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Last Update: 11/14/2006

Evaluations Nearly Finished

Organizers Pres Harris and Stan Johnson have completed evaluations with over half of Arise's 120 member groups, and more are scheduled. If you're an "associate member" - an individual not in a member group - we'd welcome your written input:

How is Arise doing? (doing well, needs improvement)

What would help you participate more fully in advocacy with Arise? How could Arise help you do that?

Do we do the right things to get low-income people involved? What other strategies could we try?

Poverty Quiz

In Alabama, who pays a greater percentage of income in state and local property taxes - rich people or poor?

- Citizens for Tax Justice, June, 1996

'99 Listening Sessions Begin

Between now and Christmas, you have a chance to affect Arise's 1999 policy agenda at listening sessions throughout the state. Half of the sessions will be with low-income groups, giving us an opportunity to learn what low-income people name as their own priorities.

Below is a list of proposals to stimulate discussion. Please don't feel limited to the ideas on that list. They're meant to jump-start your thinking. On Tuesday the landscape for social change in Alabama is profoundly new, but the details of how things will be different will emerge over the coming weeks.

We have a tight time frame for the listening sessions, but it just didn't make sense to hold many of them before we knew the election outcome. Three have already been held, Oct. 17 at UAB , Nov. 1 at the Church of the Reconciler, and Nov. 5 at the National Association of the Blind chapter in Huntsville. See if you can attend any of the ones now scheduled:

Gadsden - Nov. 15 with the Hispanic group of St. James Catholic Church

Tuscaloosa - Noon Nov. 17 at Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church

Huntsville - 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church

Birmingham - 3:30 Nov. 25 at the Firehouse Shelter

Florence - 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Florence Unitarian-Universalist Church

Mobile - 10:00-11:30 Dec. 5; site being arranged

Tuscaloosa - 5:30 Dec. 7 at University Presbyterian Church

Pine Apple - 1:30 Dec. 9 at the health clinic

Huntsville - 10:00 December 11 at New Futures Enterprise Center

Meetings are still being scheduled in other places: Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Gadsden, and Montgomery. If your group wants to host one, just call the Arise office.

1999 POLICY AGENDA PROPOSALS FOR ARISE CITIZENS' POLICY PROJECT

These ideas are offered to fuel discussion - and help folks prioritize - in upcoming listening sessions for our 1999 policy agenda. Listed in order of votes received at the Arise Annual Meeting last January. Clearly, things have changed!

1. Child Care for the Working Poor: Although subsidized child care is guaranteed for mothers moving from welfare to work, the working poor still face long waiting lists. In 1997 the Senate approved $5.4 million in new state funding for child care for the working poor, but Gov. James opposed it, and it lost in the House.

2. Microcredit Loan Fund: Alabama has a revolving loan fund for small businesses, but not for the low-income entrepreneur with a dream and a business plan. Rep. John Knight sponsored such a proposal in 1998.

3. CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program: Alabama has only put up $5 million of the $23.4 M needed to match the full federal outlay of $86.9 million to cover all uninsured children below 200% of the poverty line ($27,300 for a family of 3). We need $18.4 million more to cover all 169,000 without insurance.

4. Rural Transportation Coordination Centers: This proposal would create pilot centers in perhaps six counties. People could call to request a ride from whatever providers (government or nonprofit) the county has.

5. Constitutional Amendment on Public Transportation: Alabama's Constitution prohibits spending "use taxes" on public transportation, limiting resources for both urban and rural areas. Sen. George Clay's proposed amendment won substantial support in 1998, but was opposed by road builders and the Transportation Dept.

6. Job Training: DHR could use its new-found surplus of welfare dollars to provide job training, but it's mostly limiting itself to job readiness classes - how to write a resume, tips for interviews, etc. More could be done.

7. Public Sector Job Creation: Lack of jobs plagues some rural counties and parts of cities. We propose to target funding to hire welfare recipients in critical sectors - education, health, and child care.

8. Special Program for Hardship Cases on Welfare: A 20% hardship exemption will not be large enough to cover all those who can't work when they reach their 5-year lifetime limit on welfare. Federal rules allow the state to create a state-funded program for this population. We propose a special benefit program with no time limits, but with an intensive education/vocation program, for those who can't read at the third-grade level.

9. Landlord-Tenant Law: Alabama is one of two states with no "warranty of habitability" to define responsibilities of landlords and tenants. Not only do tenants pay over 50% of a minimum-wage income in rent, but their homes are frequently unliveable. Rep. Laura Hall introduced a warranty of habitability bill in 1998.

