The Gubernatorial Candidates on Early Childhood Education

The Center for Michigan does a nice job of highlighting the educational support that both candidates for Governor, Mr. Snyder and Mr. Bernero, have for early childhood education:

"In August, both Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder and his Democratic opponent, Virg Bernero spoke in support of preschool at the Sandbox Party Convention, an event to help spread the word about the economic impact of early childhood education in the state.

“Reform Michigan’s Educational System” is Number 8 on Snyder’s 10-point plan to reinvent Michigan.

And Bernero has often said that education is economic development.

Bernero campaign spokesman Cullen Schwarz said it is now a widely accepted fact that preschool education is vital for the cognitive development of children and is a major factor in future academic success.

“Virg’s goal is to have every four-year-old in Michigan enrolled in pre-school by the end of his first term,” he said. “Michigan needs a strong pre-K program that has uniform benchmarks and quality standards to ensure that all our children are getting a jump-start on gaining the tools to succeed in a global economy.”

Snyder campaign spokesman Bill Nowling said Snyder does not yet have a specific preschool proposal, but believes the state must refocus its effort on 0-5 learning because of its proven return on investment. That will require using what Snyder calls “value for money budgeting.”

The full report can be found at:

www.thecenterformichigan.net/special-report-where-bernero-and-snyder-stand-on-early-education/

Michigan Census Data: Income Drops, Poverty and Uninsured Increase

On Tuesday, the U.S. Census Bureau released data on income, poverty and health insurance for 2009, a statistical snapshot of the depths of the nation's economic crisis.Those numbers tell a story that Michigan already knew, at least in its basic outlines. The median income dropped by 6.2 percent, more than in any other state. The numbers of people living in poverty swelled by 159,000, many of them children. The numbers of uninsured grew.

www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100929/NEWS01/9290328/Census-data-show-income-drop-rise-in-poverty-and-uninsured-in-Michigan

Carnaval Latino highlights values, heritage and successes of Hispanic community in Kalamazoo

Last Saturday, the Hispanic American Council celebrated their heritage with the first ever "Carnival Latino." The carnival included traditional Hispanic and Latino food, music and cultural fare. In Kalamazoo, there are about 3,600 residents of Hispanic or Latino descent, making up about 5 percent of the city’s population. However, they have a significant impact on the community at large.

The Hispanic American Council provides a variety of programs that engage the youth of their community. They have also brought with them inspiring stories of triumph, as the one told about Francisco Vargas, owner of La Mexicana Market on Portage Road.

Seventeen years ago, Vargas came to the United States from Mexico as a migrant farm worker. Like many immigrants, he encountered challenges along the way, having difficulty with English and sacrificing much so that his family could have a better life.

But he worked tirelessly and now owns one of the Edison Neighborhood’s most popular markets — which sits just several hundred feet from where Vargas once sold vegetables out of his pickup truck when he was working in the fields.

Vargas’ son, Jairo Vargas, said that his father’s determination is an inspiration for all.

“He gave up everything to come here,” he said. “He had nothing. It’s great to see how far he made it and it goes to show that it really doesn’t matter who you are. If you work hard, you can make it.

“He’s pretty inspiring to everyone. You can do whatever you want if you are willing to make sacrifices and have the dedication.”

“It’s a Cinderella story,” said Mercedes, 40, who at age 16 came to the U.S. from Nicaragua to seek political asylum after a revolution there.

Their stories reflect the toil that so many Hispanic families undertake to make a better life for themselves here.

“Our stories are of family values and determination,” Mercedes said. “We know that the impossible might take longer for us, but we will get there. We are hard workers and we are determined.”

Read the full article at: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/09/carnaval_latino_highlights_val.html

'Day of Dignity' serves 650 needy individuals in Kalamazoo

The annual 'Day of Dignity' organized by Muslim organizations and other community partners served 650 individuals in Kalamazoo last Saturday. They received items such as sweatshirts, underwear and socks to hot sandwiches and fresh fruit to personal hygiene kits.

It was the fourth year in a row that the event, funded by Islamic Relief USA and hosted by several area Muslim organizations, was put on in the city.

“It’s a chance for us to give back to our community,” said Zarinah El-Amin Naeem, co-coordinator of the event. “Sharing your wealth with those in need is an obligation we all have.”

Christina Carswell was surrounded by her godchildren, cousins and nieces, bags of notebooks, mittens and other goods set in a pile by a statue of King in the center of the park.

