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Showing posts with label equity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equity. Show all posts
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Direction on Power
Sunday, May 31, 2015
A note on life from the brother of Jesus (Part 3)
Thought to be among the earliest, extant Christian writings, the brief letter addresses the challenges facing Jewish believers located primarily in the area around Jerusalem. Clearly, these early devotees of Jesus experienced suffering, systemic economic oppression and some forms of persecution--possibly because of their opinions about the identity of Jesus and certainly due to the social and status implications of those strongly held opinions and life perspectives.
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James 1:9-11 (NRSV)
Poverty and Riches
9 Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, 10 and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.The social and economic place and condition of the early Christian community to whom James writes was less than ideal to day the least. Let me recommend that you read through James' entire correspondence at one sitting. The context clearly indicates that most of those James addresses knew poverty and economic fragility first hand. And those caught in the machinations of economic injustice did what poor people always seem to do: they honored the rich, their oppressors and in doing so they forfeited an accurate and appropriate sense of their own ultimate worthiness.
James counsels a completely different take on the self-understanding of the "poor." James indicates that the person of faith who is of "lowly" financial means and status should boast in anticipation of being lifted up from poverty. God works for the poor and oppressed, that's the implication here. Against all counter claims and appearances, God stands on the side of the impoverished and battles to see folk rise up from the social trash heap created and informed by the bias, false status and pride of a wealthy, powerful oppressive class.
The rich, the oppressors who control most of the benefit of the economy of the day should boast in anticipation of being "brought low." Here the implication is clear: the fate of the wealthy depends upon their facing the fact that the wealth they control is fleeting. A person's wealth cannot save her from the fate of all humankind! Like a wilting flower in the middle of a sunbaked field, those who "control" large amounts of wealth should learn that in the end they control nothing. The rich will see life end, just as will "the poor."
In the end however, the way to life will be discovered in honest humility, not in overreaching opulence that builds wealth by extracting life from those at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. Life will not be found in any enterprise that imposes a cruel fate on the oppressed poor of the land.
James sounds a lot like his brother, Jesus.
The "turning of the tables," for the sake of the triumph of the justice shaping God's heart, is an important theme in the story of the life of Jesus, especially as told by Luke (see Luke 1:46-55; 4:16-21; 6:20-26; 16:1-31; et. al.). The further we read in James, the more parallels we'll discover to the thinking and teaching of his famous brother.
So, right off the bat, James establishes that God comes down on the side of and in the meagre camp of the so-called "poor." For in God's economy those who appear down and out soon will be up and coming, while the unrepentant rich cruise ahead without thought of the fall or "equity adjustment" on its way.
James: a radical word, but an important and timely word for today.
Monday, October 08, 2012
Paved super highway to success. . .if you can pay!
But there is something a bit off-center about the expansion plans for I-635 LBJ Freeway and its new toll lanes.
Dallas Morning News columnist, Steve Blow placed the spotlight on the problem in last Sunday's paper ("Untolled to untold inequity on LBJ," B-1). It seems there is a contest to name the new, super fast lanes that will carry with them a toll.
The extra toll lanes are designed to get more traffic down the ever-crowded thoroughfare. Those who can pay will be able to access the new lanes and will get down the road faster. Those who can't afford them will not be able to take advantage of the new passage.
Some have suggested that the toll lanes be named "Lexus lanes."
What's really revolutionary about these lanes, as Blow points out, is the fact that the toll on the lanes will be recalculated every five minutes based on the number of cars attempting to access the new lanes (three lanes in each direction). The more cars in the lanes, the higher the toll. And, once fully implemented, there will be no cap on tolls. Electronic signs will notify drivers of the "going rate" at the time. Classic matter of supply and demand.
Here's Blow's conclusion: "It's just inevitable that the fast lanes will be filled with the well-heeled and the slow lanes with the paycheck-to-paycheck crowd. And are we OK with that?. . .Can any nation remain strong when the gap between rich and poor grows wider in every way--right down to the streets they drive on?"
Here's an idea. With the current technology available, we could read the license plate number and charge a toll based on the make, model and vintage of each car that passes through the toll lane. If I drive a Lexus or a Jag, my toll will be higher. If I drive a 12-year-old Chevy, then the toll is assessed accordingly.
The ability to pay out of pocket should not be the measure of everything. The enterprising desire to work and to drive to work, even at a low wage job, should be rewarded by equity in public transit.
Fast lanes should be for everyone who's battling to get somewhere.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Reasonable expectations. . .
After waiting my turn in line, I approach the postal clerk and declare my need for 100 stamps.
"Sorry sir, we don't have any stamps today," the woman behind the counter declared with a touch of sadness in her voice. I get that part!
"Did I hear you correctly? You are a post office and you have no postage stamps?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes sir, I'm afraid so," she replied. "We hope to have some by Tuesday."
"Hope" to have stamps at a post office?
Hmmm. Something about "I'll gladly repay you Tuesday for a hamburger today" drifts into my mind out of my cartoon-shaped mind/soul.
So, being a lifelong supporter of the U. S. Postal Service and of the tireless men and women who deliver my mail on a daily basis, I accept the disappointing news and retreat to my car, vowing to return on Tuesday.
I don't make it back until Thursday.
