(Photo by AFP/Evaristo Sa — just love this. Amazing shot…the ripples of water and the light, with the balloon perfectly centered…just amazing.)
This week, I am honored to be participating in a national forum on poverty, inequality, race and the media that is sponsored by the Eisenhower Foundation. I was asked to participate, in part, because of my background in working with at-risk children in the legal system, but also because of some of the articles that I have written here at FDL on Katrina, on the mining tragedy here in WV last January, and other topics.
This list of people who will be participating in the forum is amazing…and a bit intimidating, to be honest. (You can take a peek at the agenda and participants here. PDF)
The Eisenhower Foundation was begun as an outgrowth of the Kerner Commission, which studied the race riots of the late 1960s in a lot of urban centers across the country and issued a thorough report of its findings (PDF), and their mission is to track progress (or lack thereof) on a variety of issues relating to poverty, inequality and race. This conference marks the start of a series of events they will sponsor — including a later one with potential Presidential candidates — to get both the public and political consciousness raised about the need to tackle so many of the issues surrounding all of this.
I am very excited to be a part of this conversation, and I cannot wait to bring back some of the discussion and ideas here for everyone once I get back from DC.
The Congressional Black Caucus recently sponsored a forum on some of these issues, and talked about ways to bring these to the fore starting in January. Since the horrible aftermath of Katrina unmasked so much of the issues of race and poverty while the entire nation watched in horror, I have been hoping for some real inititive on these issues — perhaps, come January, we might see the beginnings of that. (See here for the beginnings of an academic study already begun on Katrina. PDF)
In my legal practice, I felt far too often like a band-aid, just patching up a wound that kept growing larger and larger.
But I have hope that some political will might be brought to bear on some of these issues, with the Democrats in Congress already mustering strong support for changes in the minimum wage for the first time in twenty years. And that's just for starters — and this despite the craptastic mess that the GOP left for the Dems to clean up, having finished out the 109th Congress and gone home on vacation with 9 of 11 budget bills not even passed.
There are so many intertwined issues that need addressing. But for the first time in a long time, I get to be part of the conversation on the whole of them, and not just slapping a band-aid on individual problems in the courtroom and hoping it would hold (although most often it did not, due to the weight of so many underlying problems pushing out at the edges). And for the first time, in a long, long time, I have some hope that the folks who will hold the reins of power in Congress will be the kind of people who not only understand that these problems need to be resolved, but will also have the compassion and the will to try and tackle them.
That kind of hope floats.
And it is with that resolve that I will head out later today to this conference. In the meantime, though, I'd love to hear your thoughts on some of the issues that need tackling most — and solutions to some of these problems that may have worked in your own communities.
To get the ball rolling, take a peek at this article about the man who just won the Nobel Prize for his microloan idea — and how that has changed the landscape for people all across the globe in terms of working their way out of poverty with one piece of hope at a time. Brilliant, simple and highly effective.
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Those who posted negative comments about Louisiana at DailyKos and MyDD should apologize to the people of Louisiana and specifically the voters of LA-02 immediately. One should not get involved in races unless won understand the local dynamics. I sometimes cannot understand why some bloggers feel entitled to be so imperious and so unhinged when in fact they are woefully out of touch.
Louisiana Girl — don’t you think that comment is more appropriately placed on both MyDD and DKos if you disagree with their sentiments? They need to hear it directly, I think, that people are unhappy, not indirectly — and why. But having met Markos and several of the folks at MyDD, they are not racist — their sentiments may be ones that you disagree with, but they aren’t racially motivated — they are annoyed with corruption motivated. And I hope everyone will keep that in mind — Markos and Matt and Chris and all those folks are about reforming the Democratic party for the better, and sometimes that passion can lead folks to vent. Having gone through a whole hoo haw here a couple of weeks ago about word choice, I’d appreciate it if everyone could keep in mind that sometimes, passionate feelings lead to bad word choice — and that whatever attributed malice may be thought of from the outside may not, in reality, have been intended when you know the heart of the people involved. It’s worth thinking about, anyway.
Can we have a Fitz? Well, FFFFFIIIIIIITTTTTZZZZZZZ
LOL *ilbo — good morning to you. Wish I had that kind of energy this morning — I’ve got to finish packing…
btw, I just got this in my in-box: CREW issued a statement on Jefferson, for those who are interested.
There’s a short (16 min.) documentary film about microloan programs, Muhammad Yunus, and the Grameen Foundation here.
