The Call
- February '06 Recap
 The
Budget's Bottom Line |
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By Yonce Shelton
Budgets are moral documents. They show us what
we value in revealing where we invest now and for the future.
Government funding is not the solution to all needs, but the
budget process is a road map for how leaders plan to navigate
our country's challenges and opportunities.
The president's 2007 budget cuts
$183 billion from domestic programs during the next five years.
It eliminates more than 100 programs. Many of the cuts are to
services for the poor. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) called
cuts to health and education programs "scandalous."
The budget makes the largest cut to federal education
spending in a decade, despite President Bush proposing to
increase funding for math and science education. More cuts
to low-income child care services would result in 400,000 fewer
children receiving assistance. Despite Congress deciding not to
cut food stamps in the 2006 budget (reacting, in part, to
pressure from the faith community), food stamps are slated for a
cut that would eliminate support for 300,000 people. Medicaid is
again on the chopping block with nearly $14 billion in cuts. The
list goes on.
There is a disconnect between basic needs and national
priorities when more social cuts are proposed as poverty has
risen in each of the past four years, according to the
U.S. Census; food insecurity has risen in each of the last
five, according to the Food
Research and Action Center; and 9.2 million working families
are on the brink of poverty, according to the Working
Poor Families Project. Fiscal responsibility arguments hold
no water because the 2007 budget would increase the
deficit (
as in 2006).
A major culprit is the budget's $1.7 trillion (over 10 years)
to permanently extend tax cuts that primarily benefit the
wealthy. This calls into question the validity of the
administration's claims of steady deficit reduction over coming
years. This budget includes no analysis for spending for
Iraq and Afghanistan past 2007, nor does it offer projections
for expensive tax policies after
2006. This sidesteps customary budget practice. Ignoring
these major expenses intentionally masks the impact of current
tax and deficit policies on our long-term stability.
Further, despite claims that tax cuts stimulate the economy and
help job growth, the current economic recovery has
underperformed past recoveries and investment growth has been
below historical norms (www.cbpp.org). Job
creation under President Bush has been the lowest since World
War II, and hourly and weekly wages are dropping (
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=1331575&ct=18205710).
Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress have told us
that our "budgets are moral documents" message has not gone
unheard. We must continue using our voice and witness to
redefine - to renew - moral commitment to our nation’s
struggling families.
National, state and local organizations can raise a voice
against these priorities! Join others across the country
in sending a letter to Congress: http://www.chn.org/issues/opportunityforall/budgetsignonletter.html.
Please let us know if you sign the letter: ctr@calltorenewal.org.
Yonce Shelton is the National Coordinator and
Policy Director at Call to Renewal
| State of Our Values Watch
Parties |
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By Nadia Stefko
On Jan. 31, Call to Renewal and Sojourners supporters
gathered in 200 homes, churches and community centers around the
country to listen to President Bush’s 6th State
of the Union address. These State of Our Values watch parties
provided an opportunity for people of faith to reflect together
on the moral priorities and values that underlie our
government’s legislative policies and political rhetoric.
Through creative engagement of local media, watch party
participants shared their discussions with the communities
outside the walls of their gatherings. See below for a few
examples of the great coverage the watches
generated.
The watch parties varied greatly in size, tone and format.
In Buffalo, four people gathered to watch the address and
play State of the Union bingo. In Denver, 85 got together
for a panel discussion with local community and religious
leaders before breaking into smaller discussion circles.
At Coe College in Cedar Rapids, fifteen students joined a
college chaplain to watch and discuss the speech in a residence
hall TV lounge.
Some groups have decided to continue meeting regularly for
discussion, action, faith sharing and fellowship. Many of you
told us you appreciated the chance to collectively process and
respond to the president’s agenda from a faith
perspective. To all of you, we are grateful for your continued
faithfulness, your enthusiasm for the hard questions, and your
willingness to speak truth to power by holding our leaders
accountable to their duty to relentlessly pursue the common good
in their words and actions.
Perhaps State of Our Values participant Linda Toia said it
best in her letter to the editor, published in the North Penn
Reporter in the days following the address: “As people of
principle and compassion, we must stay in dialogue with our
elected officials; they need to know our thoughts and beliefs.
We must act from our consciences and be clear about our
values?and ask what each of us can do to bring about more
healing and justice to our broken world."
