Community News - Fall 2007.qxp

Transcripción

A QUARTERLY
NC Justice Center
Opportunity and prosperity for all
MAGAZINE
FOR
NORTH CAROLINA’S GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY
community news
noticias communitarias
Fall/Otoño 2007
*
The 2007
Defenders
of Justice
Awards
are coming!
(See page 3)
Community News
Noticias Comunitarias
Published by the North Carolina Justice Center/es
publicado por El Centro de Justicia de Carolina del
Norte
DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND MANAGING EDITOR/DIRECTORA
ADJUNTA: Debra Tyler-Horton
EDITORS/EDITORES: Polly Williams, Ajamu Dillahunt,
Bill Rowe
DESIGNER/DISEÑO: Phyllis Nunn
TRANSLATIONS/TRADUCCIONES: Luis Olivieri-Robert
BOARD OF DIRECTORS/JUNTA DE DIRECTORES
Co-chairs: Reuben Blackwell, Jay Butler
Cynthia A. Aziz
Rev. William J. Barber
Asa Bell
Jean Cary
Richard Hooker
Fiorella Horna-Guerra
Jerald Jones
Luke Largess
John Laast
Raquel Lynch
George Reed
Fenita Shepard
Tong Yang
STAFF/PERSONAL
Melinda Lawrence, Executive Director
Debra Tyler-Horton, Deputy Director
Kaci Bishop, Immigration Attorney
Alyssa Brandt, Administrative Assistant
Carol Brooke, Migrant Worker Attorney
Mary Coleman, Chief Financial Officer
Jill Diaz, Director of Development
Ajamu Dillahunt, BTC - Outreach Coordinator
Knick Dixon, Education & Law; Community
Organizer/Trainer
Nicole Dozier, Litigation/Health Access
Nina Driver, Administrative Assistant
Angella Dunston, Education & Law - Director
Dan Dwyer, Litigation Paralegal
Chris Fitzsimon, NC Policy Watch
Clermont Fraser, Migrant Worker Attorney
Meg Gray, BTC - Public Policy Analyst
Jack Holtzman, Staff Attorney (Litigation)
Attracta Kelly, Immigration Attorney, ILAP Director
Harmony Mancino, Immigration Paralegal
Dani Martinez-Moore, Immigration Network
Coordinator
Carlene McNulty, Staff Attorney (Litigation)
Elaine Mejia, BTC - Director
Diane Morris , Director of Communications
Jan Nichols, Chief Technology Officer
Phyllis Nunn, Design Director
Annette Plummer, NC Policy Watch
John Quinterno, BTC - Research Associate
Al Ripley, Consumer Action Network
Bill Rowe, Director of Advocacy
Cristin Ruggles, Immigration Paralegal
Rob Schofield, NC Policy Watch
Adam Searing, Health Access Coalition - Director
Sandy Sellnow, Accounting Assistant
Louisa Warren, Policy Advocate
Editor’s Message Mensaje de la editora
“Much Accomplished, More to Be Done” Says Bill Rowe, Director of Advocacy
Dear friends: I hope everyone had a good
summer! It is so great to be back refreshed,
reenergized and ready to get busy with the
work at hand. A four month sabbatical, what
a wonderfully rewarding experience! I
would like to thank both the Z Smith
Reynolds Foundation for making this
possible, and the amazing staff and Board of
Directors of the Justice Center for their support.
In our last issue of Community News the Justice Center
staff was gearing up for the legislative session. Our legislative
staff, researchers, policy analysts and grassroots advocacy
folks were working hand-in-hand to make sure that the best
interests of all North Carolinians were taken into consideration
during the decision-making process. Well, we had some
victories and we have some challenges left to deal with in the
next session. This issue of Community News will provide you
with an overview of the session. It will also look at areas that
we will need to be prepared to address together in 2008.
In the last issue we focused on education by
providing you with information on specific policies and
budget priorities related to the future of our children. Our
hope is that having read these articles you will join us in
our fight to ensure that every child has access to a “sound
basic education.” We cannot do it alone; join NC CARE
today (see page 18) and work with parents and advocates
for quality education in our state and in our communities. If
you missed the last issue, you can print a copy from our
website, www.ncjustice.org.
Over the years we have truly appreciated the support of
our readers. As we prepare to celebrate our Annual
Defenders of Justice Event, we hope you will join us and
bring a friend. On Thursday, October 25th, at the American
Tobacco Campus, Bay 7 in Durham, we will gather to
recognize the work of our 2007 Defenders of Justice Awards
recipients (see page 3). You will also have an opportunity to
meet our new executive director Melinda Lawrence. We are
so happy to have Melinda on board. Melinda has been a
contents
2
3

4
Great to be back -all here at the Justice Center look
forward to working with you for a better tomorrow!
Please mail information for the newsletter to the attention of Debra TylerHorton, PO Box 28068, Raleigh, NC 27611, or e-mail it directly to
[email protected]. The Justice Center reserves the right to choose
which articles will be published, to edit articles for length and clarity, and
to choose which ones will be translated into Spanish.

North Carolina Justice Center

10
The 2007 Defenders of Justice Awards
2007 Legislative Session Overview
The 2007-2009 State Budget/Presupuesto Estatal 2007-2008
A Good Session Addressing Foreclosure/Buena Sesion Sobre Hipoteca Reposeidas
Justice Too Long Delayed
Attention for Farmworker Housing Needs/Atención Sobre Necesidades de Vivienda de Trabajadores Sgrícolas
North Carolina Wins a Big Victory for Working Families
Victories and Disappointments – an Education Advocate’s Snapshot/Victorias y frustraciones
Public Employee Collective Bargaining Makes Headway/Adelanta Negociación Colectiva Empleados Públicos
Older Adults Make Significant Gains in 2007 Session
A Rating System at Last!
COMMUNITY FOCUS/ENFOQUE COMUNITARIO

21
contenido
POLICY UPDATE/ACTUALIDAD POLÍTICA

Affordable Housing as Critical Infrastructure Issue
Everyone Gets Sick, but Do You Have Time to Get Better?/¿Todos nos enfermamos, pero ¿tenemos
tiempo para recuperarnos?
INFORMATION EXCHANGE/INTERCAMBIO DE INFORMACION

2
– DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
EDITOR’S MESSAGE/MENSAJE DE LA EDITORA
FEATURE ARTICLE/ARTÍCULO ESPECIAL

919-856-2570 phone
919-856-2175 fax
[email protected]
www.ncjustice.org
“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable.
Even a superficial look at history reveals that no social
advance rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. Every step
toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering,
and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate
concern of dedicated individuals.”
(En Espanol: Mensaje de la Editora, pagina 4)
VOLUNTEER:
Polly Williams
224 S. Dawson Street
P.O. Box 28068
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
long-time advocate and supporter of the Center’s work. In just
a few months Melinda has been able to bring in new funding
sources and expand the staff. As part of the expansion we are
excited to have NC Policy Watch staff join the Justice Center
staff. With this new merger come old friends, Rob Schofield,
former staff member of the Justice Center, great to have him
back, and Chris Fitzsimon, long-time partner in the work. We
also welcome Annette Plummer as part of NC Policy Watch
team. (see page 7). The Justice Center also welcomes two
administrative assistants and a new member of the policy
team (see page 19).
As always we ask for your thoughts and ideas for
Community News. We are striving to make this magazine a
true resource for you. We are interested in your
communities’ success stories and challenges. We also ask
that you please take a moment to review our distribution
list (see page 19). If you know of locations that can benefit
from receiving Community News please let us know.
Same Day Registration in North Carolina/Inscripción Durante Período Electoral en Carolina del Norte
NC CARE: Because every child in North Carolina deserves a sound basic education.
Community News
I Noticias Comunitarias
Feature Article
artículo especial
Reception and Awards Presentation –
Thursday, October 25th, 2007
z
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
at the historic
American Tobacco Campus, Bay 7
z
Durham, NC
THE 2007 DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE AWARD RECIPIENTS
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
Representative
Dan Blue
Senator
Katie Dorsett
RALEIGH
RALEIGH
LITIGATION
Edelstein & Payne
RALEIGH
POLICY RESEARCH & ADVOCACY
Farmworker Advocacy Network
GRASSROOTS EMPOWERMENT
Special
Musical Guest
Representative
Rick Glazier
FAYETTEVILLE
NC Fair Share
RALEIGH
A jazz trio from
the John Brown
Entertainment
Group
of Chapel Hill
Tickets and Payment
I WANT TO RESERVE ______________ TICKETS AT $50.00 EACH.
Name ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Organization _____________________________________________________Title_____________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City __________________________________________________________________State______Zip ______________________________
Phone _____________________________Fax _____________________Email _________________________________________________
Enclosed is a check payable to the NC Justice Center
Please bill my credit card:
_____Visa
_____MasterCard
_____Discover
Acct# _______________________________________________________Exp. Date________________________
Name on card_____________________________________________________________________________
Billing address (if different from above)_____________________________________________________________________________
Total Amount: _______________Signature ____________________________________________________________________________
North Carolina
State Conference
of the NC NAACP
Become a
DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE
Sponsor!
Platinum Sponsor:
$5,000
Gold Sponsor:
$2,500
Silver Sponsor:
$1,000
Bronze Sponsor: $500 Corporate
or $250 Individual
For more information on sponsorship
opportunities, please contact:
Jill Diaz: (919)856-2575,
[email protected]
or visit www.ncjustice.org.
3
policy update
actualidad política
2007 Legislative Session Overview: Much Accomplished, More to Be Done
By Bill Rowe – Director of Advocacy
This edition of Community News is an overview
of the recently complete legislative session. It includes
articles about some bills that were passed that will
improve the lives of low-income North Carolinians and
some efforts that are still pending, but deserve serious
attention from lawmakers. For a more detailed and
comprehensive report of the session, readers should
visit the Justice Center’s web site at www.ncjustice.org.
Even though a number of important issues
including the death penalty, juvenile justice, affordable
housing, mental health reform and the absence of
collective bargaining rights for public employees were
not adequately addressed this session , North Carolina’s
lawmakers did take action that had a profoundly positive
impact on the lives of thousands of North Carolinians.
On several fronts the General Assembly embraced
positive change and made significant investments that
will help to increase opportunity and prosperity across
the state. Some of the highlights include:
z
z
A tax break for working families through
a refundable state earned income tax credit
Increased access to health care through a
high-risk insurance pool for chronically ill
people, the Kids Care insurance program
for low- and moderate-income children,
and a mandate that health insurers cover
mental illness
z
Improved educational opportunities with
more money for low-wealth school
districts and the education of low-income
students, drop-out prevention grants, and
the governor’s new EARN Scholars
program
z
Fiscal improvements for counties by
freeing counties of paying for Medicaid
and by providing counties with new
options to pay for needed infrastructure
z
Foreclosure prevention by curbing loan
servicing abuses, making the foreclosure
process fairer, and enabling borrowers to
sue for illegal lending practices
z
Migrant housing improvements through
better enforcement and standards
In addition, there was progress made by (1)
creating a pilot for publicly financed elections for three
statewide elections; (2) improving voter registration
requirements by allowing North Carolinians to register
to vote and cast their ballots at “one-stop” early voting
sites on the same day: (3) adopting new improved
landfill regulations; and (4) helping seniors by
establishing a rating system for adult care homes,
preventing expansion of the state’s right to place liens
on the homes of Medicaid recipients and expanding the
property tax “homestead exemption” for seniors and
the disabled.
None of these successes would have been possible
without many different organizations and PEOPLE
being involved with the process and demanding change
from their elected representatives. This was a good
session on a number of fronts on which advocates have
been working very hard for years. With that in mind,
much more still remains to be done.
For more information, contact the Bill Rowe at (919)
856-2177 or [email protected].
