Urban Pro Weekly

JANUARY 9 - 15, 2014

The CSRA’s FREE WEEKLYNEWSPAPERVOL.3 NO.18

NEWS • COMMENTARY ARTS ENTERTAINMENT Urban WPro eekly

Eddie Bussey 706-772-9800

Tax WizeFinancialGo with the

professionals

Fred Russell: the next ‘black’ mayor?Former city administrator has to avoid label of “Great White Hope”

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On Saturday, March 1st, from 9-5 PM, Augusta will once again embrace the literary world with both arms wide open by hosting the 3rd Annual Augusta Literary Festival. Fifty local and national authors will be on hand at the main library branch on 823 Telfair St. in Downtown Augusta, Georgia. The Augusta Literary Festival (ALF) will be the climax of two days of literary excitement, starting with activities planned for Friday, February 28th.

The festivities kick off at the main library branch on Friday, Feb. 28th with two workshops designed for both prospective and current authors. The first workshop will be from 10-12, and is titled, Marketing and the Modern Author. It will be taught by Hildie McQueen (Amazon Best Selling author). The second workshop will be from 2-4 and is titled Advanced Novel Writing: Tips and Techniques that will take your Novel to the Next Level. National Best Selling Author Karen Gillespie will be the instructor for this workshop.

At 1 PM on Friday, on the campus of Paine College, there will be a Roundtable Discussion with the five finalists of the Yerby Award for Literary Fiction. This discussion will be mod-erated by Dr. Anthony Neal, Chair of the Yerby Selection Committee. After the discussion, there will be a tour of the Yerby House on Paine’s cam-pus.

Friday’s activities will be concluded with the awarding of the 2nd Annual Yerby Award for Literary Fiction. All media, participating authors, and guests, are invited to attend. This event will begin at 6 PM at the main library branch on 823 Telfair St. Refreshments and live jazz by guitarist Robert Reid will be offered at the event.

For more detailed information, please visit the official website at: http://www.augustalit-eraryfestival.org.

Photo by Vincent HobbsSee Page 8

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Allen takes the reinsFinally, Tameka Allen named interim city administrator while search for Fred Russell’s replacement continues.

Augusta Mayor

Helen Blocker AdamsAndy Cheek *Hardie DavisAlvin MasonFred Russell *

State Senate District 22

Elmyria ChiversCorey JohnsonHarold Jones

Augusta Commission District 2

Dennis Williams

Augusta Commission District 4

Rev. Melvin IveySammie SiasWillie C. Peoples

AugustaCommission District 6

Ben Hasan

Richmond CountySchool Board Dist. 2

Rev. Dr. Franklyn V. Beckles Jr.Monique Braswell *

Candidates for 2014 Elections • Update

* Candidates likely to run but have not yet officially announced

By Frederick Benjamin Sr.UrbanProWeekly staff writer

AUGUSTAAfter a bit of ducking and

dodging on the heels of the unceremonious sacking of former city administrator Fred Russell nearly a month ago, the Augusta commission two-stepped in the direc-tion of deputy administrator Tameka Allen.

Why it took nearly 30 days before commissioners could form a consensus to promote the second-in-command to the top spot is a testament to the predicaments in which these commissioners usually find themselves.

While Allen found imme-diate support from some commissioners in the wake of the Russell firing (most notably from Commissioners Bill Lockett and Bill Fennoy) some stalled as they ques-tioned her readiness to assume the job and others even suggested that the city recall retired civil servants.

After emerging from a pre-meeting legal session, Commissioner Alvin Mason

offered the motion to name Allen the interim city admin-istrator and the vote was unanimous (Donnie Smith was not present).

A year ago, Allen was one of two deputy administra-tors. With the departure in August of Deputy adminis-trator Bill Shanahan and the abrupt bouncing of Russell, Allen was the “last man standing.”

The commission made no move to modify Allen’s sala-ry. Prior to the departure of Russell, whose base salary was $136,859, Allen’s salary as Deputy administrator and IT Director was $131,789.

Allen is expected to be in charge for about six months. A search is now being con-ducted for interim IT direc-tor and interim deputy city administrator, the two posi-tions that Allen held before her latest assignment.