10. Monitoring of Welfare Reform: What happens to the people removed from welfare rolls (or not allowed onto welfare)? Do they get jobs, or are they forced into destitution? At last report DHR was still working out the computer bugs on their plans to monitor. We propose to have the Legislature require this data collection.

11. Early Childhood: How do we as a state act on the research showing that the first three years of brain development are critical? How do we get schools ready for kids and kids ready for schools? Supt. Ed Richardson says that given the choice, he would eliminate the 11th and 12th grades to fund early childhood programs well.

12. Funding Equity - Starkey Bill: One reason there's so little equity in per-pupil funding (Mountain Brook: $6,477; Dallas Co.: $3,526) is that the state only requires localities to collect 10 mills of taxes, and doesn't require them to tap the potential of property taxes. Rep. Nelson Starkey would require every district to collect 20 mills of property tax. His bill has been defeated every year for years now, but it's the most viable equity proposal.

13. Tax Reform: Don Siegelman has promised no new taxes - and a per-child tax cut. Now there may be the flexibility to enact revenue-neutral tax reform to create tax fairness in a state that taxes the poor at 11.6% and the rich at 4.8%. Further, we can point out that a state EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) can give tax relief to the working poor with less drain on the state budget than a per-child tax cut.

CHIP shouldn't be our only option

Larry Menefee, member of Arise Health Caucus

Much of Arise's interest in health issues has focused on discrete program issues: CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program, is a recent example. They have the advantage of being distinct and current. But those are also disadvantages. Such issue development can be so current that Arise may not develop an effective position in time to influence the debate. Other groups with less consultative requirements and larger staff can get there more quickly. Such issues can be so discrete that they leave Arise's advocacy effort nowhere else to go; they can amount to a band-aid or crisis style of advocacy. This is not to say that such issues are not important or that Arise could not play an important role. It is to suggest that Arise should also consider choosing broader issue areas, allowing its issue development process more flexibility. I believe this would give Arise greater influence and a more prophetic voice.

I suggest that Arise adopt a broad, flexi-ble commitment to health issues in 1999, including CHIP and such issues as these:

• Allocation of tobacco litigation funds. Health interests have a legitimate claim to a sizeable portion of any tobacco settlement. Such a large sum of money must not be carved up by special interests and frittered away. Arise should articulate a clear vision of how those funds should be used to benefit poor Alabamians and protect kids from tobacco addiction.

• Medicaid's chronic funding problem needs long term solutions if it is to serve low-income families.

• Formal citizen role in health policy development. Special interest groups dominate formulation of

health policy in Alabama. Health is a common good that should be enjoyed by all citizens. Citizen representatives should dominate health boards and commissions.

Birth-to-three brain development is critical issue -

Carolyn Bern, VOICES for Alabama's Children

New research shows that the first three years of life are critically important for brain development. What parents and caregivers do and say, how they play and talk with infants and toddlers, have long-lasting impact on intelligence. In the first three years the brain's wiring is permanently affected by experience; research proves that our capacity to learn is not just genetic. Early experiences dramatically affect our ability to learn, interact with others and reach our potential.

As a result of these new insights, child advocates are focusing attention on quality child care, expansion of parenting programs, and resources for families with young children. Alabama has severe gaps in all these areas.

Many states are responding to this research by redesigning programs for families with young children to be more effective, integrated, and comprehensive.

The focus is on healthy development for infants and toddlers. Alabama is one of a handful of states that lack statewide early childhood development plans. An Urban Institute study says Alabama has one of the lowest levels of assistance and reimbursement for subsidized child care and no state supplement for Head Start.

Although researchers have determined what constitutes quality child care, it is up to policy makers to ensure that good care is available to those who need it.

Emerging issues for Arise to consider:

• Professional development and cre-dentialing for all child care providers, with education, career development and professional support.

• Funding to ensure that all families have access to quality child care.

• Parenting support programs including Family Resource Centers.

• Improving child care standards and licensing.

Fiscal year brings new funders, new challenges

'98 match campaign hits $25,000, and '99 drive beginsThanks to our generous friends listed here, we met the $25,000 match fund goal 12 days early for the grant year ending Oct. 31 - and began work on the $40,000 required for '99. Our current total: $2,792.05.