Again, I present myself with my simple request when my turn comes: "Yes, I need 100 Christmas stamps," I declare with the confidence of a man eager to show off his grandchildren to a few dozen friends.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but we have no stamps today. We expect a delivery by Friday," the postal clerk wearily explained.
I bet she was tired!
Can you image the thought of a Post Office without stamps!
By now I am beside myself.
I didn't take out my frustration on the depressed clerk, but I did call the local Postmaster's office. I got connected, after a rather long wait, to a gentleman who doubtless had received calls from frustrated patrons such as me possibly all day long!
"You know, sir, the stamps have to come from Kansas City," he explained.
Is this really my problem?
I started to explain what UPS could do for the USPS, but thought cynicism might send the gent over the edge, so I resisted the temptation.
"I think I have discovered the basic problem with the USPS," I told the rather short-tempered man on the other end of the line. "You can't even address the basics of your core business--selling stamps!"
"Selling stamps is not our 'core business' any longer," he explained. "What with on-line payments, etc., we just aren't in the same business as before."
Still, a P. O. with no stamps? This isn't sounding good for my Christmas cards, and the photos of my 4 adorable grandchildren are so great this year!
This entire experience has set me thinking again about life in poorer neighborhoods that marginalized folks call "home."
Frankly, just about everything is like a P. O. with no stamps!
No grocery stores, and the corner convenience stores don't have what a person needs and what is there is overpriced and unhealthy.
Little code enforcement, especially on slum landlords. Try to bring a legal case against an unscrupulous landlord and see how far you get.
Inadequate housing.
Streets surely in cahoots with front-end shops given the number and the depth of the potholes.
Schools in disrepair both physically and academically.
Safety and crime prevention statistics downright depressing.
Post offices without stamps?
What do you think?
I think its time we expected more and better.
I know one thing, I never wanted for postage when I lived in Richardson!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Charity usually misses the most in need of it
The essay below appeared in the July 20, 2010 edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. After you've read it, let me know what you think.
The Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge Won’t Do Much Good Unless It Changes Philanthropy
By Pablo Eisenberg
Most of the nonprofit world seems to be agog over the news that Bill and Melinda Gates, along with their friend Warren Buffett, are joining together to ask fellow billionaires to sign a pledge to give at least one-half of their fortunes to charity.
That could lead to an enormous increase in the amount of money available to nonprofit organizations. Fortune magazine estimates that if the people on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans all made the pledge, an additional $600-billion could flow to nonprofit groups—twice the amount Americans gave last year.
When will this money be distributed to charities? Mr. Buffett has said that he plans to give away 99 percent of his fortune while he is alive or at his death, and he has made clear in his gifts to the Gates Foundation that he wants the money to be distributed quickly rather than left to sit in the foundation’s coffers. But will other donors do the same, or will they put their money into foundations that give only a small percentage of their assets every year?
Who will provide the leadership to increase the quality of philanthropy, not just the amount of money given? So much of the giving wealthy donors and foundations now do is lackluster and does not involve risk taking or innovation. Nor does it seek to solve urgent public needs. Will the new pledges mean more of the same?
What steps will be taken to ensure public accountability? Will the funds that are steered into new or existing foundations follow the Gateses’ approach, namely grant-making institutions governed by a very few family members that, in a real sense, are not really publicly accountable? Do we want an explosion of these tax-exempt oligarchic entities with huge assets that can help set public priorities without public discussion or a political process? Would this be a healthy development for democracy? If not, what can be done to mitigate the potential undemocratic nature of these new mega-foundations?
Perhaps the most troubling issues posed by the Gates-Buffett crusade is its potential to intensify the inequities that exist both in the nonprofit world and in the rest of society.
Foundations, corporations, and other forms of institutional philanthropy tend to favor the nation’s most-privileged citizens and neglect the neediest people and organizations. An outsize share of the money from those institutions goes to established colleges, hospitals, and arts and cultural organizations. Only a small amount finds its way to organizations that serve vulnerable children, low-income people, minorities, women, the disabled, and other disadvantaged constituencies. A tiny portion of philanthropic money is channeled to groups that seek to influence public policies.
To read the entire article click here.
The Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge Won’t Do Much Good Unless It Changes Philanthropy
By Pablo Eisenberg
Most of the nonprofit world seems to be agog over the news that Bill and Melinda Gates, along with their friend Warren Buffett, are joining together to ask fellow billionaires to sign a pledge to give at least one-half of their fortunes to charity.
That could lead to an enormous increase in the amount of money available to nonprofit organizations. Fortune magazine estimates that if the people on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans all made the pledge, an additional $600-billion could flow to nonprofit groups—twice the amount Americans gave last year.
When will this money be distributed to charities? Mr. Buffett has said that he plans to give away 99 percent of his fortune while he is alive or at his death, and he has made clear in his gifts to the Gates Foundation that he wants the money to be distributed quickly rather than left to sit in the foundation’s coffers. But will other donors do the same, or will they put their money into foundations that give only a small percentage of their assets every year?
Who will provide the leadership to increase the quality of philanthropy, not just the amount of money given? So much of the giving wealthy donors and foundations now do is lackluster and does not involve risk taking or innovation. Nor does it seek to solve urgent public needs. Will the new pledges mean more of the same?