Allen, 44, a native of Thomson, Georgia has been a city employee since 1992. The IT department was recently recognized for excellence by a national organization.

Tameka Allen was named interim city administrator on Tuesday, while the the Augusta Commission searches for a replacement for recently-fired Fred Russell. Allen has worked for the city since 1992. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Mayoral candidate to host public “I have a Dream” listening sessionAUGUSTAMayora l Candidate

Helen Blocker-Adams will hold an “I Have a Dream’” Listening Session, Saturday, January 11, 2014 10 a.m. - 12 noon at Dougherty Park Community Center, 1200 Nellieville Road (off

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Drive). The free Listening Session is designed for the public at-large to meet the candidate and share their dreams and hope for Augusta. It’s also a chance for their voice to be heard.

“I think it’s important

for leaders to ‘listen’ to the needs of her constituents. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, I wanted to use his famous speech “I Have a Dream” as a theme that peo-ple can relate too. I will have my pen and pad ready to take notes and hear from

people in the community on what’s on their mind,” says Blocker-Adams. As a prag-matic and solutions-oriented person, hearing first hand from citizens living in this community will help me identify ways to resolve any issues they may have, she

added.The atmosphere will be

casual and refreshments will be provided by Big Sisters in Action, a local non-prof-it organization that works with economically disadvan-taged children. The public and media are invited.

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Is Russell the great ‘white’ hope or the next ‘black’ mayor?

By Frederick Benjamin Sr.UrbanProWeekly Staff Writer

AUGUSTAAs possibly the lone white candidate

in a crowded field of mayoral hopefuls, former city administrator Fred Russell is being touted in some quarters of town as ‘The Great White Hope.” It is a label that he should avoid, as there is nothing to be gained by its embrace.

“Great White Hopes” are general-ly underdogs, hence the “hope” tag. Russell would be better advised to seek to become Augusta’s next “black” mayor in the manner that Bill Clinton has always been affectionately dubbed America’s “first black president.”

Simply put, if Russell has earned any political capital from the black com-munity, now is the time to think about cashing it in.

Many political observers feel that he is attempting to do just that. From his support of inner city develop-ment, his penchant for working with African-American lieutenants and his cultivation of ties within the black community, Russell is poised to enjoy significant support, if not outright endorsement, from some quarters of the black community. The recent over-

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tures from Paine College is a thread in that quilt.

Russell’s challenge is to avoid being seen as a cog in the Billy Morris private development program. The fact that Russell has apparently never seen a Paul Simon proposal that he was not in favor of, will be used by his critics to pummel him — and rightly so.

During his tenure as city administra-tor, Russell has worked with commis-sioners who saw no need get serious about the disparity study which clearly outlined steps that the city could take to address the imbalance in women and minority purchasing.

He also oversaw the deterioration of the city’s public transit system which several Augusta commissions relegated to the back burners.

Russell’s only hope on that score is for him to appeal not to be castigated for the “sins of the city fathers.”

The conservative winds that have blown over the county commissions over the past eight years have only

recently begun to wane. It is interesting to note that Russell has never served at the pleasure of a majority-black city commission and if he is being asked to run away from his record in city gov-ernment that is a plank in his defense platform.

On the other hand, positioning him-self as the next “black” mayor is not without its pitfalls. Russell has got to

receive a close-to-solid bloc vote from the white community to be successful. Another white candidate in the race could knock that possibility right out of the window.

Also, if the African American candi-dates have any white support at all, Russell could be ‘out of the money’ in the case of a runoff.

Stay tuned.

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UrbanProWeekly: How long have you been in the financial services business in the Augusta area?

TAX WIZE: We have been open for business here since 2008. However, Tax Wize was in California for over 15 years prior to moving here.

UPW: What are some of the challenges of operating a financial services busi-nesses amid the digital rev-olution and proliferation of financial documents on line and off?

TAX WIZE Keeping our client’s data secure is a top priority for our company. Because we have clients in many of the 50 states and internationally, we often use our secure client portal to exchange documents. We also maintain strict security procedures in our office to maintain the integrity of our client’s data.

UPW: Many people may have the idea that you only operate during tax sea-son. Are you open all year round and what are some of the services that Tax Wize offers?

