PICO National Network | Unlocking the Power of People
HEALTHY FAMILIES
Faith and Families Summit on Children's Health
On March 7 PICO will be holding a summit on children's health in
Washington, DC. Congress has begun debating the reauthorization
of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which
provides coverage to 6 million children. Another 9 million
children are still uninsured. As part of an effort to expand
health coverage for children and families, PICO is building
support for a 5-point road map to cover all children by 2012.
For more information see http://ga3.org/ct/71_svVd19z0L/.
PICO parent puts a human face on the goal of covering all children
Susan Molina, Board Chair of PICO's Denver affiliate Metro
Organizations for People, testified before the House Energy and
Commerce Committee. She spoke about being a single parent and of
losing SCHIP health coverage for her children when she got a new
job that paid just above 200 percent of poverty. She told the
Committee that "working families need to know that if our jobs
don't offer affordable family coverage we have another option
for our children." Susan is leading MOP's campaign to cover all
children in Colorado. http://ga3.org/ct/6d_svVd19zlH/
Santa Clara County Congregations Organize for Universal Health
Coverage
An over-capacity crowd exceeding 500 gathered at a Los Gatos
synagogue to press the county supervisor and state and local
legislators to go on record in support of legislation that would
guarantee health coverage for everyone in the county. Peninsula
Interfaith Action (PIA) and People Acting in Community Together
(PACT - San Jose) organized the event and have been working
together for months to advance the innovative initiative that
would cover the estimated 200,000 Santa Clara County residents
who have no health insurance. http://ga3.org/ct/6p_svVd19zlF/
California Proposal Adds Pressure on Congress to Fund Children's Health
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a plan to
extend health coverage to the 6.5 million Californians who are
uninsured, including 750,000 children. This was a significant
victory for PICO California in its efforts to win health
coverage for every California child as its proposal was included
in the Governor's plan. However, the plan faces stiff opposition
from several interests and requires significant new funding from
Washington. http://ga3.org/ct/O7_svVd19zlD/
SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS
Regional Approach to Eradicating Gangs
Concerned residents, clergy, and officials of Santa Monica,
Venice, and Los Angeles were all in attendance as the new Police
Chief of Santa Monica pledged to work regionally to eliminate
gang violence. For LA Voice, it was the second large public
meeting on the issue in three months. Four members of Santa
Monica's city council, including the mayor, agreed to organize a
neighborhood watch program. In addition, the Chamber of Commerce
committed to create a job program for youth, including training
teens how to interview for employment opportunities.
http://ga3.org/ct/Wd_svVd19zlV/
Community Policing at work in Brevard County, Florida
The Police Chief in Palm Beach followed through on his word when
41 suspected drug dealers were picked up in one day last
November. Congregations for Community Action (CCA) had organized
a meeting with him a few months earlier to testify about the
crime in their neighborhoods and to hear him agree to address
it. The Police Chief now teaches the CCA partnership with the
force as a model of police-community relations. http://ga3.org/ct/67_svVd19zlG/
Brockton Puts Focus on Crime
More than 500 gathered in the basement of a Brockton, MA, church
to ask Brockton's mayor and police chief to adopt their
proposals on reducing violent crime. Brockton Interfaith
Community's leaders began researching solutions after three
homicides were committed in seven days in early September. The
mayor agreed to seek out funding for after-school activities and
to engage the business community to employ more teens. He and
the police chief also agreed to meet with the chief of the
Providence police department to learn about their community
policing program. http://ga3.org/ct/W7_svVd19zlC/
IMMIGRATION
Contra Costa Cities Resist ICE's Tactics
A gathering of 500 frightened and angry immigrant families
organized by Contra Costa Interfaith Sponsoring Committee
(CCISCO) recently heard the mayor of Richmond, California agree
to formally protest raids by the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS). DHS' enforcement wing, Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, or ICE, has arrested 119 people in Contra Costa
County over the past few weeks in an operation purportedly
targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
However, only 18 of those arrested were criminals. CCISCO
hastily organized the public meeting to call on officials from
the effected areas to take a stand. http://ga3.org/ct/W1_svVd19zlZ/
HOUSING
Queens Fights for Equal Treatment
Thanks to Queens Congregations United for Action (QCUA), the New
York State Legislature is considering legislation that would add
protections for Queens to an affordable housing ordinance passed
by the New York City Council in December. The city legislation
offers tax incentives to developers in large swaths of Manhattan
and Brooklyn if 20% of their units are affordable to low- and
median-income households. Developers in Queens, however, get the
same incentives without having to include affordable units.