What steps will be taken to ensure public accountability? Will the funds that are steered into new or existing foundations follow the Gateses’ approach, namely grant-making institutions governed by a very few family members that, in a real sense, are not really publicly accountable? Do we want an explosion of these tax-exempt oligarchic entities with huge assets that can help set public priorities without public discussion or a political process? Would this be a healthy development for democracy? If not, what can be done to mitigate the potential undemocratic nature of these new mega-foundations?
Perhaps the most troubling issues posed by the Gates-Buffett crusade is its potential to intensify the inequities that exist both in the nonprofit world and in the rest of society.
Foundations, corporations, and other forms of institutional philanthropy tend to favor the nation’s most-privileged citizens and neglect the neediest people and organizations. An outsize share of the money from those institutions goes to established colleges, hospitals, and arts and cultural organizations. Only a small amount finds its way to organizations that serve vulnerable children, low-income people, minorities, women, the disabled, and other disadvantaged constituencies. A tiny portion of philanthropic money is channeled to groups that seek to influence public policies.
To read the entire article click here.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Avoid "Social Justice Churches"
So, I suppose Moses, David, Amos, Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus and James would not be welcome at Glenn Beck's church, wherever that is, if it exists.
Amazing commentary. No wonder we have stalemate on so many policies in this nation.
Clearly, the words of scripture, read in every church including Beck's, deal with social and economic justice, the concerns of laboring people and a very real commitment to equity and to standing with the poor. Possibly, a branch of American Christianity now has decided to abandon this central part of the tradition and message of our faith. Such a heretical decision does not remove the truth from the Bible, but only from exposure to congregants who aren't allowed to hear the whole story for themselves. This one is really hard for me to understand.
Glenn Beck Urges Listeners to Leave Churches That Preach Social Justice
On his daily radio and television shows last week, Fox News personality Glenn Beck set out to convince his audience that "social justice," the term many Christian churches use to describe their efforts to address poverty and human rights, is a "code word" for communism and Nazism. Beck urged Christians to discuss the term with their priests and to leave their churches if leaders would not reconsider their emphasis on social justice.
"I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"
To read more and listen to the audio click here.
Amazing commentary. No wonder we have stalemate on so many policies in this nation.
Clearly, the words of scripture, read in every church including Beck's, deal with social and economic justice, the concerns of laboring people and a very real commitment to equity and to standing with the poor. Possibly, a branch of American Christianity now has decided to abandon this central part of the tradition and message of our faith. Such a heretical decision does not remove the truth from the Bible, but only from exposure to congregants who aren't allowed to hear the whole story for themselves. This one is really hard for me to understand.
Glenn Beck Urges Listeners to Leave Churches That Preach Social Justice
On his daily radio and television shows last week, Fox News personality Glenn Beck set out to convince his audience that "social justice," the term many Christian churches use to describe their efforts to address poverty and human rights, is a "code word" for communism and Nazism. Beck urged Christians to discuss the term with their priests and to leave their churches if leaders would not reconsider their emphasis on social justice.
"I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"
To read more and listen to the audio click here.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
"All my adult life in South Dallas"
Wow!
Janet Morrison is right. She has lived all of her adult life in South Dallas! I hired her in 1995 and she has been making things better for this city ever since, with no sign of letting up.
The comment about where she has lived since moving to Dallas to begin her "adult life" appeared in a great Op-Ed piece that The Dallas Morning News published on Friday, October 24, 2008.
Here's how Janet begins:
Ever wonder why people in our inner cities are angry?
Since the slated demolition of the Turner Courts housing development in South Dallas, my office and our After-School Academy have moved to Roseland Townhomes, a Dallas Housing Authority property in the City Place area.
As I left my new office at 7 one Friday night, 30 to 40 people rounded the corner of the recreation center, running toward a fight. My co-worker quickly called 911 and, before I could even leave the apartments, her call had produced an immediate police response.
Within five minutes, one police car had blocked off traffic while two others jumped the curb and sped across an open lot. As I drove off, yet two more police cars rapidly approached from another direction and a police helicopter hovered overhead.
I know I should be elated by the quick response of our very capable Police Department. Instead, I was extremely angry, and my blood pressure rose each time I heard another siren.
Wonder why she was angry?
Read the entire article here.
Janet understands.
Your reactions are welcome, as always.
.
Janet Morrison is right. She has lived all of her adult life in South Dallas! I hired her in 1995 and she has been making things better for this city ever since, with no sign of letting up.
The comment about where she has lived since moving to Dallas to begin her "adult life" appeared in a great Op-Ed piece that The Dallas Morning News published on Friday, October 24, 2008.
Here's how Janet begins:
Ever wonder why people in our inner cities are angry?
Since the slated demolition of the Turner Courts housing development in South Dallas, my office and our After-School Academy have moved to Roseland Townhomes, a Dallas Housing Authority property in the City Place area.
As I left my new office at 7 one Friday night, 30 to 40 people rounded the corner of the recreation center, running toward a fight. My co-worker quickly called 911 and, before I could even leave the apartments, her call had produced an immediate police response.
Within five minutes, one police car had blocked off traffic while two others jumped the curb and sped across an open lot. As I drove off, yet two more police cars rapidly approached from another direction and a police helicopter hovered overhead.