Mensaje de la Editora
“Mucho logrado, mucho por
hacer”
Queridos amigos y amigas –
Espero hayan tenido un buen verano. Es
bueno estar de regreso refrescada, energizada, y lista
para ocuparme de trabajo pendiente. Una sabática
de cuatro meses, una experiencia gratificante.
Agradezco a la Fundación Z Smith Reynolds por
hacer esto posible y al personal del Centro para la
Justicia por su apoyo.
En el pasado número de ‘Noticias
Comunitarias’ nuestro personal se preparaba para los
debates legislativos. Tanto los analistas,
investigadores, y organizadores comunitarios
trabajaron mano a mano para asegurar que los
mejores intereses de los norcarolinenses fueran
considerados durante la toma de decisiones.
Bueno, tuvimos algunas victorias y algunos retos
para la siguiente sesión. Este número de ‘Noticias
Comunitarias’ le provee con un resumen de la
sesión. También veremos reas para las cuales
debemos prepararnos para la siguiente sesión.
El pasado número lo dedicamos al tema de la
educación y las movidas de reglamento y
presupuesto relacionadas con el futuro de nuestro
niños. Es nuestra esperanza que al leerlo se haya
4
sentido parte de la causa para asegurar a cada niño
una ‘educación básica sólida’. No podemos lograrlo
sólos; únase hoy a NC CARE y trabaje junto a
padres y líderes por una educación de calidad en
nuestro estado y comunidades. Para información
llame o escriba a Knick Dixon en el Centro para la
Justicia, [email protected] o 919/856-2151. si no
pudo leer el pasado número puede imprimir una
copia en la sección de publicaciones en
www.ncjustice.org.
A través de los años hemos agradecido el
apoyo de nuestros lectores. Al prepararnos para
nuestro Evento Anual Defensores de la Justicia
confiamos que venga y traiga un(a) amigo(a). El
jueves 25 de octubre en el American Tobacco
Campus, Bay 7 en Durham, nos reuniremos para
reconocer los recipientes de los premios 2007.
También podrá conocer a nuestra nueva directora
ejecutiva, Melinda Lawrence. Estamos contentos de
tenerla con nosotros. por muchos años ha apoyado
nuestra labor en el Centro. En pocos meses ha
logrado traer nuevas fuentes de apoyo económico y
ampliar el personal. Entre éstos, el personal de NC
Policy Watch como Rob Schofield, Chris Fitzsimon
y Annette Plummer. De igual manera damos la
bienvenida a dos nuevas asistentes administrativas y
un miembro adicional del equipo de políticas.
Noticias Comunitarias necesita de sus
opiniones. Queremos ser una publicación que le sirva
como recurso. Nos interesan sus éxitos y sus retos.
Le pedimos que revise nuestra lista de distribución
por si conoce lugares que se puedan beneficiar al
recibir “Noticias Comunitarias” y nos deje saber.
“El progreso humano no es ni automático ni
inevitable. Aún una mirada superficial a la
historia revela que ningún cambio social avanza
sobre las ruedas de la inevitabilidad. Todo paso
hacia la meta de la justicia requiere sacrificio,
sufrimiento y lucha; el incansable esfuerzo y la
apasionada preocupación de individuos
dedicados”.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Es bueno estar de regreso y poder trabajar
juntos por una mejor mañana.
Debra Tyler-Horton, Directora Adjunta
Por favor envíe la información para el boletín informativo
a la atención de Debra Tyler-Horton, al P. O. Box 28068,
Raleigh, NC27611, o envíela por correo electrónico a
[email protected]. El Centro de Justicia se reserva el
derecho de escoger qué artículos serán publicados, de
editar los artículos en cuanto a su extensión y a su
claridad, y a escoger cuáles serán traducidos al español.
Community News
policy update
The 2007-2009 State Budget:
An Affordable Step in the Right Direction
By Elaine Mejia – Director of the NC Budget & Tax Center
Now that the dust kicked up by the stampede
of lobbyists and lawmakers departing Raleigh is
settling, it is time to take stock of state
policymakers’ actions (and inactions). No single
piece of legislation impacts the daily lives of the
North Carolinians of today and tomorrow as much
as the state budget. In July, the legislature adopted
and the governor signed a $20.7 billion budget that
will fund education, the court system, health
insurance for millions of residents, state parks and
hundreds of other services upon which the state’s
citizens and the state’s economy rely. While it
certainly wasn’t perfect (how could it be when 170
people try to reach consensus), it was a giant step
in the right direction - laying the foundation for a
strong future for North Carolina.
Critics of the plan are harping on the nearly
10% spending increase over last year (and similar
increases in the few prior years as well). Yet, the
North Carolina is in no danger of becoming,
a “big government” state. North Carolina’s
combined state and local taxes are holding steady
and continue to be below the national average,
according to data released in May 2007 by the
U.S. Census Bureau. In fiscal year 2005, the latest
year for which data are available, North Carolina
state and local government taxes represented
10.4% of total state personal income, putting
North Carolina 35th out of 50 states. In that year,
North Carolina’s state and local governments
combined collected $3,139 per person in taxes,
ranking 33rd out of 50 states. These rankings are
similar to North Carolina’s rankings in the 1980’s
and 1990’s.
More than half of the $1.8 billion spending
increase is for education, undoubtedly a sound
investment of our tax dollars. It might surprise
naïve budget critics who accuse North Carolina of
spending too
much on public
schools that,
according to the
latest Census
Capital Improvement
Reserves & Adjustments
data, North
1%
1%
Carolina ranks
Debt Payments
42nd in spending
Health & Human Services
1%
23%
per student in our
public schools,
spending even
less than our
typically stingy
neighbors in
Natural &
South Carolina.
Economic
Governor Easley
Resources
and legislators
3%
have
demonstrated
Justice & Public
Total Education
Safety
their
57%
10%
commitment to
spending more
General Government
on current and
2%
new education
programs over
the past several
years in order to
new state budget is the first in eight years to return
prepare our state’s future workforce to compete in
North Carolina to the real per capita budget level
the increasingly global economy.
of fiscal year 2000. Compared to the 2000 budget,
The remainder of the spending increase was
the current state budget has grown by an inflationused primarily for pay raises for state employees
adjusted $162 per person, from $2,209 in 2000 to
plus a handful of expansions, such as a new health
$2,333 in 2008 - a mere 7.3% growth rate over
insurance program for children in low-income
nine years. That’s hardly an indictment for
families, operating funds for a new mental health
“runaway” spending, especially considering that
hospital, and funding to help local governments
the state spends one in five dollars on health care
rehab aging water and sewer systems - all of which
related expenses.
are sound investments in the future.
What critics fail to realize (and why their
As in the past, North Carolinians will see
inflammatory and inaccurate rhetoric about
through the politically motivated scare tactics of
“exploding” taxes and spending isn’t working) is
the budget’s critics and see that this spending plan
that, even with this increase North Carolina will
will help lay the foundation for a prosperous future
still not be a “big government” state. Moreover, all
for all tar heels. The dust has settled and the future
North Carolinians share in the benefits when the
looks bright.
money is spent wisely, as was the case this year
(i.e. on essential services, and smart investments in
human capital and infrastructure).
What Does the $21 Billion State Budget Pay For?
Community News
Presupuesto Estatal
2007-2008: Un
Rentable Paso
Adelante
Por Elaine Mejia – Directora del NC Budget &
Tax Center
Ahora que el polvo ha volado por la
estampida de legisladores y sus elementos que
salen de Raleigh, es tiempo de evaluar sus
acciones e inacciones. El presupuesto es la
pieza de legislación que impacta con mayor
fuerza nuestra vida diaria como
norcarolinenses. En julio pasado la legislatura
y el gobernador aprobaron un presupuesto de
20.7 billones de dólares para financiar la
educación, el sistema de cortes, seguro de
salud para millones de residentes, parques y
cientos de otros servicios de los cuales tanto
los residentes como el estado dependen.
Aunque no fue perfecto (cuando 170 personas
tratan de ponerse de acuerdo) fue un paso
gigante en la dirección correcta hacia un
mejor futuro para Carolina del Norte.
Quienes critican el mismo señalan un
aumento de 10% en gastos comparado con el
presupuesto anterior. Sin embargo es el
primero desde el 2000 que establece el ingreso
per capita a su monto real. El ajuste fue de
$162 por persona, de $2,209 en el 2000 a
$2,333 en el 2008 - un crecimiento de a penas
7.3% en ese lapso. Ello llama la atención si
tomamos en cuenta que el estado gasta uno de
cada cinco dólares en aspectos de cuidado de
salud..
Lo que no pueden ver los críticos es que
aún de esa manera, Carolina del Norte no es
un estado de ‘gobierno grande’. Más bien,
todos los norcarolinenses comparten los
beneficios cuando se gasta sabiamente en
servicios esenciales, inversiones en capital
humano e infraestructura, como fue en este
pasado año.
Carolina del Norte no peligran en
convertirse en un ‘gobierno grande’. Su
combinación de impuestos estatales y locales
permanecen estables y le permite estar por
debajo del promedio nacional según datos del
Negociado del Censo provistos en mayo de
2007. En el 2005, el 10.4% de los impuestos
estatales y locales provenían del ingreso
personal, un lugar 35 entre los 50 estados, que
representó un promedio de $3,139 por
persona en impuestos, un lugar 33 entre los 50
estados, similar a los años 1980 y 1990.
Más de la mitad del aumento de 1.8
billones en gastos va dirigido a la educación,
lo que es una buena inversión el cual aún de
esa manera gasta menos por estudiante de
escuela pública (# 42 en la nación) que
nuestro vecino Carolina del Sur. Se ha
demostrado un compromiso genuino de parte
de los legisladores y del Gobernador Easley
en los pasados años, como una manera de
preparar a nuestra fuerza laboral para una
(“Presupuesto estatal 2007-2008” – pagina 9)
5
policy update
A Good Session Addressing Foreclosure: But More Work Remains
By Al Ripley – Consumer Action Network
For all the news stories appearing about the
impact of the staggering increase in home mortgage
foreclosures on financial markets, interest rates,
and home prices, it is sometimes very easy to lose
sight of the most devastating impact; the loss of
homeownership and wealth in the form of home
equity for thousands of families. In North
Carolina, the foreclosure crisis has grown
significantly with 46,512 foreclosures filed in
2006. This level represents an increase of over 173
percent from the 16,630 filings in 1998. Already,
data for this year show that foreclosure filings for
2007 will set a new record above the 2006 levels.
Many experts predict that nationwide the height of
the crisis will not peak until 2008 or 2009, and in
the interim many more thousands of families will
lose their homes.
For state policy makers the crisis represents
an ongoing challenge but also an opportunity to
pass new laws and develop other policies that help
homeowners trying to cope. Fortunately, the
General Assembly responded in this most recent
session by passing several important bills.
Two bills were aimed at helping to improve
the making and underwriting of loans. House Bill
1817, “Protect Consumers / Covered Loans,” is
designed to protect North Carolinians from
predatory mortgage lending practices that increase
foreclosure. The legislation improves existing
North Carolina predatory lending laws by limiting
broker fees that encourage brokers to “steer”
borrowers into more expensive, higher rate, home
loans, and, improves the duties mortgage brokers
owe clients. The legislation creates new borrower
protections intended to protect borrowers from
abusive adjustable rate mortgage loans and other
lending practices that have contributed to the
number of loans being foreclosed on today. These
additional protections include a prohibition on
prepayment penalties and a requirement that
lenders determine that the borrower has the ability
Buena Sesion Sobre
Hipoteca Reposeidas;
Pero Queda Trabajo
Por Hacer
Por Al Ripley, de Consumer Action Network
Muchas de las noticias sobre embargos de
hipotecas consideran los efectos en el mercado,
tasa de interés y costos de las casas, pero no toman
en cuenta lo peor de todo que es la perdida de la
casa propia y de la riqueza para miles de familias.
En Carolina del Norte solamente se registraron
46,512 en el 2006, equivalente a un incremento del
173% comparado a las 16,630 en 1998. Para 2007
parece camino a establecer una nueva marca y de
igual manera en el 2008 y 2009. Ello implicaría la
perdida de sus hogares para miles de familias.