If you don’t have time for the whole thing, the first 5 or so minutes give a good overview–I showed that much of it to a group of high school students at church last night and it seemed to bring home to them both the staggering scope of world poverty and how the microloan idea is managing to make a dent.
morning christy. congrats for being recognized for your knowledge and passion to be included in the panels.
and i could use a fitz fest and time now…
anyone for coffee?
I’m a bit bleary this morning….
OC at 8 — I am right there with you this morning. In fact, I’m headed for another cup of coffee when I hit submit…
reading this post my brain stopped on “the whole country” nbeing upset about Katrina and it said- if only the whole country was..I was still working in retail (back office) at the time and I could tell,by the remarks people made, who listened to FOx and Rush and who did not. It was very interesting……
best of luck today-so glad that some folks are still thinking about this stuff and what can be done….
Bumper sticker seen during an early a.m. grocery run……….
“My kid is an honor student.
My president is a moron.”
****gggggggg*****
the Mayflower is a lovely spot for afternoon tea. From the looks of that agenda, too bad you won’t be able to fit it in. :(
Oh cool — the shuttle will dock with the space station around 5 pm ET. Apparently they are going to rewire the space station — geez, that’s a huge job.
lina at 12 — I’ve been told that they’ll be serving us tea while the conference is going on — won’t be quite as relaxing as just having tea on my own, but I’ll take what I can get. I’ve heard that the Mayflower is a lovely hotel — have never been there — so I’m looking forward to it.
Waccamaw at 11 — oh, that’s amusing…
Waccamaw @
11
My Child is an Honor Student bumper sticker
more funnies here
it’s makes me happy that this group has asked for your input, Redd – ’bout time we ask the people who know…
“coffee is good for your brain”, to quote my grandma…
but, why oh why is it so darn DARK outside?
OldCoastie at 17 — thanks. It will be an interesting conference, I think, with the great group they have assembled. This is only the first of several meetings they plan on holding with regard to these issues — am looking forward to the Presidential candidate Q&A that they are hoping to do. Raising the profile of these issues is SO important — because this spills over into so many aspects of all of our lives, whether we live on the edge financially or have to deal with racial discrimination or whatever it is that someone might be dealing with due to inequality. I’m so pleased that this will be an ongoing discussion on so many fronts.
christy – many congrats to you! i’m always impressed by your combined passion for justice and mercy and compassion…
cnn – today, Bush is “embarking on an inside-the-belyway listening tour”
He will now become… the Listener… heh heh heh
twolf1 at 20 — I’d feel much better if he could morph into “The Comprehender” but I’m not holding my breath.
selise at 19 — thanks, I’m a bit nervous about this, actually — the folks they’ve invited are a really impressive list. I’m “the blogger,” and I want to leave everyone there with an impression that we’re not all a bunch of crazy, ranting loonies — that’s the feeling that I often get from people when I say this is what I do with my thinking and writing time these days. I want to be certain that these folks understand that most of us are professional folks who are disgusted with how badly mismanaged things in this nation have been — and that we want accountability and common sense approaches to the big problems that we all face.
ruffian @ 10
Well, massive numbers of people across the whole country, at least. The mouth-breathers aren’t the majority, no matter how much they try to convince everyone they are.
oh, Christy, don’t worry! if anyone doesn’t come across as a crazy, ranting looney, it’s you…
those people on that list got nothing on you!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 21
Good idea about not holding your breath. I doubt he even knows the meaning of the word ‘comprehend’.
Will you be wearing your blogging pajamas to the forum? ;)
Christy,
Have a safe journey and lively discussion…
James Carroll makes a lot of sense today
“Adjust your thinking,” the riddle says. Since 1945, the United States has refused to submit its nuclear program to authentic international controls, while insisting, since 1968, the year of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, that other nations must submit in just that way. This nuclear double standard is the issue. Iran’s nuclear ambition is only to have what America has. Hence the impasse. No riddle here.
Washington must renounce the nuclear double standard, recommitting itself to nuclear abolition. The reason Iran should not have nuclear weapons is that no country should. With that one stroke, the entire dynamic would change. Negotiations with Iran would be purposeful. Iran would have reason to defuse the bomb of Iraq. The Sphinx itself would be disarmed.”
His entire column is here:
http://www.boston.com/news/glo…..aq_riddle/
Jack
As a 5th grade teacher in Seattle, where the stark inequities of education expose a performance gap so deep that it makes you weep, I want you all to know that we are miles from nowhere with regard to children of color.
There are, of course, all the enemies to point our fingers at: socio-eco, funding in the Southend schools, poor teachers, etc. But, one culprit stands above all others…indifference. The people I work for talk a good game, yet nobody really gets angry about the crime we are committing against black and Latino youth.
