FRAC News Digest - December 21, 2004

The weekly Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) News Digest highlights what's new on hunger, nutrition and poverty issues at FRAC, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around the network of national, state and local anti-poverty and anti-hunger organizations, and in the media. The Digest will alert you to trends, reports, news items and resources and, when available, link you directly to them.

Editor's note: No Digest will be published Friday, December 24. The Digest will resume publication December 30.

Issue 47, December 21, 2004

Alert: the 2006 Budget Fight
Georgian to Head Senate Ag Committee
Food Stamp Use Up Across U.S.
U.S. Hunger and Homelessness Rising
Number of Hungry Rising, U.N. Says
USDA Awards $1 Million for Food Stamp Outreach
A Better Approach to Giving
Online Toolkit Helps Community Leaders Reach Poor
Indiana: Sluggish Economy Fuels Food Stamp Demand
Illinois: Fewer Students Getting Breakfast
California: Suburbs Also Home to Hunger
Georgia: Poor Caught in Cycle
Rhode Island: Children Should be a Priority, Group Urges Governor
Montana: Governor Boosts Welfare Benefits $30 a Month
Utah: Poor Children More Likely in Rural Areas than Cities
Wisconsin: State Tax Structure Found to be Fair
Colorado: Mother One of Many Caught in Medicaid System Snarl

1. Alert: the 2006 Budget Fight

("Action Needed on FY 2006 Budget Fight," Food Research and Action Center)

Safeguarding the structure and funding for the Food Stamp, Child Nutrition, and other federal safety net programs will be a challenge in 2005 as the President and/or congressional leaders likely will seek to cut the federal budget deficit. While it is too early to predict the scope or specifics of proposed cuts for the FY 2006 federal budget, proposals could involve deep cuts, basic changes in entitlement programs in a “reconciliation” bill and/or imposition of “spending caps” on entitlement programs. This alert describes the possible threat and steps that state and local advocates can take in the next few weeks.

http://frac.org/Legislative/Budget_Alert_2006.html

2. Georgian to Head Senate Ag Committee

("Ga. Republican to Chair Senate Ag Panel," Kansas City Star, December 20, 2004)

Georgia Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss will chair the Senate Agriculture Committee when the 109th Congress convenes in January, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced. Chambliss is generally supportive of the current farm bill but acknowledged in a recent interview that lawmakers may have to curtail spending. "It's been a very expensive bill. We're always concerned about budget issues," said the senator. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), who had more seniority on the agriculture panel, will remain as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Chambliss will relinquish his seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the House, current agriculture Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), is expected to keep his post.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/10461882.htm

Editor's note: The Ag committee gains Sen. Santorum (R-PA) , Sen. Thomas (R- WY) and Sen. Salazar (D-CO). The committee loses Sen. Miller (D-GA), Sen. Daschle (D-SD), and Sen. Dole (R-NC). The complete Republican roster is composed of Senators Chambliss (GA), Lugar (IN), Cochran (MS), McConnell (KY), Roberts (KS), Talent (MO), Thomas (WY), Santorum (PA), Coleman (MN), Crapo (ID), and Grassley (IA). The Democratic assignments are Senators Harkin (IA), Leahy (VT), Conrad (ND), Baucus (MT), Lincoln (AR), Stabenow (MI), Nelson (FL), Dayton (MN), and Salazar (CO).

3. Food Stamp Use Up Across U.S.

("Food stamp use is on rise across U.S.," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 18, 2004)

Across the country, food stamp use is on the rise. After a seven-year decline, the number of Americans on food stamps has increased 39 percent since 2000. Every state except Hawaii has felt the impact. In Arizona, food stamp rolls have increased 104 percent, in Nevada, 97 percent; Oregon, 79 percent; South Carolina, 68 percent; Missouri, 65 percent. Part of that increase was fueled by states' increased efforts to enroll a greater portion of people eligible for food stamps. Most of it, however, is due to the growing number of Americans unable to feed themselves without help. More than one out of every 10 Americans, 36.3 million Americans, is at risk of hunger, announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November. That figure was the highest number the agency has recorded since it began keeping a tally in 1995. Unemployment is going down in some areas, but it does not necessarily reflect family economic well-being. Many Americans work two jobs in order to make ends meet. Losing one of the jobs can land them in poverty, but they do not show up as unemployed.

