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The Wall Street journal Agrees …

12/04/2014 Nativegrl77

The Wall Street Journal Finds Trouble for the Middle Class

We know working Americans are in trouble. Today, a new report from the Wall Street Journal shows more evidence of the problem. The central pillars of a middle-class life are slipping away as their costs rise rapidly and incomes stagnate.

Here are a few of the key findings.

Spending by the middle class “rose by about 2.3% over the six-year period from 2007, even as inflation totaled about 12%. At the same time, income for the group stagnated, rising less than half a percent.”
While incomes have stagnated, employees paid 40% more for health insurance in 2013 than 2007. This is part of the reason why the Affordable Care Act is so essential, as a CAP study last year found that price competition on the health insurance exchanges would reduce premiums and save $190 billion over the next 10 years.
And the cost of staying connected with the world has skyrocketed. Paying for cell phones cost almost 50% more while internet access costs 81.3% more. As one family put it, “Because the [cell phone] bill is so expensive, and because it changes month to month, you have to cut back.”

The Wall Street Journal’s findings mirror our own at CAP from our recent report, “The Middle-Class Squeeze.” WSJ and CAP measured the middle class differently, but both found that middle-class income has stagnated while rising middle-class costs have made life more difficult. From 2000 to 2012, CAP found that middle-class household income grew by less than 1 percent, but the cost of middle class essentials like child care, higher education, health care, housing and retirement increased by an estimated $10,600. Meanwhile, the wealthiest Americans have seen wealth accumulate further to the top.

BOTTOM LINE: The Wall Street Journal has keyed in to what we’ve been seeing for a while now: the middle class is in a bind. The essentials to a middle class life and basic 21st century needs like internet access have grown more costly and the middle class has had to stretch meager incomes to keep pace. We need to promote better policies to promote more equitable growth, create good jobs and cut costs for the essentials to build and strengthen our middle class.

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White House Snapshot

12/04/2014 Nativegrl77

Building Trust Between Communities and Local PoliceRecent events in Ferguson, Missouri and around the country have grabbed the attention of the nation and the world, and have highlighted the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between local police and the communities that they protect.

Yesterday, President Obama announced new steps that we’re taking to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities that they are obligated to protect and serve.

Find out more details about these new actions here.

Behind the Scenes: Watch the President Get 3D-Printed

Go behind the scenes with President Obama at the White House Maker Faire to see how the very first 3D-printed bust of a U.S. President was made.

READ MORE

America Is an Arctic Nation

Climate change is transforming the Arctic region at an unprecedented pace. Although the region seems remote to most Americans, our country’s future is inextricably linked to the future of the Arctic.

Yesterday was World AIDS Day — a day where the world comes together to remember those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS, and to recommit ourselves to the international fight against this terrible disease.

Rashad Robinson, ColorOfChange.org

12/04/2014 Nativegrl77

A NYC Grand Jury refused to indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo for choking Eric Garner to death.

Demand the Department of Justice and Pres. Obama do everything in their power to indict Officer Pantaleo on federal criminal charges and move forward systemic reforms that help end the policies and practices that led to Eric Garner’s tragic death.

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A Better Balance

12/04/2014 Nativegrl77

Dear Friend,

Today is Giving Tuesday–a day dedicated to giving back. Charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity during the holiday season.We hope you’ll join us for this special day of giving back. Your generous support helps us make a difference for workers like:

Sonica Smith

Sonica Smith, whom we helped to get the water and bathroom breaks she needed to stay healthy while pregnant and working the retail floor.
A security guard, who called us when his employer failed to pay him for a sick day under the New York City Earned Sick Time Act. Armed with our advice about his rights and backed by our promise of legal assistance, he went back to his employer and got paid what he was owed.
And millions of others who no longer have to make impossible choices between their jobs and their families, thanks to new laws we helped to enact guaranteeing paid sick leave, pregnancy accommodations and paid family leave in states and cities across the nation.

As one of our clients recently wrote:

“Knowing that organizations like ABB exist, I feel more confident in my role as a pregnant worker and a soon-to-be working mother. I am proud and relieved that I will able to excel in my growing career and also provide for my son who will be here in just a few months. I thank ABB for their incredible work and hope to help them to advocate for the rights of working parents long into the future.”

You can also help A Better Balance advocate for families by posting an #UNSelfie to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter saying why these issues are important to you and tagging @ABetterBalance.

Thank you as always for your support!

The A Better Balance Team,

Sherry, Dina, Phoebe, Jared, Elizabeth, Risha, Morenike, Rachel, Jake, Molly & Lynn

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Not Again

12/04/2014 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

Grand Jury Won’t Charge Officer Who Killed Eric Garner With Illegal Chokehold

This afternoon, a grand jury voted not to file any charges against David Pantaleo, the New York Police Department officer who took the life of Eric Garner. The decision comes just a few weeks after a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri voted not to indict officer Darren Wilson for shooting and killing unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

Here are some of the facts of the case. The fatal encounter started with allegations that Garner had committed the very minor offense of selling untaxed cigarettes. Garner died after Pantaleo put him in an chokehold — a maneuver banned by the police department. The medical examiner ruled Garner’s death as a homicide. The entire encounter was recorded on video by a witness. Garner’s last words were “I can’t breathe,” which he repeated 11 times.

Still, that was apparently not enough for the grand jury to find evidence of a crime. Now, Pantaleo may never face a public trial unless he is charged by federal or other authorities later. The Department of Justice is opening up a criminal civil rights investigation into the case.

We’ve put together a round up of some key stories to read on the topic:

Grand Jury Won’t Charge Cop Who Killed Eric Garner With Illegal Chokehold.
New York Members of Congress Call for Federal Investigation Into Eric Garner’s Death. “We want to make it clear this is not a black problem,” Rep. Charlie Rangel said. “This is a problem we have in our great country.”
Social Media Erupts After Grand Jury Decision Not To Indict Cop Who Killed Eric Garner On Camera. It took no time at all.
Fox Reacts To Garner Decision: ‘Hope Nothing Happens In NYC… We’ve Got The Tree Lighting Ceremony’. Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson expressed her deep concern about the outcome: not concern that the police killed Garner, but concern that anger over the decision could impact a “the tree lighting ceremony” scheduled for that evening at Rockefeller Center.
The Gentle Giant Cut Down by Cops. Eric Garner’s final moments were captured on camera as he was held down by police officers. Mourners at his funeral wore T-shirts bearing his last words: “I can’t breathe!”
The Guy Who Filmed Eric Garner Being Choked To Death Was Indicted By The Grand Jury. Despite his testimony, grand jury indicted Ramsey Orta, chokehold filmer, on gun charge.
Beyond Body Cams: Emerging Technologies That Could Help Make Police More Accountable. Body cams are a great start, but there is other emerging technology that can help curb police abuse.
If It Happened There: Courts Sanction Killings by U.S. Security Forces. How would the U.S. media cover the Eric Garner case if it happened in another country?

BOTTOM LINE: Eric Garner’s case highlights a troubling reality. Too often equal justice under the law has a different meaning in communities of color. We need to do more to ensure that we have a country in which everyone, no matter what the color of their skin or whether they are in position of authority, is treated equally by the criminal justice system. Only then can we strengthen the trust between our communities and law enforcement.