Poverty -- Food stamps

The calculation for Food Stamps benefits is frozen at 1996 levels, while food prices have done anything but remain stagnant, prompting Catholic Charities to call for improvements in the program. New York participants receive Food Stamps that average out to $1.16 per meal, generally not enough to buy fresh produce and lean meat. A Boston University School of Medicine researcher found that it would cost 30 percent more than the typical benefit to purchase a diet that meets American Heart Association recommendations.

This blog is participating in Blog Action Day, an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. The aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion: this year the issue is poverty. Between now and October 15, we will be posting about poverty in our diocese, with material provided by Catholic Charities in its report "Poverty in the Diocese of Albany: A Threat to the Common Good." The report, and additional information, is available here.

Poverty -- Hourly Wage

Throughout the Diocese of Albany, the hourly wage required to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair-market rent is well above the state’s minimum wage of $7.15. In the four-county Capital District – Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady -- affordable housing is just beyond the reach of a household with two adults working at minimum wage. Advocates call for raising the minimum wage and then regularly adjusting it to the rise in the cost of living.

This blog is participating in Blog Action Day, an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. The aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion: this year the issue is poverty. Between now and October 15, we will be posting about poverty in our diocese, with material provided by Catholic Charities in its report Poverty in the Diocese of Albany: A Threat to the Common Good. The report, and additional information, is available here.

Poverty -- Working full-time?

Working full-time is no longer a sure ticket out of poverty. A single mother of two children earning New York’s minimum hourly wage of $7.15 would bring home just under $15,000 a year. The federal poverty level for a family of three is $17,170, which doesn’t even come close to the true measure of the income needed to meet basic needs. It costs $42,432 a year for a parent and two children living in Albany County to pay for housing, food and other necessities. Legislation is needed to narrow the “hardship gap,” in which income from employment and government support doesn’t cover those basic needs.

(from Poverty in the Diocese of Albany: A Threat to the Common Good)

As we noted on August, this blog is participating in Blog Action Day, an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. The aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion: this year it is poverty. Between now and October 15, we will be posting about poverty in our diocese, with material provided by Catholic Charities in its report Poverty in the Diocese of Albany: A Threat to the Common Good. The report, and additional information, is available here.

FactChecking the debates

FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics by monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.

The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

Following the presidential debate between Senators McCain and Obama, the orgainzaiton issued a statement that the two contenders :contradicted each other repeatedly during their first debate, and each volunteered some factual misstatements as well.”

* Obama said McCain adviser Henry Kissinger backs talks with Iran “without preconditions,” but McCain disputed that. In fact, Kissinger did recently call for “high level” talks with Iran starting at the secretary of state level and said, “I do not believe that we can make conditions.” After the debate the McCain campaign issued a statement quoting Kissinger as saying he didn’t favor presidential talks with Iran.

* Obama denied voting for a bill that called for increased taxes on “people” making as little as $42,000 a year, as McCain accused him of doing. McCain was right, though only for single taxpayers. A married couple would have had to make $83,000 to be affected by the vote, and anyway no such increase is in Obama’s tax plan.

* McCain and Obama contradicted each other on what Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen said about troop withdrawals. Mullen said a time line for withdrawal could be “very dangerous” but was not talking specifically about “Obama’s plan,” as McCain maintained.

* McCain tripped up on one of his signature issues – special appropriation “earmarks.” He said they had “tripled in the last five years,” when in fact they have decreased sharply.

* Obama claimed Iraq “has” a $79 billion surplus. It once was projected to be as high as that. It’s now down to less than $60 billion.

* McCain repeated his overstated claim that the U.S. pays $700 billion a year for oil to hostile nations. Imports are running at about $536 billion this year, and a third of it comes from Canada, Mexico and the U.K.

* Obama said 95 percent of “the American people” would see a tax cut under his proposal. The actual figure is 81 percent of households.

* Obama mischaracterized an aspect of McCain’s health care plan, saying “employers” would be taxed on the value of health benefits provided to workers. Employers wouldn’t, but the workers would. McCain also would grant workers up to a $5,000 tax credit per family to cover health insurance.

* McCain misrepresented Obama's plan by claiming he'd be "handing the health care system over to the federal government." Obama would expand some government programs but would allow people to keep their current plans or chose from private ones, as well.

* McCain claimed Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had drafted a letter of resignation from the Army to be sent in case the 1944 D-Day landing at Normandy turned out to be a failure. Ike prepared a letter taking responsibility, but he didn’t mention resigning.

A detailed analysis is available here.

