Food Assistance Programs Grow in Affluent Areas of SW Michigan

"The face of poverty is looking less urban as hard times linger in Michigan, state welfare officials say.

St. Joseph and Stevensville (more affluent areas in northern Berrien County) are no exception.

Food assistance requests in the St. Joseph area code rose 49 percent between July 2008 and April 2010, the Michigan Department of Human Services reported. Just over 1,100 families got food assistance in St. Joseph in April.

Stevensville's food assistance roll rose by 28 percent in the same period and saw 700 cases in April.

The number of Medicaid recipients rose to 1,664 in St. Joseph, a 30 percent rise in the period. Stevensville had 907 cases in April, a 28 percent increase.

Poverty "is no longer a problem in just the urban areas," state DHS Director Ismael Ahmed said Monday."

www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2010/05/25/local_news/1449500.txt

Social Security as Poverty Reduction Program

"Social Security has been instrumental in reducing the historically high levels of poverty among U.S. elders. The Census Bureau began measuring poverty in 1959. The share of elders counted as poor fell from 35 percent in that year to 15 percent in 1975, to about 10 percent in 2000, where it has hovered ever since."

"About 39 percent of young men and 31 percent of young women will die or become disabled before they reach retirement age, according to the Social Security actuaries. Social Security’s life and disability insurance helps prevent poverty among families that suffer these losses."

These are just two of the statistics reported in "Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity" at:

www.spotlightonpoverty.org/ExclusiveCommentary.aspx?id=8c9cf9cc-c5ba-4f1c-8681-a5fee0a364f9

Revenue Consensus Meeting: Highlights

An editorial comment:

I attended and sat through my first Revenue Consensus meeting on Friday. Three hours of economists talking about GDP, CPI, housing starts, and lots of numbers. Did I mention the economists' jokes? (HINT: They aren't funny unless you are an economist.)

After that, the Michigan School Business Officials School Finance committee held a meeting in the House Speaker's Library room. Another hour of folks interpreting what we just heard. Boy, was that fun. Not.

So, here's what I heard:

The State's General Fund for 2009-2010 fiscal year which ends September 30 is in trouble to the tune of about 1/4 billion more than what they thought just this past January. The School Aid Fund is in better shape than projected in January by a similar amount. The economists project that 2010-2011 will be somewhat better, "moderately better" was the phrase used.

Revenues for the State of Michigan are at their lowest levels since the 1960s. The reasons are varied but include that we have had numerous tax cuts and more and more of our economy is exempt from sales tax since few services are taxed. I played on my high school golf team for four years, but don't see the fairness in our taxing a child's back to school clothing, but not taxing golf rounds. In fact, if anything it ought to be the opposite.

And while as a school business official, I appreciate that school revenues look slightly better, I also realize that many of the services that our families receive including mental and medical health, social services, police protection, day care, transportation, etc., are at risk.

So, I think we all should be concerned. No child, no family should slip through the gaps of an already stretched social safety net. My opinion.

Please allow me to expand upon this blog's slogan by stating that we are:

One Michigan, One Community.

Kalamazoo Farmers Market extends reach to low-income shoppers with EBT, WIC programs

Access to fresh foods and healthy groceries has always been a barrier for those with few dollars to spend and limited transportation. The Kalamazoo Farmers Market has been promoting their produce to low-income shoppers who use EBT and WIC Program for the last three years. The results have multiplied each year as more shoppers have become aware of the opportunity:

Fresh, local produce doesn’t have to be a luxury.

Coupon and token systems are available for those on food stamps or those receiving Women, Infant and Children (WIC) assistance to buy produce at farmers markets, giving people a chance to eat the best produce available while supporting local farmers.

The Kalamazoo Farmers Market on Bank Street and the People’s Food Co-Op’s 100-Mile Market both have Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) machines so people can purchase produce from local vendors with Bridge Cards.

Elizabeth Forest, board chairwoman of Fair Food Matters and People’s Food Co-Op booth manager at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market, said this will be the third year an EBT machine has been at the Bank Street market. It has been put to good use.

“People tell me every week that I can’t possibly understand how this program, having the EBT available at the farmers market, what it means to their family,” Forest said. “They’re able to stretch their EBT benefits though the month and are able to buy fresh local food.”

Forest said that in its first year, $6,000 in transactions were made by EBT. In the second year, $18,000 in transactions were made.

I can testify myself that I have used EBT at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market a multitude of times and have always been satisfied. There is something about home grown local food that makes it taste better and more enjoyable.