“For those who can’t afford these things this year, this really helps,” she said. “It’s the little things that count.”

Last year the PRI covered the event with a video to showcase the event. You can watch the video below or at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRVF7YQvOao

Read the full article on mlive at: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/09/kalamazoo_area_muslim_organiza.html

Students from Benton Harbor Charter Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Students at Benton Harbor Charter School are celebrating their Hispanic heritage. Recently, the Benton Spirit showcased the writing talents of these students as they proudly shared their thoughts on what it means to them to be Hispanic.

A seventh grade girl writes:

"I like my heritage because when a girl turns 15, she gets a quinsenera celebration. At this celebration, they have Mexican decorations such as table decorations, balloons, and streamers. Also at this celebration, they have a traditional shoe ceremony where the father of the young lady takes off her flat-heeled shoes, and her mother exchanges those for high-heeled shoes."

A fifth grade boy states:

"What I do for H i s p a n i c Celebration Month is eat different kinds of food than we usually
eat that my mom cooks, like tacos, corn, tamales, and cake. Sometimes we invite over our family for dinner. We also have cookouts and parties."

For more of these colorful essays (including their Spanish version) see:

bentonspiritnews.com/clients/bentonspiritnews/HIspanicHeritage2010.pdf

Niles Area Crop Walk Has Raised Over $250,000 in Its 30 Year History

People are gearing up for the Four Flags Area CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Walk Sunday at 3 p.m.

The walk will begin and end at Grace United Methodist Church in Niles. Organized locally, the CROP Walk has set a goal of increasing the number of walkers to to 125 to stop hunger in the community and around the world though self-help development initiatives.

A portion of the funds will got to St. Mary’s Christian Service Center and the Salvation Army in Niles and Redbud Area Ministries in Buchanan. Last year 104 walkers raised $13,725 with $3,431 distributed locally. Over the past 30 years, the walk has raised $257,527 with $64,381 helping those in need locally.

www.nilesstar.com/2010/09/24/walking-for-poverty/

2 out of 3 Americans support providing more generous government assistance to the poor

In a new study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 63% of Americans favor more generous government assistance to the poor while 31% are opposed. There are sharp differences between race, and political standing, but for the large part Americans as a whole seem to support this type of assistance.

In addition, majorities of all religious groups favor more government assistance to the poor, and support is especially high among black Protestants and Hispanic Catholics.

This seems to contrast the widespread message that government benefits should be the first items slashed as we attempt to balance budgets at the state and national levels. I believe that Americans feel sympathy for those struggling due to economic conditions and feel the government should help support them.

See the full report at: http://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Few-Say-Religion-Shapes-Immigration-Environment-Views.aspx#1

Survey: Half of unemployed workers with job offers said pay was below 25 percent of previous salary

A survey conducted by personified, CareerBuilder's talent consulting arm, shows that 17 percent of unemployed workers have received at least one job offer, and of those workers, 92 percent rejected it.

Basically, jobs are offering lower and lower salaries than workers are used to, with many reporting a 25 percent decrease in salary from their previous job.

Rather than jumping on the first job offer that comes their way, workers are assessing which opportunities really make the most sense for them in terms of compensation and long-term potential," said Mary Delaney, President of Personified.

Insufficient pay was the number one reason unemployed workers turned down a job opportunity. Fifty-four percent of those who rejected an offer reported the pay was more than 25 percent below the salary they earned in their most recent position.

On the other hand, not everyone is spending their full time and resources job searching.

The survey also found that 62 percent of unemployed workers apply to 10 or more jobs each week. However, not everyone treats finding a job like a full-time job. According to the survey, 18 percent of unemployed workers in the survey spend less than five hours a week looking for a job. Thirty percent said they spend more than 20 hours a week job searching.

The statistics seem to suggest that people simply are lazy and aren't spending enough time job searching. However, I will argue that there simply aren't enough jobs out there in most communities to spend more than 20 hours a week searching, especially in Michigan. Being unemployed a few years ago and looking into the abyss again this winter, I can attest that activities such as networking and volunteering lead to better opportunities than traditional job searching techniques.

http://www.mlive.com/michigan-job-search/index.ssf/2010/09/survey_half_of_unemployed_workers_with_j.html

Kalamazoo County home foreclosures worsen; Local agencies strategize how to help

Kalamazoo Foreclosures have continued to rise in Kalamazoo County as many residents cannot pay their taxes or mortgages. A meeting scheduled 6pm next week at the Douglas Community Center will highlight free foreclosure counseling services, hardship exemptions and payment plans for city and county property taxes, legal aid and a program to return foreclosed properties to private ownership.

