Health and Hospital sites and some community health providers, such as community health centers. Each patient will have a medical home which would coordinate the person’s care. Routine and preventive care, hospital inpatient and ambulatory services, emergency services, laboratory services, prescription drugs, medical supplies and equipment, and mental health services are some of services covered by CountyCare.

To qualify for CountyCare, individuals must:

Live in Cook County
Be 19-64 years of age
Have income at or below 133% FPL ($14,856 individual, $20,123 couple annually)
Not be already eligible for Medicaid (parent, pregnant, blind, aged, or disabled)
Not be eligible for Medicare
Be a U.S. citizen or a legal immigrant for five years or more
Have a Social Security number or have applied for one

Beginning the week of December 1, 2012, individuals can call 312-864-8200 or 855-671-8883 (toll-free) to apply by phone. In the future, individuals will be able to apply in person with application-assistance staff located throughout the county health system.

http://www.cookcountyhhs.org/announcements/john-h-stroger-jr/countycare-begins-health-system/

The Prevention and Public Health Fund

2012-11-07T11:39:00.004-06:00

Healthcare Policy Expert, Robin Scott, is a contributing blogger for Protestants for the Common Good.

America spends more on health than other nations – almost $2.5 trillion in 2009 – and yet scores less than other wealthy nations on life expectancy, infant mortality and other indicators of population health. The bulk of U.S. health expenditures (75 percent) are spent treating chronic diseases, many of which are preventable. (Chronic diseases include obesity, diabetes, high-blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer.) A mere fraction of U.S. health expenditures (3.1 percent) is spent on prevention. An Institute of Medicine report released in 2012 concluded that the federal government’s public health investment ($11.6 billion in 2009) should be doubled to begin to fund public health efforts at a level that would address current needs.

The Affordable Care Act makes public health and the prevention of chronic disease a United States priority for the first time by establishing mandatory funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Fifteen billion dollars over 10 years was set aside for the Fund. The Fund already has provided $1.25 billion for prevention and public health activities: $500 million in FY 2010 and $750 million in FY 2011. Another $1 billion has been allocated in FY 2012 and is in the process of being distributed.

The Fund is anticipated to be used for programs at the local, state, and federal level. Illinois has been awarded more than $31 million in Prevention Fund grants. Funding is intended for community prevention, clinical prevention, public health workforce and infrastructure, and research and tracking. Community prevention includes tobacco prevention and obesity prevention and fitness. Public health workforce and infrastructure includes supporting training of public health providers.

The Prevention and Public Health Fund is intended to supplement not supplant existing federal commitments for public health and prevention. However, the Affordable Care Act allows Congress to use money from the fund to spend on existing prevention or health promotion programs that met the goals of improving health and restraining growth in costs. Also, Congress can still pass laws to reduce the amount of money allocated to the Fund. Congress can even amend the Affordable Care Act to eliminate the Fund. Funding of the Prevention and Public Health Fund has already been cut by $6.25 billion over nine years to help postpone a cut in Medicare physician payments.

The Fund remains at risk. Earlier this year, Congress passed the Sequestration Act which would make across-the-board cuts in defense and nondefense discretionary programs in January 2013 if a deficit reduction plan was not passed and signed into law. So far, a deficit reduction plan has not been enacted. According to an OMB report released mid –September critical programs that protect the public’s health face an 8.2 percent cut. (The Prevention and Public Health Fund would be subject to cuts of 7.6 percent.)

Some useful websites for more information:

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=1326

http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=63

http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/D1708E46-07E9-43E7-AB99-94A29437E4AF/0/PrevPubHealth2012_web.pdf

http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/02/prevention/il.html

Closing the Dreaded Donut Hole

2012-10-30T12:45:00.002-05:00

Healthcare Policy Expert, Robin Scott, is a contributing blogger for Protestants for the Common Good.

You have probably heard about the dreaded donut hole. That refers to a problem that affects people receiving Medicare health coverage, even those who have also enrolled in Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans. As everyone knows, prescription medicines are expensive, especially if you have a chronic illness. I have heard stories of people skipping doses, sharing medicine with spouses, and skipping medicine altogether because of price.

For Medicare beneficiaries, you have the option of purchasing a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan. Initially, you may have to pay a deductible of a little more than $300 and an average of 25% of the cost of your medication until you reach the $2,930 drug coverage limit. (The dollar amount to reach the $2,930 coverage limit includes what you pay and what the plan pays.) Then you hit a coverage gap or donut hole where the costs of your co-payments increase until you reach catastrophic coverage. Then you pay 5% or $2.60 for generics and $6.50 for brand-names whichever is greater.