Median rent in Queens rose 7.2% from 2002 to 2005 while
household income fell 6.6%. The state legislature must approve
the bill before it becomes law next year, and QCUA has mounted a
campaign to convince state lawmakers to give Queens equal
treatment. http://ga3.org/ct/Od_svVd19zlJ/
NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION
Protecting People and Property in Florida
Leaders from Federation of Congregations United to Serve (FOCUS)
recently celebrated an emotional victory when seven new fire
hydrants were installed in an Orange County neighborhood. An
elderly woman died during a blaze in her nearby home last year
when fire fighters were hampered by nonworking hydrants. FOCUS
also gained agreement for an accelerated schedule of hydrant
inspections throughout Orange County. http://ga3.org/ct/61_svVd19zlT/
Water Improvements Won in Cathedral City
Cathedral City, CA, is building a new sanitary central sewer
making septic systems unnecessary for the first time. Inland
Congregations United for Change (ICUC) worked closely with the
city to establish an assessment district, Dream Homes, that will
receive more than $9 million for the improvements, including
funds to cover the rebuilding of streets, curbs, and gutters. A
remarkable 89.9% of voters approved the district due to strong
neighborhood organizing by ICUC leaders. http://ga3.org/ct/Op_svVd19zlK/
ECONOMIC SECURITY
Massachusetts Hikes Minimum Wage
Minimum wage workers in the state of Massachusetts have received
a pay raise from $6.75 an hour to $7.50 an hour. This will
give approximately 107,000 workers an annual pay boost of
$1,560. Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN)
successfully fought for the raise, along with several unions and
community groups. The minimum wage will increase again to $8.00
an hour on January 1, 2008, making it the highest minimum wage
in the nation. Today's increase is expected to also boost the
pay for another 208,000 low-wage workers who earn slightly more
than $7.50. The federal minimum wage has stagnated at $5.15
since 1997. http://ga3.org/ct/O1_svVd19zl-/
JOBS
PICO federations in Vermont, Massachusetts, Michigan, and
California have job openings. Visit http://ga3.org/ct/Ip_svVd19z0S/
to see current jobs and learn more about working in the PICO network.
PICO needs your financial support
PICO's success in empowering families and improving communities
depends on financial contributions from our donors. To help
support our work on the issues you've read about in this issue
of e-news and others, make an on-line donation.
Special Funding Announcement
PICO National Network has been chosen as one of 48 recipients of
the Working Assets 2007 Donor Program. Working Assets customers
(long distance, wireless, and credit card) vote for which
organization they want to support. You must be a Working Assets
customer to vote for PICO. Join Working Assets now. http://ga3.org/ct/I1_svVd19z0q/
Sign up for PICO Network News or other PICO newsletters:
http://ga3.org/ct/t1_svVd19zl8/
See past issues of PICO Network News:
http://ga3.org/ct/bp_svVd19zlY/
The PICO National Network
171 Santa Rosa Avenue
Oakland, California 94610
510 655 4816
www.piconetwork.org
HEALTHY FAMILIES
Faith and Families Summit on Children's Health
On March 7 PICO will be holding a summit on children's health in
Washington, DC. Congress has begun debating the reauthorization
of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which
provides coverage to 6 million children. Another 9 million
children are still uninsured. As part of an effort to expand
health coverage for children and families, PICO is building
support for a 5-point road map to cover all children by 2012.
For more information see http://ga3.org/ct/71_svVd19z0L/.
PICO parent puts a human face on the goal of covering all children
Susan Molina, Board Chair of PICO's Denver affiliate Metro
Organizations for People, testified before the House Energy and
Commerce Committee. She spoke about being a single parent and of
losing SCHIP health coverage for her children when she got a new
job that paid just above 200 percent of poverty. She told the
Committee that "working families need to know that if our jobs
don't offer affordable family coverage we have another option
for our children." Susan is leading MOP's campaign to cover all
children in Colorado. http://ga3.org/ct/6d_svVd19zlH/
Santa Clara County Congregations Organize for Universal Health
Coverage
An over-capacity crowd exceeding 500 gathered at a Los Gatos
synagogue to press the county supervisor and state and local
legislators to go on record in support of legislation that would
guarantee health coverage for everyone in the county. Peninsula
Interfaith Action (PIA) and People Acting in Community Together
(PACT - San Jose) organized the event and have been working
together for months to advance the innovative initiative that
would cover the estimated 200,000 Santa Clara County residents
who have no health insurance. http://ga3.org/ct/6p_svVd19zlF/
California Proposal Adds Pressure on Congress to Fund Children's Health
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a plan to
extend health coverage to the 6.5 million Californians who are
uninsured, including 750,000 children. This was a significant
victory for PICO California in its efforts to win health
coverage for every California child as its proposal was included
in the Governor's plan. However, the plan faces stiff opposition
from several interests and requires significant new funding from
Washington. http://ga3.org/ct/O7_svVd19zlD/
SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS
Regional Approach to Eradicating Gangs
Concerned residents, clergy, and officials of Santa Monica,
Venice, and Los Angeles were all in attendance as the new Police
Chief of Santa Monica pledged to work regionally to eliminate
gang violence. For LA Voice, it was the second large public
meeting on the issue in three months. Four members of Santa
Monica's city council, including the mayor, agreed to organize a
neighborhood watch program. In addition, the Chamber of Commerce
committed to create a job program for youth, including training
teens how to interview for employment opportunities.