I know I should be elated by the quick response of our very capable Police Department. Instead, I was extremely angry, and my blood pressure rose each time I heard another siren.
Wonder why she was angry?
Read the entire article here.
Janet understands.
Your reactions are welcome, as always.
.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Only in America
Word has it that Alan Fishman, the Washington Mutual CEO who took the top job 18 days ago before presiding over the largest bank failure in the nation's history, will walk away from his job with $13.65 million. Not bad for less than three weeks on the job, wouldn't you say?
Let's see, that's $758,333.33 a day.
I have lots and lots of friends who won't make that king of money in a lifetime of work.
Lot's of people may think that a legitimate dimension of so-called "free market economy."
In fairness I need to add that I read yesterday that the deal may be reconsidered.
If the agreement goes forward on these terms, I'd call it injustice at best. And in view of all the lost jobs tied into the failure and its fallout, I'd say its a very clear expression of just how out of kilter we are as a nation.
Let's see, that's $758,333.33 a day.
I have lots and lots of friends who won't make that king of money in a lifetime of work.
Lot's of people may think that a legitimate dimension of so-called "free market economy."
In fairness I need to add that I read yesterday that the deal may be reconsidered.
If the agreement goes forward on these terms, I'd call it injustice at best. And in view of all the lost jobs tied into the failure and its fallout, I'd say its a very clear expression of just how out of kilter we are as a nation.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Amazing new resource
The Center for Public Policy Priorities sent me a link to an amazing new tool for calculating the impact of "work supports," those public program benefits designed to assist hard working, low-income people, such as child care assistance, health insurance, the Earned Income Credit, food stamps and other public resources.
The "Texas Family Resource Simulator" will allow you to find out and create customized graphs illustrating how family resources and expenses change as earnings increase, taking into account public benefits.
A project of the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University, with help from the Center for Public Policy Priorities, the tool is very enlightening.
Check it out at www.nccp.org/tools/frs.
To learn more about the Center for Public Policy Priorities, visit http://www.cppp.org/.
.
The "Texas Family Resource Simulator" will allow you to find out and create customized graphs illustrating how family resources and expenses change as earnings increase, taking into account public benefits.
A project of the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University, with help from the Center for Public Policy Priorities, the tool is very enlightening.
Check it out at www.nccp.org/tools/frs.
To learn more about the Center for Public Policy Priorities, visit http://www.cppp.org/.
.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Race and community value
Whenever I address the subject of race or racial prejudice here, I brace myself. I always get negative feedback, some of which suggests that I should leave the subject alone. The assumption of many of my critics is that race and racism are no longer problems in our society.
Oh, the bliss of wishful thinking.
Last week I attended the first few minutes of a seminar dealing with property values in neighborhoods as an index for determining "livability" or more comprehensive measures of community health. The presenters were accomplished academics, people who really knew their stuff. I'm sure the seminar was brilliant and full of at least some useful insights.
But, I left after the first twenty minutes.
One of the presenters made this statement about real estate values in South Dallas, "We controlled for many factors in our comparisons between this part of Dallas and other more affluent parts of the city. We were surprised to discover that race is still a significant factor affecting property values."
Say what?
"Surprised to discover that race is still a significant factor affecting property values"--are you kidding me? Anyone who is surprised by that fact of life in the inner city has just lost the ability to command my presence for the remainder of the presentation. Thus, my early departure.
Race and racism remain powerful forces and factors in the dynamics of life, economics, opportunity, hope and justice in every inner city in the United States.
The entire ugly reality reminded me of a story I ran across recently. It seems a white preacher visited a black congregation and, during his sermon, suggested that in heaven there must be a Jim Crow partition that separated the white saints on one side from the black saints on the other. At the end of the service, one of the church's deacons led the congregation in a closing prayer that went like this:
". . .O Lord, we thank thee for the brother preacher who has spoke to us,--we thank thee for heaven,--we thank thee that we kin all go to heaven,--but as to that partition, O Lord, we thank thee that we'se a shoutin' people--we thank thee that we kin shout so hard in heaven that we will break down that partition an' spread all over heaven,--an' we thank thee that if the white fokes can't stand it, they can git out of heaven an' go to elsewhere!"
I think the deacon knew more than the academic who came to town last week. How about you?
.
Oh, the bliss of wishful thinking.
Last week I attended the first few minutes of a seminar dealing with property values in neighborhoods as an index for determining "livability" or more comprehensive measures of community health. The presenters were accomplished academics, people who really knew their stuff. I'm sure the seminar was brilliant and full of at least some useful insights.
But, I left after the first twenty minutes.
One of the presenters made this statement about real estate values in South Dallas, "We controlled for many factors in our comparisons between this part of Dallas and other more affluent parts of the city. We were surprised to discover that race is still a significant factor affecting property values."
Say what?
"Surprised to discover that race is still a significant factor affecting property values"--are you kidding me? Anyone who is surprised by that fact of life in the inner city has just lost the ability to command my presence for the remainder of the presentation. Thus, my early departure.
Race and racism remain powerful forces and factors in the dynamics of life, economics, opportunity, hope and justice in every inner city in the United States.