So I want you all to get up out of your chairs right now, hold your coffee mugs up high, and I want you to yell, “I’m mad as hell and I am not going to take this anymore.” No, really! I will take your message to the School Board meeting this Wed.
ot (or maybe not so much) – on c-span1 at 10am this morning…. there will be congressional hearing (kucinich and paul!) on iraqi civilian casualties with the authors of the study publish in lancet earlier this year and juan cole.
Grousefinder @ 27
I’m the mother of a LD 5th grader, and I live on one of the most affluent school districts in the U.S. ….. and I’m always mad as hell.
The Grameen Foundation has started a blog about the microloan program founder — thought some folks might like to take a peek at it.
gotta go – good luck, Redd and congratulations!
There are several ideas I have about working with poverty issues and what to do. As an activist for over 10 years working for welfare rights, I can tell you a few things I have seen and what I would do if I were “Queen of the World.” Here is the website of the organization where I volunteer: http://www.wroc.org
First of all, poverty “experts” seldom ask the poor themselves what could be done. Since women are the most affected, women in poverty are a hard working, creative bunch. They have ideas, believe me, as I am sure the homeless population has as well. If someone sat down with some of these people and did more than listen to their stories, but actually respect who they are enough to listen to their ideas, perhaps we could get to some solutions. Rather than elitist experts talking to themselves and each other, perhaps they need to ask the very people as to what ideas they have, the ones directly affected by poverty and the policies in place.
This may not be an easy undertaking, because poverty has beaten these people down to the point they will not at first believe they would actually be heard. I can tell you for a fact that people in poverty are treated like children at the welfare office, in missions as well as out there on the street. I often go to my state capitol to advocate as a volunteer for issues, laws, and policy being considered and it is hard to be heard.
As I told Joan Blades when she launched MomsRising, unpaid women’s work needs to become respected as any other work is respected. Just because it isn’t paid work does not mean that traditional women’s work is not contributing not only to their families, but to society as a whole. After all, mostly women are rearing the next generations to take over this country when we are too old to do it anymore. If the work of women such as raising children is “doing nothing” as welfare now says, and working a minimum wage or below jobs is somehow “better,” how can we expect corporations to respect this work and then promote and support policies such as paid family leave?
Am I making any sense here? Just a couple suggestions to start with but I have a ton more.
My 2 cents
Cat In Seattle
lina @ 29
Oh Lina, I am with you and your child!…let me add this for you personally at the Board Meeting: “There are millions of children across the nation that we have promised a full education who require additional services. They include LD, ESL, and Sp. Ed. I feel the shame of breaking that promise. Why don’t the rest of you?”
Fight Lina, fight the bast***s
In the photo the balloon is a little to the right,thereby adding to the tension that creates for the viewer a sense of suspension.
Morning folks, here’s coffee for the Mystery Mod(s) and anybody else whose mug is empty.
LAGirl, I was thinking about you all while watching the election results. I agree we need to know the issues — I went looking for that info and no luck. Were you ever able to start that blog? If not, let’s do it *now*, I have a feeling there will be a vacancy in that seat soon. Even if the gov appoints to fill the upcoming vacancy, having a guide to LA politics would be useful for future elections and just to understand.
If you don’t want to answer here, send me an e-mail webmistress”at”thelorekeeper”dot”com
Grousefinder @ 33
thanks grousefinder. i’ll use it at the next opportunity. they already duck when they see me coming.
Cat @ 32…your website is http://www.wroc.org
You have the “.com” there
Christy – Congratulations, good luck and relax, you’re a natural in these forums. You’re a great representative of bloggers with your honesty and sincerity. You make us more respectable than we might appear :-)
That leads to an issue that comes up with the orange related issues of power, acceptance and exclusion. I respect you, Jane and all of the other great minds here but I think some of us commentors might need some honest clarification on Blue alliances in general. I get the feeling the koskids might have a slightly different agenda than simply bettering the D Party. I get the feeling that it might just be an exchange of parties in power with little else changing. I don’t post (never have) at the DD/orangerie but I’ve been a regular reader for 3 years. I’ve watched those places evolve. What has been hope for the future has turned to concern with statements/actions that have happened since the election.