TAX WIZE: Unlike many tax preparation companies we are open year round. Our clients have the comfort in knowing that they can contact us with questions or concerns throughout the year. Even if we are on vacation! We also offer IRS and State represen-tation on issues ranging from audits, wage garnishments, liens, bank or asset levies, offer-in-compromise, etc. It is important to note that most tax preparers are limited to what issues they can represent you on before the IRS. We are able to assist our clients at all levels of the IRS in any state or jurisdiction. Some of our other services include account-ing, bookkeeping and payroll consulting services.

UPW: Tax preparation sea-son is upon us. Why should people check out Tax Wize this year?

TAX WIZE: At Tax Wize we believe in giving our clients the best service available. We will take the time to explore all of the tax advantages available to you. Besides the excellent service and knowl-edgeable tax preparation we offer some of the lowest fees around. Many of the nation-al and local tax preparation

companies use to supple-ment their income each tax season with predatory refund loans that cost the taxpayer, on average, several hundred more dollars in fees each year. However, since most of these types of loans are now prohibited many of these companies have increased their tax preparation fees to make up for the loss revenue. Our fees at Tax Wize are usually 20% - 40% less than most other companies. This allows our clients to keep more money in their pocket and in the community.

UPW: A lot of small busi-ness owners don’t know anything about business bookkeeping. What are some of the services that Tax Wize offers that can help those businesses?

TAX WIZE: We have a wide range of knowledge and experience in bookkeeping. Some of our services include QuickBooks accounting set-up and training. If they already have their accounting set up, we can conduct an in depth analysis of their cur-rent QuickBooks accounting, or other accounting software, to determine if they are doing the accounting correctly. We

can also assist clients in any of their payroll needs for their company.

UPW: If someone is using QuickBooks, do they still need a service like yours?

TAX WIZE: We have sever-al clients that are proficient in QuickBooks and do their accounting on their own. However, they consult with us throughout the year to make sure that there are no sur-prises. If we see something that may cause an issue in the event of an IRS audit we are able to offer our opinion immediately on how to fix the problem. Being proactive in maintaining the integrity of your accounting is essential to being audit ready and the cost for our services are far less than what the additional tax liabilities may be for bad accounting when the IRS is done with you.

UPW: A lot of people don’t own businesses and may not even have jobs but have been having trouble with the IRS. Can Tax Wize Financial do anything for these folks?

TAX WIZE: Absolutely! As I stated earlier, we can represent

clients at all levels of the IRS where most tax professional are very limited on their prac-tice before the IRS. We have over 30 years of experience in helping clients successfully resolve their tax problems. No matter how simple or complex the issue is, we are ready!

UPW: What about costs and financing options for your services. For instance, would a small business or business professional pay a flat fee or have some other arrangement?

TAX WIZE: In regards to our cost for representation, we offer a free initial in depth evaluation and analysis of your tax issues. We gather as much information as possible form the IRS and/or state tax agency to determine what needs to be done to resolve your issue. After all, how can we estimate the cost of our services before we know what needs to be done. We are then able to clearly estimate our fees and set up a payment plan for our client that will fit their budget.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 @ 6:45 P.M.The Progressive Religious Coalition of Augusta Presents The 7th Annual Interfaith

Service of Celebration at Trinity on the Hill United Methodist Church, 1330 Monte Sano Avenue, Augusta, Ga. 30909

The theme of the celebration is Keeping the Dream Alive: Why Dr. King Still MattersThe keynote speaker will be Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi,

founder of the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute. Mr. Gandhi’s presentation is enti-tled “Lessons from My Grandfather: The legacy of nonviolence that changed American history and inspired Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MONDAY, JANUARY 20 @ 5:30 P.M.3rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King,

Jr. Youth Recognition Reception will be held Monday, January 20, 2014 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at The Partridge Inn in Augusta.

This year an Essay Contest for middle and high school students has been added. “We wanted to expand the event to give our young people an opportunity to express themselves on paper. The Essay theme is ‘How has Dr. King Inspired me to Community Service?”, said event orga-nizer Helen Blocker-Adams. This annual event is about inspiring youth to be the best they can be and for adults to engage with them in a fun and elegant atmo-sphere to give them the support they des-perately need, she added.