Before health reform (or the Affordable Care Act), you would have had to pay 100% of out-of-pocket costs before getting out of the donut hole. (The donut hole for 2012 was $2,930 to $6,658.) See illustrations for 2012 and 2013 respectively at: http://familiesusa2.org/assets/pdfs/medicare-part-d/Prescription-Drug-Benefit-Illustration-2012.pdf and http://familiesusa2.org/assets/pdfs/medicare-part-d/Prescription-Drug-Benefit-Illustration-2013.pdf. Not surprisingly, it was difficult for people to pay the costs of medicine during the donut hole so many of them never even reached catastrophic drug coverage. Some beneficiaries stopped filling their prescriptions and others never reached the dollar amount in drugs to get out of the donut hole.

But thanks to health reform, in 2012, beneficiaries receive an automatic 50% discount on brand-name drugs and 14% discount on generics while in the donut hole. The brand name and generic drug discounts gradually increase every year until 2020 when the donut hole is phased out. Then you will once again pay an average of 25% of the cost of your medication until you reach catastrophic coverage.

In the first four months of 2012 alone, more than 416,000 people have saved $301.5 million – an average of $724 a person so far this year. The Affordable Care Act was helping them even before that. After the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, those who hit the donut hole received a $250 rebate – with almost 4 million seniors and people with disabilities receiving a collective $1 billion. In 2011, Medicare beneficiaries received more than $2.1 billion in savings – averaging $604 per person last year – from the 50% discount on brand-name drugs in the donut hole. http://www.healthcare.gov/blog/2012/05/medicare052412.html (There was also a 7% subsidy for generic drugs purchased in the donut hole in 2011.)

For Medicare beneficiaries, it is the Annual Open Enrollment period for 2013. It started October 15 and ends on December 7. If you already have a Part D plan, you should check to make sure that your current plans continues to work for you in 2013 (for example, make sure that all drugs that you take are on the formulary and check premiums and co-payments and co-insurance). General information about Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage can be found at: http://www.medicare.gov/part-d/index.html

· (This blog does not refer to people who get “extra help” or the low-income subsidy.)

Wilcox Symposium on Criminal Justice: Photos

2012-10-17T13:43:00.002-05:00

Defamation the Play: Photos

2012-10-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

Are You Healthy Enough to Get Covered?

2012-10-03T12:10:00.002-05:00

Healthcare Policy Expert, Robin Scott, is a contributing blogger for Protestants for the Common Good.

Do you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or asthma? What about another health problem or condition? If you have a health problem that developed before you join a health insurance plan, you have what a health insurance company calls a pre-existing condition. It is hard to believe but being pregnant is considered a pre-existing condition.

In the past, in most states, anyone with a pre-existing condition could be discriminated against, meaning they could be denied insurance altogether or their insurance would not cover that condition. If the condition was covered, they could be charged a higher premium.

The Affordable Care Act ends discrimination by health insurance plans against people with pre-existing conditions. Effective September 23, 2010, health insurers are not allowed to deny insurance to children younger than 19 years of age with pre-existing conditions. This rule applies whether or not the child’s health problem or disability was discovered or treated before you applied for coverage. (However, this rule does not apply to grandfathered individual health policies. A grandfathered individual health insurance policy is a policy that you bought for yourself or family on or before the health reform law was enacted.)

Beginning January 2014, health insurers, regardless of whether the plan is grandfathered, will not be able to discriminate against anyone who has a pre-existing condition, including a disability. Not only will they not be able to deny children and adults coverage for a pre-existing condition, they will not be allowed to charge them more for this coverage.

Millions of Americans are helped by this Affordable Care Act provision. Pre-existing conditions affect people in all age groups, every racial and ethnic group, and every income group. An estimated 64.8 million (24.9 percent of) non-elderly Americans have been diagnosed with pre-existing conditions that could lead to a denial of coverage. Nearly 2.9 million non-elderly Illinoisans, more than one out of every four residents under the age of 65, have been diagnosed with pre-existing conditions that, absent reform, could lead to a denial of coverage.

Some people have pre-existing conditions now and cannot wait until 2014 to receive help. Findings from a 2010 national survey found that 36 percent of non-elderly who lost their jobs and benefits and tried to purchase individual health insurance were turned down, were charged more, or had a specific health problem excluded from their coverage.

