DHN Election Webinar 10-18-12

7/31/2019 DHN Election Webinar 10-18-12

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Poverty in the 2012Election

October 18, 20121:00 pm EST



Rev. Michael Livingston,

Moderator

Director or Public Policy,Interfaith Worker Justice

Past President, NationalCouncil of Churches



At the 2012 Debates



Agenda and Overview

1. Background on poverty

2. #TalkPoverty: You Can Change the

Debate3. How to take part in the campaign

4. Q&A and brainstorm session



Poverty in the U.S. Today

• Nearly 1 in 6 Americans and over 1 in 5children live in poverty, unchanged fromlast year after several years of rising

poverty• Child poverty is the highest in 63 years

• Income inequality grew 15% (ratio ofincome between those in the bottom

10th percentile of income and the top10thpercentile) a significant increase inthe gap between our most and leastprosperous households



Media Coverage of

Poverty This Season

• Only 17 of the 10,489 campaign storiesstudied (0.2 %) addressed poverty in a

substantive way• None of the news outlets included a

substantive discussion of poverty in as

much as 1 percent of its campaignstories.• Source: New study by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting

looked at 6 mos of campaign coverage between 1/1/12-6/23/122 by 8 prominent outlets



You Can Change the

Debate• With poverty numbers

this high, and mediacoverage this low: it’stime to change thedebate.

• It’s time to#TalkPoverty!,

•Go towww.halfinten.org/talk poverty to check outour video

Half in Ten Fall Interns: Emilie and Basel

http://www.halfinten.org/talkpoverty






Let’s #TalkPoverty at the

Debates!

Our Goals: Use Twitter & Other SocialMedia to:

1. Generate more questions aboutpoverty from the media during thepresidential debates

2. Elevate poverty as an issue in themedia and raise awareness nationallyabout how to reduce it



How to Join the

#TalkPoverty Campaign

• Visit halfinten.org/talkpoverty to:

– Sign-up for updates and list your

organization as a sponsor – Use our regularly updated one-click

tweets

– View & share the video

– See our sponsoring organizations



What is Twitter?

• It’s a powerful social networkingservice that allows users to send and

read text-based messages (tweets) of140 characters or less.

• Followed heavily by news and media

producers



Why the Hashtag Matters

• Hashtags (#) are used to aggregateconversations and create groups onTwitter

• So when you search #TalkPoverty on

Twitter you’ll get to see every other tweetin real time using that hashtag

• When media and producers start seeinga lot of people using a hashtag, they start

following the conversation• Together we’ve grown #talkpoverty’s

reach from



How to Tweet

• Sign-up for a Twitter account atTwitter.com

• When you sign-up, you’ll choose ausername called a handle(@ErikStegman)

•Start tweeting!



Making a #TalkPoverty

Tweet

• To join the #TalkPoverty movementyou’ll need the following in your tweet:

1. How will candidates reduce poverty2. The handle @BobSchieffer) for the

moderator

3. #TalkPoverty (our critical hashtag)

4. Your own statistic, picture, link to webpage, etc.



Example #TalkPoverty

Tweets

• US child poverty 2nd worst/wealthy nations. @BobSchieffer

how will candidates reduce poverty 2 compete

http://bit.ly/T4fBhp #TalkPoverty

• Almost 1/5 US children live in #poverty @BobSchieffer Ask

candidates how they'll start reducing #childpoverty?

#talkpoverty

• 46.2 million US ppl live in #poverty @BobSchieffer Ask

candidates how they'll reduce #childpoverty in 1st #100days?

#talkpoverty

http://bit.ly/T4fBhp

http://bit.ly/T4fBhp



How Do I Shorten Links?

• It’s easy! There are simple websites

that will make a long web address into

a short one. Two popular sites are:

– Bitly.com

– Tinyurl.com



Using our auto-Tweet

• OR, if you want an easy way to takepart in the campaign, we’ll be

updating our one-click tweet regularlyon halfinten.org/talkpoverty



Customize & Make it

Your Own

• In just a few minutes we’ll share ideas

• Share

– Pictures from events and actions in your community to raise poverty awareness

– Statistics you care about relating to childpoverty like hunger, healthcare,education, foster care, etc.

– Links to videos, websites and other mediato tell your story



Follow the National

Conversation

• Be sure to search #TalkPoverty ontwitter or any twitter application so you

can follow what we’re all sharing onthis digital campaign

• Follow @Halfinten on twitter for

campaign updates



So Let’s #TalkPoverty!