Our Mistress of Ceremonies is Greenbriar High School Senior Ally Delgado. Live jazz will be provided by Artist Bill Karp. Spoken Word Artist and 2014 Poet Laureate Anthony ‘Sleepy Eyez’ Carter will also perform one of his most recent works.

This year’s sponsors include International Paperboard, SRPFCU, Maryland Fried Chicken and the Augusta Judicial Juvenile Court and Judge Doug Flanagan.

The event is open to the public. Advance tickets are on sale now. Adults $35 and Youth (under 18) is $18. To purchase tick-ets, please call 706.619.4176. No tickets will be available at the door.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 @ 1:00 P.M. The Augusta Branch of the NAACP is

accepting applications for participation in the 2014 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade.

The parade will be on Saturday, January 18, 2014. The theme for the event is “Stop the Killngs, Stop the Violence Now.”

Parade participants will meet up at 11:00 AM. At 1 p.m. the parade will start at Dyess Park Community Center, located at 902 James Brown Blvd. The parade will proceed south on James Brown Blvd., then west onto Wrightsboro Road, north onto Augusta Ave., east onto Laney Walker Blvd., north onto 11th Street, and east onto D’Antignac Street.

The official viewing stand will be in front of the Lucy C. Laney H.S. football stadium.

For more information and to apply con-tact:

Augusta Branch NAACP, [email protected] Or Dr. Charles Smith at [email protected]; 706-724-0390

Martin Luther King Jr.Celebrations for 2014

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, @ 3:00 P.M.Trinity CME Church presents

“Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Guest speaker will be Clifton Davis and there will be a special performance by Jennifer Holiday.

The church is located at 2930 Glenn Hills Drive, Augusta, Georgia.

Arun GANDHI is the author of A Patch of White (1949), is about life in prejudiced South Africa; he also wrote two books on poverty and politics in India; followed by a compila-tion of M.K. Gandhi’s Wit & Wisdom. He also edited a book of essays on World Without Violence: Can Gandhi’s Vision Become Reality? And, more recently, wrote The Forgotten Woman: The Untold Story of Kastur, the Wife of Mahatma Gandhi, jointly with his late wife Sunanda and his bestseller Legacy of Love: My education in the path of nonviolence.

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The completed public mural on the Rosa T. Beard Memorial Bridge is part of the 15th Street pedestrian improvement project, financed by a community grant from HUD. The mural was unveiled on Friday, January 3rd and features the art of the McTier family, as well as other local artist volunteers. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

A Georgia Regents University cheerleader rallies the crowd during a men’s basketball game at Christenberry Fieldhouse. The Jaguars prevailed over UNC Pembroke with a final score of 76-72.Photo by Vincent Hobbs

The water fountain near the Augusta Riverwalk became an ice fountain as tem-peratures plunged to 12 degrees early Tuesday morning - Jan.7, 2014Photo by Vincent Hobbs

LENS ABOUT TOWN PHOTOS by VINCENT HOBBS

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eekly • JANUARY 9 - 15, 2014$IRS or State Tax Problems?Don’t be taken by some of the companies you see on TV. Many will take upfront fees before they even know the extent of your tax problems. And, more often than not, they will do very little to resolve your case.

At Tax Wize Financial, as a part of our initial free consultation, we will conduct an in depth analysis of your account with the IRS or State agency to determine the extent of your tax problems. After we have determined what courses of action should be taken to resolve your problems we will outline the services for you and provide you with an estimated cost for those services.

OuR SeRVIceS IncluDe:• Preparation and filing of federal current and past years

tax returns, including all necessary states.• negotiating the release of wage garnishments, levies,

liens and other intrusive IRS actions.• Installment Agreements• Offer-In-compromise• IRS audit examination preparation and representation.

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AUGUSTAGeorgia Regents University and The 12

Bands of Christmas will celebrate local bands with ties to the university with the release of a new CD featuring their music.

Volume I, which includes music by GRU students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters, features tracks by Black Swan Lake, Eskimojitos, Funk You, Impulse Ride, Jeremy Graham Band , People Who Must, Snapdragon, The Radar Cinema, The Ramblin’ Fevers, and Will McCranie.

The album also features two recordings from the GRU Orchestra, including the “GRU Alma Mater,” performed togeth-er with Tonya Currier, 12 Bands artist and Administrative Director of the GRU American Opera and Musical Theater Institute.

