Families, Children And Elders In Poverty Ask Congress For A $1 Billion Bailout

[reposted from
People's Tribune]

By Poor News Network

“Thousands of families, children, and elders in poverty are barely subsisting in this country, while thousands of others are struggling to stay housed after having their houses foreclosed on. If we were given even $1 billion of the $700 billion bailout being offered to corporations, we could bring hundreds of families permanently out of poverty,” said Lisa Gray-Garcia, author of Criminal of Poverty, Growing Up homeless in America and co-founder of POOR Magazine and PoorNewsNetwork.

Lisa and many other very low-income and poor families, youth, and elders publicly released this plea to Congress recently to reconsider the $700 billion bailout and consider giving at least $1 billion to families, youth and elders in poverty.
“Why is it that so many of us are struggling to survive on less than $5,000 a year and congress is considering bailing out these multi-million dollar corporations?” asked Vivien Hain, unemployed mother of three struggling with poverty.

“As poor people we have created solutions to poverty such as permanent housing based on a sweat equity model, all it would take to launch is $1 million!” said Michael Crutchfield , unemployed father of two.

As Congress decides on this extremely expensive bailout, poor people across the nation watch in disbelief. Shelters are closing, state budgets are being slashed, services for the poor are being closed and people’s homes are being lost to foreclosures.
“When poor people ask for help, we are called bums, stupid, lazy and blamed for what got us into poverty. When these high profile panhandlers ask for money they are given $700 billion”, concluded Lisa Gray-Garcia in the statement to Congress.

Poor News Network
Resisting Poverty Through Media, Education and Art
Image: Tony Robles and Tiny at POOR Magazine’s Take Back the Land Ceremony/Eviction Protest in San Francisco. PHOTO/POORMAGAZINE.ORG

Berrien County Michigan: Social Contrasts and Court Bias

The Berrien Co. Community Development Dept. drafted an August 2008 document that describes Benton Harbor's 2000 Census Bureau demographics (among other things). It reports that Benton Harbor, MI, has a population of 10,641 (based on 2006 estimates); a median family income of $19,250; a total of 28% of residents without a high school diploma; and a young population where 49.2% of its people are under 25 years of age.

What it didn't report is that Benton Harbor is also 92.4% African American, and it's one of eight cities in Michigan with the highest poverty rates (at 42.6%, according to the Census Bureau). Other cities include Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, Muskegon Heights, Pontiac, Flint, and Saginaw.

Among other facts, Benton Harbor is also home to the community-scorned Whirlpool World Headquarters; and is divided by the St. Joseph River from one of the state's wealthiest cities, St. Joseph. In contrast, the Census Bureau median family income in this city is $51,328 and it's 90.3% white. Of the 8,789 residents, 6.6% live below the poverty line. One website even described St. Joseph this way:

"You could say that the city is a good place if you're looking to marry or date a rich person, with its relatively large population of well-paid single people."

It's these dynamics--harmless on paper but socioeconomically volatile in reality--that caused the June 2003 riot in Benton Harbor. These factors also contributed to the August 2008 prison sentencing of BANCO spokesman, Rev. Pinkney, for quoting the Bible against the community's oppressors.

Today is Rev. Edward Pinkney's 60th birthday. What he needs--what Benton Harbor needs--most is for other activists and people who advocate for their communities to speak up on behalf of him and other Benton Harbor residents! At every opportunity he had, Rev. Pinkney spoke about his concerns for the city's youth and the lack of jobs and educational opportunities to help them get out of poverty.

Rev. Pinkney has continued to speak from behind bars at Ojibway Correctional Facility, in Marinesco, MI--nearly 500 miles and 9 hours from his wife and friends--a decision by the courts and state to further foment the injustice. Rev. Pinkney is also running as a Green Party candidate for the 6th Congressional District in Michigan. The Associated Press recently interviewed him from prison and the story has been picked up by mainstream media.

Rev. Pinkney's attorneys are calling for more public support toward the ACLU appeal case. Please sign the online petition and write a clemency letter of support for Rev. Pinkney.

Image from: Michigan Dept of Corrections. Benton Harbor is in Berrien County near the Indiana and Illinois borders.

McKinney-Clemente's 10 Points to Congress on Addressing Financial Crisis

Despite overwhelming odds, the Green Party's Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates, Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente, have been criss crossing the country meeting with voters and discussing their platform. But you'd never know it given the lack of mainstream media coverage on their "Power to the People" campaign. Regardless, they have put forth 10 points that should be considered by Congress concerning the current Wall Street financial crisis. We believe they are on target and should be fully considered:

1. Enactment of a foreclosure moratorium now before the next phase of ARM interest rate increases take effect;
2. Elimination of all ARM mortgages and their renegotiation into 30- or 40-year loans;
3. Establishment of new mortgage lending practices to end predatory and discriminatory practices;
4. Establishment of criteria and construction goals for affordable housing;
5. Redefinition of credit and regulation of the credit industry so that discriminatory practices are completely eliminated;
6. Full funding for initiatives that eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in home ownership;
7. Recognition of shelter as a right according to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights to which the U.S. is a signatory so that no one sleeps on U.S. streets;
8. Full funding of a fund designed to cushion the job loss and provide for retraining of those at the bottom of the income scale as the economy transitions;
9. Close all tax loopholes and repeal of the Bush tax cuts for the top 1% of income earners; and
10. Fairly tax corporations, denying federal subsidies to those who relocate jobs overseas repeal NAFTA.
    

Learn more about the Mckinney-Clemente 2008 Campaign.