This particular meeting focuses on prevention,” said Kristen Ramer, outreach and operations coordinator for the Kalamazoo County Land Bank. “We want to see people maintain home ownership.”

Last month, 266 homes were in some stage of mortgage foreclosure in Kalamazoo County, a 20 percent increase over August 2009, according to California-based RealtyTrac Inc. Meanwhile, foreclosures dropped year over year by at least 24 percent in Allegan, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties.

And so far this year, about 1,800 properties in Kalamazoo County face tax foreclosure, Ramer said. That’s up from about 1,500 properties at this time last year, she said.

“It’s been increasing by almost 100 percent a year for the last three years,” she said of the number of people unable to pay their property tax bills.

There is help available for people facing foreclosure, and homeowners don’t have to pay for the service, said Larry Winling, foreclosure counselor for Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services Inc. Winling will provide information Tuesday on the federally funded agency’s free services.

“We know there are more people hurting and in need (of foreclosure help) than we’re seeing,” Winling said. “We do the foreclosure prevention counseling free of charge. We’ll work with them to get some relief from their lender.”

The Poverty Reduction Initiative and the Affordable Housing Partnership will be diving in depth on this issue for the 2009-2010 video on homelessness in Kalamazoo. The video will talk about what programs exist to prevent foreclosure and eviction in Kalamazoo.

For more information on the meeting:

Foreclosure meeting
What: “Foreclosure Prevention and Outreach Forum,” a free informational meeting on help that’s available in the community to keep people from losing their homes.
Where: Northside Association for Community Development, 612 N. Park St., Kalamazoo. When: 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Sponsors: Northside Association for Community Development, Kalamazoo County Treasurer’s office, city of Kalamazoo, and the Kalamazoo County Land Bank.

Read the full article at: http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2010/09/kalamazoo_county_home_foreclos.html

October 4 is the Deadline for Voter Registration for November Election

The Michigan secretary of state says the voter registration deadline is nearing for the Nov. 2 election.

Outgoing Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land is reminding Michigan residents that Oct. 4 is the last day to register to vote.

www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100921/News01/100929909/1011/News

Just Faith: Teaches Advocacy for the Poor

Spend some time talking with local Just Faith graduates and you’ll frequently hear the word “life-changing.”

Whether they devote more time to advocating for the poor, see Jesus in new places or change their buying habits, the Just Faith program tends to have a lasting impact on their lives — and sometimes on entire communities...

Area churches offering the Just Faith program include First Presbyterian Church of Richland; St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Benton Harbor; and, starting this fall, St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church, in Kalamazoo Township, which is offering the program in partnership with Open Doors Kalamazoo, formerly known as Open Door and Next Door Shelters.

www.mlive.com/living/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/09/justfaith_is_all_about_justice.html

1 in 7: 43 Million Americans Live in Poverty

The ranks of the working-age poor climbed to the highest level since the 1960s as the recession threw millions of people out of work last year, leaving one in seven Americans in poverty.

The overall poverty rate climbed to 14.3 percent, or 43.6 million people, the Census Bureau said Thursday in its annual report on the economic well-being of U.S. households. The report covers 2009, President Barack Obama's first year in office.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/16/AR2010091602698.html?hpid=topnews

Black Male Middle School Students 3X More Likely to Be Suspended than Their White Counterparts

Middle schools across the country are suspending children with alarming frequency, particularly in some large urban school districts, where numerous schools suspend a third or more of their black male students in a given year, according to a new study by education researchers Daniel J. Losen and Russell Skiba, and published today by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The study found that African-American children are suspended far more frequently than white children, in general, with especially high racial differences in middle school, causing them to miss valuable class time during a crucial period in their academic and social development.

In a national sample of more than 9,000 middle schools, 28.3 percent of black males, on average, were suspended at least once during a school year, nearly three times the 10 percent rate for white males. Black females were suspended more than four times as often as white females (18 percent vs. 4 percent).

For all students in the schools examined, the suspension rate was 11.2 percent. Hispanic males faced a 16.3 percent risk of suspension.

www.splcenter.org/get-informed/news/new-study-finds-big-racial-gap-in-suspensions-of-middle-school-students

Central Michigan 211 helpline expands as demand increases

The informational referral service hot-line 2-1-1 is expanding to make access to services more widespread in Central Michigan. The service, which currently covers 7 counties in the Jackson area, will expand to include Genesee and Shiawassee counties. With the two added counties, Central Michigan could go from serving about 900,000 to 1.4 million people.