“This is an opportunity for us to acknowledge and thank those who have dedicated their resources and talent to our university and community with a gift that keeps giving,” said David Brond, GRU Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing. “Through our partner-ship with 12 Bands, we hope to create an annual tradition with a CD release that celebrates the talents of our university and local community.”

Copies of the CD will be available later this month at GRU bookstores on the Summerville and Health Sciences campuses and select campus events, for a donation to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.

“All CD donations will benefit the Children’s Hospital of Georgia,” said 12 Bands Director Joe Stevenson. “We’re excited to partner with GRU in support of the children and families who visit CHOG each year, and for the opportunity to showcase local talent.”

The 12 Bands of Christmas started in 2001 with a mission to raise funds to fight pediatric cancer. In 2003, a record-ed CD was added. To date, 12 Bands has raised more than $250,000 to support families of pediatric cancer patients.

For more information, contact Joe Stevenson at [email protected] or at (706) 664-5595.

GRU teams up with 12 Bands for charity CD

On Friday, January 17, 2014, there will be a Campaign Rally for District 2 Board of Education candidate Rev. Dr. Franklyn V. Beckles Jr. Beckles is a respected community leader and Pastor of the Sons For Christ

Church of God and Director of the Children’s Christian Center.

The event will be held at the Barnyard Flea Market from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The host of the event will be Co-pastor Mrs. Adrian Beckles.

Sponsors include the Augusta Academy of Arts, Aiken Academy, the Augusta Concerned Parents Committee and Church Trustees Norasteen Brown and Beatrice Darren.

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86 PERCENT OF AMERICANS THINK GOVERNMENT SHOULD USE ITS RESOURCES

Urban WeeklyPro

The government should fight poverty

FOOD FOR THOUGHT BY KRISTIE ROBIN JOHNSON

The beginning of a new year signals not only the start of another calendar, the inces-sant declaration of resolutions

and swearing off of various vices and ills; but it is also a time to take a ret-rospective look at the past year and reflect on the events that shaped the last twelve months. As I take a look back at my last twelve months, I have a lot to be thankful for. And I would be remiss if I did not take the time to express my complete and unwaver-ing gratitude to Ben Hasan, Frederick Benjamin, and the staff at Urban Pro Weekly not only for the opportunity that they have given to me, but also for the service they provide to our community.

One of the greatest gifts that one could ever give to a writer is a plat-form — a place where she can express her opinions and share her perspec-

tives freely, without censorship. Urban Pro has given me exactly

such a platform since July 2013. Like many Americans, I was stunned and disappointed by the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial and wanted to express that sentiment. Thousands of citizens rallied. Some protested. I wrote.

But it wasn’t enough to just write a brief essay and keep it to myself. I wanted my voice to be heard. I need-ed a platform. I made a single phone call to Ben Hasan and the rest, as they say, is history.

Since then, Mr. Hasan and Mr. Benjamin have allowed me to offer thoughtful, sometimes colorful, com-mentary on everything from football to race relations to politics in their publication.

Writing with the support of Urban Pro has literally been one of the

most freeing experiences of my life. I look forward to 2014 and all of the promises and opportunities it holds and I especially look forward to con-tinuing to offer thought provoking commentary and unique perspec-tives on popular culture and current affairs within the pages of Urban Pro Weekly.

Most readers don’t really under-stand or appreciate the sacrifice involved with operating a free, week-ly news publication. Lining up com-mitted advertisers, chasing down hot local stories, and physically deliver-ing the finished product is a huge amount of work.

Somehow, some way, Ben and Frederick make it happen every week. They do it because they know how important their paper is to the CSRA. It’s more than just something to thumb through while you wait for

your name to be called. Urban Pro offers a fair and nec-

essary alternative to the predomi-nantly conservative voices found in the major Augusta-area print outlet. Urban Pro takes into consideration all sides of a story and represents the often unheard or misinterpreted voice of Augusta’s diverse African-American population.

So if you are reading these words right now, there are two things that you must do when you put this paper down: (1) Thank Ben Hasan and Frederick Benjamin the next time you see them. Let them know that their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed; and (2) Share this pub-lication with three of your friends and family members. Remind them that there is a media outlet that shares their point of view – Urban Pro Weekly.