I always try to conduct myself on blogs as though I’m a guest at someone’s home. Any subject I introduce can be withdrawn as easily with a request to not talk about the subject. If that’s the case here, I can understand but some reassurance or clarification would really help
Good Morning Christy & Firedogs,
Congratulations Christy – heartened to see your experience, insights, and passion being recognized.
who are you looking forward to meeting ?
the hippies here would love a snap of you and Amy Goodman
you could have some fun with Colbert King*g*
but I loved reading this guy is the Foundation Chair:
was quite taken in my youth with his and his wife’s quixotic ‘72 campaign
1 pager
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_R._Harris
a quote from his announcement to run
http://www.4president.org/spee…..cement.htm
Kudos to the Eisenhower Foundation for recognizing a genuinely informed voice of intelligence and compassion.
We will be looking forward to your posts.
Dear Christy,
Break a leg tomorrow, and I am proud you’ll be the first blogger many of these folks will see — the rest of us here in the ’sphere will try to live up! Gosh, we’ll have to blog in *clean* jammies!
Will this be live-blogged?
Grousefinder @
37
Corrected ~ thanks! :o)
Cat
Cat in Seattle at 32 — that makes absolute sense, and tracks what I have seen in my own family with folks who live on the financial edge as much as it tracks my former clients and/or the families of folks that I was involved with as a prosecutor. One of the things that makes that sort of discussion so difficult is that folks in that situation ARE so beaten down, that it takes quite a bit of time to build up any level of trust to get to an honest back-and-forth discussion. And, unfortunately, most folks in power do not take the time to build up that trust to be able to have those conversations. But those are great discussion points — thanks much for them.
nats at 34 — thanks, it’s a great photo, isn’t it? One of these days, I’m going to learn to train my eye a bit better on composition…
Huffington links to a story saying that “Heckuvajob” Miliki- is about to be ousted by the most recent Iraq to visit Clusterfuck….the trened continues- if Clusterfuck expresses confidence in ya- clear out yer desk.
Congrats Redd- excellent choice!
Cat In Seattle @ 32
Oh absolutely!! I have a friend who told me she wouldn’t have even needed welfare if she could have gotten her car fixed – she just couldn’t find a job because she had no transportation. A matter of $200 versus a year of welfare benefits?
Six months after my divorce, I was laid off, and had no choice but to go on welfare. (Didn’t have enough ‘credits’ for unemployment.) I wasn’t just treated like a child, I was treated like a misbehaving one sent to the principal’s office. There are no appointments, instead everyone has to arrive by 7:45am and then it’s first-come, first-served. Anyone arriving after 7:45 was turned away. I spent six DAYS trying to get there on time, because I had to use the ‘bus’ service.
I got to sit through a lecture on how to find a job. I had to take classes, which turned out to be for GED prep. I had to sit through a 1/2 hour video on how to use an EBT card.
All that in order to live like a ‘welfare queen’ on $403 a month, plus $220 a month in food stamps.
what to wear ?
finally, Karen Neuburger launches a new line
http://www.subgenius.com/bigfi…..os-man.jpg
rumi at 38 — honestly, I think at the moment everyone is trying to figure out where they sit and how they can best push forward a progressive agenda in the context of the Democrats coming into power in January. It’s a very different environment than what we have been used to the last 12 years and, speaking for myself only here, it’s a different dynamic in terms of accountability and pushing agenda questions. I still want the same oversight, honesty and progressive values — but the way that you push for them can sometimes be different, depending on who you are talking about or talking with on an item by item basis.
It’s a strange new world, and I think everyone is trying to figure out the dynamics of it, ya know?
Good morning Christy and Pups. We’ve had house guests for each weekend since the one before Thanksgiving, One more to go. It’s warm enough now to go into the shoppe and make the traditional beeswax candles which I’m ‘famous’ for. Missed last year because of the bad knee. OT, Did anyone catch Woodward suggesting an Eisenhower type general to set the course straight in Irag on Sunday’s Punditblabber? Argh!
HotFlash at 41 — I’m not planning on liveblogging it, and I’m not certain that anyone will be doing so in the room. But if they are, I’ll try to give everyone a heads up. It will be a participatory discussion pretty much all day, and I want to be able to concentrate on the conversation, and not worry about typing along with the talk.
Poor people have damn few lobbyists.
That’s a bitch at 2AM when the Senate crafts its last-minute tax breaks at the behest of corporate interests.
Openness and transparency are not the solution to the ills you’ll be describing and discussing. They are, however, a necessary prerequisite for any solutions. Without them, there will be little trust; without trust, there will be no common consensus; without consensus, the issues of race and poverty will continue to fester.
Openness and transparency – and their good friend accountability, too. That’s where the media comes in . . . rant coming . . .