What can they do in the meantime? The Affordable Care Act provides funds for high-risk pools in states for people with pre-existing conditions. To be eligible, you must meet certain requirements such as being uninsured for six months and be a U.S. citizen or residing in the United States legally. The pre-existing condition insurance plans cover a broad range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care, and prescription drugs.

The federal government runs the PCIP in 23 states and the District of Columbia. In the other 27 states, the state or a state-designated nonprofit organization runs the program. In Illinois, the Department of Insurance runs the program. The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan has already provided coverage to at least 82,000 people, including 2,750 people in Illinois (Illinois Pre-Existing Insurance Plan).

What if I become sick while I am insured?

Previously, health insurers sometimes rescinded or retroactively cancelled coverage when a person became sick, if the person made an unintentional mistake on their application. They would state that the person had not listed a pre-existing condition on their insurance application. The Affordable Care Act changes that – now, insurance companies cannot deny to cover your benefits just because you get sick. They can only do that in cases of fraud or an intentional misrepresentation of material fact.

An example of an illegal rescission is if the insurance company denies claims for breast cancer treatment when finding out the insured person forgot to mention two visits to a psychologist visit she had six years earlier. http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/rights/cancellations/

Next to New Mexico, Illinois had the highest rescission rate from 2004 through 2008. Illinois’ rate was more than 12 per 1,000 certificates or policies from 2004 to 2008. That’s a total of 5,279 policies/certificates from 2004-2008. The national rate is 3.7 rescissions per every 1,000 policies or certificates from 2004 through 2008.

Good News for Young Adults

2012-09-26T16:50:00.001-05:00

Healthcare Policy Expert, Robin Scott, is a contributing blogger for Protestants for the Common Good.

Just because you become an adult does not mean that you have to be uninsured. In the past, young adults between 18 and 26 years of age might not have had the option of staying insured. Dropped from their parent’s insurance at 19 (sometimes older if they go to college), being employed in jobs without health insurance or being unemployed are some of the reasons they did not stay insured. In addition, individual insurance is expensive if available to those with pre-existing conditions.

The ACA has required since September 2010 that health insurers provide the option for young adults to stay on their parent’s plan until they are 26. The adult child does not have to be in college, can be married, can live away from their parents, and does not have to be listed as a dependent on a parent’s income tax returns. If the plan is not grandfathered, the adult child can join or remain on your patient’s plan even if you are eligible to enroll in your employer’s plan. (Until 2014, grandfathered group plans do not have to offer dependent coverage up to age 26 if a young adult is eligible for group coverage outside their parent’s plan. Health plans that existed before the health care law are considered “grandfathered” into the new system.)

According to the most recent survey estimate, as of December 2011, over 3 million additional young adults have already taken advantage of this provision of the ACA and gained health insurance. (This includes 125,000 young adults in Illinois.)

Prior to the ACA young adults were much more likely to be uninsured and privately-insured young adults were about twice as likely as older adults to lose private insurance. According to U.S. census data, in 2009, nearly 15 million young adults ages 19 to 29 were uninsured. This represented about 1/3 of the young people in this age group. An overall 45% of young adults reported delaying needed care because of costs and 58% of uninsured young adults had difficulty paying medical bills according to a 2010 Commonwealth Fund study.

Prior to the enactment of the ACA, 37 states already had laws requiring the continuation of dependent coverage for young adults, but the upper age limits and definition of dependent varied. Since June 2009, Illinois had a law giving parents with insurance policies that cover dependents the right to elect coverage for qualifying dependents up to age 26 and up to age 30 for military veteran dependents.

The below links provide further information:

http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2012/06/young-adults06192012a.html

http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2012/UninsuredYoungAdults/rb.pdf

A survey by the National Center for Health Statistics updates the previous estimate of 2.5 million young adults to 3.1 million young adults.

http://lahealthaction.org/library/rb.pdf

http://insurance.illinois.gov/HealthInsurance/ya_dependent.asp

http://nahic.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CAHL-UCSF-ACA-Young-Adult-Issue-Brief-_Final_Mar22_2012.pdf

Are You Healthy?

2012-09-19T12:09:00.000-05:00

Healthcare Policy Expert, Robin Scott, is a contributing blogger for Protestants for the Common Good.

When is the last time you were screened for blood pressure and cholesterol? Or have you ever been screened for them? If you’re a woman, have you had a mammogram on a regular basis? If you are pregnant, have you been screened for gestational diabetes?