Here are a few of the news stories the Watches generated:
Evangelicals Branch
Out Politically Los AngelesTimes
Gathering at church
brings faith perspective to address The Denver
Post
Locals React to the
State of the Union WVLT Volunteer TV, Knoxville,
Tennessee
Optimistic tone in
Bush's speech not shared by all The Daily Herald,
Everett, Washington
Washington Group
Urges 'State of Our Values Watch'
CharlestonGazette, Charleston, West Virginia
Church and Community
Leaders to Discuss "State of Our Values"
BaylorUniversity Magazine, Waco, Texas
Bipartisan gathering
looks at speech from religious, moral perspectiveRocky
Mountain News, Denver, Colorado
Speech draws concern
at Salem EventThe Statesman Journal, Salem,
Oregon
An Interview with
Adam Taylor on "The State of Our Values" CampaignThe
Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy
Nadia Stefko is an Organizer with Call to
Renewal
| Anti-Poverty
Resources |
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By Laurna Strikwerda
Advocacy
Offering of Letters, Bread for the World. Bread for
the World has informational and advocacy resources that
congregations or organizations can use for education and action
to end hunger. Resources for the Offering of Letters campaign
are available here: http://www.bread.org/take-action/letters-campaign/2006/ol-2006-brochure.html
Anti-Racism Resources:
Sweet Freedom: Breaking the Bondage of Maurice Carter,
Doug Tjapkes, FaithWalk Publishing, 2006. Tjapkes’
book chronicles the story of Maurice Carter, who sought the
author’s help after being wrongfully imprisoned, and the
deep friendship that Tjapkes and Carter formed across lines of
race and difference. It is available from Faith Walk
Publishing: www.faithwalkpub.com.
Domestic Anti-Poverty Resources
Hunger and Homelessness Survey, US Conference of Mayors,
December, 2005. The US Conference of Mayors has published
a report on the need and availability of emergency services in
24 major cities. It is available on their website: http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/hungersurvey/2005/HH2005FINAL.pdf.
Poverty USA, US Conference of Catholic Bishops,
2006. January is National Poverty in America Awareness
month, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has created a
website with educational resources, stories of hope and ways
that individuals can help end poverty. Resources are
available on their website: http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/index.htm.
Poverty Pulse, Wave VI, Catholic Campaign for Human
Development, January 2006. This detailed resources uses
statistics to describe Americans’ current attitudes on and
perceptions of poverty in the United States. It is
available here: http://www.usccb.org/cchd/PovertyPulse_06.pdf.
Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of
America, Michael Yankoski, Multnomah Publishers, 2005.
In this book, Yankoski describes his time living as a homeless
person in six American cities over a five month period, and the
effect it had on his Christian faith. www.undertheoverpass.com.
Global Poverty
Peace and Justice Resources, Church World
Service. CWS has educational resources and materials
that congregations can use in worship to raise awareness about
global poverty available here: http://www.churchworldservice.org/Educ_Advo/resources.html
A Primer on Poverty and Hunger. World Vision has
a summary of key statistics on global poverty and hunger,
available on their website: http://domino-201.worldvision.org/donate.nsf/child/tawv_poverty_12212005?Open&campaign=12432030&cmp=EMC-12432030
Health Care Resources:
Center for Health Care Reform Resources. The
Center for Health Care Reform has put together a resource for
communities to promote short term advocacy for children’s
access to health care and long term advocacy for changing the
health care system to be more equitable for all. The
resource includes study guides, bulletin inserts and PowerPoint
material. For more information, please contact Mary
Pinkerson at the Center for Healthcare Reform: mary.pinkerson@stjoe.org,
(714) 347-7741, or go online to http://www.stjhs.org/chr/pub.htm
The Dialogue resources, Our Health Care Future.
Our Health Care Future has a website with resources for
communities to host day long events to bring diverse groups
together to talk about health care and what can be done to
improve our health care system. Information is available
on their website: www.ourhealthcarefuture.org.
Making Public Programs Work for Communities of Color: An
Action Kit for Community Leaders, Families USA,
2006.
This tool kit is designed for community leaders and provides
detailed information on access to health care, strategies for
influencing policy, case studies on the work of grassroots and
faith-based organizations, as well as detailed information
public health programs. It is available on the Families
USA website: http://www.familiesusa.org/resources/tools-for-advocates/kits/minority-health-tool-kit.html.