A word of thanks

by Zoë Carpenter

Fifty years after President Lyndon Johnson announced a “War on Poverty,” a majority of Americans believe that persistent econom-

ic hardship is the result of a broken economy, not of personal or govern-ment failures. They broadly agree that the government has a responsibility to use its resources to fight poverty, and should pursue a target of reducing it by half over the next decade.

Those are the conclusions of a pub-lic opinion survey published Tuesday by the Center for American Progress. The report assessed perceptions of poverty in general, as well as opinions of the War on Poverty in retrospect and of policy proposals on the table now. As lawmakers move to cut benefits and refuse to consider serious investments in the economy, in education and in healthcare, the survey is another reminder that those are precisely the investments people want the government to make.

News of falling unemployment, a rising stock market and an end to the recession hasn’t shaken the pub-lic’s perception that a vast proportion of Americans can’t meet their basic needs. In fact, Americans see poverty as being far more widely spread than the government does. Asked what percentage of their fellow Americans were living in poverty, the average guess was 39 percent—a sharp rise from the official estimate of 15 per-cent. Poverty is also a common per-sonal experience, with more than half

of respondents reporting that they knew someone who was poor.

When it comes to equality of oppor-tunity, a majority of Americans don’t believe that poor Americans face a level playing field. And when forced to choose between core arguments about the roots of American pover-ty—that it stems from a flawed eco-nomic system, or from personal fail-ings—nearly two-thirds agreed with the structural argument.

At the heart of opposition to safety net programs is the idea that poor Americans are undeserving of assis-tance, and that they are poor because they are lazy. It turns out that very few Americans polled by CAP support this core principle. Nearly 80 percent agreed that “most people living in poverty are decent people who are working hard to make ends meet in a difficult economy,” including 66 per-cent of white conservatives and liber-tarians. The poll showed nearly equal agreement across race and party lines on the point that a shortage of jobs with good wages is the primary rea-son for poverty in America, and that the poor receive unfair criticism.

Still, the welfare-queen archetype endures: even while agreeing that laziness is not the cause of poverty,

a majority of respondents said that poor Americans abuse government programs. And yet people appear to believe they’re worthwhile anyway. Several progressive policy proposals, including expansions of the safety net, received at least 80 percent total support: financial assistance for child-care, an expansion of nutrition assis-tance, universal pre-K, more publical-ly funded scholarships, and increas-ing the minimum wage.

Similarly, more Americans reported a negative association with the term “War on Poverty” than positive, but the perception shifted after the pro-grams made possible by President Johnson’s war were sketched out for them. Then, a whopping 86 percent agreed that the government should use its resources to fight poverty, and 61 percent said the War on Poverty has made at least some positive dif-ference.

We’re sure to hear much this week about the disappointments of Johnson’s war, but that’s simply a convenient means of condemning any new investments in the econo-my, in education and in the safety net. As The Washington Post report-ed Tuesday, Republicans including Senators Paul Ryan and Marco

Rubio, who will speak separately on the subject on Wednesday, are struggling to put forward specific policies to back up their claims to care about the millions of Americans in economic distress. We’re likely to hear about school choice, “economic freedom zones,” and tax breaks for “job creators.” If some Republicans are distancing themselves from the old argument that personal failings cause poverty, it’s to assert that government failure is responsible instead.

But privatization is not a new pol-icy, and it’s had countless failures of its own. When it comes to crit-ical tests of their commitment to struggling Americans, Republicans fail again and again. Their refusal to back the expansion of Medicaid and an extension of unemployment ben-efits are pressing examples. Certainly Americans are concerned about the failings of government, but there are plenty of indications that such frustrations are more about what the government is not doing now than what it did fifty years ago. Even among Democrats, much of the econ-omy talk remains focused the mid-dle class, and lawmakers are loath to embrace any serious spending. But as the CAP poll suggests, many Americans have the appetite for an anti-poverty agenda driven by gov-ernment investment. That lawmak-ers, both national and local, found the courage to fight for it could be the story of the year.

© 2014 The Nation

When it comes to equality of opportunity,

a majority of Americans don’t believe that

poor Americans face a level playing field.

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