The call center received 61,850 calls — 22,450 calls in Jackson — in 2009, and is on pace to top that this year. The center took more than 40,400 calls in its coverage area — 13,804 in Jackson County — between January and July of this year, according to the most recent reports.

Most of the callers find the help they’re looking for. For example in July, 211 took 5,452 calls in its coverage area. Of those calls, 4,988 — or 91.5 percent — were from people whose needs were met.

Read the full article: http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2010/09/central_michigan_211_helpline.html

Underemployment Affects 9 Million Americans

Beyond the 15 million Americans who have no jobs at all, millions more are caught in part-time or limited jobs that don't pay them enough to maintain their standards of living.

Economists have a technical term for these people: underemployed.But there's nothing technical about it for David Linehan of Quincy, Mass., who lost his job as an analyst for an energy-trading firm during the recession, along with his $30,000 salary and benefits.

The 43-year-old now tries to get by on less than one-third that amount as a driver for a rental car company. His new employer limits his work to less than 30 hours a week because any more would make him eligible for company-provided health insurance.

"I'm so sick of news about the recovery," said Linehan, who has some college and technical-school training.

The latest Labor Department report shows there are nearly 9 million people such as Linehan who want full-time jobs but can't find them. In some cases, their formerly full-time employers have reduced their hours because of a lack of business.

www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100912/NEWS03/9120501/For-many-working-just-isn-t-enough

Poverty Rate Expected to Increase Dramatically

The number of people in the U.S. who are in poverty is on track for a record increase on President Barack Obama's watch, with the ranks of working-age poor approaching 1960s levels that led to the national war on poverty.

Census figures for 2009 — the recession-ravaged first year of the Democrat's presidency — are to be released in the coming week, and demographers expect grim findings...

Interviews with six demographers who closely track poverty trends found wide consensus that 2009 figures are likely to show a significant rate increase to the range of 14.7 percent to 15 percent.

Should those estimates hold true, some 45 million people in this country, or more than 1 in 7, were poor last year. It would be the highest single-year increase since the government began calculating poverty figures in 1959. The previous high was in 1980 when the rate jumped 1.3 percentage points to 13 percent during the energy crisis.

Among the 18-64 working-age population, the demographers expect a rise beyond 12.4 percent, up from 11.7 percent. That would make it the highest since at least 1965, when another Democratic president, Lyndon B. Johnson, launched the war on poverty that expanded the federal government's role in social welfare programs from education to health care.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100911/ap_on_bi_ge/us_poverty_in_america

New thrift store in Parchment benefits those with disabilities

A new thrift store on Riverview Drive is offering clothing and household items for sale while also benefiting a nonprofit ministry that serves adults with developmental disabilities. The organization benefited is Self-Help Alternative Living Opportunities of Michigan, or SHALOM. SHALOM provides individual and group living opportunities in Parchment and Cooper Township for adults with developmental disabilities.

The store is open from 9am to 3pm Fridays and Saturdays and sells clothing, shoes, jewelry, small furniture, household goods, sports equipment, books, electronics and multitude of other items.

For more about the store visit: http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2010/09/new_thrift_store_in_parchment.html

Labor Day 2010: Too Many Unemployed (Especially People of Color) and Too Many Others Working for Meager Wages

An editorial column from the Benton Harbor Herald Palladium:

Recently, I read some good economic news. For the month of July, Michigan led the nation in job creation. Nearly 27,000 jobs were created in our state, with many of them in manufacturing, which has suffered inordinate job loss over a decade. Michigan has been in recession for most of the 21st century.

One month of modest employment gains is not a trend. Still, isn't it great to read that Michigan lead the nation in job growth, even if only for one month? Let's hope it is the beginning of Michigan's turnaround. Many of our neighbors are still hurting.

In their annual Labor Day report, the Michigan League for Human Services lists a litany of Michigan's economic woes:

The unemployment rate in Michigan has been near 13 or 14 percent during all of 2009-2010. The last time that unemployment was higher in Michigan was in 1983-1984. Those years weren't much fun in our state, even if the Detroit Tigers won the World Series and Cyndi Lauper sang to us that "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." (For the record, I moved to Virginia from 1983-1985 partially because of the dearth of Michigan jobs.)

heraldpalladium.com/articles/2010/09/08/opinion/editorials/1885171.txt

Cass County's Annual Senior Health Fair

Cass County Council on Aging will have its annual Senior Health Fair Friday, Sept. 10, from 8 a.m. until noon.