Lenten Resources:
Lent 2006. The United Methodist Church has
developed a Lenten devotional resource that focuses on social
justice and activism. Word and PDF versions are available
on their website: http://www.umcgbcs.org/site/apps/nl/content.asp?c=fsJNK0PKJrH&b=1345457&content_id={F48ED43F-84FE-4D81-B918-2C3546039B73}¬oc=1&tr=y&auid=1348866
Lenten Fast from Violence Resources 2006, World
Council of Churches. The WCC resource focuses on
healing in five areas: global poverty, public debate,
environment, self-inflicted violence and systemic
violence. It is available here: http://overcomingviolence.org/?id=1816.
Living Wage:
A Just Minimum Wage: Good for Workers, Business and Our
Future, Holly Sklar and Paul Sherry, American Friends
Service Committee and National Council of Churches USA, October
2005. This document details why increasing the
minimum wage is a moral imperative and why it contributes to a
healthy economy. It is available on the Let Justice Roll
Website: http://www.letjusticeroll.org/pdfs/AJustMinimumWage.pdf.
President’s Budget Proposal:
A Faith Reflection on the Federal Budget. The
Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs has
published an updated statement on the federal budget, which is
available here: http://www.umc-gbcs.org/atf/cf/{325AB72F-313E-4CC3-BB1A-EF0A52968A8D}/FAITH%20REFLECTION%202006.PDF
Federal Budget Timetable, 2006, Coalition on Human
Needs. The Coalition on Human Needs has created a time
table with the process for the passage of the federal budget,
which is available here: http://www.chn.org/pdf/fy07budgettimetable.pdf.
The President’s Budget: A Preliminary Analysis,
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, February 10, 2006.
This report outlines the specific cuts to entitlement programs
proposed in President Bush’s budget in detail. It is
available here: http://www.cbpp.org/2-6-06bud.htm.
Women and Children Last—Again: An Analysis of the
President’s FY 2007 Budget, National Women’s Law
Center, 2006. This document specifically examines the
impact of the President Bush’s budget proposal on women
and girls. It is available here: http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/FY07_BudgetAnalysis.pdf.
Additional publications on the budget can be found on the
Coalition for Human Needs website: www.chn.org.
Teen Pregnancy Resources
Faith, Hope, and Love: How Latino Faith Communities Can
Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2005. The National Campaign to
Prevent Teen Pregnancy has released this new resource guide for
Latino faith leaders to use in their congregations and
communities. It is available in English here:
http://www.teenpregnancy.org/religion/FHL.pdf
and in Spanish: http://www.teenpregnancy.org/religion/FHL_espanol.pdf.
Spanish Language Resources
Consultation Worship Resources, Church World
Service. Church World Service has several Spanish
language resources on trade justice in North America available
in Spanish here: http://www.churchworldservice.org/Educ_Advo/trade/JTworship-resources-esp.html
Fe, Esperanza et Amor. The National Campaign to
Prevent Teen Pregnancy’s resource for faith leaders is
available in Spanish here: http://www.teenpregnancy.org/religion/FHL_espanol.pdf.
Pobreza en los EE.UU, United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops. The USCCB has a complete Spanish version
of its website on poverty and the USCCB’s social justice
campaign. It is available here:
http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/spanish
Recursos en Español, NETWORK. NETWORK, a
national Catholic social justice lobbying group, provides
several resources in Spanish, including information on
contacting elected officials and the basic tenets of Catholic
social justice doctrine. They are available on their
website here:
http://www.networklobby.org/recursos/ Laurna
Strikwerda is a Policy Analyst at Call to
Renewal
| Ruffling Feathers in the Name of
Justice |
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By Sadie Healy
Jesus commands us to feed the hungry, so let’s
make sure that we are not allowing our government to cut food
stamps. Jesus commands us to heal the sick, so let’s
make sure that Medicaid will cover the doctors visits as well as
the medicines needed for each person to get the care that they
need.
In November I attended the Christian Community Development
Association conference where I learned about proposed budget
cuts to social services and also an upcoming prayer protest in
Washington, DC. So I rescheduled my exams, hopped on a
plane to Washington, and finally put my feet where my mouth and
heart were. On that frigid day in December, I knew that
this would not be my last time advocating, lobbying, or getting
arrested. The Lord stirred up a passion inside me that
made me feel like I had been shown how I fit into His
will. So when I arrived back at school in January and
learned that the budget cuts were going to be up for a vote one
final time, I felt compelled to once again have my feet go where
my mouth and heart have been.