The entire ugly reality reminded me of a story I ran across recently. It seems a white preacher visited a black congregation and, during his sermon, suggested that in heaven there must be a Jim Crow partition that separated the white saints on one side from the black saints on the other. At the end of the service, one of the church's deacons led the congregation in a closing prayer that went like this:
". . .O Lord, we thank thee for the brother preacher who has spoke to us,--we thank thee for heaven,--we thank thee that we kin all go to heaven,--but as to that partition, O Lord, we thank thee that we'se a shoutin' people--we thank thee that we kin shout so hard in heaven that we will break down that partition an' spread all over heaven,--an' we thank thee that if the white fokes can't stand it, they can git out of heaven an' go to elsewhere!"
I think the deacon knew more than the academic who came to town last week. How about you?
.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Poverty, Place and Public Responsibility. . .
At our May edition of the Urban Engagement Book Club, we looked into Paul Jargowsky's very important book, Poverty and Place: Ghettos, Barrios, and the American City (1997). We were very fortunate to have Professor Jargowsky as a guest and he handled our "follow on" session following our book synopsis.
Jargowsky traces the demographic realities of poverty and the affect of poverty when concentrated in inner city neighborhoods. His original research, and his updates since the book first appeared, has been very helpful to urban planners, public policy officials, economists, business leaders and leaders of inner city renewal efforts.
Jargowsky demonstrates that when somewhere between 25% and 40% of a neighborhood's population falls into poverty, that community "tips" in a way that makes it impossible to renew without serious public policy change accompanied by large scale public engagement.
Over the weekend, I had occasion to be driving through far North Dallas and into Collin County, one of the wealthiest areas in the United States. As I drove along immaculately manicured, tree-lined boulevards and as I noted the incredibly upscale housing stock and more retail options than anyone could have imagined just ten years ago, a question hit me hard.
What impact does such a wealthy environment have on the psyche, the choices, the worldview and the behavior of the people who live here?
My little tour of "silk stocking street" reminded me of Malcolm Gladwell's statement in his best-selling book, The Tipping Point. Gladwell sites research that says a child reared in a good home in a bad neighborhood has less chance of "making it" than a child raised in a bad home environment in a good neighborhood.
Wealth and what it can produce, no, what it demands in terms of neighborhood environment and options, acts as a guarantee of sorts for success, stability and wellness. Life, its choices and its outcomes generally works better where resources are adequate.
Duh.
But, our actions as a community don't warrant such a casual dismissal of a telling and instructive reality.
Development of all kinds--economic, educational, housing, health care, transportation, public infrastructure and services--follows after and serves wealth. On the private sector side, development rushes toward available capital because that is where the profit margins are found. On the public side, development moves naturally where persons with wealth and political power/influence live and act collectively.
Development just doesn't come naturally to low-income areas. The traditional magnets of wealth just don't exist in such neighborhoods. While human capital and social capital, when organized, can and does exert some influence, without a public commitment to compensate for the lack of material wealth, no impoverished community can ever recover.
The neighborhoods where I work are located a world away from the route I drove over the weekend. There is no chance whatsoever that the residents of poor communities will ever experience the environment created by wealth until wealth is channeled in their direction. I'm convinced that the role of public policy makers involves the creative use of community capital to insure that distressed and marginalized neighborhoods have a chance to thrive again. Ironically, wealthy communities often receive the added benefit of such creative public involvement in exchange for certain development activities. What works for the well off will work for the not so well off, but only if the political will exists for such action among the poor.
Unless and until communities make a collective commitment to see renewal jump-started in very poor communities, we can not reasonably expect to see these communities or their populations change much at all.
I have a feeling that Dr. Jargowsky agrees.
.
Jargowsky traces the demographic realities of poverty and the affect of poverty when concentrated in inner city neighborhoods. His original research, and his updates since the book first appeared, has been very helpful to urban planners, public policy officials, economists, business leaders and leaders of inner city renewal efforts.
Jargowsky demonstrates that when somewhere between 25% and 40% of a neighborhood's population falls into poverty, that community "tips" in a way that makes it impossible to renew without serious public policy change accompanied by large scale public engagement.
Over the weekend, I had occasion to be driving through far North Dallas and into Collin County, one of the wealthiest areas in the United States. As I drove along immaculately manicured, tree-lined boulevards and as I noted the incredibly upscale housing stock and more retail options than anyone could have imagined just ten years ago, a question hit me hard.
What impact does such a wealthy environment have on the psyche, the choices, the worldview and the behavior of the people who live here?
My little tour of "silk stocking street" reminded me of Malcolm Gladwell's statement in his best-selling book, The Tipping Point. Gladwell sites research that says a child reared in a good home in a bad neighborhood has less chance of "making it" than a child raised in a bad home environment in a good neighborhood.
Wealth and what it can produce, no, what it demands in terms of neighborhood environment and options, acts as a guarantee of sorts for success, stability and wellness. Life, its choices and its outcomes generally works better where resources are adequate.
Duh.
But, our actions as a community don't warrant such a casual dismissal of a telling and instructive reality.
Development of all kinds--economic, educational, housing, health care, transportation, public infrastructure and services--follows after and serves wealth. On the private sector side, development rushes toward available capital because that is where the profit margins are found. On the public side, development moves naturally where persons with wealth and political power/influence live and act collectively.
