Make Social Change A Reality

The Center for America Progress released their findings for September 2009 on Tuesday. Part of a list of signs that America’s economy is still struggling was this highlight… “The average length of unemployment in September 2009 was 26.2 weeks, the median length of unemployment was 17.3 weeks, and 35.6 % of the unemployed were out of a job for 27 weeks or more. All of these indicators are at their highest level since 1948.” Media outlets are reporting with more and more frequency the difficulties the long-term laid off are having in securing employment. The Wall Street Journal’s online career section regularly featured an article back in June titled, “ Only the Employed Need Apply ”. It seems, not only are there fewer jobs available, but the unemployed are being passed over for theoretically more desirable candidates - those who are employed. The question becomes … with so many obstacles before them … Is there any good news for the long-term unemployed? Yes, there is . #1 Unemploy...

There are those who want to fuss and fight And would rather scream and shout Than try to find some common ground And calmly talk things out Some people are just so hell bent On getting their own way That they show utter disregard For what others have to say It is almost common place these days To dismiss and reject Those that have a different view As down right incorrect. It seems like some are delighted With the chaos and the craze They spread their anger and disdain And expect to get high praise The President speaks to Congress To make us all aware Of reforms he will be making To bring us all healthcare But with blatant disrespect One chooses to defy The President of the United States And scream at him “YOU LIE !” Have some people lost their manners Do they simply have no shame? Or is it easier to look outward To find someone to blame? Some are just determined To make it their game plan To fight against the social change That could help the common man Social issues are a reality tha...

Hospitals are charging self-pay patients two, three, and four times what they accept as full payment from insurance companies, simply because they can. Medical debt saddled 72 million adults in 2007 and caused HALF of all personal bankruptcies in 2005. With the recent surge in jobless claims the number of uninsured and under insured self-pay patients is steadily rising and hospital ERs are seeing more patients seeking primary care. Those whose income disqualifies them from community assistance programs even by a hair may face unfathomable costs for their stay at the hospital. While insurance companies fork over a reasonable amount over the actual cost of care to the hospital and Medicare even less, people who can least afford to pay are charged the most. A procedure that may cost the hospital $6,000 would retail to the insurance companies for $8,000 and to a self-pay patient for $12,000! Talk about kickin ’ ‘em when they’re down!! And it’s all legal. A typical hospital bill for ...

Today’s post marks the last in the series on women and the economy, and while we are now several weeks out in the post- Economic Stimulus Package world of 2009, there has been no decline in the amount of scrutiny on the Package and its implications for women. Reproductive health experts for example, were disheartened that the Package, now known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), succumbed to pressures in Congress and failed to expand national family planning program-funding, which would have served as a major cost-savings measure in the short and long-term. In addition, despite countless studies that have questioned the efficacy of abstinence-only education programs and exposed their inaccuracies and harmful messages on gender and sexuality to young people, Congress still increased abstinence-only education funding in the ARRA. Nevertheless, the public and non-profit sector agencies that serve women and girls in communities across the US are assessing the situatio...

Taking a cue from President Obama’s speech yesterday , this week’s posting in the series on women and the economy continues its focus on healthcare. Most of President Obama’s fireside-inspired speech which he delivered to Congress and the American public last night centered on the economy, and addressing the labor and economic needs of the 21st Century. A significant portion of the speech however, was geared towards healthcare and the dire need to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system as a critical part of reviving the economy. President Obama pledged reform to the American people in a compelling declaration in which he said that, "Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.” Women’s issues were not specifically named in the speech, but hopefully the focus on healthcare and the economy will do some of the greatest good for middle and lower-income women and families. One of the areas of health services in which help is truly needed among women...

“You need surgery” “SURGERY! I don’t have insurance!” “I’m sorry I can’t help you with that…” I severely fractured my finger and was given my options - perform surgery for $5000+ or cast it for $500 and risk recovering full function. Neither option is appealing. Forty seven million Americans are currently uninsured . According to CoverTheUninsured .org, people ages 25-34 are the most likely to be without coverage . Conversely, children, pregnant women, and the elderly are enjoying the actualization of subsidized coverage that’s long since been an obvious necessity with Federal programs such as Medicaid , SCHIPP , Medicare , and the recent passing of a Congressional bill to extend coverage for children. State programs provide even more support for the above niches and families. Meanwhile, twenty- and thirty-something’s wait for the new administration to slowly phase in universal coverage of some sort, but the hard truth is that we will be the last to see it . Many of us are not e...

