Social Safety Nets

Think Twice Before You Slice

Chuck Bean | Posted 05.02.2012

Read More: Homlessness, Homelessness Washington Dc, D.C. Safety-Net Programs, Social Safety Nets, Dc Impact, Safety-Net Funding, Safety-Net Funding D.C., Arlington, Washington Dc Impact, DC News
Chuck Bean

Investing in critical safety-net programs will assure our region continues on the path to recovery. We want to ensure that the people who work in Arlington can also afford to live there.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt: Socialist or "Champion of Freedom"?

David Woolner | Posted 04.23.2012

Read More: Socialism, Franklin Roosevelt, New Deal, Safety Net, Barack Obama, Social Safety Nets, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Economic Crisis, Politics News
David Woolner

For Roosevelt, government intervention in the economy was not about destroying individual liberty; it was about restoring individual liberty. This is a good reminder for President Obama.

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Support

Jess Wilson | Posted 05.06.2012

Read More: Social Programs, Social Services, Helping the Needy, Charity, Social Safety Nets, Politics News
Jess Wilson

Either spend some money now in order to enable a generation of kids to participate in and contribute to our society, or pay exponentially more later when we have a generation of adults who are wholly reliant on us because we didn't give them the skills they needed.

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3 In 4 Doctors Say Health Care System Should Pay For Patients’ Social Needs: Study

Joel John Roberts | Posted 04.09.2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Poverty, Homelessness, Third World America, Social Safety Nets, Healthcare, Health Care, Impact News
Joel John Roberts

Four out of five physicians felt that meeting the social needs of a person is just as important as meeting their medical conditions. Of those care providers in low-income communities, nine out of ten felt the same.

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The State of the Union Is Not Strong

David M. Walker | Posted 03.24.2012

Read More: National Debt, Social Insurance, Social Safety Nets, State of the Union Address, Defense Spending, Partisanship, Barack Obama, State of the Union, Healthcare Costs, Politics News
David M. Walker

There are many things President Obama must cover in his State of the Union address. But our nation's finances are in such dire straits that they are reaching a critical condition.

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America's Middle Class Is Dangling Without a Safety Net

Amy B. Dean | Posted 03.12.2012

Read More: Insecurity, Income Inequality, Social Safety Nets, Inequality, Occupy Wall Street, Politics News
Amy B. Dean

The reason why the message of the Occupy movement has struck a chord with so many people is that it touches on an issue that goes beyond the standing of America's "top 1%." People are not merely resentful of inequality. They're scared due to insecurity.

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The United States of Europe -- A Failure GOP Candidates Would Love to Emulate in the U.S.

Eugene Linden | Posted 02.01.2012

Read More: GOP Candidates, Grover Norquist, Ron Paul, European Union, Greek Debt Crisis, Libertarian, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, European Debt Crisis, Alan Greenspan, 2012 Election, Germany, Federal Reserve, Social Safety Nets, Financial Crisis, Small Government, Free Market Ideology, Socialist Policies, World News
Eugene Linden

Although the EU is only slightly smaller than the U.S. in GDP, it is a libertarian's dream in terms of the limitations on its governing policies.

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Power to the People: They Have It Now But Haven't Used It

Ed Koch | Posted 01.28.2012

Read More: Income Gap, Unemployment, 2012 Election, Economic Recession, Voting Rights, Social Safety Nets, Thanksgiving, Democracy, New York City, Voting, New York News
Ed Koch

Protesters in the streets often shout the slogan, "Power to the People." The people already have the power to change and improve our society by removing from office those elected officials who have failed in their obligations.

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Four Popular Safety-Net Programs Tea Party Republicans Have Turned Against

Jake Blumgart | Posted 01.18.2012

Read More: Compassionate Conservatism, Earned Income Tax Credit, Food Stamps, Conservatives, Community Health Centers, School Lunches, George W. Bush, Republican Party, Tea Party, Safety Net Programs, Social Safety Nets, Safety Net, Politics News
Jake Blumgart

Ensuring that American students can attend school with full bellies seems like the most uncontroversial public policy of all time. Not so anymore, now that child nutrition has met the Tea Party.