Edna C. Alosi, Birmingham

Dr. Wil Bailey, Auburn

Conner Bailey, Auburn

Dot Baker, Birmingham

Sr. Pat Bauch, Tuscaloosa

Linda Bayless-Neidner, Montgomery

Dr. Neal & Anne Berte, Birmingham

Yvonne Bice, Montgomery

Carol Binder, Birmingham

Roberta & Blake Boyer, Birmingham

Sara Bradley, Monroeville

Gov. Albert Brewer,Birmingham

Virginia Burroughs, Gurley

Lin Carleen, Birmingham

Carolyn Coker, Auburn

Paula Copeland, Troy

Wallace Covington, Auburn

Carolyn Crawford, Birmingham

The Rev. Jay Croft, Birmingham

David Dawson, Opelika

Margaret DeMaine, Auburn

Ting-Yi Oei & Diane Curling, Reston, VA

Bill Dixon, Florence

Lynn Douglas, Birmingham

Stan Easton, Jacksonville

Carole & Cody Edwards, Montgomery

Debbie Elliott-Taylor, Orange Beach

Rebecca Evans, Birmingham

Lois Field, Northport

Larry Gardella, Montgomery

Dr. Brian F. Geiger,Birmingham

Brian & Carrie Gerard,Montgomery

M. Steve Gilman, Trussville

Jennifer Greer, Harpersville

Pres Harris, Montgomery

Madeleine Hill, Tuscaloosa

Catherine R. Hogan, Birmingham

Mary S. Hopkins, Birmingham

Patricia Jackson, Mobile

Stan Johnson, Huntsville

Rita Judge, Anniston

Calli Patterson & Kimble Forrister, Montgomery

Elizabeth Lambertson, Birmingham

Sandra Lawler, Birmingham

Hattie Belle Lester, Birmingham

Rufus Lewis, Tuscaloosa

Betty Likis, Birmingham

Jacqueline B. Lohman, Montgomery

Carolyn & Frank Maddux, Nashville, TN

John & Marjorie Masterson, Huntsville

Sarah Underwood Mayfield, Birmingham

Jennye McCreary, Birmingham

Rabbi Jonathan Miller, Birmingham

Dr. Gwendolyn Patton, Montgomery

Martin Payne, Birmingham

Ann Permaloff, Pike Road

Ruth Perot, Fairhope

Paul Rilling, Anniston

Helen Rivas, Birmingham

The Rev. Richard Sales, Birmingham

Edward Senter, Birmingham

Jack Shelton, Sterrett

Floyd Sherrod, Florence

Maude Simmons, Birmingham

Marti Slay, Trussville

James D. Smith, Tuscaloosa

Greg & Mary Speltz, Mobile

Atty. Micki Beth Stiller, Montgomery

Frances Sutton, Wetumpka

Linda Tilly, Montgomery

John Keith Wade, Huntsville

Connie Wagnon, Birmingham

Joanna F. Ware, Birmingham

Mary Weidler, Montgomery

Jodi Wheeler, Winston-Salem

Gerald and Carol Wheelock, Normal

The Rev. Konrad White, Florence

Virginia Willard, Gadsden

Mary Wilson, Montgomery

Linda Woodcock, Huntsville

John Leo Wright, Birmingham

Annette Young, Adamsville

Eldon Zimmerman, Birmingham

Alabama Kidney Foundation, Birmingham

Benedictine Sisters,Cullman

Catholic Social Services, Archdiocese of Mobile

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Alabama/ Northwest Florida

Committee of Unified Leadership, Anniston

Consolata Missionary Sisters, Eutaw

Edmundite Southern Missions, Selma

Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Department of Church in the World

Immanuel Presbyterian

Church, Montgomery

Presbytery of North Alabama, PCUSA

The Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, Tuscaloosa

Sisters of Mercy of Alabama

The Unitarian Church, Birmingham

University Presbyterian

Church, Tuscaloosa

Vredenburgh Ministries, Vredenburgh

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Montgomery

Upcoming Meeting - The Annual Conference on the African-American Family, Nov. 20-22 at the Huntsville Marriott. For information, call (256) 859-4241.

A Few Words from Kimble -

On the day after the election, I stumbled and fumbled my way through an interview on what Don Siegelman's victory means for Arise. The dust hadn't cleared - How should I know what to say? But all of us will have a better sense of things in a few weeks, so we hope you can join us in Montgomery from 10:00-5:00 on Saturday, Dec. 12 for a "Post Election Analysis Meeting."

An added bonus that day will be a visit from John Pomerantz of the D.C.-based Alliance for Justice, which specializes in advising nonprofit groups on how much flexibility they have in political advocacy within 501(c)(3) guidelines. We get calls on this all the time: What amount of lobbying may a (c)(3) do? Too many of us have been limited by hearsay or outdated rules.

We were mystified when we got a contribution of $80.38, until we realized that the person had donated 1% of the $8,038 fundraising goal we had set for September. Wouldn't it be nice if we had another 99 like him? This month we offer a bargain: We only have another $6,358 to raise. You can move the decimal point as far to the left as your wallet requires.

With peace,

Kimble Forrister

Letters to the editor are encouraged: Kimble Forrister

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