Public Forums on Faithful Citizenship

There will be two public forums next week with Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, who will discuss "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" and the seven principles of social justice. Also participating will be Kathleen Gallagher, New York State Catholic Conference, on advocacy and critical issues for the 2008 elections, and Deacon Frank Thomas, M.D., on conscience formation,

The first will be Tuesday, September 30 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park.

The second session will be Wednesday, October 1, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in Rotterdam.

The Daughters of Hope

Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage: anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.

- St. Augustine

Thanks to Pax Christi.

Week of Action Against Poverty

Catholic Charities was one of many organizations participating in Fighting Poverty with Faith, designating September 10-16 to be a week of action -- working together to raise attention about poverty and economic insecurity in our country. Although the week has passed, there still are three things you can do:

1. Call or e-mail your local, state and national candidates to ask: "What will you do to address the pressing issues of poverty and opportunity in the United States during your first 100 days in office?"

2. Visit the Fighting Poverty with Faith coalition's site for a list of sponsoring organizations, statement of purpose, other sample letters and activities, here. Sample letters from the Coalition are also available here.

3. Write a letter to the editor using the resources above or your own words.

Building Faithful Citizenship

Building Faithful Citizenship is a brief, weekly bulletin reflection on the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.


For Sunday Bulletins on September 28

It may seem easy to live in a world where it is “us versus them,” and, “If you're not with us, you’re against us.” This form of logic creates a sense of right and wrong that distinguishes the good and the bad people with little effort. In this Sunday’s gospel, the “good” people are hearing from Jesus that “those people” (tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners in general) are the ones who are getting into God’s reign long before they are.

One of the central points of Catholic social teaching is a spirit of solidarity (FC #53). This spirit summons us to bring down the walls that divide, whether they are local or international, and embrace our differences. With solidarity there is no longer an “us versus them” attitude but rather one of, “We are all in this together.”

Reflection: When I listen to candidates’ agendas, do they convey a spirit of solidarity with people “not like us” or do they try to define who’s right and who’s wrong?

Reducing poverty

Catholic Charities USA, a national network of Catholic Charities agencies, has launched the Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America, with a goal of cutting poverty in half by 2020. The Diocese of Albany has joined the campaign with the publication of the report “Poverty in the Diocese of Albany: A Threat to the Common Good.” The report describes poverty in the 14 counties that make up the diocese, with local statistics and stories about income insecurity, educational disadvantages, hunger and poor nutrition, the shortage of affordable housing, and the lack of health care coverage for many of our neighbors. You can read the report at www.ccrcda.org. Also on the website are educational activities related to poverty for youth and adults; a sample homily; sample letters to legislators; an insert in the Legislative Gazette on poverty in New York State; and a list of legislative priorities for 2008.

Building Faithful Citizenship

Building Faithful Citizenship is a brief, weekly bulletin reflection on the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.

For Sunday Bulletins on September 21

As centered as we might be on the love of God and the teachings of Scripture, our view of justice is inevitably colored by our own life experiences.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus shook up the disciples’ understanding of fairness by telling the parable of the workers and the landowner, in which the landowner chose to give the same pay to those who had worked an hour as to those who had labored in the hot sun all day. In his book, Parables as Subversive Speech, Scripture scholar William Herzog argues that Jesus is giving voice to the exploited day-workers, small farmers who have lost their land or those who received no inheritance who are forced to labor for wages that won’t even feed their families. The landowner mocks the value of their labor and insults them by calling them "friends".

Reflection: Does your view of justice include an economy that works for the benefit of all?

Note: Celebrate Catechetical Sunday by learning more about being a faithful citizen at http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org

Primary Day

This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and vote.

Polls are open from noon to 9 p.m.

Tuesday's Congressional Primary

Catholic Charities has an on-line newsletter addressing how candidates in Tuesday's primary election for the 21st congressional seat say they will address poverty if elected to office.

The newsletter is available here.

A just ordering of society

"The direct duty to work for a just ordering of society, on the other hand, is proper to the lay faithful. As citizens of the State, they are called to take part in public life in a personal capacity. So they cannot relinquish their participation “in the many different economic, social, legislative, administrative and cultural areas, which are intended to promote organically and institutionally the common good.” The mission of the lay faithful is therefore to configure social life correctly, respecting its legitimate autonomy and cooperating with other citizens according to their respective competences and fulfilling their own responsibility. Even if the specific expressions of ecclesial charity can never be confused with the activity of the State, it still remains true that charity must animate the entire lives of the lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived as “social charity”.

—Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, No. 29