For all the anger pointed at Congress, I get much more angry at most of the media for their abdication of the basics of journalism. Stenographic journalism allows politicians to focus on the politics of something while avoiding the underlying issues. “Will he/she/they win?” becomes the story, rather than “Are his/her/their policies working?” The latter are more difficult stories to write, and are more likely to piss certain powerful people off, but they are the most important stories to get out before the public – and all too often, the media has been taking a pass.
Habeas Corpus, anyone? Hey, we’ve only tossed off centuries of legal tradition that requires that anyone, of any status, deserves a day in court to plead their case before an impartial judge. Instead, we get “missing white women” . . . I saw lots of columnists on those panels, Christy, but where are the editors who decide which stories get used?
Local media is hardly any better, in most circumstances, though I’m more often pleasantly surprised on the local level than the national level.
Thanks Christy
I guess only time will tell if we average inputters are pioneers for a better future or dupes enabling another coup.
Congratulations Christy. This is very cool. I think the Eisenhower Foundation was wise to invite you. You have a lot to offer.
Christy, you’ll be fantastic, just as you are every day.
Two of my most favorite ladies at the same conference– Christy Hardin Smith and Amy Goodman!
Woo-hoo!
(give her my very best, please– she’s a giant and a true treasure!)
Peterr is right. The misconception I would love to see banished is that bloggers are wacky misfits. We are, in fact, intelligent, adult, informed citizens. We have many valid questions and much to add to the national debate. We deserve a voice in our own fate.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 43
What is so sad about your comments about the low self image that poverty generates, is that we have already spent billions on poverty and on these studies without considering the people involved. Recently a welfare group in Wisconsin uncovered information that almost a billion dollars was lost in their state and no one even knows where it went. They say that about 0.30 cents on the dollar actually gets to the people that money is supposed to serve. it seems to me there is time and there is money, but they spend it on stuff like faith-based contracts instead of spending some of that money on projects that might actually yeild some helpful solutions (and employ some low income people to boot, if this was considered). When you are worthy enough to be PAID for your work, perhaps building up trust would follow sooner. Just a thought.
Cat
P.S. I don’t have it at my fingertips, but I can find that information for you, and you would be surprised, as WI is not the only state who doles out money that isn’t being tracked or studied, just the same old tired stereotypes about the poor being assumed and perpetuated. You could email the Jean Colman, director at WROC though and she knows where to find the WI information. But I am also looking for that now and will post it if I find it.
SusanD at 56 — One of the things that I want to get across is that folks who blog — and folks who read and participate in blogs — are citizens who are tired of their concerns being ignored because they don’t have the cash to purchase access through someone like Jack Abramoff. This is a message we have tried to get across repeatedly — that this blog, and hundres like it, serve as a megaphone for a lot of discontent from folks across the spectrum. And that they need to understand that we expect them to work for us — not the other way around.
rwcole @ 45
That reminds me of a post a while back at Crooked Timber about how you could predict how long a shaky British cabinet minister would stay in office based on when the Prime Minister declared he had “full confidence” in him/her. Though I think it’s harder to predict here, because Bush is both stupid-stubborn and has no compunction about lying (as in the case of Rumsfeld.)
Cat at 57 — oh, trust me, I live in West Virginia — I am unfortunately all too familiar with the way “the system” works (or doesn’t work, as the case may be). On an individual basis, I know so many people who work their butts off for next to no salary doing jobs that are so incredibly hard and exhausting and depressing…and the folks who are trying to navigate their way through are just as frustrated, and exhausted and depressed. The way things are is simply not working — but making changes to something else needs to be done ina way that makes it more effective, and not just making changes which make things even worse just to be able to say you teaked the system. That’s been done far too much the last few years.
carolyn at 54 — aw, thanks. :)
angie at 55 — I know — I’m so thrilled to meet Amy. I’ll try and get a photo with her for you guys…
Peterr at 52 — thanks — I do think that the combination of my practical hands-on experience in the criminal justice system, along with the day-to-day contact that I have with folks here on the blog and here in my community in WV is very useful.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 22
Don’t underestimate what you do here. Bloggers perform a service for this country, whose free press has failed so miserably, by becoming the mouthpiece of big money and the government. A press whose idea of free speech is to broadcast misinformation and outright lies and call it news.
Firedoglake offers a place for people to gather, become informed, and exchange ideas. This is a fundamental action of a democratic nation. I think of this place as the online Charter Oak Tree.
If the others aren’t up to speed, if they don’t understand the value and necessity of blogs like FDL, they haven’t been paying attention.
Education is over rated, just how many people out there with degrees and no place to work. Bringing manufacturing back in this country would help alot of people, plus help the enviroment. Sure seems stupid to bring so many things from China. Child support is a rip off to many mothers, the state gets a cut if your able to collect.