Para los legisladores esto representa un reto
6
to repay the loan. Finally, the legislation
strengthens the powers of the Commissioner of
Banks.
A second bill aimed at curbing fraudulent
activity in the making of loans also passed this
session. House Bill 817, the “Residential Mortgage
Fraud Act,” creates a new definition of Residential
Mortgage Fraud
intended to make
it easier to
prosecute cases
for fraud related
to home
mortgages.
Not only
did the General
Assembly take
steps to protect
borrowers during
the loan
origination
process, but it
also passed
legislation to protect homeowners who already
have a loan. House bill 1374 “Protect
Homeowners” / Reduce Foreclosure,” is designed
to help North Carolina homeowners avoid
foreclosure by making the foreclosure process
fairer and by helping to protect homeowners from
abusive mortgage loan servicing companies that
misapply mortgage payments, charge illegal fees,
and mishandle escrow accounts on home loans. The
legislation requires loan servicers to notify
homeowners of any fees charged on the loan and
provide a full accounting of how payments are
handled and fees accessed. HB 1374 also makes
the foreclosure process fairer by requiring servicers
to give a detailed accounting of the sums claimed
to be owed at foreclosure and by giving
homeowners better information about their rights in
the foreclosure process. The legislation reverses
constante y la oportunidad de aprobar nuevas leyes
y desarrollar nuevas estrategias para ayudar a los
propietarios a superar la situación.
Afortunadamente, en la pasada sesión la Asamblea
General aprobó leyes muy importantes.
Dos leyes tienen que ver con la otorgación de
préstamos. La ley 1817 de la Cámara, que defiende
a los prestatarios de las tasas abusivas y otras
situaciones que han provocado numerosos
embargos recientemente. De igual manera fortalece
a los organismos de defensa del consumidor
existentes. La segunda ley, la 817 de la Cámara,
ofrece protección contra acciones fraudulentas en
hipotecas, facilitando el procesamiento de casos
relacionados dichas prácticas.
No solo las leyes han de amparar a quienes
solicitan dinero prestado sino también a los que ya
tienen hipotecas en existencia. La ley de la Cámara
1374 provee para evitar en la medida de lo posible
los embargos de hipotecas, incluyendo cargos,
penalidades, manejo de seguros y otros costos en
cuentas hipotecarias. La misma requiere mayor
información de parte de los prestamistas a sus
two recent NC Supreme Court decisions that made
it harder for borrowers to sue for illegal lending
practices.
Finally, when a home was foreclosed on and a
tenant was renting the home, there was no
requirement in North Carolina law that tenants be
informed of a pending foreclosure.. House Bill
947, “NC Foreclosure /
Landlord Tenant Laws,”
protects tenants who live in
a property going through
foreclosure by requiring
that the tenant receive the
notice of a foreclosure sale
describing the “order for
possession” process and
inform the tenant that she
may terminate her rental
agreement by giving proper
written notice to the
landlord.
While this session
was very successful in
addressing aspects of the foreclosure crises, more
needs to be done for the thousands of homeowners
who will be foreclosed upon in the coming months
and years. Perhaps the biggest challenge is how to
help homeowners whose loans are unaffordable but
were legally made and who have no option to
refinance or sell the home because the loan amount
on the home far exceeds the value of the home.
For these homeowners, without subsidies to help
refinance the home or a lowering of the amount
owed on the loan there are few options. In
addition, we still have many people in North
Carolina facing foreclosure due to a temporary
illness, disability and other factors. The state needs
to explore ways to help homeowners in these
circumstances as well.
clientes. La 1374 incorpora nuevos derechos de
los clientes en cuanto al conocimiento de los
detalles de dicho proceso. La misma revierte dos
decisiones de la Corte Suprema de Carolina del
Norte que dificultaba el poder demandar por
prácticas prestatarias ilegales.
Finalmente, cuando una casa era embargada
y alguien alquilaba la misma, no era requisito
informar al mismo de dichas condiciones. La ley
de la Cámara 947 requiere se informe al respecto a
los inquilinos que alquilen y que puede finalizar el
acuerdo con el debido aviso escrito al propietario.
Todas estas fueron gestiones muy exitosas.
Procede ahora seguir con otros retos como las
hipotecas que son imposibles de pagar pero que no
se puede refinanciar ni cancelar. No existen
muchas opciones para quienes sufren esta realidad.
Ello sin contra a quienes su casas son reposeídas
por razones de enfermedad, incapacidad y otros
factores. El estado debe explorar alternativas para
estas personas también.
Community News
policy update
Justice Too Long Delayed
By Adam Searing – Director, NC Health Access Coalition
In North Carolina, it was state policy
between 1929 and 1974 to involuntarily sterilize
men, women and children for often vague reasons
such as “feeblemindedness” or “promiscuity.”
Seventy-six hundred people were sterilized of
whom 2,000 were age 18 or younger, including
one 10-year-old boy who
was castrated. For many
years, sterilizations were
carried out in rough
proportion to the racial
distribution of the
population. That changed in
the 1960s when more
African-Americans were
targeted with the goal of
saving money for the state by
looking especially hard at
mothers getting federal and
state welfare assistance.
This shameful chapter
in North Carolina’s history is
one that many would like to
forget. Thanks to reporting
from the Winston Salem
Journal, which ran a series of
stories about the program in
2002, we are at last
reclaiming some of this tarnished legacy. In
addition, after years of delay, the state Department
of Health and Human Services recently unveiled
an excellent museum exhibit outlining in clear
panels and recordings how North Carolina had
harmed so many.
Despite a growing awareness of the
atrocities committed in the name of all North
Carolinians, the General Assembly continues to
drag its feet in redressing our mistakes.
During the budget debate in the General
Assembly this summer, Representative Larry
Womble, a longtime champion of redressing the
wrongs of the sterilization program, asked once
again for compensation for victims. In addition,
several victims of the program spoke about their
experiences. This included victims like Jesse
Riddick, who was 16 when she was sterilized and
didn’t realize what had happened until years later
after she was married and trying to start a family.
This call for compensation and reform was
again rebuffed and another
study of the issue was
ordered. Recommendations
and a study were already put
forth in 2003 and efforts
have been made every year
since then by Womble to
bring the issue up for a vote.
Despite foot-dragging
by legislators, there is a
great need for an accounting.
The recent museum exhibit
on the sterilization program
shows this by highlighting
the role of one state official.
Dr. Ellen Winston was a
prominent North Carolinian
who was the state
Commissioner of Public
Welfare, the precursor to
today’s state Department of
Health and Human Services,
from 1944 until 1962. She then became the first
national Commissioner of Welfare in 1963 in the
administration of President Lyndon Johnson. Dr.
Winston took many progressive steps to advance
the care of vulnerable people, especially the
elderly. She served with distinction at both the
state and national levels. She also was a prime
mover and often one of the only people attending
the North Carolina committee that approved and
promoted the involuntary sterilizations of
thousands.
I met Dr. Winston as a child through her
work with my mother who was then a young
social worker with an interest in issues
surrounding older adults. Dr. Winston was a
towering figure but one with what was no doubt a
terrible and largely unacknowledged burden that I
and many others were never aware of. In the
General Assembly resolution honoring her after
her death in 1984 there was no mention of her
work on the sterilization program. The importance
of her effort in this part of North Carolina’s
history is only starting to be fully explored.
It’s truly past time for us to acknowledge
our mistakes and take at least a few steps to
righting the wrongs that were done in our names.
There have been recommendations and
suggestions since 2002, but three clearly stand
out.
First, we should immediately pay
compensation to surviving victims of the
program. Estimates place the number of living
survivors at around 3,000. A $30,000 payment
spread over two years to each victim would cost
the state $45 million each year - less than the $50
million annual (and unending) tax break given
this session to some major businesses to help with
their energy costs.
Second, the excellent museum exhibit
DHHS has put together should be duplicated and
given a permanent and prominent place in the NC
Museum of History in downtown Raleigh. The
History Museum is steps from the Legislative
Building and a critical place to remember not only
the triumphs of the Wright brothers but also those
times when our moral compass went badly off
track. We cannot vow “never again” if we do not
remember what we did in the first place.
Third, as the 2003 study commission
recommended, North Carolina’s high school
curriculum should include information about the
sterilization program and a health care fund
should be established to help survivors with
health problems resulting from the sterilizations.
We can never undo the terrible mistakes we
made as North Carolinians, but we can move to
remember and compensate at least in part for the
burden that we all share.
NC Policy Watch Joins North Carolina Justice Center
Two of North Carolina’s leading sources for progressive public policy, the
North Carolina Justice Center and North Carolina Policy Watch, are joining
forces. NC Policy Watch, which was a project of the Raleigh-based A.J. Fletcher
Foundation, has become a freestanding, special project of the Justice Center. The
Fletcher Foundation will continue to provide support for Policy Watch with a
four-year grant to the Justice Center.
Policy Watch (www.ncpolicywatch.com) is a three-year old think tank that
seeks to improve the quality of life in North Carolina by presenting progressive
public policy solutions to the state’s most pressing problems. The project also
provides support for numerous grantees of the A.J. Fletcher Foundation. It is best
known for publishing and broadcasting hundreds of commentaries and policy
analyses each year on a wide array of issues affecting state policy.
“Our two organizations share the same guiding objective - to bring about
social, political and economic justice in North Carolina,” said Justice Center
Executive Director Melinda Lawrence.
“These are critical and contentious times in North Carolina, and the state
Community News
needs strong,
uncompromising
voices,” said Chris
Fitzsimon, Director
of NC Policy Watch.
“By combining our
Chris Fitzsimon
Annette Plummer
Rob Schofield
efforts, we’ll be able
to have a bigger impact than ever before on the issues that matter most - whether
it’s fair and sustainable tax policy, healthcare, education, or affordable housing.”
Barbara Goodmon, President of the Fletcher Foundation, stressed that each
group will retain its independent identity. “Both the Justice Center and Policy
Watch are respected and influential voices,” said Goodmon. “We need both of
them to continue to advance strong, public solutions that make North Carolina a
better place for everyone - especially the most vulnerable. Our hope and
expectation is that this combination will make the progressive movement more
effective than ever.”
7
policy update
Incremental Improvements Draw Attention to
Farmworker Housing Needs
By Carol Brooke – Migrant Farmworker Attorney
For the first time in over 20 years, farmworkers can be assured of a mattress on their beds when
they arrive in North Carolina to plant and harvest our crops. Thanks to a bill signed by Governor
Easley on August 31, a loophole in the North Carolina Migrant Housing Act has been closed and
housing providers must have clean mattresses, not just bedframes, for their workers.
The bill, the product of several years of negotiations between the Farmworker Advocacy Network
(FAN, whose members include the Justice Center), the NC Agribusiness Council, the Farm Bureau, and
the NC Department of Labor (NCDOL), also makes improvements in the housing inspection and
enforcement process. For its post-occupancy inspections, NCDOL must now prioritize housing that is
likely to be in poor condition. When migrant housing is discovered to be uninhabitable, the housing
operator must make immediate improvements or
provide alternative housing at the same or lesser cost.
“Workers are more empowered to make complaints
about the most egregious housing conditions when
they know they won’t be evicted with no alternatives
if they do so,” says Mercedes Hernández-Pelletier,
director of the NC Farmworkers’ Project in Benson
and a member of FAN. “It’s the workers living in
unregistered housing with no running water, holes in
the floors, or no cooking facilities who will now be
more likely to come forward.”
Much remains to be done to make farmworker
housing truly liveable, however. Amazingly, state
and federal migrant housing laws still permit the use
of outhouses instead of plumbed restrooms in migrant
camps. Even those camps with indoor plumbing are
not required to provide privacy partitions between
showers or toilets, and the ratio of occupants to toilets
is worse than what is required for NC jails.