Every Child Matters CO

Nun on the Bus, Richelle, from CHN



Success so far

• Average daily audience of 350,000, ashigh as 700,00 on debate days

• News coverage in the Denver Post, TheNation, The Philadelphia Inquirer, theWashington Post, and National Public

Radio



Q&A and Brainstorm

• What questions do you have aboutthe campaign?

• How do you plan to take part? Pleaseshare your ideas so we can share themwith the group:

–

Stats – Stories

– Photo ideas

– In-person events



Debate Schedule

October 22: @BobSchieffer (Moderator Bob Schieffer,CBS News). 9-10:30 p.m. EST. Lynn University, BocaRaton, FL. Foreign Policy

Campaign updates: halfinten.org/talkpoverty

• Twitter 101: http://bit.ly/Qoz6ev

• State-by-state data (just updated!): Halfinten.org

Additional Resources



• Access of West Michigan

• AIDS United

• Brunswick County Streetreach

• Boca Raton Children’s Museum• Bread for the World

• Child Care Resources of Rockland

• Center for American Progress

• Center for Law and Social Policy

• Child Welfare League of America

• Children’s Defense Fund

• California

• The Children’s Partnership

• Coalition on Human Needs

• Community Action Agency of

Siouxland

•

Community Action Partnership• Community Food Bank

• Council for Opportunity in

Education

• Crisis Center & Women’s Shelter

• Douglas County Salvation Army

Outreach

• Educare Central Maine

• Every Child Matters Education

Fund

Current Supporting

Organizations



• Every Child Matters in NH

• First Focus

• Grantmakers for Children, Youth

and Families• Hunger Task Force

• JERICHO - a Voice for Justice

• Jewish Council for Public Affairs

• Kansas Association of

Community Action Programs

• Kentucky Youth Advocates

• Leadership Conference for Civil

and Human Rights

•

Lyn Roc Tenant Association

• Mindstreams Education

• National Association for State

Community Services Programs

•

National Association of SocialWorkers

• 9to5, National Association of

Working Women

• National Children’s Alliance

• National Legal Aid & DefenderAssociation

• NETWORK

• Pax Christi Michigan

• Pennsylvania NAACP Education

Committee

Current SupportingOrganizations (cont’d)



• POWER: Parents Organizing for

Welfare and Economic Rights

• RESULTS

•

Safe Harbors of the Hudson, Inc.• Servicios de La Raza

• Sisters of Charity of Nazareth

• Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

Sisters of St. Joseph, TOSF

• SparkAction

• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, The

Dalles, OR

• Westchester Children’s

Association

• Western Center on Law and

Poverty

• World Knowledge Bank

Current SupportingOrganizations (cont’d)



What happens when the candidates

#TalkPoverty?

Shantha Ready AlonsoNational Council of Churches Poverty Initiative,

founding member of the Circle of Protection



Circle of Protection

The Circle of Protection is comprised of morethan 65 heads of Christian denominations, relief and development agencies, and other Christianorganizations representing a wide array of churches in the U.S.A.

(The Circle of Protection does not support, oppose or in any way endorse either of these presidential candidates.)



Who said it? “Our government rightfully provides a safety net

for the hungry and the homeless, the sick andthe elderly, and we have a responsibility to keepit intact for future generations. I’ve laid out a

sensible plan to save and strengthen ournations’ entitlement programs, which nowaccount for more than half of federal spending.Here again, I’m committed to protecting those in

or near poverty.” a) Governor Romney

b) President Obama

c) The Circle of Protection



Who said it?

“Look at every budget proposal from the bottom

up—how it treats those Jesus called "the least of these" (Matthew 25:45). They do not have

powerful lobbies, but they have the mostcompelling claim on our consciences andcommon resources.”

a) Governor Romney

b) President Obama




Who said it?

“Government can’t solve every problem and itshouldn’t try... Not every tax dollar is spent

wisely. Not everyone can be helped who refuses

to help themselves. But that’s not an excuse to

tell our fellow Americans that they’re on their

own.”

a) Governor Romney

b) President Obama




Why ?

Did anything surprise you?





Who said it?

“Nearly one in every six people in America is inpoverty. When our economy is weak, lives are

shattered, hearts ache, parents wonder how

they’ll make ends meet, and how they’ll providebetter lives for their children.”

a) Governor Romney

b) President Obama




How would you use these videos?