NaNOO @ 65
What states do that? Here in PA, there’s a $1 fee per payment for processing but other than that, the state takes nothing.
Wow, you get to meet Amy Goodman, I watch her show and it’s the most important TV event of my day.
Christy – What are the admission requirements for the Forum? It’s literally five blocks from work for me.
lisadawn82 at 68 — I’m not certain. I think it is a limited invitation-type thing, for folks who are members of the Foundation, for this first event that they are hosting. I think it may be a way for them to get open discussion going on some very difficult issues. But I’m not positive. You might try e-mailing the folks at the Eisenhower Foundation to see if they have space available? I’ve been working on my speech quite a bit the last few days, and haven’t really spent time researching admission issues — sorry I’m not much help on that.
Thanks for the quick reply.
lisadawn at 69 — E-mail me at ReddHedd at firedoglake dot com, and we’ll see if we can maybe set up some time to grab a cup of coffee or something. Am trying to set up a meeting while I’m in DC, so my schedule in and around the conference is a bit fluid at the moment, but I will hopefully have things firmed up by this afternoon and could see what we could do. :)
PA Lady: Minnesota takes a big bite, in my personal case years ago it was = to two months worth of payments. Here they coddle the fathers, he has to be in arrears of 2 thousand currently before they make an effort. Going to court is a nightmare.
I used to be a volunteer with CASA (court appointed special advocates). I developed a specialty in kids with serious medical problems. There were never easy solutions, but the major underlying factor was ALWAYS poverty. I can’t say what role race played, but all of my kids were either hispanic or black.
CHS… participation in forum.
I like it. ;)
Merry Christmas.
Gnome at 73 — I worked with a lot of CASA volunteers in abuse and neglect cases. It is SUCH a wonderful group — having an advocate who speaks only for the child in court can be so helpful, especially where the appointed attorney who serves as guardian ad litem has been less than diligent. It keeps the child’s interests from slipping through the tracks. Such a worthwhile group — and they are ALWAYS looking for volunteers, just FYI for everyone.
You are correct that poverty is so prevalent in those cases. Often very desperate levels of poverty. It’s so heartbreaking, day in and day out, to see the impact that this can have on such precious kids.
NaNOO @ 72
Knock em dead, Redd.
They have, IMO, made an excellent choice.
You are able to articulate easily what takes other people , a struggle to get an idea across.
Your background is impressive and you are passionate about the subject.
You are going to have quite the Rolodex file soon. *g*
Busted at 77 — you are too good to me, pal.
The small loan thing is good for some women, but for far too many these mothers don’t have enough money to feed their children and end up spending the money on food instead of a means of providing a livelyhood.
Peterr @
52
Hey, took these words right……..no, just bears repeatin’… Redd really rocks!
Maybe this is OT but I just want to send my thoughts & prayers to all recent commenters that are dealing with difficult family & health issues.
It occurred to me how the republican views of what makes this country great totally misses the boat. They cling to the fairy tale that America is the best, better, bettest country in the world while our foundations are crumbling. I’ve been thinking of what americans could accomplish if they were not stalled by so many roadblocks. American’s mental, physical & emotional reserves are being depleted by the increasing struggles make a living, educate their kids & keep their families healthy. I imagine what our country could be if our time, energy & hearts were not so consumed by these battles. Republicans don’t believe in investing in us & are not only wasting but trashing american potential.
twolf1 @ 16 -
Lost track of the thread while cleaning up the kitchen & getting the furry child ready to go to the vet……thanks so much for the linky.
One of the advantages of living in a college community is that one occasionally sees signs of sanity in the form of car decorations.
Gnome de Plume @ 73
My daughter had a CASA assigned after her molester was arrested. What a blessing she was! She only held our hands through all the legals steps (literally) but got our insurance to cover all of my daughter’s counseling expenses after we hit the 45-hour limit.
I can’t imagine how they handle their job, but I’m so glad they’re there when needed.
Christy Hardin Smith @
22
Dear Christy. First they’ll be awed by the beautiful red hair. Then they’ll start taking notes whenever you speak. Did any of us firepups ever tell you how proud we are to have met you?
Have a safe trip. Trust me. They chose the right person. I just wish C-Span were there. ;->
CNN – Chimpy presser around 11:45 eastern today
selise @
28
oh, thank you for the heads up! More heroes of mine.
(but, LOL and really kinda sad– they have Juan Cole with Informed Consent Blog under his name.)
I just emailed cspan to ask for a correction.