Despite a flurry of armed robberies at camps
over the past several years, there is no requirement
that locks be provided on doors or windows and
farmworkers do not have access to a telephone in case
of robbery or a medical emergency. Other priorities
identified by FAN for future legislative action include: better access to laundry facilities so workers can
ensure pesticide residues are removed from their clothing, a clear statement that farmworkers are
allowed to have visitors at the camps, and the ability to hold growers accountable for housing provided
by their crewleaders.
“We applaud Senator Charlie Albertson and Representative Martha Alexander for their efforts on
behalf of farmworkers in passing this important legislation,” says Melinda Wiggins, executive director
of Student Action with Farmworkers and a member of FAN. “Unfortunately, we still have a long way
to go to make farmworker housing safe and decent in North Carolina.”
DUE TO PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 1466 IN JULY 2007:
z
The NC Department of Labor gives priority in its post-occupancy
inspections to the worst housing violators (units which are unregistered,
whose operators have been fined in the past year, or whose housing was
not in compliance during a pre-occupancy inspection).
z
Housing operators must provide clean and sanitary mattresses on all beds.
z
When migrant housing is determined to be uninhabitable by the NC
Department of Labor, the housing operator must make repairs within 14
days or provide alternative housing at the same or lower cost.
z
Detailed records of housing inspections and violations are to be made
available to the public and the legislature each year.
z
The NC Housing Finance Agency must study the need for the
development and rehabilitation of farmworker housing.
Mejoras llaman atención
sobre necesidades de
vivienda de trabajadores
agrícolas
Por Carol Brooke – Abogada de Trabajadores
Agrícolas Migrantes
Por primera vez en 20 años, los trabajadores
agrícolas pueden contra con un colchón en sus camas
al llegar a Carolina del Norte a sembrar y cosechar
nuestros cultivos. Gracias a una ley firmada por el
gobernador Easley el pasado 31 de agosto, un vacío en
la ley conocida como North Carolina Migrant Housing
Act ha sido llenado. Los proveedores de vivienda
deben facilitar a los trabajadores no solamente marcos
par alas camas sino colchones limpios también.
La ley, producto de varios años de negociación
entre la Farmworker Advocacy Network (FAN, cuyos
miembros incluyen al Centro para la Justicia), el NC
Agribusiness Council, el Farm Bureau, y el
Departamento del Trabajo de Carolina del Norte,
también provee para mejoras en los procesos de
inspección y monitoreo de las viviendas. La misma
establece prioridad para con las viviendas que se
encuentren en malas condiciones. Cuando se
encuentren en condiciones no-habitables, el operador
de la misma debe mejorarlas inmediatamente o
proveer vivienda alterna a un costo igual o menor.
“Los trabajadores tienen ahora canales para manifestar
sus quejas sobre sus viviendas, sabiendo que no
pueden ser echados”, señaló Mercedes HernándezPelletier, directora del NC Farmworkers Project en
Benson y miembro de FAN. “Son los trabajadores que
viven sin agua, con huecos en el suelo, y sin
facilidades para cocinar los que ahora podrán
reclamar”, añadió.
Falta mucho por hacer, sin embargo.
Increíblemente, la ley estatal y federal permiten el uso
de baños externos en vez de baños con plomería
interna en los campamentos para trabajadores. Aún en
los que tienen plomería interna, no se requiere
separación y privacidad entre las duchas y los
inodoros. Además, la proporción de usuarios por
facilidad, es peor que la requerida en las cárceles del
estado.
De igual manera, a pesar de las grandes olas de
robos en los pasados años, no se requiere candados en
las puertas y ventanas y no hay acceso a teléfono en
caso de robo o emergencia. Sobre la mesa están
propuestas futuras de acceso a facilidades de
lavandería, que aseguren la remoción de pesticidas de
la ropa de los trabajadores, la posibilidad de recibir
visitantes en los campamentos, y la responsabilidad de
parte de los cosechadores en cuanto a las condiciones
de vida provistas.
“Aplaudimos al senador Charlie Albertson y a la
representante Martha Alexander por sus esfuerzos en
beneficio de los trabajadores agrícolas al presentar esta
importante legislación” dijo Melinda Wiggins,
directora ejecutiva de Student Action with
Farmworkers y miembro de FAN.
“Desafortunadamente nos falta un largo camino por
recorrer para hacer de la vivienda de los trabajadores
agrícolas en Carolina del Norte, una segura y decente.”
In addition to the provisions passed in SB 1466, funding for two additional
housing inspectors for the NC Department of Labor was approved.
8
Community News
policy update
North Carolina wins a big victory for working families –
A Refundable State Earned Income Tax Credit
By Lucy Gorham – EITC Carolinas
This year, roughly 825,000 North Carolina
working families received an important new tax
benefit - a refundable state Earned Income Tax
Credit or EITC. This tax credit, like the federal tax
credit with the same name, directly benefits lowwage families by putting more money in their
pockets at tax time. This huge victory for hardworking families across the state was the result of
the efforts of a broad coalition of grassroots
organizations, non-profit advocacy groups, and
forward-thinking public leaders led by the NC
Justice Center. If you were one of the many North
Carolinians who took the time to contact your
elected representatives about the needs of working
families, we thank you!
How will the new North Carolina EITC work?
Everybody who qualifies for the federal EITC will
also qualify for the state benefit. When it’s
available, the state benefit will simply be 3.5% of
the federal EITC. If a family’s state benefit is
greater than income taxes owed, they will receive a
refund for the difference. The North Carolina EITC
won’t be available until you file your state tax
return in 2009, so it will be more than a year before
you really feel the benefit.
In the meantime, be sure to find out if you
qualify for the federal EITC and claim it on your
federal tax return each year. Even if you don’t owe
income tax you can get the credit, but you must file
a federal tax return and should not use the 1040 EZ
form if you have children. You can also claim the
federal EITC for the past two years if you think you
qualified and didn’t claim it. Each year, NC
working families leave more than a hundred million
dollars of Earned Income Tax Credit unclaimed Don’t be one of them!
The EITC lifts roughly five million people out
of poverty each year, including 2.5 million children
- more than any other federal program. How do
you know if you qualify for the credit? Below is a
age 17. Some non-custodial parents may be able to
claim the CTC.
What if I need help to file my tax
return?
GET FREE HELP
Tax preparation sites through the IRS VITA
program help people earning less than $50,000 fill
out their tax forms for free with IRS certified
volunteers. These sites are open from late January
through April 15. Most sites offer electronic filing
for faster refunds and with direct deposit you will
get your tax refunds within ten days. Here is how to
find a site near you:
1) Call the Connectinc helpline toll-free at 888-9273230 or 2) the IRS toll-free hotline at 1-800-8291040 or 3) visit the EITC Carolinas website at
www.eitc-carolinas.org for a list of free tax
preparation sites.
What else can you do to save at tax
time?
chart that shows who is eligible for the EITC. For
example, a married couple filing a joint tax return
that has two or more children can qualify for up to
$4,716.
Some taxpayers are also eligible for the Child
Tax Credit (CTC) and the Child and Dependent
Care Credit to help cover the expenses of child care
when they work. The Child Tax Credit (CTC) can
be worth an additional $1,000 for each child under
z
Do NOT use rapid refunds, which are
actually LOANS with VERY HIGH
interest rates.
z
Use direct deposit for the fastest way to
get your tax refund. Be sure to bring your
bank account information with you to the
VITA site or wherever you have your taxes
prepared.
z
Always take advantage of tax credits: the
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child
Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care
Credit, and Education credits. Use Forms
1040 or 1040A, not 1040 EZ.
z
Find out about the Savers’ Tax Credit if
you are saving through a 401(K), IRA, or
other retirement plan.
z
Participate in your employee retirement
plan, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR
EMPLOYER PROVIDES A MATCH.
EITC QUALIFICATION
INCOME LIMIT:
EARN LESS THAN
NUMBER OF
QUALIFYING CHILDREN
MAXIMUM
EITC CREDIT
Single or Head of Household
$37,783
More than 1
$4,716
Married Filing Jointly
$39,783
More than 1
$4,716
$33,241
1
$2,853
$35,241
1
$2,853
$12,590
None
$428
$14,590
None
$428
“Presupuesto estatal 2007-2008” – from pagina 5)
economía cada vez más global.
El resto del aumento en gastos va dirigido a
financiar aumentos salariales de los trabajadores
del estado, así como plan de salud para niños de
familias de recursos limitados, un nuevo hospital
Community News
de salud mental, y fondos para rehabilitar los
envejecientes sistemas de acueducto y
alcantarillado de los gobiernos locales, inversiones
fundamentales para el futuro.
De igual manera que en el pasado tendremos
que superar las tácticas de miedo de los críticos
del presupuesto que ayuda a establecer terreno
para un futuro de prosperidad para todos los que
vivimos en este estado. El polvo se ha removido y
el futuro muestra su brillo.
9
policy update
Victories and Disappointments
An Education Advocate’s Snapshot from the Close
of the 2007 Legislative Session
By Angella Dunston – Director, Education & Law Project
After a flurry of activity which
included endless days of continuous
negotiations and compromises, the
close of the 2007 legislative session
resulted in a mix of victories and
disappointments for education
advocates. Before adjourning, the NC
General Assembly passed a $20.7
billion state budget that included $7
million in new and recurring dollars for
education. A few of the 2007-2008 K12 education budget highlights include:
z
$17.5 million for the Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Fund
(DSSF)
z
$5.4 million for the Low Wealth Counties Supplemental Fund
z
$5.7 million for literacy coaches for middle schools
z
$4 million for the Focused Education Reform Pilot Program (five
low performing districts- Mitchell, Greene, Warren, Washington &
Caswell)
z
$3 million for the One to One Laptop High School Pilot Program
(Rutherford, Davidson, Nash/Rocky Mount, Edgecombe, Sandhoke,
Macon, Wayne and Wilson Hunt High School - laptops for every
teacher and student)
One of the most significant and innovative initiatives addressed by the
General Assembly this session was the issue of dropout prevention. The NC
House of Representatives renewed its commitment to at-risk and disadvantaged
students through its focus on increasing the number of high school graduates.
The House leadership reaffirmed its obligation to NC students by creating the
Committee on Dropout Prevention. The Committee, which is comprised of local
and state leaders, will distribute $ 7 million in dropout prevention grants to
schools, local agencies, and nonprofits through a competitive grant-making
process. Organizations awarded funds must demonstrate proven effective
strategies that prevent students from dropping out of schools. The House also
initiated creation of the Joint Legislative Commission on Dropout Prevention.
The Commission is charged with determining which interventions and
techniques are most effective at keeping students in school. Upon completion,
the Commission will submit a final report to the Joint Legislative Education
Oversight Committee in 2009.
In addition to expanding funding for education initiatives, numerous bills
and special provisions vital to ensuring that all students receive a sound basic
education were passed into law. One such piece of legislation is HB 1739, which
allows students, placed on short term suspensions (ten days or less) to take their
textbooks home for the duration of the suspension. It also allows students to
have access to homework assignments and to ensure that parents receive actual
notice of a student’s expulsion or suspension from school.
Another bill is HB 14 which allows students with disabilities to have
homebound instruction for discipline purposes if the home is the least restrictive
environment. It also requires that the student’s IEP team determine the
effectiveness of the learning environment and regular evaluation of the
appropriateness of the homebound instruction.
Also, a special provision which should be noted is No Cost for Summer
School or Remediation Activities. This provision requires schools to inform -atrisk students and their families that participation in and transportation to
intervention activities are free of charge. Schools cannot charge tuition or fees
for summer school or any remediation activities necessary for graduation.
In spite of the gains made this session, there is still a great deal of work to
be done. Effective legislation which would have provided solutions to address
NC’s growing gang problem as well discourage bullying in schools was stalled
because of the efforts of law enforcement and the religious right. Education
advocates worked in coalition to spearhead these bills and many others which
focused on providing every child with a quality education. Such legislation,
which is essential to the success of NC’s education system, works to reverse the
current trends of “pull out” and “push out” which often lead to suspension and
dropout especially among minority and at-risk students. Unfortunately, a great
deal of hard work was also mounted by schools and administrators to block and
derail such legislation.