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One In Four Americans Would Be Poor Without Government Help: Study

The Huffington Post | Alexander Eichler | Posted 01.23.2012

Read More: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Social Security, Government Assistance, Poverty, Third World America, US Poverty, Stimulus, Video, Super Committee, Unemployment, Veterans Benefits, Social Safety Nets, Stimulus Package, Unemployment Insurance, Poor, Medicare, Medicaid, Housing Assistance, Poverty in America, Business News

As rampant as poverty is in America, it would be much worse without government aid. The Census Bureau estimates that last year a record 46 million ...

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National and State Safety Nets Fail to Catch Millions of Children

Marian Wright Edelman | Posted 11.30.2011

Read More: Child Poverty, Poverty, US Poverty, Children in Poverty, Census Poverty, Poverty Increase, Ending Child Poverty, Poverty in America, Food Stamps, Social Safety Nets, Politics News
Marian Wright Edelman

Our child poverty statistics are morally and economically indefensible. Is this the best America can do? Is this the reflection of our values as a nation?

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Jon Ward

Rick Perry & Mitt Romney Locked In Cage Match On Social Security Following California Debate

HuffingtonPost.com | Jon Ward | Posted 11.07.2011

Read More: Social Security, Mitt Romney, Elections 2012, Rick-Perry, Rick Perry, Barack Obama, Video, Michele Bachmann, National Debt, Mitt Romney 2012, Social Safety Nets, Rick Perry 2012, Entitlement Spending, Election 2012, Politics News

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. -- There was one thing and one thing only on the minds and lips of Mitt Romney's aides and advisers after Wednesday night's Republ...

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What Can the Horn of Africa Do in the Face of Severe Droughts?

Vinod Thomas | Posted 10.04.2011

Read More: Natural Disasters, Poverty, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa, Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture, Evaluation, Droughts, Ieg, Kenya, World Bank, Famine, Social Safety Nets, Ssns, Somalia, Impact, Early Warning, World News
Vinod Thomas

Given the unfortunate recurrence of droughts in the Horn of Africa, there is urgency in investing and maintaining drought resilient agriculture and agribusiness.

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Congress Must Eliminate Its Own Pensions, Reduce Its Salaries -- Before Cutting a Dime From Middle Class Entitlements

Paul Abrams | Posted 09.22.2011

Read More: Healthcare Providers, Salaries, Gym Memberships, Congress, Poor, Healthcare, Middle Class, Pensions, Codels, Congressional Salaries, Social Security, Budget Cuts, Social Safety Nets, Politics News
Paul Abrams

Dear Members of Congress: You pay yourselves a whopping $174,000 per year, and healthcare and nice cushy pensions. Sorry, girls and boys, but we cannot afford it anymore.

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Could We Have Civil Unrest and Riots in the U.S. as a Result of Extreme Inequality?

Martin Ford | Posted 09.21.2011

Read More: Jobs, Politics, Arab Spring, Unemployment, Technology, Business, Income Inequality, Social Safety Nets, Politics News
Martin Ford

If inequality continues to increase relentlessly, it seems likely that major social disruptions are inevitable. What people should keep in mind is that the U.S. has the weakest social safety net of any advanced country.

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A Tale of Two Nations

Joel Shatzky | Posted 09.14.2011

Read More: Charles Dickens, Depression, Albert Einstein, George M. Cohan, Poverty, Social Security, Social Safety Nets, Wealth Gap, New York News
Joel Shatzky

We are, indeed, turning into two nations: a small but steadily growing proportion of the population acquiring greater wealth and a much larger number moving into poverty.

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Multiple Crises Call for Multifaceted Actions

Vinod Thomas | Posted 09.14.2011

Read More: Poverty, Climate Change, Social Safety Nets, Agriculture, World Bank, Financial Crisis, Evaluation, Ssns, Economic Development, World News
Vinod Thomas

The financial, food and fuel crises as well as climate-related disasters have dominated the global stage in the past five years. Unless we recognize the interconnectivity among these events, responses will likely remain inadequate.