http://tinyurl.com/6v25z

4. U.S. Hunger and Homelessness Rising

("UCSM-Sodexho USA Hunger and Homelessness Survey 2004," U.S. Conference of Mayors, December 14, 2004)

Hunger and homelessness continued to rise in major American cities over the last year, according to the latest U.S. Conference of Mayors-Sodexho USA Hunger and Homelessness Survey. Families with children requesting food assistance and emergency shelter also increased substantially over the last year. Nearly half (48 percent) of the cities surveyed said that emergency food assistance facilities may have to turn away people in need due to lack of resources. Unemployment and employment-related problems, low-paying jobs, and high housing and medical costs topped the list of causes of hunger, the survey showed. Even with an improving economy, overall requests for food assistance increased by an average of 14 percent over the past year. "These are not simply statistics," said Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell. "These are real people, many are families with children, who are hungry and homeless in our cities."

http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/home.asp

5. Number of Hungry Rising, U.N. Says

("Number of Hungry Rising, U.N. Says," New York Times, December 8, 2004)

For the first time in nine years, the estimated number of people going hungry around the world has increased, despite an overall increase in the world's wealth, says the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a report. "The world...is wealthier [but]...the problem is the access of people to jobs, to resources, to land and to money to buy food,'" said Hartwig de Haen, an official at FAO. In the 1990s the number of people who were hungry in the developing world dropped from 823.8 million to 796.7 million. But in the latest survey, with data ending in 2002, the number was up to 814.6 million, with an additional 28.3 million from countries in transition and 9 million from the developed world. The report named the Zero Hunger Program of Brazil as a model. It provides free school lunch programs and only buys food from local small- and medium-sized farmers, ensuring that the money raises the standard of living of subsistence farmers.

http://tinyurl.com/65667

6. USDA Awards $1 Million for Food Stamp Outreach

("USDA Awards $1 Million in Food Stamp Outreach Grants to Faith and Community-Based Organizations," U.S. Department of Agriculture, December 15, 2004)

Eight additional faith and community-based organizations received $1 million in food stamp outreach grants to improve awareness of and access to USDA's Food Stamp Program among eligible low-income households. The outreach grants are designed to test innovative food stamp outreach strategies to underserved, eligible, low-income individuals and families. "USDA's nutrition assistance programs are an important safety net for those in need," said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman.The eight grantees are the Community Food Bank (Tucson, AZ); Good Faith Fund (Pine Bluff, AR); City of Oakland (Oakland, CA); Harbor Interfaith Services (San Pedro, CA); Worcester Community Action Council (Worcester, MA); Food Bank of Northern Nevada (Sparks, NV); Congreso de Latinos Unidos (Philadelphia, PA); and the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI). The press release notes that the Food Stamp Program is "the cornerstone of federal nutrition assistance programs and provides crucial support to working poor and needy households."

http://tinyurl.com/5colw

7. A Better Approach to Giving

("Shortsighted charity donors," Boston Globe, December 11, 2004)

Donors are very generous but suffer from misconceptions about how charitable organizations should spend their donations. Their attitudes can hinder a good charitable organization's growth, writes Bill Shore, executive director of Share Our Strength. Donors' oncerns over the portion of their donation going to overhead can be misplaced. Organizational impact is the more important factor to evaluate. Secondly, donors almost always want their gift to fund direct service, and almost never strategy, advocacy, or future needs. Not funding strategy is "wasteful at best, and reckless at worst," writes Shore. He dispels another misconception that "a little [donation] goes a long way." Alleviating hunger, homelessness, disease, suffering and poverty require comprehensive, long-term solutions. "The only thing that goes a long way is a lot."

http://tinyurl.com/5sst7

8. Online Toolkit Helps Community Leaders Reach Poor

("An EITC Toolkit for Municipal Leaders," National League of Cities)