Development just doesn't come naturally to low-income areas. The traditional magnets of wealth just don't exist in such neighborhoods. While human capital and social capital, when organized, can and does exert some influence, without a public commitment to compensate for the lack of material wealth, no impoverished community can ever recover.
The neighborhoods where I work are located a world away from the route I drove over the weekend. There is no chance whatsoever that the residents of poor communities will ever experience the environment created by wealth until wealth is channeled in their direction. I'm convinced that the role of public policy makers involves the creative use of community capital to insure that distressed and marginalized neighborhoods have a chance to thrive again. Ironically, wealthy communities often receive the added benefit of such creative public involvement in exchange for certain development activities. What works for the well off will work for the not so well off, but only if the political will exists for such action among the poor.
Unless and until communities make a collective commitment to see renewal jump-started in very poor communities, we can not reasonably expect to see these communities or their populations change much at all.
I have a feeling that Dr. Jargowsky agrees.
.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Mayor Tom Leppert Challenges Us
Last Thursday morning, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert provided the keynote address during Central Dallas Ministries' 13th Annual Urban Ministries Prayer Breakfast. Over 1,100 guests filled the hall at the Hilton Anatole Hotel to hear the Mayor and to pray for our city.
The Mayor challenged us all to engage more actively in the battle to overcome poverty and to craft a high quality of life for every resident of Dallas.
I expect that his speech will be streaming on our website soon. For now, your can read about the event in The Dallas Morning News' report from last Friday morning (March 14, 2008) right here: Dallas mayor urges businesses to fight homelessness .
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The Mayor challenged us all to engage more actively in the battle to overcome poverty and to craft a high quality of life for every resident of Dallas.
I expect that his speech will be streaming on our website soon. For now, your can read about the event in The Dallas Morning News' report from last Friday morning (March 14, 2008) right here: Dallas mayor urges businesses to fight homelessness .
.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Missionary oppression and new concerns of faith
Brian McLaren will be in Dallas on February 22-23. I'm making my way through his latest book, Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope (Thomas Nelson, 2007).
There is no way to deal with McLaren and remain unchallenged. Here's an example of his honest analysis of Christian missionary action in the African colonial period. What he describes here occurred in Asia and South America, and, of course, in North American even earlier.
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This dynamic interplay of truth and justice was captured by South African archbishop Desmond Tutu, echoing a similar statement by the first Kenyan president, Jomo Kenyatta: "When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said, 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land." I have been told that during the apartheid years, Archbishop Tutu, when speaking to white Christian leaders, would then hold up the Bible and say, Now, my brothers, based on this Bible you have given us, I call you to give us back our land!" (page 45)
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There is no way to deal with McLaren and remain unchallenged. Here's an example of his honest analysis of Christian missionary action in the African colonial period. What he describes here occurred in Asia and South America, and, of course, in North American even earlier.
_________________________________
This dynamic interplay of truth and justice was captured by South African archbishop Desmond Tutu, echoing a similar statement by the first Kenyan president, Jomo Kenyatta: "When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said, 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land." I have been told that during the apartheid years, Archbishop Tutu, when speaking to white Christian leaders, would then hold up the Bible and say, Now, my brothers, based on this Bible you have given us, I call you to give us back our land!" (page 45)
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Friday, September 07, 2007
Ad campaigns, public health and the U. S. health care system
Whenever anyone begins seriously considering health care reform, a national health care system or universal health insurance coverage, critics will begin talking about the horrors of "socialized medicine." Someone else will begin to tout the superiority of the American health care system as the very best in the world--no matter what the hard data reveals to the contrary.
The fact is our health care system is the best in the world for those who can afford to access it fully.
The experience of the uninsured is quite different, and the effects on public health realities and outcomes is not what our current national investment should expect in return.
We get the results one might expect from a people who regard health care as a commodity, rather than a basic human right.
Now comes this report from The New York Times last Friday ("Cancer Society Focuses Its Ads On Uninsured," August 30, 2007, A1, 18). What follows is from the paper's on-line edition. The print version is even more exhaustive. Any objective reading of the current reality reveals that change is long, long overdue.
The fact is our health care system is the best in the world for those who can afford to access it fully.
The experience of the uninsured is quite different, and the effects on public health realities and outcomes is not what our current national investment should expect in return.
We get the results one might expect from a people who regard health care as a commodity, rather than a basic human right.
Now comes this report from The New York Times last Friday ("Cancer Society Focuses Its Ads On Uninsured," August 30, 2007, A1, 18). What follows is from the paper's on-line edition. The print version is even more exhaustive. Any objective reading of the current reality reveals that change is long, long overdue.
I find the report startling.
Please take the time to read on!
______________________
ATLANTA, Aug. 30 — In a stark departure from past practice, the American Cancer Society plans to devote its entire $15 million advertising budget this year not to smoking cessation or colorectal screening but to the consequences of inadequate health coverage.
The campaign was born of the group’s frustration that cancer rates are not dropping as rapidly as hoped, and of recent research linking a lack of insurance to delays in detecting malignancies.
Though the advertisements are nonpartisan and pointedly avoid specific prescriptions, they are intended to intensify the political focus on an issue that is already receiving considerable attention from presidential candidates in both parties.