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Beyond Growth: The Importance of Inclusion

Antoinette Sayeh | Posted 09.06.2011

Read More: Uganda, Social Justice, Natural Resources, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, Millenium Development Goals, Low Income Countries, Jobs, Growth, Liberia, Mozambique, Income, Ethiopia, Virtuous Growth Cycle, Inclusive Growth, Education, Tax Regimes, Social Safety Nets, Health, Oil, Tanzania, Income Inequality, Rwanda, Business News
Antoinette Sayeh

An increasing number of African countries have been growing robustly for more than a decade. But while growth is a necessary condition for poverty reduction and employment creation, is it also sufficient?

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A Different 'Graduation': Helping Our Foster Youth Move Into Adulthood

Michael Piraino | Posted 09.01.2011

Read More: Graduation, Foster Care, Aging Out of Foster Care, Child Abuse, Social Safety Nets, Foster Youth, National CASA, Advocacy, Impact News
Michael Piraino

Often referred to as "aging out," the harsh reality is that in many instances when foster youth turn 18, they are on their own.

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Squashing the Debate Over Spending Caps

Rebecca Thiess | Posted 08.29.2011

Read More: Bob Corker, Social Security, Medicare, Claire McCaskill, Debt Ceiling, Budget Cuts, CAP Act, Expansionary Fiscal Policy, Social Safety Nets, Recession, Budget Spending Cap, Fiscal Policy, Politics News
Rebecca Thiess

Some say that statutorily enforced spending levels are needed to force our government to follow responsible spending practices. While that rhetoric may sound responsible, the consequences of spending caps would be anything but.

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Subsidies -- Love Them or Hate Them, It's Better to Target Them

Masood Ahmed | Posted 07.11.2011

Read More: Public Finances, Cost-Effective, Cash Transfers, Subsidy Reform, Social Safety Nets, Food Price Subsidy, Commodity Prices, Fuel Price Subsidy, Public Sector Governance, Better Targeting Subsidies, Protecting the Poor, Regional Economic Outlook: Middle East and Central Asia, Social Protection, Business News
Masood Ahmed

Like many things, there may be a time and a place for using subsidies. But they need to be better targeted. And, often, there will be better alternatives. Alternatives that do a better job of protecting the poor.

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Unleashing Growth Potential in the Middle East

Masood Ahmed | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Transparency, Competition, Unemployment, Governance, Middle East, Long-Term Unemployment, Social Safety Nets, Growth Potential, Jobs, Job-Creating Growth, Youth Unemployment, Social Protection, Business News
Masood Ahmed

Recent popular protests in the Middle East and North Africa region, although likely to have a negative economic impact in the short run, might actually help to unleash the countries' long-term growth potential.

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Healing Public Health Care Finances: Budget Reforms That Work

Benedict Clements | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Expenditure Caps, Service Delivery, Equity, Social Safety Nets, Affordable Health Care, Health Care Reform, Basic Health Care, Budget Systems, Health Spending, Business News
Benedict Clements

Heath care reform is tricky. On the one hand, providing access to affordable health care is of paramount importance. But spending on health care is putting enormous pressure on public purses all over the world, and it's only getting worse.

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Making up for Lost Time: Getting Back on Track to the Millennium Development Goals

Hugh Bredenkamp | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Trade Preferences, Domestic Tax Revenues, Poverty, Private Investment, Aid, Infrastructure Development, Social Spending, Policy Buffers, Global Financial Crisis, Economic Recovery, Scaled-Up Aid, Education, Property Rights, Social Safety Nets, Millennium Development Goals, Health, Trade Reforms, Extreme Poverty, Regulatory Environment, Poverty Reduction, Balanced and Sustainable Growth, World News
Hugh Bredenkamp

With only five years to go until the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the poverty reduction agenda has been set back. All is not lost, however. Reducing poverty on a massive scale is doable.

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