Among many Americans, especially lower-income women and families, hopes are high for the economic stimulus and recovery package, which now feels long-anticipated in the run-up to President Obama and the 111 th Congress’ transition to power . In the swirl of rumors and speculation that bind new expectations for modern economic stimulation with social recovery reminiscent of FDR’s New Deal , many advocates for women and families have been weighing in heavily and hoping to affect the economic policies that are currently being considered in Washington. This week, predictions were rampant in the mainstream political discourse about what the outcomes of the House debate on the economy would look like, and whether or not the resulting legislation would make the everyday needs of women visible again. Today, the US House of Representatives passed an economic stimulus and recovery package , which carries with it a total cost of $819 billion dollars . Although the recovery package now makes its...

As we celebrate an immensely historic election and inauguration this week, with President Barack Obama’s transition to the White House and Presidency complete, a sense of duty and great undertaking must motivate us all to work towards ending poverty and suffering in the U.S. Until now, this goal has been long-absent from a serious national conversation surrounding our priorities and direction in the 21st Century, with the exception of Hurricane Katrina’s dramatic, albeit short-lived, media spotlight on the poverty that persists in our country. With a jagged economic road looming ahead and predictions for a slow recovery reaching possibly into 2011, the great needs of impoverished communities , individuals, and families has never been more apparent . We must work on all fronts, including education, employment, and programs that will strengthen families, to generate solutions that will address the stagnant situations that many Americans continue to find themselves in, despite their eff...

Since I’m new to this blog, I’d like to open up with a post about why I feel personally vested in its mission. I’ve been laid off, twice. The first time was with two years notice, the second time was at 5:00 pm on a Monday with not even a sideways glance as warning. I received a severance package the first time, a pretty generous sum that gave me a nice cushion while I looked for my next job, enough to pay rent, groceries, maybe even take some time off. I put on my sneakers and corduroys and checked out for the next month. I figured I’d apply for a few jobs and temp once my severance ran out. The severance ran out in three weeks and I had clocked a total of four hours of temp time. No one replied to my solicitations, and my rent was due. So I decided to move back to mom’s house in New York. I should mention that I had conjured a formidable debt monster while living on my own (mostly resulting from three $1000 mattresses that I bought after each failed to conquer insomnia). In New ...

On September 25th, the United Nations met in New York City to evaluate progress on the eight Millennium Development Goals . More than two months later, it’s still hard to dig through news about GM’s failures, Obama’s picks, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks to really assess the situation. The press briefing from the Summit offers critique, but also hope for the future. Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown have gathered a team and formulated a plan to achieve the three MDGs for Health : reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. The team also includes World Bank President Robert Zoellick, Director-General of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan, and Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Thus far progress has been slow and not steady. At the current rate of reduction, the UN’s efforts will see child mortality drop by only one-third instead of two. D...

Millennium Development Goals five and six are closely related to goals three and four discussed last week. As we move on, it will become more apparent what an emphasis the United Nations has put on healthcare in the fight to eliminate poverty. The fifth Millennium Development Goal is to “improve maternal health.” Maternal health encompasses not only prenatal and postnatal care, but also family planning and education in proper childcare. Therefore, this is actually a very broad statement and not much else. Included in this goal are pledges to reduce the maternal morality ratio by two-thirds, as well as achieve universal access to reproductive health. This first target does help to clarify the goal. However, the word “universal” in target two is so expansive that its inclusion can actually undermine the UN’s ability to achieve its goals. One Step Forward: Each year the world loses over 10 million mothers and children, and the fact remains that many of these deaths are...

Last week we took a brief glance at MDGs one and two. This week we’ll take a closer look at the third and fourth goals, as well as see how dedicated groups of individuals are doing their part to make dreams a reality. The third Millennium Development goal is to promote gender equality and empower women . Once again, we see the problem of vague language noted last week in Goal 1. As it is hard to fathom the UN promoting gender inequality, the goal itself, while altruistic and admirable, is quite obvious. Without any set benchmarks or method with which to measure successes, the pledge to “empower women” sounds weak and insincere. One Step Forward: Women for Women International is a nonprofit organization working worldwide in areas recovering from recent conflict. While no one will debate the negative impacts of war on local citizens, Women for Women also sees these disaster zones as clean slates. Local women complete a three-step program. While at the beginning stages participant...

Someone I know received a treadmill for Christmas. What a fun and purposeful piece of equipment! You can walk...jog...run like wind, in short, you'll get a great workout. That got me thinking about how important it is to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Great for the body...ehhh not so great on the wallet. Now yes, you don't need exercise equipment to get and stay in shape but without fresh veggies and meats (let's just say fresh food), how could your inside be healthy? Well I eat fresh food. I really do enjoy them and never understood why kids put up a big fuss about it. And so, I know the pro's (and con's) of eating healthy. But if obtaining these fresh foods weighs down your wallet and there are things you NEED to do with that money - pay a light bill, mortgage, car note - how do we choose which is more important ? What do you think? This post was written by Chanelle Carver, social entrepreneur, nonprofit consultant, and founder of the Literacy 'n...