Publications

Wasted Wealth Report

By Rahul Gupta on May 17, 2013

The foreclosure crisis destroyed wealth on a large scale in 2012– with a greater erosion of wealth in communities of color.”

Data show profound disparities in the rate of lost wealth in communities of color in a nationwide report “Wasted Wealth” authored by the Alliance for a Just Society.

Read the full report and see 17 city break out reports at www.wastedwealthreport.com

With our Partners Home Defenders League and the New Bottom Line we are pushing this data into the mainstream to drive home the reality that the foreclosure crisis is not over.

 

You can also download the national report here: Wasted.Wealth_NATIONAL“

National Report Released Today on Racial Inequity in Foreclosure Crisis

By LeeAnn Hall on May 16, 2013

American homeowners continued to lose a great deal of wealth – $192.6 billion – due to the foreclosure crisis in 2012, and those losses had a disproportionate impact on people of color. Continue reading »

Partnership Banking in Maine: Investing Local Capital Locally

By Rahul Gupta on March 19, 2013

The national and international banking systems facilitate the extraction of wealth from Maine communities. The state of Maine has the resources to slow this economic leakage and strengthen it local financial sector.

LD 1078 has been introduced into Maine’s legislature. Read the Report that helped set this bill in motion:

.MainePartnershipBank.report

Survival Denied: Stories from Alaska Native Families Living in a Broken System

By Rahul Gupta on March 6, 2013

“The indigenous hunting and fishing practices of ALL Alaska Natives, including the harvesting and sharing of fish, game, and other resources and the ceremonies which accompany these practices provide for the SOCIAL, CULTURAL, SPIRITUAL, & ECONOMIC WELL-BEING & SURVIVAL of the Alaska Native community Continue reading »

2012 Job Gap Report

By Rahul Gupta on February 26, 2013

2012-Job-Gap-Report_National_FINAL-1“Broken Bootstraps: Falling Behind on Full-Time Work,” is the 14th annual installment of a joint study by Alliance for a Just Society and its affiliates in 7 states.

 

Unemployment rates in all states are still high. A modest $9.00/hr. minimum wage has been mentioned at the federal level. Even that income would leave most low-wage workers needing to utilize public assistance programs. Continue reading »

Taking on Predatory Lending in Idaho

By Sheley Secrest on January 24, 2013

Thousands of Idaho residents are strapped for cash. The economic recession has devastated the lives of Idahoans across the state. As the need to make the dollar stretch increase, financial resources from traditional banks decrease.

Payday loan centers have seized an opportunity to profit from the misfortune of those in need.  Predatory lenders have lined the sidewalks of low-income and communities of color with promises of instant cash and no credit checks.  Having no available alternatives, residents are left to turn to payday loan centers for relief; but that relief keeps coming with a cycle of interest rates as high or higher than 520%. Continue reading »

Report: Expanded Medicaid in Idaho Save Lives and Cuts Costs

By Rahul Gupta on January 23, 2013

 

Medicaid-Expansion-ID-Cover

When the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act was announced this past summer, millions of Americans who had been waiting for relief were struck a surprising blow. Every state in the country could decide whether to implement the expanded Medicaid program outlined in the law, or not. Despite the fact that the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs from 2014-2016, and over six years reduce that coverage to 90% by 2020. Many states have opted into the program, others are playing politics by opting out. Idaho has not decided what it will do.

The stories in this report, an update on the Medicaid needs in Idaho, shed light on real people grappling with the real life struggle of being uninsured. “Their testimonials offer a glimpse of the tragedies that thousands of Americans face when addressing their health needs.” Read the Report.

Medicaid Expansion Idaho

 

Medicaid Matters in Idaho

By Rahul Gupta on January 22, 2013
Medicaid-Matters-ID-Cover
“Medicaid does more than provide health coverage and services for seniors, low-income  children and families, and people with disabilities. It is also an economic engine.”
An Alliance report released just last month details the growing need for medicaid coverage in the state, while lawmakers are continuing a trend toward reducing more critical services. The result is a stark economic impact on local economy should the cuts continue.
“Despite Medicaid’s importance to Idahoans, the state has begun to slash its investment in the program. These cuts are already resulting in people going without the health care they need. They are also beginning to unravel the system of community-based services that have helped thousands of Idahoans…”

Medicaid Matters in Idaho

Building a Movement for a Constructive Commonwealth

By Ben Henry on January 9, 2013

The sky is blue and their air is clean; the schools are good and the kids are happy; there are parks, good food, and safe places to live and work, as well as artistic, cultural, and religious institutions that reflect the richness and diversity of our communities and society. The desire to create strong communities where families can thrive seems almost universal, and this is true despite the presence of conservative ideologies that promote rugged individualism.

This is the shared vision of our diverse communities, around the country. Continue reading »

Job Gap Report: No Living Wages Make Walmart a Scrooge

By Ben Henry on November 22, 2012

The leaves have fallen from their branches and await their final rest upon winter’s calm. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend has arrived, the one holiday of the year when families gather simply to reflect on the good things in life. Then, as the clock strikes midnight, it is time to waken from our over-fed slumber, take to the streets with wallets in hand, and prepare for another favorite holiday: Black Friday.

Shopping is a great American pastime. Unless, of course, you are a Walmart employees who does not earn enough to survive, let alone shop.

Despite working hard to make an honest living, Walmart employees find that their paychecks fall short of meeting their day-to-day needs. Employees across the country are working one, two, even three jobs simply to keep a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs, and food on their tables.

The once-deeply held belief that hard work equals success is proving to be nothing more than a far-fetched myth.

Continue reading »

  • Donate

    graphical text that says donate

  • Stay Connected

  • Social

  • Southside Commons

    Southside Commons logo