POVERTY
The Half In Ten Campaign

On Tuesday, a coalition of four national advocacy organizations --  the Center for American Progress Action Fund,  ACORN, the Coalition on Human Needs and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights -- launched the Half in Ten campaign, a vigorous and concerted effort to cut the number of Americans living in poverty by 50 percent within ten years. Currently, one in every eight Americans, or 36.5 million people, live in poverty. Under the leadership of former senator John Edwards, the campaign, Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity, seeks to unite a broad range of groups and individuals across the country in order to make this goal a reality. The foundation of the campaign rests on basic fundamental principles: promoting decent work, providing opportunity for all, ensuring economic security, and helping people build wealth. Combining federal, state, and public education agendas, the campaign is guided by the policy recommendations of the Center for American Progress's 2007 Poverty Task Force Report, which issued twelve recommendations including expanding tax credits, eliminating predatory lending, and ensuring that workers have the right to form unions through the Employee Free Choice Act. Half in Ten will advocate expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, raising the minimum wage, increasing the availability of child care assistance to low-income families, and increasing eligibility for unemployment insurance. In his kick-off speech in Philadelphia last Tuesday, Edwards spelled out the essence of campaign: "This is not just about highlighting the problem. It is also about highlighting the solutions -- because this is a problem we can solve." 

CHANGING THE GOVERNMENT: The very policies designed to prop up low-wage workers, unemployment insurance and tax credits, typically don't reach the poorest Americans who most need them. Restrictive rules often prevent part time and temporary employees -- the lowest paid and most poor workers -- from receiving unemployment benefits. Half in Ten recognizes that unemployment reform would bring an additional 560,000 largely low-income people into the system, distributing $1.03 billion in benefits and job training.

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) currently excludes many of the least affluent Americans. Restrictions on the CTC mean that claimants with low or no tax liability, who make the most meager wages, are unable to receive any assistance. The Urban Institute estimates that 2.1 million children and 1.1 million parents would break through the poverty line if the federal CTC were made fully refundable. Finally, Half in Ten will work to provide childcare assistance. The campaign will work to obtain a federal-state guarantee of child care assistance for all working families with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty line and an expansion of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. These expansions of childcare assistance would lift 2.7 million Americans out of poverty, reducing poverty by almost 8 percent, according to estimates by the Urban Institute. Half in Ten will continue to push the Senate, the House and the presidential candidates until they commit to these important federal changes.

CHANGING STATES: Over the past ten years, the minimum wage has been successfully raised in 32 states, and with the recently-passed federal increase, the minimum wage will rise to $7.25 by 2009. Unfortunately, skyrocketing gas prices, the soaring cost of food, and the high price tags on everyday consumer goods mean that $7.25 is still not enough. Although the federal efforts of Half in Ten call for a significant further increase in the minimum wage, the campaign stresses that states must act in the meantime to fill the gap and help build momentum for greater federal action. According to recent studies, raising the minimum wage to 50 percent of the average American wage would bring an estimated 1.7 million people out poverty.  Additionally, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), designed to reward work and raise the incomes of low-earning families, is also in need of revision. The EITC provides only a small monetary benefit to childless adults and none to childless workers younger than 25. By simply expanding the tax credit to include young workers and those without children, an additional 2.2 million Americans could be lifted out of poverty. At the urging of ACORN and other community activists, Washington state has pioneered a new program that invests in families and provides an EITC, despite the fact that it does not collect statewide income taxes. 

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS: The Half in Ten campaign aims to inspire Americans to understand they can do something about poverty and that when poverty is eliminated, the nation will be stronger, more prosperous and better off. Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, explained last Tuesday, "Poverty sounds big and complex, yet by making some simple legislative changes, we can immediately lift thousands of people out of poverty. But we know to be successful this can't just be an inside the Beltway, pointy-headed intellectual conversation." Edwards, along with all the coalition members, will be traveling around the country over the next ten years to increase awareness about the campaign. Supporting state fights, meeting with policy makers, and most importantly, continuing to build peoples' knowledge about the importance of poverty alleviation and the solutions that already exist, Half in Ten aims to provide a new narrative that encourages, inspires, and creates a mandate for action. "We've made great strides before," said Edwards. "In the past, when we have chosen to take up the cause of our brothers and sisters who are struggling to get by, we have helped millions of Americans to lift themselves out of poverty. Today, if we get behind the practical, work-based solutions this campaign has proposed, we can do it again."

Under the Radar

CIVIL RIGHTS -- CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS BAN ON GAY MARRIAGE: In "a broadly worded decision that would invalidate virtually any law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation," California's Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on gay marriage yesterday. The 4-3 decision stated that "an individual's sexual orientation -- like a person's race or gender -- does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights." Citing "a 60-year-old precedent that struck down a ban on interracial marriage in California," the court specifically stated that merely allowing "domestic partnerships" rather than "marriage" imposes "appreciable harm" on same-sex couples and their children. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) said in a statement, "I respect the Court's decision and as Governor, I will uphold its ruling. Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling." Conservative groups have proposed just such an amendment, banning same-sex marriage, in an initiative likely to be on next November's ballot. 