Kalamazoo Farmers Market is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays only in May and November, from June through October, market will be open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; located at 1204 Bank St, Kalamazoo.

Read the full article: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/05/kalamazoo_farmers_market_exten.html

Hunger Impacts 17 Million, One in Four Children In America

According to CBS News report entitled "Childhood Hunger In America", nearly 17 million children or about one in four kids in this country are in households which "do not know where their next meal is coming from."

www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6500626n&tag=api

Kalamazoos 'River’s Edge' targeted as residential, commercial district

From the Kalamazoo Gazette:

Reclaimed industrial and commercial property along the Kalamazoo River just northeast of the downtown district has a new name as part of a stepped-up marketing campaign.

The site will now be known as “River’s Edge,” and city officials and commercial real estate experts are touting the location as, “Close to everything. Far from ordinary.”

“Our goal is to create a place where people come to experience art, history, nature and unique housing, entertainment, commercial and workspace options,” said Martha Aills, the city’s special project coordinator.

Land on both sides of the Kalamazoo River on the city’s northeast side was acquired over a series of years, much of it qualifying for brownfield redevelopment incentives to aid with clean-up costs.

Read the full Article: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/05/kalamazoo_hopes_new_name_helps.html

Business Leaders Here About Tough Economic Times In Lansing and a Balanced Approach to Solving the Problem

Business Leaders for Michigan once again is calling for a balanced approach to solving the State's fiscal woes. Yesterday, the group and the Center for Michigan held a forum in Lansing.

"Business Leaders for Michigan, (is) a coalition of leading state executives who have issued a state fiscal rescue plan that includes tax increases, spending reforms and outright cuts.

With federal stimulus money drying up and Medicaid and prison costs swallowing half of the state’s general fund budget, the state’s tax base can’t pay for all current services, even with a decade of spending cuts, said (Gary) Olson (director of the non-partisan Senate Fiscal Agency) and other analysts.

Even with a moderate economic upturn, “In a couple years we’re going to be right back trying to cut services or trying to find revenue to pay for it,” warned Mitch Bean, director of the House Fiscal Agency."

Nice to see that influential business leaders believe what makes the most sense is a balanced approach to fiscal reform.

The folks who rely on the State's budget for social services, education, health and other services deserve nothing less.



www.freep.com/article/20100517/NEWS15/100517041/1322/Budget-experts-predict-economic-dire-straits

Van Buren County Advocates for Pre-School Programs Headed to Lansing on May 19

"More than 60 people from Van Buren County will travel to Lansing May 19 to attend the fourth annual "Star Power" on the Capitol lawn.

The event will bring parents and young children together from across the state to advocate for preserving current early childhood programs, according to Margie Murphy, Van Buren County Great Start Collaborative director."

See the Paw Paw News for more details:

www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20428391&BRD=2188&PAG=461&dept_id=560374&rfi=6

One Teacher Among Many Facing Layoff In Michigan This Spring

“I care about these kids here,” he said. “I love seeing that light bulb go off.” But even more so, his “forte,” (Niles High School teacher Ryan) Bigelow said, is building good relationships with his students.

“That’s what I do here,” he said, later adding, “and now that’s being taken away from me.”

As the school year comes to an end, countless teachers throughout the state face being laid off.

Bigelow is one of nine teachers in Niles who were handed that same fate last month.
“It has absolutely broken my heart,” he said.

Teachers (and support staff) throughout Michigan are receiving "pink slips" this year as the State of Michigan faces a deficit in the State's budget, including the School Aid Fund's projected deficit of more than $400 million.

www.nilesstar.com/2010/05/14/teacher-adviser-devastated/

Information on the State's budget woes can be found in a non-partisan Michigan House Fiscal Agency presentation located at:

house.michigan.gov/hfa/PDFs/Michigan%27s%20Economy%20and%20Budget%20presentation%20May%202010.pdf

The May Revenue Consensus Conference which is when the economists will officially project the State's available revenues for the fiscal year 2010-2011 is scheduled for May 21.

Europeans Through African Eyes at Detroit Institute of Arts

One of our State's cultural points of light is the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). From now until early August, the gallery is featuring a unique exhibit called: Through African Eyes. It is an exploration in art from the vantage point of Africans as what they have thought or currently think of Europeans, Westerners. Something that we were probably never taught in American history books.

A brief commercial on YouTube explains the exhibit:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ30H2tEWVM

More information on the DIA and the current exhibit can be found at:

www.dia.org/calendar/exhibition.aspx?id=1866&iid=