The event provides free health screenings and information, plus a healthy breakfast sponsored by Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital.

www.dowagiacnews.com/2010/09/07/coa-senior-health-fair-friday-morning-sept-10/

Zombies Invade Lansing (and Raise Food & Funds for Area Food Banks)

Zombies in Lansing recently held a fun walk for Lansing area food banks. Fun idea for a fund raiser! Canned goods and cash were collected to battle hunger:

We're Against Tax Cuts that Benefit Working Poor, But For the Tax Cuts for the Wealthy?

Tax legislation can get pretty arcane, pretty fast. Honestly, how many of you think about income taxes more than once a year (normally, when you are frantically trying to pull together a year's worth of receipts and pay stubs sometime between January and April 15)?

There is a philosophical debate going on now in the halls of Congress.

It goes like this:

We can't afford to continue the expansion of the earned income tax credit that was passed last year. Why? Because of the deficit.

We can't afford NOT to continue the tax cuts for the affluent passed in 2001. Why? Because of the economy.

Get it. The affluent (those who make more than $200,000 per year for singles, $250,000 per year for couples) need a tax cut because, well if we don't give them one, the economy will never come out of the toilet. If we extend the earned income tax credit for those who make between $3,000 and $12,500 or for those who have more than two children, we can't afford it. It will bankrupt the country. (The earned income credit only pertains to those families who make less than $48,000 per year.)

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat. "We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."

"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

An article about the proposed extension of the earned income credit can be found in today's GR Press:

www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/09/should_congress_make_permanent.html

It is an election year. Information about contacting your local congressman can be found at:

Fred Upton (6th district including Kalamazoo, Berrien & Cass Counties, Three Rivers, cities of South Haven, Allegan, and Wayland:

upton.house.gov/Contact/default.aspx

Pete Hoekstra (2nd district including Saugatuck and points north along lake shore):

hoekstra.house.gov/Contact/

Mark Schauer (7th district including Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, & Coldwater):

schauer.house.gov/Contact/

P.S. The Michigan League for Human Services has a handy fact sheet on the tax cuts that benefit the working poor at:

www.milhs.org/Media/EDocs/FactSheetRefundTaxCredits810.pdf

Michigan State Students Give Back to Needy Children

Recently, Michigan State University students collected a bus load of school supplies for needy children in the Lansing area.

Go Green! Go White!

Are there any Wolverine (or Bronco, Chippewa, Grand Valley Lakers, or other college fans) out there listening? Your turn to step up to the plate for poor kids.

www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100903/NEWS06/9030338/MSU-students-staff-help-distribute-school-supplies-food-to-those-in-need

Book drive helps people in homeless shelters throughout Kalamazoo County

We all go through intense experiences, struggles and a variety of challenges throughout our lives. Imagine doing so without a place to call home, or the without the support of loved ones who understand your condition. This is the reality of many homeless residents who exist in our communities.

Local non-profit organization Take Life By The Page is taking donations of reading and writing materials such as books, notebooks, and journals for children and adults living in homeless shelters throughout Kalamazoo County. The intent of these donations is to promote healthier living and provide educational opportunities for those in shelters.

One of my professors at GVSU once told our class about the life of one his mentors, Lee Thayer, who taught his class while he was a graduate student. Thayer liked to tell his class, "All of my best friends all dead." He would then pause to enhance the effect. The class would look at him with shock and sadness. No one ever knew what to say. Then Thayer would quickly add, "They're all books!"

You never know what will influence a person's life. I can attest to several books that have made a substantial difference in the way I approach my life. It's important we enrich the lives of those who need our support the most.

Anyone is welcome to bring used or new books, new notebooks or journals, and writing supplies to the Parkview Hills Clubhouse at 3707 Greenleaf Circle, Kalamazoo. There are also donation drop boxes available at Fifth Third Bank, 3311 Greenleaf Blvd., and at Vallar Salon, 1112 E. Centre Ave., Portage.

For more information, call Ashley McIntyre at 269-760-7899.

Read the full article: http://www.mlive.com/living/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/09/book_drive_helps_people_in_hom.html