Political Unity, Family-Style
My daughter and I have our political differences, but we found remarkable harmony among our (myriad) answers to this question:
“The Rudy & Judy Show makes me want to ____________________.”
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NightWatch: Tools of the Trade
Bread and water.
Hygiene kits. Coffee and a Bible.
We also distribute freshly-made sandwiches and salads; hot meals; blankets; socks, shirts, coats; and more. (Photos of those coming soon…)
I heart NightWatch. 
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A Fan of Ed?
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Ed Cone has a dedicated fan (or frenemy, I’m not quite sure which. ;))
Check out this parody of Ed’s blog. I don’t know who’s writing it, but it’s funny. Hint: You must read the (fake so far) comments!
UPDATE: I added it to my blogroll, but then I had to go back and change the view name to “Ed Cone, for fake” (as opposed to “Ed Cone, for real”) because… well, figure it out. But anyway, it’s my favorite blog now. I just wish there was a recent comments feature, because that’s the best part. Except when the “fake Cara Michele” makes an inane comment. But apparently, I must do that in real life, too. 
P.S. I do love emoticons. And peace.
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Anti-Depressants Ineffective Against Bipolar Disorder
A just-published, large-scale, multi-site clinical trial, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health reveals that “for depressed people with bipolar disorder who are taking a mood stabilizer, adding an antidepressant medication is no more effective than a placebo (sugar pill.)” The study also found that anti-depressants were no more likely to trigger mania than a placebo.
Read more: “Study Sheds Light on Medication Treatment Options for Bipolar Disorder”
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North Carolina Health Choice & Minimum Wage
In the comments to this post, Joe Guarino mentions the N.C. Health Choice (NCHC) program, which provides health coverage for children in families whose incomes are too high to receive Medicaid, but who lack health insurance coverage. Eligibility is determined by income and family size. Families below 150% of the federal poverty level pay co-pays for prescription meds. Families below 200% of the poverty level also pay prescription co-pays, as well as co-payments for ER, physician and dental visits, and an enrollment fee.
In the example from my previous post (“Government Assistance & Minimum Wage”), a single mom working a full-time job currently would earn $12,792 annually, which makes her and her children eligible for Medicaid’s Families with Dependent Children Program (provided that they meet other program requirements.) She would see her income rise to $19,469 annually if the minimum wage increased to $9.36 per hour — above the limit for Medicaid. But her children would be eligible for NCHC ($19,469 is below 150% of the poverty level.) However, mom would no longer have health coverage.
(When I was doing eligibility assistance and case management, most of the families I worked with were very low-income and received Medicaid. I only remember helping one family enroll their child in NCHC, and I couldn’t remember the income limits. So thank you, Joe, for mentioning it.)
It’s a relief to hear that increasing the minimum wage to $9.36 per hour wouldn’t have as many negative unintended consequences as I feared. On the other hand, a person with two kids can work a full-time job earning $9.36 per hour and still qualify for a Section 8 housing voucher, and their children will also qualify for subsidized healthcare. So, that’s still depressing, although it’s an improvement.
I looked at several “living wage” and cost-of-living calculators on the web (here are a couple: #1, #2), and I found that the income needed (for the basics, not luxuries) for a family of three in our community is around $13-$14 per hour. That’s more than double our current minimum wage, and still a lot less than $9.36 per hour. But hey, you’ve got to start somewhere.
Next questions: 1.) I want to know more about the benefits of EITCs, and 2.) How will an increased minimum wage affect small business owners?
>> Read previous post on this topic: “Government Assistance & Minimum Wage”
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Task Force Approves Final Draft of Plan to End Homelessness
The Guilford County Task Force to End Homelessness met this morning and approved by consensus the final draft of the “Guilford County / High Point / Greensboro Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness And Reduce Other Homelessness.” (The plan will most likely receive a more succinct and memorable name before it’s published and released to the public. ;))
The plan focuses on permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless persons, and prevention and supportive services. There are a few more steps in the process, but once the plan is finalized, it will be released to the public. (Details and date to be announced soon.)
Mayor Keith Holliday joined us at the meeting this morning to offer his support and encouragement. He is “thrilled by the enthusiam and support of the federal government” for Ten Year Plans to end homelessness, and says that he doesn’t “see how anybody can say ‘no’ to this.” He noted that comprehensive plans, like the Ten Year Plan, are the way to solve problems such as chronic homelessness. The mayor also said that homelessness is often, “out of sight, out of mind. People don’t want to deal with it. We need to come from a perspective of not coming in the back door.” He believes that it’s important to get the whole message of homelessness out to the community.
Neil Belenky, president of United Way of Greater Greensboro and an administrative partner on the Task Force, spoke about his personal journey during the last year as a Task Force member, and learning about the struggles that homeless people face. He now knows that homelessness is about much more than not having a place to live. “It’s not about homelessness. It’s about recovery.” Of his time on the Task Force, Belenky also added, “It’s put me back in touch with my humanity.” Amen, Neil!
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Government Assistance & Minimum Wage
The Greensboro Minimum Wage Campaign is “working to increase the Greensboro minimum wage to $9.36/hour.” As a self-avowed “poverty warrior,” I agree with the mission of helping the poor. But the critical thinker in me is still a little skeptical that a 35% hike in the minimum wage is the best way to go. It sounds good, but I’m concerned that there will be unintended consequences.