The society’s advertisements are unique, say experts in both philanthropy and advertising, in that disease-fighting charities traditionally limit their public appeals to narrower aspects of prevention or education.
But the leaders of several such organizations, including the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the Alzheimers Association, said they applauded the campaign’s message that progress against chronic disease would be halting until the country fixed its health care system.
As in the past, the heart association is using its advertising dollars these days to promote more rigorous exercise and healthier diets. The most recent cancer society campaign encouraged screening for colon cancer, including a memorable commercial in which a diner plucked — and then ate — a lima bean polyp from the intestinal tract he had carved in his mashed potatoes.
But John R. Seffrin, the chief executive of the cancer society, which is based here, said his organization had concluded that advances in prevention and research would have little lasting impact if Americans could not afford cancer screening and treatment.
“I believe, if we don’t fix the health care system, that lack of access will be a bigger cancer killer than tobacco,” Mr. Seffrin said in an interview. “The ultimate control of cancer is as much a public policy issue as it is a medical and scientific issue.”
The two 60-second television commercials that form the spine of the campaign make that point.
One features images of uninsured cancer patients, appearing hollow and fearful. “This is what a health care crisis looks like to the American Cancer Society,” the narrator begins. “We’re making progress, but it’s not enough if people don’t have access to the care that could save their lives.”
The other commercial depicts a young mother whose family has gone into debt because her insurance did not fully cover her cancer treatment. “Is the choice between caring for yourself and caring for your family really a choice?” the narrator asks.
Census figures released this week show that the number and percentage of people in the United States without health insurance rose last year, to 47 million and 15.8 percent. A 2003 study estimated that one of every 10 cancer patients was uninsured.
Other surveys have found that one of every four families afflicted by cancer, which is projected to kill 560,000 Americans this year, is effectively impoverished by the fight, including one of every five with insurance.
The cancer society plans to buy time on network and cable channels from Sept. 17 to Thanksgiving, said Greg Donaldson, the group’s vice president for corporate communications. There will also be advertisements in magazines and on Web sites.
With nearly $1 billion in revenues, the cancer society is the wealthiest of its peers and has spent about $15 million annually on advertising since 1999. By comparison, Geico, the automobile insurer with the “Caveman” advertisements, spent about $14 million on network advertising in the first quarter of 2007, according to TNS Media Intelligence, a tracking firm.
Advertising about the health insurance crisis is not uncommon among more broadly based medical organizations and other interest groups.
Last week, the American Medical Association kicked off a three-year campaign called “Voice for the Uninsured” that will begin with $5 million in advertising in early primary states. AARP, in conjunction with the Business Roundtable and the Service Employees International Union, recently began a similar effort called “Divided We Fail.”
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Enough with the study and the talk!
Okay, I'll be the first to admit the obvious: we spend a good bit of time here talking about, studying, debating poverty and the various issues orbiting around its hard reality. Our mission here is to provoke thought, educate those interested and, hopefully, inspire new and more effective action.
That said, it is also true that words are limited in their value. Compassionate hearts and minds are never enough.
If we are serious, we must take action.
This Thursday, at another talking event--our monthly Urban Engagement Book Club--we will discuss Jawanza Kunjufu's book, An African Centered Response to Ruby Payne’s Poverty Theory (African American Images, Chicago 2006). Educators will be familiar with Payne's now famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) best-selling "red book" on poverty and educating the children of poverty, A Framework for Understanding Poverty.
Kunjufu has heard enough of the talk, seen enough study. He points us in a different direction:
"I don’t want to study poverty. We now have “poverty pimps.” {Robert Woodson, Sr., The Triumphs of Joseph). They can talk about poverty, make money off of poverty, and write books on poverty. They can do everything but solve poverty. . . .
We will instead study economic empowerment. If people are so concerned about poverty, then we should teach poor people how to acquire wealth in America. We should explain to poor people how it came to be that 1 percent of the population owns 57 percent of the wealth and 10 percent own 86 percent of the wealth. The remaining 90 percent only owns 14 percent of the wealth" (p. xii).
Strong, challenging words, huh?
That said, it is also true that words are limited in their value. Compassionate hearts and minds are never enough.
If we are serious, we must take action.
This Thursday, at another talking event--our monthly Urban Engagement Book Club--we will discuss Jawanza Kunjufu's book, An African Centered Response to Ruby Payne’s Poverty Theory (African American Images, Chicago 2006). Educators will be familiar with Payne's now famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) best-selling "red book" on poverty and educating the children of poverty, A Framework for Understanding Poverty.
Kunjufu has heard enough of the talk, seen enough study. He points us in a different direction:
"I don’t want to study poverty. We now have “poverty pimps.” {Robert Woodson, Sr., The Triumphs of Joseph). They can talk about poverty, make money off of poverty, and write books on poverty. They can do everything but solve poverty. . . .
We will instead study economic empowerment. If people are so concerned about poverty, then we should teach poor people how to acquire wealth in America. We should explain to poor people how it came to be that 1 percent of the population owns 57 percent of the wealth and 10 percent own 86 percent of the wealth. The remaining 90 percent only owns 14 percent of the wealth" (p. xii).
Strong, challenging words, huh?
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
"New Orleans" just beneath the surface. . .many places
My trip to New Orleans on November 30, 2005, will be an experience I will always remember. The devastation of Katrina defies adequate description.