Now you have an opportunity to receive important preventive covered services, including screenings , for all types of illnesses without extra cost. Your Medicare or private insurance plan is required to cover these services without copayment. That has already happened, and it’s thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

There are 16 covered preventive services for adults, including screening for blood pressure, cholesterol, colorectal cancer, obesity and depression. There are screening services particular to women like mammograms as well as screening services for high-risk and pregnant women. Screening services for pregnant women include gestational diabetes and anemia. Currently, gestational diabetes range from 2% to 10% of pregnancies in the United States. Screenings for women at high risk, include screening for gonorrhea, syphilis, and osteoporosis.

As of August 1, 2012, even more provisions for preventive covered services for women went into effect. (These are for new plans starting on or after August 1. Health plans that existed before the health care law are considered “grandfathered” into the new system. Grandfathered plans don’t have to follow the new preventive services coverage rules. This means the plan can continue to operate just as it has until it makes significant changes to the plan. However, a survey found that 90% of all large companies expect that their health plans will lose their grandfathered status by 2014.)

About 47 million women, including an estimated 2 million in Illinois, have guaranteed access to additional preventive services without paying more at the doctor’s office. These include breastfeeding support and counseling, screening for domestic and interpersonal violence, well women visits. These services have been identified by the Institute of Medicine and endorsed by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

FDA approved contraceptive methods and patient education and counseling are included in the prevention services. There has been much controversy about how these provisions affect religious institutions. According to the law, a segment of religious employers such as churches and other houses of worship are exempt from this contraceptive coverage requirement.

The Check's in the Mail

2012-09-05T12:13:00.000-05:00

Healthcare Policy Expert, Robin Scott, is a contributing blogger for Protestants for the Common Good.

This past month, you may have received an unexpected check in the mail. This check – a rebate from your health insurance company – is a direct result of the health reform law, the Affordable Care Act.

Before health reform, over 20% of consumers who purchased coverage in the individual market were in plans that spent more than 30 cents of every premium dollar on administrative costs. Health insurers could spend as much money of your premium as they wanted on what they wanted. Now they must be accountable.

Depending on the size of the insurance plan, insurers must spend at least eighty or eighty-five percent of your premium on health care and activities that improve your health, not on administrative expenses or profits. This is known as the medical loss ratio rule (MLR) rule. If your insurer doesn’t meet those standards, it must send you--or your employer if you have employer-based insurance--a rebate check.

Even if the check goes to the employer, it will ultimately benefit you, for example through a lump-sum reimbursement or reduction in future premiums. It can be complicated, but the good thing is most of the money you pay for health insurance will be used for health care or improving the quality of health care, rather than administrative costs and profits.

Between January 1 and August 1, nearly 12.8 million Americans were provided with more than $1.1 billion in rebates this year due to this MLR rule. The largest rebates have been given to consumers in Texas ($167 million) and Florida ($124 million). The average rebate per family in the U.S. is $151. The average rebate per family in Illinois is about $380. Nearly 230,000 Illinoisans will receive $62 million in rebates; about $380 per family.

However the rebate is done, health reform forces insurers to devote the lion’s share of their premiums to patient care. That’s a basic change to the business model of private insurance. And it’s happening now, because of health reform.

Imminent Immorality: States Opting out of Medicaid Are Opting Out of Caring

2012-08-31T11:08:00.001-05:00

by Nancy H. Brandt, a Board Member of Protestants for the Common Good.

There is no other way to say it. If some 30 states opt out of the Medicaid expansion that was enacted as part of health care reform, as they currently threaten to do, that will be 30 immoral acts. Some governors have given as their reason that they can’t afford it, but the facts around the funding show they almost can’t afford not to participate. And so, one must ask why they would turn down a deal that the Congressional Budget Office estimates will be 93% paid for over the first nine years, a deal that hospitals everywhere favor as it will cover presently uncompensated costs.

The obvious and first conclusion is that ideology trumps everything else. They hate the new healthcare law and its mandate so much that it takes precedence over any other concern. But a deeper and more troubling conclusion is that perhaps half of us in America no longer care a jot about the poor, or the lingering and damaging effects of growing up poor and without healthcare. Is caring simply no longer important?

The Congressional Budget Office predicts that when it actually comes to acting, states opting out of the expansion will result in three million fewer people insured than planned. This coverage gap will be composed of families below the poverty line, not reachable by the insurance exchanges that will be set up to cover people from 100% to 400% of the poverty line. This would be a bizarre outcome, indeed.