After reading the summary of a Berkeley study that showed California WalMart employees were relying on government assistance programs (food stamps, taxpayer-funded healthcare, subsidized housing) to make up the difference between their low wages and the cost of living, I made this comment on a thread at Ed’s blog:
“Some individuals and families in the Food Stamp and Medicaid programs would be affected, as would some individuals and families in voucher or grant-based housing programs. When you raise income, some people will lose benefits. Some of the benefits may be offset by the rise in income, some may not. (Medicaid is a good example. If your income rises and you lose Medicaid, but you don’t have insurance, then you stand to lose much more than you gain.) I wonder if anyone has looked at how all this ties together? Will minimum wage workers who lose government food, medical and housing benefits make enough in increased income to help them, or will it hurt them? I’d like to know.”
And then Jill Williams wrote a post at the GMWC blog, in response to my comment, which said, in part:
“What I’ve found is that the requirements to receive benefits like Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, etc. are such that recipients basically can not work a full time job… Affordable housing programs may be different.”
Actually, there are people working full-time and receiving Medicaid and food stamps. (And not just at WalMart in California. At low-paying jobs in Greensboro, too.) And there are working people in subsidized housing, as well.
MEDICAID
Medicare: A federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older and for individuals with disabilities.
Medicaid: A program sponsored by the federal government and administered by states that is intended to provide health care and health-related services to low-income individuals.
Medicaid is one of the benefits I’m most concerned about people losing, because it’s direct aid to the poor.
Here’s an example of my concern: A single mom, working for minimum wage ($6.15 per hour) with two children in the 6-18 age range, who has no other income (many women don’t receive child support) would earn $12,792 per year. That would make her children eligible for Medicaid, and the mom may be eligible, as well. Income limit in their situation is $17,170.
But if the minimum wage was raised to $9.36 per hour, mom would be earning $19,469 per year. No more Medicaid. And if she doesn’t have insurance (which she probably won’t, at a minimum wage job), the cost of health care for a family of three would likely be more than the increase in her wages.
And we can go further with the example. What if one of her children has a chronic illness? No Medicaid, no insurance, no medicine, no treatment. Child misses school, mom misses work. Mom gets fired, rent isn’t paid. What happens next?
Whether or not one would lose Medicaid benefits due to an increase in minimum wage is dependent upon household size and composition, but clearly, some people would be affected. The increase in income most likely would not offset the loss of healthcare benefits. Go here for more: Medicaid eligibility, Poverty guidelines.
(** See more about health coverage in follow-up post.**)
FOOD STAMPS
Similar to Medicaid, whether or not one would lose food stamp benefits due to an increase in minimum wage is dependent upon household size and composition, but it’s likely that some people would be affected, especially families with more children. The increase in income may offset the loss of food stamps. Go here for more: NC food stamp income limits.
SECTION 8
Subsidized housing programs, like the federal Section 8 program (HUD), have income limits, as well. In general, household income cannot exceed 50% of the metro area (source.) In our community, HUD figures median income at $48,775 (source.) Based on that number, it looks like our single mom earning $19,469 per year with the increased minimum wage would be within HUD’s income limit, so she would pay more for rent, but she wouldn’t lose her voucher. (Good news!)
There are other types of subsidized housing programs, including: income restricted (maximum upper-limit on tenant’s income); income-based sliding scale (sliding scale; absolute minimum and absolute maximum prices with low and high values; tenant income is primary factor in determining actual rent price); and median-income-based rent (restricted to tenants whose income is no more than a specific % of HUD’s Median Family Income.) Hopefully, the increase in income from a $9.36 minimum wage would offset any negative effects on tenants in these other subsidized housing programs. But I’d need some math help to say that for sure.
(It’s important to keep in mind that Medicaid and Section 8 are federal programs, so there’s no option to change the income eligibility thresholds at the local level to adjust for a new, increased local minimum wage. And please note that there are other factors, in addition to income, that are involved in determining eligibility for government assistance programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and Section 8 housing.)
In conclusion (whew!), please understand that I am not advocating keeping the minimum wage low and using government benefits to subsidize the poor. Actually, my point is that we’re already doing that. I agree with the mission of helping the poor out of poverty through work. (Amen! That’s Biblical!) I’m just urging a little caution in the process. Let’s be sure that there’s a game plan for the folks who may lose other benefits that will not be replaced dollar-for-dollar by the increase in pay. (Medicaid benefits are the best example of that.)
What about an expansion of EITC? I’ve heard it discussed. It’s a wage subsidy for the working poor that doesn’t count against them when determining eligibility for assistance programs, like Medicaid. Could increasing expanding EITC be a way to help the working poor short-term, while we (hopefully!) work on expanding availability of health insurance to all Americans?
I’d like to hear more specifics about how an increased minimum wage would affect the poor and I’d like to hear more about alternatives, like EITC. I’ve been a case manager, but I’m not an expert at any of this, and I’m not an economist. I am interested in keeping the conversation going!
>> Follow-up post: “North Carolina Health Choice & Minimum Wage”
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