An online toolkit from the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education, and Families helps municipal leaders ensure eligible low-income families receive their federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The toolkit includes: best practices from around the country; sample outreach campaign materials; concrete ideas for action; specific roles for local elected officials; a sample timeline for activities; and contact information for national and local resources. The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and similar state tax credits in 18 states provide billions of dollars in assistance to lower-income working families.

http://www2.nlc.org/nlctoolkit/html/

9. Indiana: Sluggish Economy Fuels Food Stamp Demand

("Allow others to give thanks, too," INtake Weekly, November 24, 2004)

Author Darnell Morris-Compton writes that when he was in Africa, he had a colleague who "expected to go hungry when new crops weren't ready to harvest." But Morris-Compton "didn't expect the food demand...to be so high, nor did I expect the supplies for the needy to be so low," when he returned to Indianapolis. Food bank use is at record highs, and Indiana's food stamp participation rose from 295,000 in August 1999 to 538,000 in August 2004. "That's the fourth largest increase in the country," said Randy Rosso of the Food Research and Action Center. The increase is partly due to changes in the application process, making it easier for working families to receive aid, Rosso said. But the economy is also to blame. Job losses in the manufacturing sector and stagnant wages have hurt Indiana. Increases in fuel, food, housing, and health costs have also squeezed families.

http://www.intakeweekly.com/articles/6/021646-3356-158.html

10. Illinois: Fewer Students Getting Breakfast

("Before the bell, Illinois students left hungry," Medill News Service, November 18, 2004)

Nationwide, more children are getting a well-balanced breakfast at school. But in Illinois, the number fell compared to last year, according to a report on school breakfast by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). During the 2003-2004 school year, the report said, more than 675,000 Illinois students benefited from federally subsidized school lunches. But less than 190,000 of those also participated in the School Breakfast Program, down nearly 2,000 from the previous year. Illinois ranks 48th in the country for providing school breakfasts to low-income children. If it performed like the top states, it would receive nearly $37 million more from the federal government. A proposed bill requiring all schools to adopt the school breakfast program is currently working its way through the Illinois legislature.

http://xavier.cs.northwestern.edu:8000/article.asp?articleID=11229&item=3

11. California: Suburbs Also Home to Hunger

("Hunger looms in the suburbs," San Gabriel Valley Tribune, December 9, 2004)

A recent report showing that 777,000 adults in Los Angeles County suffer from hunger or shortage of food "indicates that hunger is both widespread and in a variety of suburban communities that previously may not have identified significant rates of hunger," said Matt Sharp of San Francisco-based California Food Policy Advocates. The data are significant because they show "hunger exists beyond the urban core," said Sharp. The organization released the information as part of its 2004 County by County Profile. The report shows more than 1 million people in Los Angeles County qualify for the federal food stamp program but do not receive the subsidy, resulting in a loss of $1 billion to the county.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,205~12220~2588081,00.html

For the "2004 County by County Profile" by the California Food Policy Advocates:
http://cfpa.net/

12. Georgia: Poor Caught in Cycle

("Poor caught in cycle," The Brunswick News, December 13, 2004)

Kathleen Kline has an associate's degree in science but works construction and demolition jobs at $6 or $7 an hour because she has not found work in her field. She is like thousands of low-income workers in Brunswick, Georgia. The service sector has created some jobs, but on average, they pay half the salary of skilled manufacturing positions, which are disappearing. Unemployment and underemployment have created a ripple effect. As buildings deteriorate, retail businesses decide to relocate to the suburbs or further out. Staff Zone, a temporary staffing agency in Brunswick, acts as a final safety net for those who cannot find a job another way. "Sometimes, I'm the reason they may be able to eat that day," said Dow Jones, branch manager of Staff Zone in Brunswick.

http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/front/282136374196897.php

13. Rhode Island: Children Should be a Priority, Group Urges Governor

("Coalition urges Carcieri not to cut anti-poverty programs," Pawtucket Times, December 16, 2004)