ETHICS -- HOUSE COMMITTEE REPORT FINDS DEFENSE CONTRACTORS GOUGING U.S. TAXPAYERS: A new report from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has found that a "Pentagon program for providing workers' compensation for civilian employees in Iraq and Afghanistan has allowed defense contractors and insurance companies to gouge American taxpayers." The report says that "[i]nsurance companies alone have collected nearly $600 million in excessive profits over the past five years" because defense contractors are allowed to negotiate their own insurance contracts. Iraq war profiteer KBR "paid the insurance giant AIG $284 million for medical and disability coverage," but "[b]ecause of the way KBR's contract is structured, this premium, along with an $8 million markup for KBR, gets billed to taxpayers." Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) said, "Out of this amount, just $73 million actually goes to injured contractors, and AIG and KBR pocket over $100 million as profit." Asked if taxpayers were getting the most for their money, John Needham of the Government Accountability Office said, "It's not apparent they are." 

CONGRESS -- CONSERVATIVES VOTE 'PRESENT' ON LEGISLATION TO FUND TROOPS IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN: Yesterday, the House approved two of three amendments constituting the emergency supplemental bill. The first amendment, which contained the funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the summer of 2009, failed after 132 conservatives refused to "take a position for or against." "The surprise action left antiwar activists on and off Capitol Hill exultant, Republicans gloating and Democratic leaders baffled," the Washington Post reported today. The legislation would have required troop withdrawals from Iraq to begin within 30 days, with a goal of removing all combat forces by December 2009. Conservatives were reportedly "incensed that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and a few of her lieutenants had drafted the bill in secret, then expected them to play along." But as Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) observed, "Republicans had the choice -- fund the troops or don't fund the troops. They voted present." President Bush has vowed to veto the legislation in part "over the troop timelines" for withdrawal. Ironically, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) accused Democrats of "playing political games on the backs of our troops," despite his ploy to vote "present" on legislation that funds the troops. The Senate will take up its version of the war funding bill next week.

Think Fast

Yesterday, VoteVets and CREW released an email showing attempts by the VA employees to refrain from diagnosing veterans with PTSD. VA Secretary James Peake responded by claiming that the "e-mail did come from a VA facility, but said it's not official policy." Iraq war vet Brandon Friedman writes, "You'll have to forgive me for not giving Secretary Peake the benefit of the doubt on this one."

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan, Lawrence Korb, writes, "By now, Mr. Reagan would most likely have redeployed our forces from Iraq as he did from Lebanon. But if he stayed, he would have implemented a draft."

The United Service Organizations (USO) has announced that it has joined with Blackwater to help provide amenities to U.S. troops. The controversial contracting company has pledged $2 million over the next four years "to support USO programs and services for the troops, including homecoming celebrations and logistical support for USO entertainment tours."

This summer, the Bush administration plans to implement "new air quality rules that will make it easier to build power plants near national parks and wilderness areas, according to rank-and-file agency scientists and park managers who oppose the plan."

Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is having trouble getting contributions to his legal defense fund. Young, who is under federal investigation as part of a state bribery probe, established the fund in early January. But "a document filed with the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shows 'no activity' since" the fund was approved.

Democrats have criticized the Bush administration's use of spy satellites for "emergency response and other domestic-security needs." They "are seeking to cut off funding, citing what they say are numerous unanswered questions about its impact on Americans' privacy and civil liberties."

And finally: As of Wednesday, conservative activist Grover Norquist is one of the few people who have been on both "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." Regarding his interview with Stephen Colbert, Norquist said it was "one of the most challenging interviews I've ever done because it's so unpredictable and he's so bright." "If any conservatives want to go on, I'd love to brief them," said Norquist. "It's less scary and more fun than you think it's going to be."

Good News

Yesterday, the House "approved an expansive new veterans education benefit that would be paid for by a tax on affluent Americans."

State Watch

ARIZONA: Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) vetoes legislature's "attempt to derail pollution-reducing policies from state agencies."

IOWA: Immigrants caught in "the nation's largest single-site immigration raid" have been moved into nearly a dozen jails scattered throughout the state.

MASSACHUSETTS: After California's gay marriage ruling, activists say "Massachusetts is about to be thrust into the spotlight again."

Blog Watch

THINK PROGRESS: MSNBC's Chris Matthews stumps right-wing radio host: "Tell me what Chamberlain did?" "I don't know."

WONK ROOM: President Bush tries to distract from the conservative record on terrorism.

MEDIA MATTERS: Fox News's Bill O'Reilly compares Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas to white supremacist David Duke.

Daily Grill

"Today, the decision of unelected judges to overturn the will of the people of California on the question of same-sex marriage demonstrates the lengths that unelected judges will go to substitute their own worldview for the wisdom of the American people."
-- Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), 5/16/08, on the California gay marriage decision

VERSUS

"The appointments are confirmed by the public at the next general election; justices also come before voters at the end of their 12-year terms"
-- SmartVoter.org, on the California Supreme Court

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