Very strange . . . I went to submit a new comment, but instead my new remarks ended up replacing my previous comment @ 52. Oh well, 52 is preserved in what others quoted . . . Here’s the new stuff once more, and let’s see if if shows up in the right place.
Weird.
Poor people have damn few lobbyists.
That’s a bitch at 2AM when the Senate crafts its last-minute tax breaks at the behest of corporate interests.
Openness and transparency are not the solution to the ills you’ll be describing and discussing. They are, however, a necessary prerequisite for any solutions. Without them, there will be little trust; without trust, there will be no common consensus; without consensus, the issues of race and poverty will continue to fester.
Openness and transparency – and their good friend accountability, too. That’s where the media comes in . . . rant coming . . .
For all the anger pointed at Congress, I get much more angry at most of the media for their abdication of the basics of journalism. Stenographic journalism allows politicians to focus on the politics of something while avoiding the underlying issues. “Will he/she/they win?” becomes the story, rather than “Are his/her/their policies working?” The latter are more difficult stories to write, and are more likely to piss certain powerful people off, but they are the most important stories to get out before the public – and all too often, the media has been taking a pass.
Habeas Corpus, anyone? Hey, we’ve only tossed off centuries of legal tradition that requires that anyone, of any status, deserves a day in court to plead their case before an impartial judge. Instead, we get “missing white women” . . . I saw lots of columnists on those panels, Christy, but where are the editors who decide which stories get used?
Local media is hardly any better, in most circumstances, though I’m more often pleasantly surprised on the local level than the national level.
Peter at 52 & 87
Your comment came through loud and clear at this end, and it’s just beautiful. Maybe it was just ‘hung up’ briefly by stunned mods trying to copy it down for posterity(!)
Thank you. I’ve been trying for some time now to describe FDL to folks who ask, ‘what on earth…?’
This is indeed a special place.
Christy: WIll you be at the Media Reform Conference in Memphis in Jan 07?
Children and disabled are these left out and most hurt by poverty. Unable to work for their own needs.
Christy,
if you do in fact have face time with Colbert King (Dep. Editor WaPo OpEd page,
maybe he could expand on ‘Lovey’ Howell’s latest suggestion:
http://stevegilliard.blogspot……paper.html
Christy Hardin Smith @ 60
How true, Christy! I appreciate your work on this issue. It is so true “the system” is horribly broken and working one’s butt off is not the way out of poverty.
I cannot emphasize enough either about family work. I know it is a touchy subject to promote motherhood and women’s work. Believe me, I am not one of these wingnuts who thinks the woman’s place is *only* in the home. However, that being said, women are often doing two full time jobs working for a crappy wage and then at home. I am just saying if the concept could change that work at home IS work, especially work that is considered women’s work, people who work paid jobs might get better support, which according to MomsRising would also benefit industry. Whether support is from on-the-job support, such as paid family and sick leave, and if the government were to support unpaid work by passing laws, then perhaps we would come a long way right towards ending our own nation’s poverty right there. According to MomsRising, women lose on the average of $250,000,00 over their lifetime due to these duties.
Also I worked in transitional housing recently and one rising population are middle aged women who have done this work AND worked outside the home and now due to lack of support for what they already did (retirement, etc) and age discrimination, these women are getting kicked to the curb as well.
Welfare right now says in essence that unpaid work IS doing nothing and that it is “better” for a parent to work a minimum wage job than to actually BE parents. This is a law now, thanks to Welfare Reform (some reform!) and that attitude applies to everyone, not just poor women, see?
It is worthwhile work to raise the next generation and worthy of our support. I often ask childless people who do not think their tax dollars should support these parents, “Since you will have no generation of your own to take care of you, who is going to change YOUR Depends when you are too old to do it? Who is going to help you with the paperwork for retirement, who will fix your roads, repair your plumbing, help you with your housework and laundry?” Because of the lack of respect for women’s work (and this applies as well to the men who do those tasks too), a great deal of needless poverty is being created and worse, not being dealt with and we are now raising children who do not have a parent available to actually parent and guide them.
Here is a Common Dreams article I wrote and it was also printed in our local paper the Seattle P.I: http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0829-32.htm
Christy –
Though I’m sure you’re aware of it, David Cole’s “No Equal Justice” is a great exposition of how the issues of race and poverty intersect with the criminal justice system. I was suprised to see that he was not on the list of speakers. I trust your professional judgement, but he’s someone that I’ve worked with in the past and was very impressed with.
Peterr @52 and 87 — amen, brother!
3 Palestinian kids dead in Gaza drive-by
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..l_shooting
Kids are kids. No matter who they are. Or where they live. And die.