I attempted to mobilize each and every one of my contacts
that I had access to due to each of my different roles: student,
social worker, daughter, friend, community member, church member
and intern. I must say that I was very surprised by how
many resources were at my fingertips just waiting to be seized.
However, when some of those resources did not present the
support that I expected, I was shocked.
The biggest surprise that I was faced with was the lack of
support by the faith institutions from which I had learned so
much. When asking people to sign a petition most were very
willing to cooperate. For example, we were able to gather
almost 900 signatures from students, faculty, community members
and social service agencies. But even when asking
individuals to sign a petition or distribute a petition there
were serious reservations. There are many toes that could
be stepped on any time that you attempt to elicit the help of
agencies that assist the poor yet are funded by wealthy
philanthropists. What I am attempting to say is that
through my experience I noticed that organizations such as
churches and social service agencies are hesitant to support
something that may offend others. Community members enjoy
dropping canned goods off at the food pantry because it is
tangible. This is a good and necessary action. However, it
is also important to go beyond the canned goods and ask why so
many individuals do not have enough to eat.
Honestly, this experience was exhausting, and I am supposedly
in the prime of my life. By the end of the let downs, I
was so disappointed by the church and its lack of involvement in
regards to issues of social change and justice that I wanted to
stop going. Late one Saturday night I was talking with a
friend who reminded me that the church needs people who have
been given a passion for advocacy to work with the church to
form one united voice. Politics are private for most
people and churches are made up of the entire political
spectrum. I had just learned how disheartening it is to have
churches not take a stand concerning a policy that you believe
to be biblically unjust. As a faith community we need to
stand up for social justice and become more active in forming a
strong voice against unjust policies, and there is no way to do
that unless we decide to ruffle a few feathers in the name of
justice.
My message would not be completely honest without informing
you of the hope that I have seen through this process. I
see hope in the young freshman who questioned me concerning the
ins and outs of the budget cuts which revealed his willingness
to learn more. I see hope in the man who sat in his
wheelchair without a coat or gloves on in front of the
congressman’s office as he awaited a chance to speak to a
crowd of 25 students. I see hope in one of the
congressman’s head staffers listening to a recording of
the speeches given by students concerning the budget cuts.
I see hope in the democratic process that allows us to voice our
opinions each and every day. Finally, I see hope in our
God who is always going to defend the cause of the poor and
needy no matter what feathers are ruffled. The work of
social advocacy is rewarding, necessary, challenging and
exhilarating, so let us unite ourselves with one voice to let
our government know what this faith community believes.
Sadie Healy is a student at Calvin College in Grand
Rapids, Michigan
| In the News |
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By Duane Shank
The debate begins on the FY 07 budget, with
President Bush saying his call
to reduce spending on social services represented fiscal
discipline and was not really a cut. White House documents
showed years
of deep cuts will be needed to meet the goal of halving the
federal budget deficit by 2009. The Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities analyzed the report in “The Hidden Cuts in
Domestic Appropriations.”
The Roundtable on Religion and Social Policy notes that the
budget slashes
domestic spending, but retains money for some programs
targeted under the Faith-Based and Community Initiative.
However, a major new study by the Roundtable found that the
amount of direct federal grants
to faith-based organizations declined from 2002 to 2004.
A new report from the Census Bureau, "
The Effects of Government Taxes and Transfers on Income and
Poverty: 2004," found that when noncash benefits like food
stamps and housing subsidies were considered, as well as tax
credits given to low-income workers, the share of Americans
living under the poverty line last year was 8.3 percent. Critics
said the report presented a misleading and partial picture,
highlighting uncounted resources available to many poor people
but ignoring many new expenses and hardships they face.
America’s Second Harvest reports that the food
bank network served 25 million people in 2005. Those seeking
food included 9 million children and nearly 3 million senior
citizens. 36 percent came from households
in which at least one person had a job.
Black ministers in Boston, responding to a surge in youth
violence, have launched a drive to recruit, train, and deploy
1,000 volunteers
to work with at-risk young people.''There is a realization
that we've been asleep at the wheel," said the Rev. Jeffrey L.
Brown, pastor of Union Baptist Church in Cambridge, speaking of
the clergy, law-enforcement agencies, and social service
organizations that collaborated so effectively in the 1990s.