As we prepare for the upcoming session, lawmakers, advocates and the
community at large must take a more proactive role introducing and
championing legislation which will result in more students graduating from
school. Instead of forcing students to leave school. We have to work together to
find solutions to keep them in the school house and out of the jail house. We
must always be reminded that every child in NC has a constitutional right to a
“sound basic” education and it is our responsibility to protect that right.
This is not an exhaustive analysis of the session but rather a quick glance at
items that affect public schools. To learn more about specific bills or the budget,
visit the General Assembly’s website at www.ncleg.net.
Educativa (en los distritos Mitchell, Greene, Warren,
Washington & Caswell)
Victorias y frustraciones
Imagen de un Luchador de la Educación sobre la
Sesión Legislativa 2007
z
$3 millones para el programa piloto de computadoras para
cada estudiante y maestro en las escuelas superiores
(Rutherford, Davidson, Nash/Rocky Mount, Edgecombe,
Sandhoke, Macon, Wayne y Wilson Hunt High School)
Por Angella Dunston – Directora, Education & Law Project
Luego de ardua lucha, el cierre de la sesión legislativa de 2007
culminó en una mezcla de victorias y frustraciones para los que abogan
por la educación. Antes de concluir, la Asamblea General del estado
aprobó un presupuesto de 20.7 billones de los cuales 7 nuevos y
recurrentes millones son para las gestiones educadoras. Algunos de los
aspectos de dicho presupuesto escolar para 2007-2008 son:
z
$17.5 millones para el Fondo Suplementario para Estudiantes
en Desventaja (DSSF)
z
$5.4 millones para el Fondo Suplementario para Condados
con Recursos Limitados.
z
$5.7 millones para instructores de alfabetizacion en las
escuelas intermedias
z
$4 millones para el Fondo del Programa Piloto de Reforma
Una de las iniciativas que se destacaron en esta Asamblea General
fue la concerniente con la retención de estudiantes en las escuelas. Existe
un compromiso de parte de la legislatura para con los estudiantes en riesgo
y desventaja y para aumentar el número de graduandos de escuela
superior.
Para ello la Cámara ha creado un comité compuesto por liderato
local y estatal. Para distribuir 7 millones de dólares a escuelas, agencias
locales, y organizaciones sin fines de lucro mediante un proceso
competitivo de otorgación de fondos. De igual manera se ha creado una
comisión bicameral sobre el mismo tema. Se evaluarán las estrategias y
métodos más efectivos para cumplir con el propósito de dicha iniciativa.
El informe inicial debe estar listo para el 2009.
Otras piezas legislativas aprobadas fueron: HB 1739, que permite a
los estudiantes suspendidos por tiempo breve (10 dias o menos) llevar sus
libros de la escuela a su casa durante dicho tiempo, al igual que acceso a
sus tareas y asegurar que los padres saben de dicha situación.
La HB 14 permite a los estudiantes con necesidades especiales
(“Victorias y frustraciones” – pagina 13)
10
Community News
policy update
Public Employee Collective Bargaining Makes Headway
Ajamu Dillahunt – Outreach Coordinator, Budget & Tax Center
Legislation that would enhance the ability of public employees in North
Carolina to determine the quality of their jobs made unexpected but significant
progress during the 2007 session. The bill, HB 1583, would repeal current law that
prohibits public employees and their organizations from bargaining or entering
into agreements with the state as well as local and county governments. This has
an impact on nearly 700,000 employees across the state, including custodians in
county schools, workplace and restaurant inspectors, and caseworkers doing
Medicaid eligibility.
The restrictions are contained in North Carolina General Statue 95-98. The
law was adopted in the anti-union, anti-civil rights climate of 1959. It was passed
with legislation that even prohibited public employees from belonging to a union.
That statue was overturned as unconstitutional. What remains of the infamous laws
has been cited as being in violation of fundamental labor standards by the
International Labor Organization (ILO), a body of the United Nations.
House Bill
1583 would remove
these restrictions and
as the bill title
indicates “Restore
Contract Rights to
State and Local
Entities.” A city
government or town
council could decide
that it is in the best
interest of its
residents and
employees for them
to engage in a
constructive process
leading to an
agreement that the
employer and
employee would be
accountable to. N.C.
State University
history professor
David Zonderman
has said “A
collectively bargained
contract would give
these workers a voice
at their jobs--a voice
for dignity and fair treatment from their employers, and a voice to share ideas for
solving problems and making the public sector serve taxpayers more efficiently
and effectively.”
The bill was introduced by Representative Dan Blue, Chairperson of the
House Judiciary II Committee and supported by the HOPE (Hear Our Public
Employees) Coalition. HOPE’s membership consists of unions and employee
associations that represent workers in the public sector. Their effort was
strengthened by the support of the HKon J Coalition led by the NC State NAACP.
Collective Bargaining for public employees was one of the points on its 14 Point
legislative agenda.
As expected, there was stiff opposition to the bill in the committee with the
N.C. Sheriffs Association and the League of Municipalities throwing their weight
around. However, the employee groups countered with grassroots membership
mobilizations. Rank and file members joined their lobbyist in making the case to
lawmakers. The original language was amended and the committee voted to send
it to the Appropriations committee. With the session over, it awaits consideration
during the 2008 Short Session.
Everyone who participated in this historic effort feels good about the results.
They plan to intensify the community and membership education efforts as well as
the political work that will get legislators to support public employees in search of
equity, fairness and dignity.
For more information, please visit: www.nchope.org or
http://carolinajustice.typepad.com/hkonj/2007/02/point_11_collec.html.
Community News
Adelanta Negociación Colectiva
Empleados Públicos
Ajamu Dillahunt – Coordinador de Alcance, Centro de Presupuesto e
Impuesto
La legislación que ampliaría la capacidad de los empleados
públicos en Carolina del Norte de decidir la calidad de sus trabajos tuvo
un inesperado pero significativo progreso durante la sesión legislativa
2007. El proyecto de ley de la Cámara HB 1583, derogaría cualquier ley
existente que prohíba a los empleados públicos y sus organizaciones de
negociar colectivamente y llegar a acuerdos con el estado
así como con gobiernos locales y de condados. Esto es de
impacto para los 700,000 empleados en el estado que
incluye custodios en las escuelas de los condados,
inspectores de restaurantes y facilidades de trabajo, y
agentes de servicios sociales de Medicaid.
Las limitaciones se encuentran en el estatuto general
del estado 95-98 (North Carolina General Statue 95-98).
La misma fue adoptada durante el clima anti-uniones y
anti-derechos civiles de 1959. Prohibía, sin legislación
alguna, pertenecer a una unión. La misma fue declarada
inconstitucional. Lo que queda de la misma ha sido
declarada como en violación de los reglamentos
fundamentales del trabajo según la Organización
Internacional del Trabajo (International Labor
Organization), perteneciente a las Naciones Unidas.
El proyecto HB 1583 eliminaría estas restricciones
para restaurar los derechos de contrato de las entidades
estatales y locales, como dice el texto de la misma. El
gobierno local o consejo municipal puede expresar que el
negociar con los empleados en el mejor de los intereses de
los residentes y empleados. Tanto patrono como empleado
responderían por dichos acuerdos. David Zonderman,
profesor de historia de la Universidad Estatal de Carolina
del Norte (NCSU) ha dicho que ‘la negociación colectiva
da a los trabajadores una voz A collectively bargained
contract would give these workers a voice at their jobs--a
voice for dignity and fair treatment from their employers,
and a voice to share ideas for solving problems and
making the public sector serve taxpayers more efficiently
and effectively.”
The bill was introduced by Representative Dan Blue, Chairperson
of the House Judiciary II Committee and supported by the HOPE (Hear
Our Public Employees) Coalition. HOPE’s membership consists of
unions and employee associations that represent workers in the public
sector. Their effort was strengthened by the support of the HKon J
Coalition led by the NC State NAACP. Collective Bargaining for public
employees was one of the points on its 14 Point legislative agenda.
As expected, there was stiff opposition to the bill in the committee
with the N.C. Sheriffs Association and the League of Municipalities
throwing their weight around. However, the employee groups countered
with grassroots membership mobilizations. Rank and file members
joined their lobbyist in making the case to lawmakers. The original
language was amended and the committee voted to send it to the
Appropriations committee. With the session over, it awaits consideration
during the 2008 Short Session.
Everyone who participated in this historic effort feels good about
the results. They plan to intensify the community and membership
education efforts as well as the political work that will get legislators to
support public employees in search of equity, fairness and dignity.
www.nchope.org
http://carolinajustice.typepad.com/hkonj/2007/02/point_11_collec.html
11
policy update
Older Adults Make Significant Gains in 2007 Session
By: Bill Wilson and Mary Bethel – Advocacy Directors, AARP North Carolina
The 2007 General Assembly adjourned
August 2, with legislators having responded
favorably to many of AARP North Carolina’s
legislative priorities. While AARP works on dozens
of bills every session, several pieces of legislation
stand out, particularly improvements to the
oversight of long term care facilities, programs for
limited income older adults with escalating
property taxes, and legislation
addressing Medicaid
beneficiaries.
limited incomes by raising the income eligibility
limit to qualify for the Homestead Exemption to
$25,000. Qualifying homeowners can reduce the
tax appraisal value of their primary residence by
$25,000 (this is an increase from the current
$20,000) or 50% of the appraised value, whichever
is greater. Also, the Revenue Laws Study
Commission will study whether the excluded dollar
Penalty Review/Long
Term Care Changes
(Senate Bill 56):
Older adults and others
with health problems requiring
a stay in a long-term care
facility are especially
vulnerable and in need of
protections to ensure that they
receive good care.
Unfortunately, in North
Carolina there are too often
reports of abuse and neglect by
providers and conditions in
facilities that are not conducive
to a good quality of life.
Senate Bill 56 helps address
these problems by expanding
the Health Care Personnel
Registry to cover additional health care facilities
and by including individuals with indirect resident
or client contact who have been found to have
committed fraud, abuse, neglect, theft of drugs, or
misappropriation of patient or facility property.
This provision will help improve the quality of staff
in health care facilities. The legislation also
authorizes the Medical Care Commission to adopt
rules allowing the issuance of certificates that rate
adult care homes based on inspections and
substantiated complaint investigations conducted
by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Specific areas to be reviewed include admission
and discharge procedures, medication management,
physical facility, resident care and services
(including food services, resident activities, and
safety measures), residents’ rights, sanitation grade,
special care units, and the use of physical restraints
and alternatives. These ratings will help families
compare the quality of facilities and assist them in
making informed decisions when choosing a home.
Property Tax and Present-Use Value
Changes and Studies (House Bill 1499):
For older adults or others with limited
incomes maintaining a home can be a challenge;
especially if the homeowner’s income is not
sufficient to keep pace with property taxes. This is
particularly problematic when an individual retires
and experiences a decrease in income.
House Bill 1499 helps homeowners with
12
in excess of $960 (4% times $24,000), or $540
($1,500 minus $960), can be deferred. If a
homeowner’s property tax is $3,000 and they have
$35,000 in income, taxes in excess of $1,750 (5%
times $35,000), or $1,250 ($3,000 minus $1,750)
can be deferred. The deferral process does place a
lien against the property. If the owner transfers the
residence, dies, or ceases using the property as a
permanent residence, taxes for the
current year (without benefit of the
exclusion) and taxes and interest
for the three preceding years are
due within nine months.
Medicaid Hardship/Estate
Recovery/Data Share
(House Bill 1537):
One of the hardest decisions
many older and disabled adults
face is how to pay for health care
costs. In many cases Medicaid is
the safety net program which helps
to cover the cost of care for those
with limited assets and resources.
