Major Policy Forum to Look at State and Local Initiatives Aimed at Fighting Poverty in America
Forum is one of several upcoming events that highlight growing efforts to fight of poverty.For Immediate Release July 24, 2008
Contact: Amy Saltzman
301-656-0348
asaltzman@thehatchergroup.comWASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, July 28 a major policy forum
sponsored by the Half in Ten Campaign, National League of Cities and
Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, will examine the growing number
of anti-poverty initiatives launched in the last two years by state and
local governments. By establishing commissions and legislative
caucuses, setting poverty reduction targets, and holding summits, state
and local governments are taking concrete steps to help the nation’s
lowest income families.
The forum
is one of a number of events over the next few months that will
highlight the problem of poverty in America today and the growing
political and public will to come up with solutions. The July 28 forum,
Tackling Poverty: The Role of State and Local Governments,
will include advocates, experts, and officials from Minnesota,
Connecticut, Illinois and New York City. It will take place from noon
to 2 p.m. at the Center for American Progress, 1333 H Street, NW, 10th
Floor, Washington, D.C.
Spotlight on
Poverty and Opportunity would also like to let you know about several
other events that may be of interest to reporters writing about efforts
to fight poverty and create greater opportunity for all Americans.
These include the following:
- Annual Release of Poverty Data, August 26. The Census Bureau will release two sets of poverty numbers: data on
income, poverty and health insurance from the Current Population
Survey, which provides national and state data, and data on income,
earnings and poverty from the American Community Survey, which provides
data for areas with populations of 65,000 or more. More information on
the release will be posted at http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/news/index.html shortly before August 26.
- Fighting Poverty with Faith: A Week of Action, Sept. 10-16. This
national effort to draw greater attention to poverty as a moral problem
is being coordinated by religious organizations across the country.
During this week people of faith across the country will be mobilizing
to ask their local, state and national candidates what they will do to
address the pressing issues of poverty and opportunity in America
during their first 100 days in office. The week will include
coordinated interfaith services and advocacy efforts aimed at drawing
attention to the need for all sectors of society to come together to
fight poverty. For more information, go to www.fightingpovertywithfaith.com.
- The Gulf Coast and the New Administration: An Agenda for the First 100 Days, Sept.15.
This major policy forum, which will be held in New Orleans, will set
the stage for the next president’s efforts to address continuing
poverty in the Gulf Coast region three years after hurricanes Katrina
and Rita. The event is sponsored by the Equity and Inclusion Campaign,
an initiative of the Louisiana Disaster and Recovery Foundation, and
Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity. Panelists will include a
bi-partisan group of key elected officials, foundation representatives,
policy experts, national and local journalists and community organizers
working in the Gulf Coast Region.
- Congressional Hearing on Poverty, Sept. 18. (tentative). The
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Poverty, chaired by
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, is scheduled to hold a hearing on setting a
federal goal for reducing poverty. Witnesses are expected to include
former Sen. John Edwards, chair of the Half In Ten anti-poverty
campaign.
These events come as
more Americans are saying they want to see a greater focus in the
presidential campaigns and in the media on efforts to fight poverty. A
new poll released in early July by Republican pollster Jim McLaughlin
for Spotlight on Poverty, asked likely voters for the 2008 presidential
campaign whether they agreed or disagreed with the following statement:
“The media has spent an adequate amount of time during the presidential
campaign covering the issue of how to fight poverty in the U.S.” 56
percent disagreed; 41 percent strongly disagreed.
The
recently-renewed effort to update the country’s out-dated measure for
calculating the number of people in poverty is another sign of growing
momentum on this issue. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA.) is expected to
introduce legislation soon calling for a new poverty measure that would
for the first time include costs for transportation, child care and
health care, as well as non-cash benefits such as housing assistance,
the Earned Income tax Credit, the Child Care Credit and food stamps. A
July 17 hearing on the proposal before the Subcommittee on Income
Security and Family Support of the House Ways and Means Committee drew
a standing-room only crowd. A similar measure was recently adopted by
New York City.
Clearly, poverty has
become a dominant issue in the minds of growing numbers of voters,
policy makers and religious leaders. If you would like more information
on any of the events above, the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity
initiative would be happy to set up interviews and provide additional
background. Contact Amy Saltzman at 301-656-0348; asaltzman@thehatchergroup.com.
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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity: Foundations Ask Presidential Candidates What They’ll Do for America
is a new initiative supported by American foundations to develop
sustained political will on the pressing issues of poverty and
opportunity. Spotlight starts by engaging candidates in substantive
discussions about poverty in our country and eliciting ideas and
perspectives about what must be done. The Spotlight web site offers the
latest research and news from around the country and features
compelling commentary from leading public figures and experts. Through
ongoing forums, discussions, and outreach, Spotlight will seek to
ensure that poverty and opportunity are on the national agenda long
after the elections are over.