What are the likely outcomes for the uninsured poor? Clearly it will make it more difficult to address racial disparities in healthcare: 22% of African-Americans, 32% of Hispanics are uninsured, compared with 14% of whites. Opponents of the law seize upon the administration’s behind-the-scenes efforts to explain the advantages of the law to black and Hispanic audiences as a negative, as proof that the health care law is race-based after all and not about the middle class. When did it become not only unimportant but wrong to address racial disparities?

There are real consequences to being poor and uninsured. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health conclude that states with more generous Medicaid coverage have lower mortality rates by at least 6%. Do we care how long poor people live?

Research also points to healthcare improving school outcomes. A study by Teachers College at Columbia University found students with chronic illnesses at greater risk of absenteeism and poor school performance. No surprises there. A recent evaluation of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program found that school absenteeism rates dropped as children’s health insurance rates rose under the program. This is not rocket science. But will policy makers make the connection?

A long-term answer, as suggested by both Timothy Noah of The New Republic and more conservative economist Robert Samuelson, is to federalize the entire Medicaid program, just like Medicare, if it is no longer feasible to maintain a federal-state partnership.

But even that solution requires that a majority of the Congress and perhaps a majority of the electorate believe that our nation should care about all its citizens, and especially about the poor. It comes down to what kind of a country we want to live in.

Adding in Advocacy

2012-08-02T11:42:00.000-05:00

Maggie Potthoff is a dual degree master's student in Divinity and Public Policy at the University of Chicago and a PCG summer intern.

Many of us who are part of faith communities have spent time after worship with our fellow congregants putting our faith into action --- heading to a soup kitchen to serve people living in the streets, packing lunches for struggling families in the neighborhood, or organizing a job-training fair for those out of work.

We are called to this work – this service – through Scripture. “Go and do likewise,” Jesus tells the inquiring lawyer after recounting the story of the Good Samaritan – show mercy and “love your neighbor” (Luke 10:25 – 37). For Jesus and his followers, loving means taking action, particularly on behalf of the “least of these.”

Yet "taking action" includes more than just service. Our faith must be put into words. Indeed, we are called to call ---- to advocate (ad+ vocate). Advocacy is the work of calling for assistance – of speaking out or promoting a particular issue: in the faith context, the advancement of justice. Jesus said, “God has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).

So advocacy in the Christian tradition assumes that God through Jesus Christ has something to say about the way society should be structured and, thus, the way government should relate to individuals and communities. In seeking to join God’s work in this world, then, we can live our faith too by not only doing charity, but by calling for justice. In our country, we can do this by advocating for public policy which embraces the healing of society and God’s creation. In our country, we must do this now. Too many lives are at stake in budgetary decisions and other legislative concerns every day, and the common good hangs in the balance.

We are hosting an Advocacy Workshop in a little less than two weeks which will explore this work more deeply. We’ll rely on Scripture some, but also on your fellowship --- learning from each other about our faith and its relationship to justice.

If this is the first time you’ve thought about it terms of “advocacy,” or engaging in discussions about Springfield and the legislative process sounds daunting – not to fear! We’ll hear from long-time advocates about best practices and discover how critical one person’s voice is toward building the common good. Also on the agenda is a discussion of PCG’s current policy priorities which will include Illinois-specific legislation on environmental, criminal, and economic justice.

So sign up now! At our last session, participants enjoyed sharing their “passion for advocacy with similar-minded folks,” learning about pending legislation, and participating in a group activity that makes clear how advocates can engage the process of a bill becoming a law (we'll get more specific than this video, but it's a start!). We'd love you to join us for another opportunity to learn and share about advocacy together!

Ooops - Missed the Anniversary!

2012-07-20T17:12:00.001-05:00

July 1st came and went virtually unnoticed. If it seemed like just another hot (very hot) summer day, you are mistaken. The first of July was an important--and sad--day for low-wage workers across the state because it marked the second anniversary of the last time that they received a wage increase. That's right: Illinois workers making minimum wage got a $.25 an hour increase on July 1, 2010, bringing the minimum wage to $8.25, but there's been no increase since then.

For those who think $8.25 an hour is "not bad," think again. A minimum wage worker who works 40 hours a week for 50 weeks a year earns $16,500. If that employee works 52 weeks a year, taking no time off for vacation, sick leave, or family emergency, she earns $17,160. Unfortunately, many minimum wage workers do not have the opportunity to work a full 40 hours a week, and, despite the slow economy, the buying power of the $8.25 an hour wage is declining a bit each year.

You might think that most minimum wage workers are teenagers who work seasonally or during their after-school hours, but data analyzed by the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, DC tell us that 83% of minimum wage workers in Illinois are supporting families. That brings us to a hard fact: most families of minimum wage workers are living in poverty. The federal poverty level for a family of three is $17, 568; for a family of four, the poverty level is $22,113.