Looks like a very interesting event. Feel free to tell Eugene Robinson that at least one of your readers thinks that he is as good as newspaper commentary gets (maybe a tie with Krugman, but you don’t have to tell him that).
scory at 92 — there were a number of people who were invited but unable to make it to the conference due to prior commitments. No way to know if he was one of them — but there are a number of other people who would have been wonderful as well. I think the group they’ve invited is a good mix of academics, media, critics, policy wonks and folks with practical experience — and that should lend itself to a good starting conversation, with much more to follow, I’m sure.
Hey gang.
Click here to see more about the forum (at “What’s News. Media Forum) ;->
http://www.eisenhowerfoundation.org/index.php
dang! the link shows a space within the word “index” & that’s NOT the way I typed it. go figure…
at least the link seems to work o.k. I just tried it…*scratching head*
Wow Christy–Jay Rosen, Amy Goodman…..nice.
Late coming to thread. Congrats, Christy. I admire your intelligence, passion, patience, civility, and convictions. You and Jane and others have made FDL a sanctuary and forum for civil discourse for many of us. Thank you.
Fresh thread, gang. Hot and ready for the commenting…
Viagra! (that’s to get the mods’ attention)
The glitch I talked about at 87 seems to have “edited” out my original comment at 52. My system was acting squirrelly, so I shut down and rebooted to see if that helps. Meanwhile, could one of you be so kind as to cut my original remarks out of *ilbo’s comment # 80 and put them back at 52 where they belong? Then you can delete this comment as well.
Thanks!
Congratulations to them on their choice of you, Christy. One of your posts about the miners was the best I’ve ever read. I knew then that you were someone I needed to learn from.
Christy, fyi–I remember hearing about this some time back, but I just got an email from B. Boxer that said this,
“The Department of Agriculture recently announced that it would remove the word “hunger” from reports on the nation’s food supply.
Instead, it announced that it would use “low food security” or “very low food security” in its reports. I have written to Secretary
of Agriculture Michael Johanns to express my displeasure over this change.
Officials at the Department of Agriculture report that the change in labels was not a plot to try to disguise or mask hunger in
America. Instead, they claim that “hunger” is too amorphous a phrase to describe, in their terms, ”a potential consequence of food insecurity that, because of prolonged, involuntary lack of food, results in discomfort, illness, weakness or pain that goes beyond
the usual uneasy sensation.”…”
…thanks for speaking for us!
We have a serious prison problem in this nation… that is incarcerating too many people who do not belong there.
TX and CA together have more people in prison than the entire EU.
The prison system is not working at all. 1 in 4 black youths is under the authority of prison system, either in prison, jail or on probation.
We imprison drug offenders who need help not incarceration. And of the 2.1MM people in prison only 3.75K are involved with violent crimes or crimes where a weapon was carried. That means 1.6MM non violent people are locked up cost taxpayers from 18K – 87K a year.
And of course most of those incarcerated are poor and have little access to decent legal counsel.
What’s with this country? Govs Cuomo and Brown built more prison cells than any else.. more than were buult since the revolutionary war. These guys are supposed be “librals”.
America loves to lock people up.
We love all these cops protecting us from all the criminals roaming our streets.
We love the army…with its weapons… We love the national security state.
We love fascism… or so it seems.. because that is what this society looks like when viewed objectively.
Here’s a link to a related topic: where does health begin and end. Poverty keeps people from ever getting close to a healthy state. We can’t address health in any fundamental way until poverty has been addressed so that no one is hungering for nutritious food, everyone has a safe place to shelter, everyone has safe and reliable transportation and everyone has weather-appropriate well-fitting clothing and shoes.
I look forward to reading a report of the conference.
(So seriously EPU’d that I posted it upthread first, but it really belongs here.)
I have been reading around the Eisenhower Foundation site that Adie gave the link to, and wow. These guys have been doing research into exactly what we need to know right now, which is the causes of urban and civil violence. Timely, eh wot?
Their mission statement:
Here’s how their policy sections starts out:
They proceed to describe how the separation has widened in the 25 years and the middle class now joins the poor in being ‘truly disadvantaged’. They talk about causes (hint, supply-side economics) and solutions, too — plus great sections on what works and what doesn’t. It’s big but a must-read. You can download it or bookmark it for reading in digestible bits.
Doh, would this be one of those left-wing think thanks that aren’t supposed to exist? This is what Christy’s going to be part of. Ding!
We need a new insurance company down here.
A mutual insurance company which is working for its policy holders.
Any ideas on how to get that done?