House Bill 1537, among other
things, provides safeguards to help
ensure that people can receive
Medicaid without facing undue
hardship. The bill does the
following three things:
amount, now $25,000, should be indexed and if so
to what index.
The bill also provides a property tax deferral
benefit for NC residents who meet the criteria
below. The amount of taxes deferred is based on
the income eligibility limit under the Homestead
Exemption. If the owner (1) has an income for the
preceding calendar year of not more that 150% of
the Homestead income limit (e.g., $37,500 when
the Homestead limit is $25,000), (2) has occupied
the property as a permanent residence for at least 5
years, (3) is at least 65 years old or totally and
permanently disabled, and (4) the owner is a NC
resident; then they qualify for the benefit.
Qualifying homeowners may defer the portion of
tax imposed if it exceeds a percentage of the
owner’s income as:
For example, if a homeowner’s property tax
TAX DEFERRAL QUALIFICATION
INCOME
PERCENTAGE
Less than Homestead
income limit
4.0%
100% to 150% of
Homestead income limit
5.0%
is $1,500 and they have $24,000 in income, taxes
(1) Amends the Medicaid
estate recovery provisions. In 2005,
State legislation was passed which
expanded the State’s right to impose a lien
again real property, including the home of
a recipient of Medicaid. This expansion
was scheduled to take place July 1, 2007.
This legislation was opposed by health
and aging advocates as well as by groups
such as the N.C. Bankers Association, the
N.C. Bar Association, the N.C. Land Title
Association. In addition to the economic
harm that it would pose to older and
disabled adults, it would cause confusion
in the public record system and would
create great uncertainty regarding
mortgages and home equity loans. AARP
worked in cooperation with the N.C.
Justice Center and the groups noted above
to repeal the law passed in 2005. This
allows the law which is already in place
pertaining to liens on real property to stay
in place.
(2) Amends the law regarding required
data sharing by health insurers and the
Department.
(3) Sets forth the Medicaid undue
hardship waiver process in regard to
the transfer of assets. When a person
requests Medicaid payment for
institutional services, the county
Community News
policy update
A Rating System at Last!
By Polly Williams – NC Justice Center Volunteer
Advocates for the aging enjoyed a huge
victory at the very end of the General
Assembly’s session when a rating system for
adult care homes was finally approved. This
was a hard-won success, since opponents
worked nights and Sundays to defeat the
legislation, and final passage took the efforts
of everyone. In this case grassroots advocacy
meant success.
We owe thanks to members of the House
Aging Committee, chaired by Jean FarmerButterfield, which this session was assigned
some important bills and dealt with them at a
level of discussion far above what some bills
receive. The original bill provided for a fivestar rating system for adult care homes based
on monitoring by the state’s Division of
Facility Services, on penalties assessed
against, a home, on participation in the state’s
quality improvement initiatives, and on
earning an NC New Organizational Vision
Award. The industry lobbied hard against this
bill, claiming that only private pay facilities
could earn all the stars and protesting that
adult care homes were being singled out from
all the other types of long term care. Some
well-intentioned legislators were persuaded to
try to load up the bill with so many ratings for
so many different types of facilities that the
bill was bound to be way too encumbered and
expensive for the heavy lifting required for
passage. Meanwhile in an appropriations
subcommittee, the bill’s funding was
department of social services (DSS)
investigates possible transfers of assets. If
the DSS finds that the person transferred
assets without receiving compensation equal
to the value of the assets, he/she may be
penalized by being ineligible for Medicaid
payment of institutional services. Among
other things, these provisions specify the
process for requesting a waiver of the
penalty due to undue hardship, spell out the
criteria for a hardship, and define how
income and resources of the person and the
community spouse are counted.
To receive a summary of action taken on legislation
priorities of AARP North Carolina this session go to
www.aarp.org/states/nc/.
Community News
transferred to
the Health Care
Personnel
Registry. The
situation looked
bad.
When
Representative
Jennifer Weiss
was appointed
chair of a subcommittee to rework the bill,
she offered alternative stripped-down
versions, one of which was doctored up by the
subcommittee but was really just a study bill.
Still it went nowhere. The companion bill in
the Senate was stalled as well. Suddenly
inspired, Representative Weiss and other
legislators managed to cram ratings
certification (along with the measure to
expand the Health Care Personnel Registry)
into a bill that had already passed the Senate,
S56, a bill making changes in the Penalty
Review Committee system. S56 was passed
by the House, but the Senate refused to
concur, and the bill went to a conference
committee where it encountered the same
arguments in opposition. In the end, both
houses agreed to it.
What finally did they agree to? A
minimal rating system based on inspections of
a facility, penalties levied on it, and
substantiated complaints against it. If an adult
care home passes muster on basic standards, it
gets a good
rating. No credit
is given for
quality
improvements or
NOVA, though
information is to
be available on
the web and at
the facility on
these matters. The rating certification will be
displayed at the home and on the web, and
those who are interested can be informed
about the basis for the rating. A further
provision requires a study of expanding rating
certification to other types of facilities.
No one thinks a choice of a home for
Grandma should be based on a rating alone.
But when time is short and the family is far
away, a rating is a whole lot better than
nothing. And for those who live nearby, the
ratings give important clues about where to
start looking further. Many family care homes
should get a high rating as well as any
decently run adult care home, even one whose
residents are primarily recipients of
State/County Assistance.
With time, as the system is tried out, we
can work to improve the system so that
ratings reflect not only a basic level of care
but all-around excellence as well.
(“Victorias y frustraciones” – from pagina 10)
recibir instrucción en el hogar con propósito
disciplinario si es un ambiente apropiado. De
igual manera requiere que el equipo de Plan
Individualizado de Enseñanza (PEI) de cada
estudiante determine la efectividad de dicho
ambiente y el proceso regular de evaluación
de la experiencia.
De igual manera se ha provisto para la
escuela de verano y las actividades
remediativas sean libres de costo. La escuela
debe informar a los estudiantes en riego y sus
familias de dicho beneficio tanto para
transporte como actividades.
A pesar de estas victorias, queda mucho
por hacer. Temas como las pandillas y la
indisciplina escolar quedaron pendientes
debido a la oposición de parte de los sistemas
policiales y la derecha religiosa. Tambien
hubo oposición de parte de administradores y
lideres escolares. Dicha legislación es
necesaria para cualquier reforma y cambio de
calidad en nuestro sistema estatal de
educación.
Debemos hacer todo lo posible para que
los estudiantes terminen la escuela en vez de
abandonar la misma. Que sea la escuela y no
la cárcel su alternativa. Recordemos que todo
niño en Carolina del Norte tiene derecho a
una educación básica sólida y que es nuestro
deber velar por ese derecho.
13
community focus enfoque comunitario
Affordable Housing as Critical Infrastructure Issue
Chris Estes – Executive Director, North Carolina Housing Coalition
Since 2005, the Campaign for Housing
Carolina has sought to educate the NC public and
policy-makers on the needs and benefits of
increasing the state’s investment in quality
affordable homes for low and moderate income NC
residents with a goal of achieving
a annual funding level of at least
$50 million a year.
Led by the NC Housing
Coalition, the Campaign has been
endorsed by over 150
organizations and businesses and
has received significant support in
the NC General Assembly from
the NC Justice Center, NC
Housing Finance Agency, United
Way of NC, AARP-NC, Alliance
of Disability Advocates, NC
Bankers Association and many
others.
The totals appropriated to
the Housing Trust Fund since the
Campaign began have reflected
the success of this effort to focus
the attention of the NC General
Assembly on housing issues.
Starting with a recurring
appropriation of $3 million, the
Campaign led to increases to $8
million in 2005 and $18.9 million
in 2006. In 2007 the total was
less than last year at $15.5 million
but the recurring amount
increased to $8 million for the
first time since the Housing Trust
Fund was created in 1988. The
most disappointing aspect of this
total was that the funding cut
came in the Housing 400 program
which produces accessible
affordable rental units targeted to
persons with disabilities. We were also frustrated
that the Campaign could not penetrate the funding
priorities of legislative leaders at the end of the
budget session when millions of discretionary funds
were being decided. However an increase in
recurring funding is a significant achievement and
Bill Rowe from the NC Justice Center deserves
significant credit for these increases as he has led
the legislative effort inside the General Assembly
each year of the Campaign and worked to increase
the Housing Trust Fund since its inception.
The message of the Campaign has been
centered on changing the perceptions of what
current quality affordable housing looks like,
clarifying the housing needs of working families,
fixed income seniors and persons with disabilities
and the economic impact of investing funds in the
NC Housing Trust Fund. To do this we have
traveled the state to speak to a wide variety of
interest groups to show them statistics as well as
pictures of those in need of this housing and what it
looks like. We developed attractive brochures for
distribution and used our website for additional
information and action alerts.
The message throughout has been that access
to quality affordable homes like the “hub” of a
wheel with other issues like school diversity, fixed
income seniors, persons with disabilities, growth,
transportation, workforce sustainability, ending
homelessness, asset building and economic
development surrounding the hub like the rim.
While people may generally recognize these other
issues as significant for their community, we wanted
to make sure that they saw access to quality
affordable housing as central to all of them.
In 2007 the Campaign had a news opportunity
to expand on how the public and policy-makers saw
affordable housing. During the winter of 20062007 the representatives from the Housing Coalition
and NC Justice Center met with representatives
from the League of
Municipalities, Association of
County Commissioners, School
Boards Association, NC Rural
Center, Land for Tomorrow and
Asphalt Pavers and NC Go to
discuss our work to achieve large
amounts of funding for our
various issues. The groups
decided that by working together
we could launch a combined
campaign around NC’s
infrastructure needs that would
likely be more effective at
generating significant funding
resources in the form of general
obligation bonds and dedicated
revenue sources.
This coalition, named the
Partnership for North
Carolina’s Future offered the
Campaign the opportunity to
position affordable housing as a
critical infrastructure issue
alongside schools, roads, water
and sewer and open space. The
Partnership had access to
considerably more resources than
the Campaign for Housing
Carolina and launched print,
radio and television ads to make
its case. While it was difficult at
times to balance all of the issues
in individual ads, this effort
provided affordable housing with
much more exposure publically
and within the General Assembly than it had
received before.
As we look ahead to the up-coming “short
session” in 2008 we anticipate the Housing
Coalition participating again with the Partnership’s
effort while maintaining the Campaign for Housing
Carolina as a full separate effort with our allies and
endorsing organizations.
Our goal will be to build on our previous
efforts and move funding for the NC Housing Trust
Fund to the top of the priority list of legislative
leaders and encourage them to take bold steps to
provide significant revenue for the Trust Fund of at
least $50 million a year as well as other
infrastructure issues.
WE NEED YOUR NEWS!
If your organization has news, reports to share, or upcoming events to publicize, won’t you let us include them
in an issue of Community News?
Call (919)856-2169 or e-mail [email protected] for publishing dates and other details.
14
Community News
community focus enfoque comunitario
Everyone Gets Sick, but Do You Have Time to Get Better?
By Louisa Warren – Policy Advocate
We’re all likely to get sick this year, but not
all of us will be able to take a day off from work
to get well. That’s because there’s no state or
federal law that requires employers to provide
paid sick days.
Almost half, 42 percent, of North Carolina’s
workers, lack paid sick leave. That means that
1.6 million of our state’s workers cannot take
even a single paid sick day off to care for their or
their loved one’s health.
We are a nation and state that prides itself
on family values. When you work hard, you
should be able to care for your family. But
without paid sick days, many workers have to
make a difficult choice-keeping their job and
getting a paycheck or caring for themselves, a
sick child, or maybe even a sick parent.
Working mothers, part-time employees, and low-wage workers are
especially hit hard by a lack of paid sick days. Nationwide, half of all working
mothers lose pay when they take time to tend to sick children. Similarly, an
estimated 75 percent of low-wage workers lack paid sick days. Because
African-American and Hispanic workers dominate the low-wage labor force,
those groups are impacted disproportionately by a lack of paid sick days.