So, what can we do about the plight of minimum wage workers in Illinois? We have a bill--SB 1565--which passed out of the Senate Executive Committee in May 2012, and we're working to build public support to prepare for the fall Veto Session of the General Assembly. You can help! Join PCG, Raise Illinois (the minimum wage coalition) and Stand Up Chicago at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24th at the Thompson Center (Clark and Randolph in the Chicago Loop) for a rally and march to advocate for a minimum wage increase.

Why July 24th? That's the third anniversary of the last time the federal minimum wage ($7.25 an hour) was increased. So maybe we didn't do very much for minimum wage workers on July 1st, but now we have another chance. See you on the 24th.

Laura Dean F. Friedrich

Supreme (Court) Barbeque Banter: Tackling Health Care Reform

2012-06-29T17:13:00.000-05:00

Heading into the weekend (and July!), a lot of us probably have some festive gatherings planned in the coming days--- beach outings or barbecues (if the weather in Chicago holds)! That means there will be many chances for talk of current events with 20 of your closest friends. Most likely topic? The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. Problem? Tons of un-information.

Yet because of what this act means for progress toward the common good -- by 2019, 32 million of U.S. citizens currently without healthcare will be insured -- I think it's important that we ready ourselves for this potentially uninformed BBQ banter with some hard facts. We need a clearer idea of how exactly the ACA will affect us and the lives of our neighbors.

The Kaiser Family Foundation does an excellent job of dissecting the reform by providing a wealth of accessible facts and analyses. But as it is just after 5:00 pm on Friday, the best ten minutes you can spend prepping for your weekend is with their fun animation here: Health Reform Hits Main Street.

When health reform hits Main Street, things might seem different. A different-looking Main Street, where so many of our uninsured neighbors finally have access to staying healthy and cared for? What a vision! Definitely a vision worth considering as you amble down your Main Street for parades this holiday weekend and think about the common good going into the future.

As PCG's summer intern, I am looking forward to continuing the conversation with you this summer, here on the blog.

Peace to you,

Maggie Potthoff

Weekend Violence Continues

2012-06-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

Bisera Rozic is a DePaul University student majoring in Economics and a PCG contributing writer.

The first week of Chicago Police Officers working overtime over weekends in order to decrease crime ends with 6 dead and 34 wounded.

Last week it was announced that the CPD would pay overtime to officers who come in on their days off to help curb the weekend violence that has plagued Chicago.

But with its first week in practice, and temperatures in the 80s and 90s, crime has been occurring as if nothing was enacted. From Friday night to Monday morning, 6 people were killed and 34 wounded. Though we should not eliminate the plan right off the bat, I really hope that Emanuel, McCarthy, and the CPD have some backup plans because the weather is going to stay in the 80s and 90s for quite a while.

Trying to Keep The American Dream Alive

2012-06-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

Bisera Rozic is a DePaul University student majoring in Economics and a PCG intern.

It is known that the Obama Administration has had a record amount of deportations during its term. But with the fight to pass the DREAM Act, Friday's announcement does make one wonder if it was a political move or something more. It is important to point out that most of those deported have broken the law, either through committing a crime or breaking immigration rules. On Friday, it was announced that the Obama Administration will not deport young undocumented immigrants if they met a certain criteria.

They were under 16 years old when they entered the United States
They are currently under 30 years old.
Are enrolled in school, have completed high school in the States, or have served in the military.
They have lived in the States for at least 5 continuous years.
They have been law-abiding residents with a clean record.

Political pundits see the announcement as a political move because Mitt Romney has vowed to veto the DREAM Act if he became the president.There has been a lot of heat coming from the GOP. Arizona governor, Jan Brewer, called the President's move as "blatant political pandering". The LA Times also reports that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano defended the Administration's move to relax deportation by saying, “It is an exercise of discretion to … ensure that we are not clogging the immigration system with low-priority cases involving productive young people.”

Since the Obama Administration will not seek deportation of those who meet the criteria, this means that some 800,000 people will be spared deportation and will have the ability to pursue the American Dream. No one can argue with valid proof that undocumented immigrants do not contribute to the economy. Alabama felt the impact of their anti-immigration law in a negative way through their economy. Aside from working jobs that most citizens would not do, most undocumented immigrants pay taxes.

Whether it is a political move or not, I hope the shift stays and lawful, productive youth have the ability to strive for their dreams.