51% Think Government Spends Too Much on Poverty Programs: Rasmussen National Poll

State and federal welfare spending passed the $1 trillion mark last year, more than is spent on Social Security and Medicare. Most Americans believe the government spends too much on poverty programs and that those programs increase the level of poverty in the country rather than decrease it.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 51% of American Adults think the government spends too much on poverty programs. That’s up 13 points from 38% in April 2011. Just 21% feel it doesn’t spend enough, while 20% say the amount spent is about right.

 http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/general_business/october_2012/51_think_government_spends_too_much_on_poverty_programs

Immigration and the Latino vote: Michigan Radio Interview

Recently, there was a protest rally in Southwest Detroit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement over raids and deportation, and what’s seen as overreach by ICE officials. Non-citizens can't legally vote, but how does the heightened sense of tension impact the Latino vote here in Michigan?...

Jennifer White talks with Laurence Garcia, an attorney, and the Chairman of the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan.

http://michiganradio.org/post/immigration-and-latino-vote

Hispanic American Council to hold meeting about Dream act in Michigan

The Hispanic American Council will hold a public meeting 6 p.m. Monday Oct. 22 at 930 Lake St. Kalamazoo. The meeting is largely in response to Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson's direction no to issue drivers licenses or state ID cards for the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act. 
“We plan to inform the community at large about what people can do,” Lori Mercedes Interim Exuctive director of the Hispanic American Council said. “These kids want to be part of the American dream.”

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/10/hispanic_american_council_to_h.html

Tax Credits that Benefit Low-Income Families Also Face the Fiscal Cliff

Many low-income parents could see their tax bills jump by thousands of dollars next year if nothing is done to stop a series of tax breaks from expiring January 1.

Unless Congress takes action before the end of the year to extend tax cuts that were introduced under the Obama and Bush administrations, four important credits for families -- The Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Credit and the American Opportunity Credit -- will revert back to previous levels.

If this happens, many families will be worse off by hundreds -- or even thousands -- of dollars, said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.

"If you have what it takes to qualify for these particular benefits, you will get hit," said Williams.

Some families will take a hit on several fronts if they qualify for more than one tax break. A low-income couple with three kids, for example, will lose as much as $1,500 from expiring provisions of the Child Tax Credit. If their income is low enough, they could also see a smaller refund from the Earned Income Tax Credit, and benefits from the Child and Dependent Care Credit could be reduced as well.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/11/pf/taxes/tax-breaks-parents/index.html?iid=Lead

Pretending to be poor can change your perspective

In America, we spend a lot of time imagining what it would like to be rich. Reality TV shows set in Beverly Hills, celebrity red-carpet stuff. Imagining what it’s like to be poor, however, is not such a national pastime. Understandable -- it’s not the stuff of escapist fantasies. But given that the number of Americans living in poverty has been growing, it’s worth thinking about. One approach? You could go to a Poverty Simulation.

Wait…a Poverty Simulation? Yes. These are half-day workshops, often sponsored by local charities, to help middle class folks get a better sense of what daily life is like on the edge. The workshops are usually geared toward people who work with low-income families on a regular basis -- social workers, teachers, law enforcement, customer service workers at hospitals and utility companies.

When I first heard about the concept, three questions crossed my mind.

1. Sounds well-intentioned, but what happened to good old-fashioned empathy?

2. Can you really simulate hunger pangs?

3. I’ve gotta see this.

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/wealth-poverty/pretending-be-poor-can-change-your-perspective

High pregnancy and infection rates help spur Benton Harbor school board to consider new programs

The Benton Harbor Area Schools board is considering new sexual education programs after hearing some troubling statistics about the district's students.

Russell Lardie, Benton Harbor High School's physical education and health teacher, told the school board this week that Benton Harbor's teen pregnancy rate is three times the state average and is 50 percent higher than Detroit's.

One in three of the school district's students who are tested for sexually transmitted infections are testing positive, Lardie said.

Board Trustee Jeffrey Booker was careful to point out during the Tuesday meeting that the statistic didn't mean one in three high school students were testing positive for STIs, but that one in three students who are tested at the high school's on-site clinic are testing positive. Lardie said that, according to a survey of the school district's freshmen and juniors, 67 percent are sexually active and, of those, 17 percent were sexually active before they turned 13.

http://www.heraldpalladium.com/news/local/troubling-sex-stats/article_b0d8699c-e4d8-5562-9caa-d06c9de79752.html

Number of Rural Uninsured Grows in Recession

The percentage of people without health insurance was fairly equal in rural, exurban and urban counties in 2005. But after the recession, the rate of people in rural communities without coverage jumped over 8 percent; now the percentage of people without health insurance in rural America is higher than it is in urban counties.


The number of rural residents without health insurance jumped between 2005 and 2010. The increase was large enough that there is now a higher percentage of people under the age of 65 without health insurance in rural American than in either the cities or the suburbs.


http://www.dailyyonder.com/number-rural-uninsured-grows-recession/2012/10/01/4489

White House Announces New Cesar Chavez National Monument

On October 8th, 2012, President Obama will travel to Keene, California to announce the establishment of the César E. Chávez National Monument. Years in the making, the monument – which will be designated under the Antiquities Act – will be established on the property known as Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz (Our Lady Queen of Peace), or La Paz.  The La Paz property is recognized worldwide for its historic link to civil rights icon César Estrada Chávez and the farm worker movement. The site served as the national headquarters of the United Farm Workers (UFW) as well as the home and workplace of César Chávez and his family from the early 1970’s until Chávez’ death in 1993, and includes his grave site which will also be part of the monument.

 “César Chávez gave a voice to poor and disenfranchised workers everywhere,” said President Obama. “La Paz was at the center of some of the most significant civil rights moments in our nation’s history, and by designating it a national monument, Chávez’ legacy will be preserved and shared to inspire generations to come.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/10/01/president-obama-establish-c-sar-e-ch-vez-national-monument?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl

New Michigan House Fiscal Agency Report Discusses Benefits of Drug Treatment Courts

Proponents of drug treatment courts argue that, along with the benefits that come with reduced crime and drug abuse, these increased costs are offset by reductions in recidivism among drug treatment court participants. The State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) estimates that 17.62 percent of drug treatment court participants had been convicted of a new offense within four years of being admitted into a drug treatment court program, compared to 25.41 percent in a similar comparison group.3 Additionally, SCAO estimates that 44% of participants improved their employment status, and 26% improved their education levels after being admitted into a drug treatment court program.


Along with benefits to participants, state and local governments also receive potential cost savings from drug treatment court operations. Primarily, these costs are associated with reductions in recidivism and reoffending. If drug treatment court participants commit fewer offenses, costs are reduced due to decreases in county jail and state prison populations, as well as costs related to the increase in criminal caseload on local courts.

Reports on sample drug treatment courts in Michigan provide some evidence of the cost and savings tradeoffs associated with drug treatment courts. In 2006, NPC Research conducted evaluations of Kalamazoo and Barry County's drug treatment courts.  The study found increased upfront costs for drug treatment courts combined with notable savings over the course of two years.

(The full House Fiscal Agency Report is located at:

http://house.michigan.gov/hfa/PDFs/Drug%20Court%20Swift%20and%20Sure%20Memo.pdf