• Screen them with my congregation for voter

education

• Share them electronically to raise awareness

of my friends and family

• Quote them at a town hall meeting.

• Show them to my legislator so he or she can

see that both the top Republican and

Democratic leaders can #TalkPoverty.



The Road Ahead: Looking at

the Legislative Landscape

Amelia Kegan, Bread for the World



Lame Duck Focus: the

“Fiscal Cliff”

• 2001 and 2003 tax cutsexpire

• $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts(“sequestration”)

• Farm bill?



Timeline

Immediate: Now – November 13• Gang of 8 crafting deficit reduction

framework

November 13 - December

• Gang of 8 unveils plan

• President unveils plan

• Fiscal cliff anxiety

• Farm bill?

January - March

•

Leadership races• Enact deficit reduction plan

• FY 2013 budget

• Debt ceiling

• Farm bill?

•

Committees work on phase 2 assignments



The Gang of 8:Working Quickly

Sen. Conrad (D-ND) Sen. Coburn (R-OK) Sen. Durbin(D-IL) Sen. Warner (VA)

Sen. Chambliss (R-GA) Sen. Bennet (D-CO) Sen. Johanns (R-NE) Sen. Crapo (R-ID)



Deficit Reduction PlanPhase 1: Framework

Phase 2: Committees Decide Specifics

Deficit Reduction Framework:1. Down payment

2. Overall amount ($4 trillion)

3. Spending cuts: Tax increases

4. Discretionary Spending Caps

5. Committee Instructions

6. Enforcement

Agriculture:

- Savings target

- Protect SNAP

Finance/Ways & Means:

- Revenue target- Protect EITC/CTC

- Don’t burden low-income

- No tax cuts up frontFinance/Energy &

Commerce

- Savings target

- Maintain health

services for poor

Armed

Services

Commerce



Now is your moment

1. Follow Bowles-Simpson:

Include the principle to protect poorand vulnerable populations

2. Follow the Gang of Six Plan:Explicitly protect programs for poorand vulnerable populations.1. Committee instructions exempt low-

income entitlement programs (SNAP,

EITC and child tax credit)

3. Follow the August Debt Deal:Oppose further cuts to yearly

appropriated spending programs(WIC, low-income housingassistance, etc.)

Shape this bill!



Who said it? “We can pay down our debt in a balanced and

responsible way, but we cannot balance the budgeton the backs of the most vulnerable. And certainlycan’t ask the poor, the sick, or those with disabilities

to sacrifice even more, or ask the middle-class to paymore, just so we can offer massive new tax cuts tothose who’ve been blessed with the most. It’s not just bad economics, it’s morally wrong. It’s not in line

with our values, and it’s not who we are as a people.”a) Governor Romney

b) President Obama




Who said it?

“Give moral priority to programs that protect

the life and dignity of poor and vulnerable

people in these difficult times, our broken

economy, and our wounded world.” a) Governor Romney

b) President Obama




What You Can Do

Leslie Woods, Representative for

Domestic Poverty & Environmental Issues

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



What You Can DO



What You Can Do

It’s that time of year:

• Post-election, members of

Congress will come back to

Washington to finish essentialbusiness

• A Senate Gang of 8 is working

on the details of a fiscal-cliff-averting-deal as we speak.



Who is in the Gang of 8?

• Michael Bennet (D-CO)

• Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)

• Tom Coburn (R-OK)

• Kent Conrad (D-ND)

• Mike Crapo (R-ID)

• Dick Durbin (D-IL)

• Mike Johanns (R-NE)

• Mark Warner (D-VA)

Wh t Y C D



What You Can Do

They are sealing the deal now!

• Contact your Senators!

– Especially if he is in the Gang of 8

– Even if your members are not in the inner circle of

negotiators, they can still talk to their colleagues

• Contact your Representative

What Yo Can Do



What You Can Do

They are sealing the deal now!

• Write letters to the Editor and Op-eds to yourlocal newspapers

– Make sure to mention your elected leader by

name!• Attend candidate forums and other campaign

events where you can raise these questions

• Blog, tweet, Facebook – use all the tools inyour toolbox

• Talk to your friends, family, and community



What Should You Say?

• Deficit reduction and tax reform should NOT

increase or exacerbate poverty.

• Any deal to replace the fiscal cliff must include

EXPLICIT protections for the programs thatserve the most vulnerable people.

• Our deficit problem cannot be solved by

spending cuts alone – new revenues must bepart of a balanced solution.

Documents

DHN Election Webinar 10-18-12