From what I hear, the city remains largely in disarray today. This is tragic.
As everyone admits, the storm pulled back the curtain on the poverty of the city. The storm set us up for a national embarassment.
The fact is many urban areas in our nation today contain a "New Orleans" just beneath the surface. Poverty in our cities is persistant, pervasive and perilous.
The J. McDonald Williams Institute, the research arm of the Foundation for Community Empowerment, has published a comparison of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward with the Frazier community here in Dallas. Katrina wiped the Lower Ninth Ward off the map, a section populated by the city's poorest residents. The Frazier community here in Dallas rates as one of our poorest areas.
How do the two neighborhoods compare?
From what I hear, the city remains largely in disarray today. This is tragic.
As everyone admits, the storm pulled back the curtain on the poverty of the city. The storm set us up for a national embarassment.
The fact is many urban areas in our nation today contain a "New Orleans" just beneath the surface. Poverty in our cities is persistant, pervasive and perilous.
The J. McDonald Williams Institute, the research arm of the Foundation for Community Empowerment, has published a comparison of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward with the Frazier community here in Dallas. Katrina wiped the Lower Ninth Ward off the map, a section populated by the city's poorest residents. The Frazier community here in Dallas rates as one of our poorest areas.
How do the two neighborhoods compare?
Take a look:
Racial/Ethnic Diversity
The Lower Ninth Ward (LNW) 98.4% African American
City of New Orleans (NO) 66.6% African American
Frazier Community (FC) 71.8% African American
City of Dallas (DAL) 23.8% African American
Homeownership Rates
13% less for FC than for city of Dallas
10% higher for LNW than for NO
Racial/Ethnic Diversity
The Lower Ninth Ward (LNW) 98.4% African American
City of New Orleans (NO) 66.6% African American
Frazier Community (FC) 71.8% African American
City of Dallas (DAL) 23.8% African American
Homeownership Rates
13% less for FC than for city of Dallas
10% higher for LNW than for NO
Poverty Levels
Families below poverty line LNW 32.77%
Families below poverty line NO 24.23%
Families below poverty line FC 33.25%
Families below poverty line DAL 12.53%
Joblessness
58.6% for LNW
62.6% for Frazier
Education
40% of LNW adults lack high school diploma
25% of NO adults lack high school diploma
60% of Frazier adults lack high school diploma
26% of DAL adults lack high school diploma
Viewing the situation in Dallas through this data, it is clear that our problems are every bit as challenging, and then some, as those facing New Orleans before the hurricane struck. Further, the gap between residents of the Frazier community and the general populace in Dallas is greater than the gap between residents of the Lower Ninth Ward and the general poplulace in New Orleans prior to the terrible storm.
Poverty in America is a real problem across our urban landscape.
"New Orleans" is everywhere.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Surprising, heart-breaking poverty in Dallas
Monday it happened to me again.
I spent about three hours driving through various parts of some of the poorest sections of Dallas.
The images posted below don't adequately capture what I saw, but they help.
The scale of the negative environment overwhelms the soul.
As you view the images, imagine being 8-years-old and living here.
No matter how many times I have the experience two things continue to happen to me.
First, I am surprised again by the depth, the weight of the poverty and by the fact that so little seems to change between my tours.
Second, my heart breaks for the people I see as I drive. Children, elderly men and women, mothers, fathers, the housed, the homeless, the employed and the unemployed. . .neighbors of mine.
People who need better and more accessible. . .everything!
Pick you category.
Education--public for children and workforce for adults.
Health care and wellness.
Improved nutrition.
Safety.
Decent, fit, affordable housing.
Personal voice--political influence, power, collective lift.
Social capital.
Buying power.
Retail development and economic development.
The list remains the same. The needs stick out everywhere. We continue to act as if they don't exist, and we do so to the absolute peril of our entire community.
Dallas doesn't need a new vision, though vision is important.
Dallas needs a new courage.
Dallas needs a new heart, not for charity, but for fairness.
Come ride with me sometime soon. You'll see for yourself exactly what I mean.
I spent about three hours driving through various parts of some of the poorest sections of Dallas.
The images posted below don't adequately capture what I saw, but they help.
The scale of the negative environment overwhelms the soul.
As you view the images, imagine being 8-years-old and living here.
No matter how many times I have the experience two things continue to happen to me.
First, I am surprised again by the depth, the weight of the poverty and by the fact that so little seems to change between my tours.
Second, my heart breaks for the people I see as I drive. Children, elderly men and women, mothers, fathers, the housed, the homeless, the employed and the unemployed. . .neighbors of mine.
People who need better and more accessible. . .everything!
Pick you category.
Education--public for children and workforce for adults.
Health care and wellness.
Improved nutrition.
Safety.
Decent, fit, affordable housing.
Personal voice--political influence, power, collective lift.
Social capital.
Buying power.
Retail development and economic development.
The list remains the same. The needs stick out everywhere. We continue to act as if they don't exist, and we do so to the absolute peril of our entire community.
Dallas doesn't need a new vision, though vision is important.
Dallas needs a new courage.
Dallas needs a new heart, not for charity, but for fairness.
Come ride with me sometime soon. You'll see for yourself exactly what I mean.
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