http://ga3.org/ct/Wd_svVd19zlV/
Community Policing at work in Brevard County, Florida
The Police Chief in Palm Beach followed through on his word when
41 suspected drug dealers were picked up in one day last
November. Congregations for Community Action (CCA) had organized
a meeting with him a few months earlier to testify about the
crime in their neighborhoods and to hear him agree to address
it. The Police Chief now teaches the CCA partnership with the
force as a model of police-community relations. http://ga3.org/ct/67_svVd19zlG/
Brockton Puts Focus on Crime
More than 500 gathered in the basement of a Brockton, MA, church
to ask Brockton's mayor and police chief to adopt their
proposals on reducing violent crime. Brockton Interfaith
Community's leaders began researching solutions after three
homicides were committed in seven days in early September. The
mayor agreed to seek out funding for after-school activities and
to engage the business community to employ more teens. He and
the police chief also agreed to meet with the chief of the
Providence police department to learn about their community
policing program. http://ga3.org/ct/W7_svVd19zlC/
IMMIGRATION
Contra Costa Cities Resist ICE's Tactics
A gathering of 500 frightened and angry immigrant families
organized by Contra Costa Interfaith Sponsoring Committee
(CCISCO) recently heard the mayor of Richmond, California agree
to formally protest raids by the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS). DHS' enforcement wing, Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, or ICE, has arrested 119 people in Contra Costa
County over the past few weeks in an operation purportedly
targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
However, only 18 of those arrested were criminals. CCISCO
hastily organized the public meeting to call on officials from
the effected areas to take a stand. http://ga3.org/ct/W1_svVd19zlZ/
HOUSING
Queens Fights for Equal Treatment
Thanks to Queens Congregations United for Action (QCUA), the New
York State Legislature is considering legislation that would add
protections for Queens to an affordable housing ordinance passed
by the New York City Council in December. The city legislation
offers tax incentives to developers in large swaths of Manhattan
and Brooklyn if 20% of their units are affordable to low- and
median-income households. Developers in Queens, however, get the
same incentives without having to include affordable units.
Median rent in Queens rose 7.2% from 2002 to 2005 while
household income fell 6.6%. The state legislature must approve
the bill before it becomes law next year, and QCUA has mounted a
campaign to convince state lawmakers to give Queens equal
treatment. http://ga3.org/ct/Od_svVd19zlJ/
NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION
Protecting People and Property in Florida
Leaders from Federation of Congregations United to Serve (FOCUS)
recently celebrated an emotional victory when seven new fire
hydrants were installed in an Orange County neighborhood. An
elderly woman died during a blaze in her nearby home last year
when fire fighters were hampered by nonworking hydrants. FOCUS
also gained agreement for an accelerated schedule of hydrant
inspections throughout Orange County. http://ga3.org/ct/61_svVd19zlT/
Water Improvements Won in Cathedral City
Cathedral City, CA, is building a new sanitary central sewer
making septic systems unnecessary for the first time. Inland
Congregations United for Change (ICUC) worked closely with the
city to establish an assessment district, Dream Homes, that will
receive more than $9 million for the improvements, including
funds to cover the rebuilding of streets, curbs, and gutters. A
remarkable 89.9% of voters approved the district due to strong
neighborhood organizing by ICUC leaders. http://ga3.org/ct/Op_svVd19zlK/
ECONOMIC SECURITY
Massachusetts Hikes Minimum Wage
Minimum wage workers in the state of Massachusetts have received
a pay raise from $6.75 an hour to $7.50 an hour. This will
give approximately 107,000 workers an annual pay boost of
$1,560. Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN)
successfully fought for the raise, along with several unions and
community groups. The minimum wage will increase again to $8.00
an hour on January 1, 2008, making it the highest minimum wage
in the nation. Today's increase is expected to also boost the
pay for another 208,000 low-wage workers who earn slightly more
than $7.50. The federal minimum wage has stagnated at $5.15
since 1997. http://ga3.org/ct/O1_svVd19zl-/
JOBS
PICO federations in Vermont, Massachusetts, Michigan, and
California have job openings. Visit http://ga3.org/ct/Ip_svVd19z0S/
to see current jobs and learn more about working in the PICO network.
PICO needs your financial support
PICO's success in empowering families and improving communities
depends on financial contributions from our donors. To help
support our work on the issues you've read about in this issue
of e-news and others, make an on-line donation.
Special Funding Announcement
PICO National Network has been chosen as one of 48 recipients of
the Working Assets 2007 Donor Program. Working Assets customers
(long distance, wireless, and credit card) vote for which
organization they want to support. You must be a Working Assets
customer to vote for PICO. Join Working Assets now. http://ga3.org/ct/I1_svVd19z0q/
Sign up for PICO Network News or other PICO newsletters:
http://ga3.org/ct/t1_svVd19zl8/
See past issues of PICO Network News:
http://ga3.org/ct/bp_svVd19zlY/
The PICO National Network
171 Santa Rosa Avenue
Oakland, California 94610
510 655 4816
www.piconetwork.org
PICO Network News
February 20, 2007
February 20, 2007