Duane Shank is an Issue and Policy Advisor at Call
to Renewal
| Mark Your Calendar February 2006
|
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By Laurna
Strikwerda
Service Opportunities
Mennonite Central Committee: SALT Program
Mennonite Central Committee is currently taking applications
for the SALT program, Serving and Learning Together. The
SALT service-learning program lasts one year and has placements
in the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe
and Asia. More information is available on the MCC website: http://www.mcc.org/vep/salt/index.html.
United Methodist Church: Summer Ethnic Young Adult
Internships
The United Methodist Church’s summer internship program
is open to Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American and Pacific
Islander young adults between 18 and 22 years of age.
Interns will live together in community and pursue work in
public policy, social justice and societal change. Applications
are due March 15 and are available here: http://www.umcgbcs.org/site/apps/nl/content.asp?c=fsJNK0PKJrH&b=1372597&content_id={17AC878E-61A0-4E73-92CB-701D3F0F767A}¬oc=1&tr=y&auid=1369308.
Funding Opportunities:
The F. B. Heron Foundation provides grants to community
organizations that focus on strengthening low-income communities
and individuals. Information on grants is available on
their website: www.fbheron.org.
Events
Ecumenical Advocacy Days: Challenging Disparity: The
Promise of God – The Power of Solidarity
March 10-13, 2006, Washington, DC
This conference will bring together nearly 900 participants
to focus on issues of faith and justice. Participants can
choose from several tracks, including specific regions of the
world, domestic policy, eco-justice and debt cancellation.
More information is available at the Advocacy Days website: http://www.advocacydays.org/about/index.php
The Leaven Center: Beyond Good Intentions: An Anti-Racism Workshop for White
Allies in Faith-based Organizations
March 19-23, 2006, Lyons, MI
This event is designed to further participants’
self-awareness about issues of race, and develop concrete
strategies for personal and institutional change. More
information is on the Leaven Center website: http://www.leaven.org/upcoming.htm#intentions.
National Community Reinvestment Coalition Annual
Meeting
March 22 - March 25, 2006,
Washington, DC
The NCRC meeting will feature experts on small
business growth, fair lending, community reinvestment and other
related topics. The event will empower participants to
work for economic justice in their own communities. More
information is available here: www.ncrc.org.
Serious Times: Church and Culture Conference
Charlotte, NC, March 23-25
This conference will focus on the church’s role as a
transformer of culture. It will include analysis of
contemporary culture and discussions on how church ministries
can be effective. Details are available here: http://www.serioustimes.com/Information.asp?TopicID=56
2006 Congress on Urban Ministry: The Beloved Community
Breaking Through in the City
March 21-24, 2006, Chicago, IL
This event will focus on building community through
leadership development, communication, networking, immigration
and cross-ethnic dialogue. Rev. Jim Wallis, director of
Sojourners and convener of Call to Renewal, will be a plenary
speaker, along with Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk. More information
is available here: http://www.scupe.com/Resources/Inside/ISwinter05.pdf.
To the Streets: National Sleep-Out and Day of
Action
March 31, 2006, Chicago, IL/National
To the Streets is a coalition of advocates concerned about
homelessness. On March 31st, To the Streets
will sponsor a sleep-out in Chicago to raise awareness about
homelessness and the lack of affordable housing in the US.
Local groups in cities across the country will also be holding
sleep-outs. More information is available here: www.tothestreets.org.
22nd Annual Hunger Cleanup
April 8, 2006, National
On April 8th, the National Student Campaign
Against Hunger and Homelessness will sponsor its annual Hunger
Cleanup and send students across the country to help repair
shelters, food pantries and community centers. To ensure
that the organizations are able to continue their work
throughout the year, participants will also raise money for the
community service providers they assist. More information
is available here: www.hungercleanup.org.
National and Global Youth Service Day
April 21-23, 2006, National
This service day is sponsored by Youth Service America, which
is dedicated to engaging youth and helping create a culture of
service. In April, millions of youth will participate in
tutoring, disaster relief, community education and health
advocacy work. More information is available on the Youth
Service America website: http://www.ysa.org/nysd/.
Leadership Institute for Christian Community
Development
May 15- June 3, 2006, Chicago, IL
The LICCD will include courses on Christian political
advocacy, housing and economic development, and strengthening
communities. The LICCD is at North Park University and is
designed for lay leaders, graduate students, pastors and anyone
with a deep interest in faith-based economic development.
More information is available on the North Park website: http://www.northpark.edu/macd/summer.cfm.
Laurna Strikwerda is a Policy Analyst at Call to
Renewal | 