Not only do working folks need paid sick days to care for their children,
they need them to care for their parents or other elderly sick relatives. More
than a third of Americans have elder care responsibilities, and many have to take
unpaid time off to provide care. The need for elder care will only increase as
Baby Boomers retire in the near future.
Paid sick days will not only help our families, it will help our economy
too. We can save money and reduce illnesses.
Employers would benefit from higher productivity. Employees who come
to work sick because they don’t have paid sick
leave are unproductive and can be contagious.
Presenteeism-workers coming to work even when
they are ill-costs our economy too much. One
estimate says that it costs American employers
$180 billion in lost productivity. This cost
exceeds the price of employee-provided medical
and disability benefits.
Not only does it cost a lot, it means that
other employees are exposed to the sick worker
who comes in. This matters even more for foodservice, retail, and hospitality industry workers
who interact with consumers on a day-to-day
basis. Providing paid sick days makes us all
healthier.
Another benefit of paid sick days is reduced
turnover in workplaces. Employees would retain their jobs with paid sick leave
and employers would save on advertising, recruitment, and training, a much
bigger bill than paid sick days.
Overall, it’s estimated that if Americans were given seven paid sick days,
we would save $8.2 billion per year.
States around the nation are taking a good look at the benefits of paid sick
leave and North Carolina is helping to lead the charge. Earlier this year, we
introduced a paid sick days bill, HB 1711, and Congress is considering a federal
version, HB 1225, called the Healthy Families Act.
The NC Justice Center will be spearheading a Paid Sick Days Initiative
and if you’re interested in joining us in our efforts to help families juggle the
demands of work and family, please contact us.
Louisa Warren is a Senior Policy Advocate focusing on work and income
supports.
¿Todos nos enfermamos, pero ¿tenemos tiempo para recuperarnos?
Por Louisa Warren
Es muy probable que en algún momento del año nos enfermemos, pero
no todos podemos tomar un día libre del trabajo para recuperarnos. Esto se
debe a que no existe ley estatal o federal que requiera del patrono el proveer
pago por los días de enfermedad.
El 42% de los trabajadores en Carolina del Norte carecen de pago por
ausencia en enfermedad. Eso significa que 1.6 millones de trabajadores en el
estado no pueden ausentarse sin afectar su salario ante la enfermedad de
ellos o de un ser querido.
Somos una nación y un estado que se enorgullecen de sus valores
familiares. Cuando se trabaja arduamente, debemos poder ocuparnos de la
familia. Pero sin días por enfermedad con paga, muchos trabajadores tiene
que tomar una decisión muy difícil- mantener sus trabajos y recibir su pago,
o cuidar de si mismos o de algún familiar enfermo.
Las madres trabajadoras, los empleados a jornada parcial, y los
trabajadores sub-pagados son los que más sufren ante esta situación. En toda
la nación, la mitad de las madres trabajadoras pierden dinero cuando
permanecen en sus casas para atender a sus hijos enfermos. De igual manera
sucede con el 75% de los trabajadores sub-pagados. Debido a que los
trabajadores afroamericanos e hispanos dominan la fuerza laboral subpagada, son los grupos mayormente afectados por la carencia de pago por
días de enfermedad.
No solamente es necesario asistir a los hijos, sino también a los padres
y otros familiares mayores de edad que se enferman. Más de un tercio de los
americanos tienen que cuidar a personas de edad avanzada y muchos toman
tiempo sin paga para hacerlo. La necesidad de cuidado irá en aumento según
los ‘Baby Boomers’ (las personas nacidas entre 1948-1964) comiencen a
retirarse en el futuro cercano.
Community News
Los días por enfermedad pagados no solamente ayudará a nuestras
familias sino a la economía. Permite ahorrar dinero y reducir las
enfermedades. Los patronos se benefician de una mayor productividad. No
sucede así con los empleados que al carecer de paga por día de enfermedad,
vienen a trabajar enfermos y con el riesgo de contagiar a otros. Esto le
cuesta mucho a nuestra economía: unos 180 millones anuales, que supera lo
que los patronos pagan en planes de salud e incapacidad. De mayor
importancia es para los empleados de puestos de comida, mercancía y
hoteles que interactúan con clientes día tras día. Los días por enfermedad
con paga nos hacen más saludables a todos.
Otro beneficio es que los empleados pueden mantener sus trabajos y
evitar el reemplazo constante en los lugares de trabajo. De esta manera los
patronos ahorran en publicidad, reclutamiento, y adiestramiento, que es más
costoso que pagar los días por enfermedad.
Se calcula que el ahorro pudiera ser de unos $8.2 billones por año.
Muchos estados alrededor de la nación han visto estos beneficios y
Carolina del Norte está tomando la iniciativa. Durante este año introdujimos
el proyecto de la Cámara HB 1711, y al momento el Congreso considera una
versión federal, HB 1225, conocida como Ley para Familias Saludables.
El Centro para la Justicia de Carolina del Norte llevará la iniciativa
para los días por enfermedad con paga. Si interesa unirse a este esfuerzo
para ayudar a las familias de los trabajadores, favor de comunicarse con
nosotros.
Louisa Warren es asesora en política sobre trabajo y apoyo salarial.
15
information exchange
intercambio de informacion
Same Day Registration in North Carolina: How it Works
Lynice R. Williams – Executive Director, North Carolina Fair Share
In 2004 because of voter
disenfranchisement at the polls rural members
of NC Fair Share Pender County Chapter
wanted an expanded way of voting. They
identified Same Day Registration as one of the
answers. At the request of NC Fair Share
member constituents and staff, Representative
Deborah Ross, D-Wake, introduced legislation
for NC Same Day Registration. After four years
of grassroots community organizing, coalition
building, and public policy advocacy by NC
Coalition for Same Day Registration partners
and allies, on July 20, 2007, Governor Mike
Easley signed into law HB91 to create Same
Day Registration during the early voting
period. North Carolina is the first state in the
south to have Same Day Registration and now
joins an elite group of eight states, Idaho,
Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin,
Wyoming, Iowa, and Montana that encourage
voter turnout and eliminate arbitrary
registration cut offs (these states except NC
also have full Election Day Registration).
How it Works:
With Same Day Registration (SDR) eligible
voters can register to vote AND vote at the same
time and same place with a retrievable ballot during
the Early Voting Period (also called “One Stop
Voting”), which ends the Saturday before Election
Day. Same Day Registration can only be used
during the Early Voting Period and not on Election
Day. The 2007 North Carolina Early Voting Period
is, September 20-October 6 for cities with the
October 9 election and October 18-November 3 for
the November 6 election. To participate in SDR,
voters must go to the Early Voting sites in their
county, which can be found by calling the local
Board of Elections toll-free at 1.866.522.4723 or at
www.sboe.state.nc.us Voters must still abide by all
the registration requirements including holding U.S.
citizenship, being 18 years old by Election Day,
Inscripción durante período
electoral en Carolina del Norte:
cómo funciona
Por Lynice R. Williams – Directora Ejecutiva, North Carolina Fair Share
En el 2004, electores desplazados en el condado Pender lucharon por
una manera de poder ejercer su voto. Vieron en la inscripción en el día de
eleciones una alternativa.
Ante su solicitud, los miembros y personal de la NC Fair Share y la
representante Deborah Ross (demócrata, condado Wake), introdujeron
legislación con dicho objetivo. Luego de cuatro años de lucha comunitaria,
establecimiento de redes de apoyo, y cabildeo legislativo, el pasado 20 de
julio de 2007, los miembros y aliados de la NC Coalition for Same Day
Registration , junto al gobernador Mike Easley, firmaron la ley HB91
proveyendo para inscripción en el mismo día de elecciones durante el
primer período electoral. Carolina del Norte es el primer estado del sur que
lo establece, uniéndose a Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire,
Wisconsin, Wyoming, Iowa, y Montana. Estos tienen inscripción inclusive
en el día de la selecciones, no aún así, Carolina del Norte.
having lived in the county for 30 days prior to
Election Day, having proof of current address,
and showing valid ID which may include only
one of the following, NC drivers license, bank
or bank card statement, utility bill, paycheck
or paycheck stub or W2 form, student ID &
school document with address or document
from a government agency such as car
registration, tax bill, Social Security,
Medicare, Medicaid card, military ID,
passport, or other ID from any government
agency. Same Day Registration is simple,
straightforward electoral reform that is proven
to help increase voter turnout. Same Day
Registration will be especially important for
people who move, young people, and voters
who have been historically disenfranchised.
As a recent report by Demos found, SDR also
helps prevents fraud. Voter registration is
much more likely to be accurate when done as
part of the official voting process. North
Carolina’s SDR also makes voter fraud a
felony. We together celebrate this landmark
legislation for North Carolina and look
forward to educating the public to use this
new public policy for greater democracy in our
state.
Need fact sheets or speaker to talk to your group
about Same Day Registration? Or have problems
using SDR? We will have legal voting rights advice
for you. Call NC Fair Share toll free 1-866-3020031 or email [email protected].
elecciones. No se puede usar el día de elecciones. Para el 2007 el período
es desde el 20 de septiembre hasta el 6 de octubre para las ciudades con
elecciones el 9 de octubre y desde el 18 de octubre al 6 de noviembre para
las elecciones del 6 de noviembre. Para participar del mismo, deben ir e
inscribirse en los lugares establecidos en el condado donde reside. Puede
llamar a la Junta de Elecciones al 1-866-522-4723 o www.sboe.state.nc.us.
Los requisitos para inscribirse incluyen: ciudadanía estadounidense, tener
18 años de edad para el día de las elecciones, haber vivido en el condado al
menos treinta (30) días antes de las elecciones, evidencia de la dirección de
residencia actual y mostrar alguna de las siguientes identificaciones:
licencia de manejar de NC, estado de cuenta de banco, factura de
agua o luz, talonario de cheque o cheque, forma W2, identificación de
estudiante y documento escolar con dirección o algún documento emitido
por oficina o agencia de gobierno.
El proceso es sencillo y se espera que aumente el número de
participantes del proceso electoral. Esta alternativa es de mucha
importancia para quienes se mudan, para los jóvenes, y para electores que
han sido históricamente desplazados. Un informe reciente de Demos
encontró que la inscripción guante el período electoral ayuda a prevenir el
fraude, que se procesa legalmente como felonía. Celebramos este logro
legislativo y esperamos que la gente pueda ser educada con respecto a esta
nueva herramienta para promover la democracia en nuestro estado.
Proceso:
Con esta alternativa, los electores se pueden inscribir durante el
período de voto adelantado que termina el sábado ante del día de
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Para información, llame al 1-866-302-0031 o escriba a [email protected].
Community News
Nonpartisan Organizations Can Be Powerful Mechanisms
to Increase Voter Turn-out
By Erin Byrd – Civic Engagement Coordinator and Julie Mooney, Director, Blueprint NC
Nonprofit electoral civic engagement work (when well organized and
coordinated) can be a powerful force for strengthening the movement to
build a more just North Carolina. A nonprofit [or 501(c)(3)] organization
can legally participate in the political process by encouraging its members,
allies, clients, or constituents to vote and - in particular - by educating
people to vote on the issues that matter to them and their communities.
Is voting enough? Not at all. Ideally, nonprofits that work on voter
engagement see this part of their work as a measure of how well they are
doing in engaging members or constituents in the policy-making process.
Voting is only one piece of the puzzle. The real work happens on an
ongoing basis - learning about issues, building leadership skills to engage
in the policy-making process, and taking active steps to speak out on issues.
This article, however, is focused on what nonprofits can do to get involved
in voter engagement.
In the 2004 election
cycle,
approximately
3
million new voters nationwide
were registered in underrepresented communities –
thanks to national, state-level,
and community-based faith
organizations and serviceproviding
organizations.
Voting rates in underrepresented
demographic
groups were up from 2000 as
well. Nonprofits matter in
engaging people to vote!