Christmas comes once a year, but poverty stays around all 12 months, was the message anti-poverty group One Rhode Island took to Governor Carcieri. Kate Brewster, the organization's executive director, urged the governor to prioritize the state's children in his 2006 budget and not cut programs that help low- and moderate-income families meet their basic needs. Brewster noted that the number of working families at food pantries and homeless shelters is up, once again. "In this season of charitable giving, we must remember that the needs of these families exist throughout the year and that permanent solutions are necessary," she said. One Rhode Island's legislative agenda is to ensure people have enough to eat; to address income supports, child care, heath care, housing, access to education and job training; and to restore utility service to shut-off customers.

http://tinyurl.com/5xtgf

14. Montana: Governor Boosts Welfare Benefits $30 a Month

("Martz boosts welfare benefits $30 a month," Billings Gazette, December 10, 2004)

Governor Judy Martz restored $30 of the average $132 cut in monthly welfare benefits that her administration made in August 2003. The average welfare family of three saw its monthly check drop by 26 percent, to $375 a month from $507 a month when the welfare cuts took effect last year. Beginning Jan. 1, average grants will increase 8 percent. "I think it's commendable," said Kim Abbott, of Working for Equality and Economic Liberation, a low-income advocacy group, but "it doesn't go far enough." The $2 million to pay for the increase will come from the $25 million surplus the state welfare department is expected to accrue by mid-2005. A decrease in welfare rolls from 5,350 families in December 2003 to 4,671 last month helped make the $30 increase possible, Martz said.

http://tinyurl.com/45w3l

15. Utah: Poor Children More Likely in Rural Areas than Cities

("Poverty hits Utah's rural kids hard," Deseret News, December 9, 2004)

Rural areas in Utah are more likely to have children in poverty than the state's urban areas, according to a Kids Count report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Thirty percent of Utah's rural children live in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment, compared to 25 percent statewide. Lack of medical care, decent jobs, transportation and other services exacerbate daily struggles in rural areas, making simple tasks such as grocery shopping an overwhelming challenge.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595111159,00.html

16. Wisconsin: State Tax Structure Found to be Fair

("State spreads tax burden," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 15, 2004)

Wisconsin's tax structure is fair, after factoring in tax credits for low-income persons, suggest a new report. The state's households paid from 9.6 to 11.9 percent of their 2001 incomes in taxes. Property and sales taxes tend to hit low-income households hardest but are "offset" by deductions, graduated tax rate,s and breaks built into the state income tax system. Poorer households paid 3.3 to 4 percent of their income in sales tax, while the rate for higher-income households was 1.5 percent to 1.9 percent. Property taxes consumed about 5.2 percent of lower-income households' income, down from 6.9 percent because of homestead and renters credits. Wealthier households paid 3 to 4 percent of their income in property taxes. Governor Doyle said he will focus on making sure more low-income residents claim homestead and earned income tax credits. Only 43 percent of those eligible claimed the homestead credit in 2001, which means they lost up to $100 million in tax breaks that year. The Republican Assembly Speaker called the new report a "nice academic piece of work" that ignored the fact that "most people think that their taxes are too high."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec04/284482.asp

Go to "Wisconsin Tax Incidence Study":
http://www.dor.state.wi.us/ra/txinci04.html

17. Colorado: Mother One of Many Caught in Medicaid System Snarl

("Mother deals with confusion on benefits," Rocky Mountain News, December 14, 2004)

Christine Boes was expecting Medicaid cards for two of her daughters last week. Instead, she got four letters from the state: the first found her ineligible for Medicaid (even though she had not applied for benefits for herself); the second said her daughters' Medicaid cards were imminent; the third said one daughter was ineligible because of a missing social security number; and the fourth said they both were ineligible because Boes' salary was too high. A state employee reassured Boes that the second letter was the correct one. Boes is one of many low-income persons facing delays in receiving public assistance since the state switched to a computer system for processing welfare applications. When the story about Boes was first published, several readers called the News to ask why a single mother such as Boes would get public assistance. She has three daughters ages 9, 3 and 7 months. "The price of health insurance alone is outrageous...there is nothing wrong with getting help," said Boes.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3397421,00.html