- Remember the War On Poverty?, By Saul Friedman, July 18, 2010, The Huffington Post: “Long before there was a war on terrorism and the war on drugs, the nation declared war on poverty. Specifically, Lyndon Johnson in his first State of The Union, in 1964, declared amid great cheers from the Congress, an ‘unconditional war on poverty in America’ and he pledged not to rest ‘until that war is won.’ In his last State of the Union in 1988, Ronald Reagan, who had been no fan of Johnson’s agenda, declared to snickering lawmakers, that in the War on Poverty, ‘poverty won…'”
Day: July 22, 2010
Aging Youth in Foster Care – Michigan
Too old for foster care, youths struggle, By Catherine Jun, July 21, 2010, Detroit News:”A growing number of youths in Michigan are reaching adult age while in foster care, a situation experts fear leaves them vulnerable to homelessness, poverty and incarceration.
State and welfare agencies say a lack of funding has been the greatest obstacle to getting these youths the safety net they need when they age out of the system. When they’re pushed out onto the streets at age 19 after years of jumping from home to home, the trauma of being separated from their families and getting inconsistent adult guidance destines them to multiple problems, said Paul Toro, professor of psychology at Wayne State University…”
Rising Cost of Energy Bills – United Kingdom
Fuel poverty shock for Sedgemoor, By David Hemming, July 21, 2010, The West County: “NEARLY a quarter of households in Sedgemoor are struggling to cope with the rising cost of their energy bills, according to Government experts. The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group has revealed 22% of homes in the district – or roughly 10,000 people – are struggling to pay their bills … and there are fears that figure could rise yet further. The advisory group warns energy bills could increase by a further 50% on top of the 125% rise over the last six years. Chairman Derek Lickorish said the cost of energy infrastructure schemes and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emission, while essential, would be passed onto customers. He added: “Energy prices are set to rise so the Government needs a clear strategy on how it is going to end fuel poverty…”