At the same time, many
North
Carolinians
are
marginalized from civic
participation and do not have
the tools or support they need to effectively engage in democratic and policy debate
and activities. For example, according to Democracy NC’s research:
z
More than one million North Carolinians are not registered to vote 1/3 of them young people;
z
2 million people who were registered to vote in 2004 didn’t vote;
z
In the 2006 elections, NC ranked 47th in voter turnout (with #1
being best) out of the 50 states.
z
People of color are disproportionately not registered to vote,
compared to whites.
We can do better! But nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations are often unsure
of what they can and can’t do in educating and engaging voters. Fear of risking
their tax status, many organizations shy away for what they consider “political
work.” They see voter engagement as messy and risky and as a complicated
program to develop. Some even ask why nonpartisan voter engagement efforts are
even needed, since nonprofits cannot endorse candidates or help a candidate’s
campaign.
Nonprofit organizations are a powerful resource in engaging voters, because
they CAN raise the issues. Housing for essential workers like firemen and teachers,
affordable healthcare for all families, affordable long-term care for seniors, sound
basic quality education, a clean environment - these and others are all issues that
nonprofit organizations can advocate for in an election. Raising these issues
encourages candidates of all parties to address them in their campaigns and gives
people in the community a reason to come out and vote.
According to the Alliance for Justice, nonprofits are allowed to do the
following:
9
9
conduct nonpartisan public education and training sessions about
participation in the political process;
educate all of the candidates on public interest issues;
Community News
9
9
9
9
9
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publish legislative scorecards
(with certain restrictions);
prepare candidate
questionnaires and create voter
guides (with certain
restrictions);
canvass the public on issues;
sponsor candidate debates
(with certain restrictions);
conduct nonpartisan get-outthe-vote and voter registration
drives; and
more!
Local, Primary Municipal Elections
were Oct. 9th and General Municipal
Elections are coming up November 6.
These are so important for our communities, since they determine how
funds will be allocated for schools, construction, open space, libraries,
and more -- issues that play a very important role in the quality of life
in your neighborhood. Because of a new law you can vote early
beginning Oct. 18th and ending on Nov 3rd. Remember that until
November 3, you can register and vote on the SAME DAY, thanks to a
new law passed this year. (Call the Board of Elections in your county
to find out where you can do early registration and voting. Or go to the
State Board of Elections
website
at
www.sboe.nc.us)
Blueprint North
Carolina is a partnership
of state-level nonprofit
policy advocacy and
organizing groups that
work
together
to
advance civic and voter
engagement in NC.
Blueprint also partners
with community-based
organizations
in
communities
where
there
are
voter
engagement coalitions.
Blueprint builds the
capacity of nonprofits to
more fully engage their
constituents in issues that affect their lives, in the following ways:
1. Offering briefings and trainings in nonpartisan voter engagement;
2. Supporting nonprofit civic engagement coalitions with tools and
resources that they might not be able to afford on their own;
3. Building a network of nonprofits that can swap good ideas and
resources so that we all get stronger.
Organizations involved in Blueprint NC are driven by the shared values of
justice, equality, responsibility, fairness, community, opportunity, shared prosperity,
democracy, and hope. As a group, we’re exchanging ideas and initiating projects
to advance our ability to communicate effectively and to get more people involved
in policy change.
If you want more information, contact Erin Byrd at [email protected] or
(919) 861-0605.
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NC CARE: Because every child in North Carolina deserves a sound basic education.
Our Mission:
North Carolina’s constitution guarantees a
sound basic education for every child.
NC CARE is determined to make sure the state
lives up to this promise.
About NC CARE:
North Carolina Community Advocates for
Revitalizing Education, or NC CARE, is a
community-driven organization dedicated to
improving the state’s public education system.
Our members represent the economic,
racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of
North Carolina. Parents, educators, business
leaders, and community activists have all
joined NC CARE because we believe that
providing every child with a quality education
is essential to the future of North Carolina. NC
CARE empowers people around the state by
giving them the knowledge and skills they
need to be effective advocates.
There are no fees or membership dues
for NC CARE. Funding from the Mary
Reynolds Babcock Foundation helps support
our work.
education in our public schools.” The ruling
means the state has a constitutional responsibility
to provide the funding schools need and to ensure
that each student gets the services he or she needs.
Despite this constitutional mandate,
hundreds of thousands of children are being
denied a decent education and the lifetime of
opportunity that comes with it. Many of them are
minorities or economically disadvantaged.
So why hasn’t Leandro worked? The state
Our Goals:
z
Secure adequate and equitable funding
for every school district
z
Improve educational outcomes for
minority and disadvantaged students
What We Do:
z
z
Empower parents and students with
information about their rights
z
Unite educators and communities in the
effort to secure funding for low-wealth
school districts
z
Train community members to be
education advocates
Supporters and Partners
of NC CARE:
z
NC Justice Center
z
NC Association of Community
Development Corporations
A highly qualified teacher in every
classroom and a competent principal in
every school
z
NC Black Leadership Caucus
z
Action for Children of NC
Schools that provide all children with the
attention and instruction they need to
succeed
z
NC NAACP
Our Vision:
z
z
z
A statewide public education system that
prepares students to compete in the
global economy
Why we exist:
In 1997, the NC Supreme Court ruled that
the state constitution guarantees “every child of
this state an opportunity to receive a sound basic
TAKE ACTION
WITH US!
NC CARE members
are education activists!
Join us as we seek to
eliminate the
achievement gap by
ensuring that every
student receives a
quality education and
every school district
has adequate and
equitable funding.
18
Advocate at the local and state levels for
better education policies
Supreme Court’s ruling was important, but it
lacked the power to create change. It lacked the
power of the people - you, your relatives, your
neighbors, your communities.
True reform of the education system will
take a united force of parents, advocates, students
and others who genuinely care about schools and
children. It will take networking, advocacy, and
passionate voices lifted up in common outrage.
NC CARE strives to be that united force for
change.
z
Adelante Education Coalition
z
Covenant with North Carolina’s Children
z
El Pueblo
z
Legal Aid of North Carolina
z
UNC Center for Civil Rights
Join NC CARE!
Would you like to be a part of NC CARE? Just fill out this form, cut it out and mail or fax it back to us. We
will add you to our mailing list. You will receive the education e-newsletter, From the Ground Up, each
month. You will also receive up-to-date information on state education issues via your e-mail address. In
addition, you will receive notices of NC CARE meetings and NC CARE-sponsored activities in the state.
Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________________ (please include Apt. # if applicable)
City ________________________________________________________________State ______Zip Code _________________
County _____________________________________Phone Number with area code __________________________________
E-Mail___________________________________________________________________________________________________
NC CARE
c/o NC JUSTICE CENTER
PO Box 28068
Raleigh, NC 27601
919/856-2151 phone
919/856-2175 fax
[email protected]
Community News
NC Justice Center Welcomes
New Staff
Looking for news
that can help you make
a difference in your
community?
Alyssa Brandt joined the Justice Center as Administrative
Assistant in August 2007. As a native of Minnesota, she attended
the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities where she graduated
with a degree in Economics. As an undergraduate, Alyssa worked
as an intern with the Minnesota State Senate where she gained
valuable insight into state and local politics and served as a
Student Representative for the University of Minnesota. After
graduation, a passion for social and economic policy led Alyssa to join Teach for
America. As a corps member, she taught Civics and Economics, served as AVID
coordinator, and supervised the Student Government in a low performing high
school in Charlotte, North Carolina. Alyssa plans to attend law school in the
future where she will concentrate on Human Rights Law.
Nina Driver joined the Justice Center in August of 2007 as
Administrative Assistant. Before joining the Center she served as
a Small Business and Community Development Volunteer with
the US Peace Corps in Antigua, WI. While in Antigua, Driver’s
primary role was assisting local entrepreneurs in the start-up and
improvement of their businesses. She also taught marketing,
packaging/labeling, and computer classes. In her spare time, she
acted as advisor for the local Junior Achievement club and
founded a literacy program in her village. Nina received her undergraduate
degree from the University of Notre Dame majoring in Marketing and
Anthropology. While obtaining her degree, she played clarinet in the Notre
Dame marching band, served as president of the University’s NAACP and was a
member of the Interrace Discussion Forum committee. She is excited to finally
be back home in North Carolina and plans to enter law school in the next few
years.
Louisa Warren joined the Justice Center as a Senior Policy
Advocate focusing on work and income support issues in July
2007. Prior to coming to the Justice Center, Louisa served as the
Director of the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying & Government
Reform that spearheaded comprehensive lobbying and ethics
reforms in North Carolina. Before directing the Coalition, Louisa
was the Coordinator of Special Events & Communications at El
Pueblo, Inc., a statewide Latino advocacy organization based in Raleigh. She
currently serves as the Secretary on the Board of N.C. Women United and helps
coordinate their annual Women’s Advocacy Day. A Raleigh native, Louisa
graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College in Iowa.
Upcoming Events
Î October 17 - Conversation with Ron Ferguson:
How Parents Can Help Their Child Succeed In
School. Sponsored by Triangle High Five. For more
information go to www.trianglehighfive.org.
Î October 22 - Youth and Race Conference: Closing
the Racial Achievement Gap III. Sponsored by UNC
Institute of African American Research. For more
information go to http://www.unc.edu/iaar.
Î November 9 - Schools and Communities Getting
Better Together: Place Based Learning
Conference. Sponsored by Rural School and
Community Trust. For more information go to
www.ruraledu.org.
Community News
Get your copy of
Community News
today!
Community News distribution sites:
Libraries
1. Cameron Village Regional Library
2. Green Road Library
3. North Regional Library
4. Richard B. Harrison Library
Community Centers/Parks
1. Method Road Community Center
2. Chavis Heights Community Center
3. Pullen Park
4. Jaycee Park
5. Biltmore Hills Park
6. Tarboro Road Community Center
YMCA/YWCA
1. Central YMCA
2. YWCA (Hargett St.)
3. YWCA (Oberlin Rd.)
Other Sites
1. El Pueblo
2. NC Center for Non-Profits
3. Planned Parenthood
4. Dorothea Dix Hospital
5. Quail Ridge Books
6. Wellspring Grocery Store-50
7. Cup-a-Joe Coffee Shop (Hillsborough St.)
8. Cup-a-Joe Coffee Shop (Mission Valley)
9. Third Place Café
10. Manor House on Dixie Tr. (Retirement Village)
11. Glenwood Towers (Retirement Apt. Bldg)
12. Down East Partnership for Children, Rocky Mount
13. Episcopal Farmworker Ministry, Newton Grove
14. Poplar Springs U.C.C., Garner
15. Hispanic Liaison of Chatham County, Siler City
16. Good Work, Durham
17. Legal Aid Offices in: Ahoskie; Asheville;
Boone; Charlotte; Concord; Durham; Fayetteville; Gastonia;
Goldsboro; Greensboro; Greenville; Hillsborough; Lexington;
Morganton; New Bern; Pembroke; Raleigh; Sanford; Smithfield;
Sylva; Wilmington; Wilson; Winston-Salem
19
The Justice Centeris a statewide, non-profit advocacy organizationdedicated
to securing economic justice for disadvantaged persons and communities.
The mission of the Justice Center is to address poverty by ensuring that lowincome individuals and communities have the resources and services they
need to move from poverty to economic security. The work of the Justice
Center is based on the belief that four OBJECTIVES must be realized to
enable disadvantaged individuals and communities to move from
poverty to economic security. To achieve its mission, the Justice
Center works in collaboration with North Carolina’s disadvantaged
individuals and communities employing a multi-forum advocacy
model in which the Center uses four primary STRATEGIESto fight
poverty. /opportunity and prosperity for all/
A FUND FOR CHANGE
The Justice Center is a member
of
Address Service Requested
Permit No. 1424
P.O. Box 28068
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
Raleigh, North Carolina
PAID
US Postage
North Carolina Justice Center
NONPROFIT ORG.

Community News - Fall 2007.qxp

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