News Summary 5-24-13

A No to Expanding Medicaid Will Leave Many in PA Out in the Cold
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14891

Corbett’s Asset Test Finds Little Abuse in $2.6 Billion Food Stamp Program
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15056

Poverty Grows in the Suburbs
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14937

EITC and Child Tax Credit Benefits Mothers
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14948

Infographic: Two Tax Credits that Work for PA
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15085

PPC Unveils ‘State of the Child’ Profiles
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15006

Poverty Scorecard Slams Congress for Inaction
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15011

Viral Video Shows Extent of Wealth Inequality
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15064

Troubled Waters: Susquehanna River Fighting for its Life
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15048

Report Points to Stormy Waters for the Smallmouth Bass in PA
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15059

PA Enacts Historic Special Education Funding Reform
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14852

Why Some Poor Students Aren’t Graduating College
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15051

Senator Introduces Bill to Allow Holders of Student Debt to Refinance
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14923

Not What the Doctor Ordered on Pensions
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14886

President Obama Calls for Closing Guantanamo, Says Torture “Compromised Our Basic Values”
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15098

Make Sure You Know-Women’s Preventative Health Services Have NO Co-Pay
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14866

Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Passes 400 PPM—Worship Materials Available
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14953

PPC Unveils ‘State of the Child’ Profiles
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15006

Solitary Confinement in an Age of Mass Incarceration Webinar Available on You Tube
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15026

Torture Awareness Toolkit Available for June
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15078

GreenFaith Fellowship Program—Application Deadline Extended to June 15
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14861

2013-2014 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14896

National Priorities Project Seeking Communications Officer, Donor Relations Coordinator
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=14906

Common Cause Pennsylvania: Campaign Manager, Pennsylvania Election Reform Initiative
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15001

Executive Director, National Farm Worker Ministry
http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=15093

Join us for our next webinar at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28

Before you head out to enjoy the Memorial Day Weekend, take a moment to register for our next webinar (https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8512811897514213376) on Tuesday, May 28 at 4 p.m. to get the scoop on state education funding in Pennsylvania.

With Pennsylvania entering the final weeks of the state budget process, the conversation is once again turning to school funding. Many have voiced concerns about state cuts to schools, while the Governor talks about unprecedented education spending.

Join our panel of experts to make sense of it all. The webinar will feature Jim Buckheit, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators; Beth Olanoff, Director of the Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools; Kelli Thompson, Government Relations Director for Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children; and Michael Wood, Research Director for the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.

Register to join the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center’s webinar on Tuesday, May 28 at 4 p.m.

National interfaith group calls on Obama to back words with action

Washington, D.C. – During a speech today at the National Defense University, President Obama committed his administration to working to transfer detainees out of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and condemned torture as compromising our basic values. Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, released this statement in response to the speech:

The detainee center at Guantanamo Bay represents both torture, which our government used at the prison, and imprisonment without charge or trial, which is the circumstance most detainees there continue to face. Torture is a grievous sin, and we should not continue the existence of such a prominent symbol of torture. Likewise, prolonged imprisonment without charge, trial or hope of release is contrary to fundamental American values.

President Obama spoke strongly about torture itself today, condemning it as having ‘compromised our basic values.’ People of faith agree with the president and believe that in order to prevent the future use of torture, the public needs to have access to the facts about our government’s past use of torture. These facts are included in a more than 6,000 page report written and adopted by the Senate Intelligence Committee in December. That report remains classified.

Religious organizations including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and the diverse faith-based organizations across the country which are members of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture have called for release of the Senate Intelligence Committee report. This report needs to be released to the public – the public needs to know the facts about torture so that we won’t repeat the same shameful behavior again and can instead return to the basic values of our great nation.

On his second full day in office, President Obama committed to ending torture and closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Today, he addressed the need to transfer additional detainees from Guantanamo and forcefully condemned torture. We stand expectant that the president will back his words with action by moving expeditiously to transfer all of the 86 cleared detainees from Guantanamo, and by supporting the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee report.

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, more than 320 religious organizations have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Baha’i, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. Members include national denominations and faith groups, regional organizations and local congregations.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
NFWM is a faith-based organization committed to justice for and empowerment of farm workers.   Since its organization in 1971, the ministry has worked with farm workers in their struggle for justice and equality and supported farm-worker-led efforts to improve wages and working and living conditions. The organization has partnered and engaged with farm workers in their communities and campaigns with a focus on educating, equipping, and mobilizing member organizations, other faith communities and justice seekers for effective support of those efforts both regionally and nationally. 

POSITION OVERVIEW
The Executive Director is both the public face of NFWM and the senior manager of this geographically dispersed, small nonprofit organization. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to social, economic, and racial justice through work with immigrant communities or other minority or marginalized groups. Strong written and oral communication skills which include the ability to effectively communicate with people of diverse cultures, faiths, and advocacy perspectives are essential. The successful candidate will have experience with faith communities, proven ability to expand constituencies and relationships, and a record of effective fundraising (especially from foundations and organizations). The successful candidate should have a proven engaging, collaborative leadership style and be able to foster a positive and productive organizational culture and build community with both the staff and Board.   A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university is required. Prior experience with farm worker unions or farm-worker-led advocacy organizations is highly desirable, as is fluency in Spanish. 

LOCATION
NFWM recently has completed a thorough review of its strategy and structure. We are at the beginning of the process of relocating national headquarters to Eastern or Central North Carolina and restructuring staff responsibilities and assignments.   The new Executive Director will play a central role in those transitions. 

APPLICATION INFORMATION
Applications should include a letter of interest and a current resumé which includes educational history, a record of employment with summary of duties and roles (indicate reasons for any gaps in employment), and at least three references with contact information. Interested candidates should submit their resumés to Susan Alan, salan@nfwm.org, as a Microsoft Word or pdf formatted document. The Search Committee hopes to have a candidate to propose for Board approval by mid-August 2013.

Apr 12, 2013 09:39 am | Chris Lilienthal

The Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit help working families make ends meet by both rewarding work and recognizing the additional expenses of raising children, as this infographic shows. Yet the U.S. House has approved a budget that makes a number of changes to both credits that could end up costing working families billions. Learn more about what’s at stake with these two tax credits in the federal budget debate and click on the infographic for a larger view.

Our plans for Torture Awareness Month are in full gear and we are looking forward to many congregations, campus ministries and other faith-based groups and organizations participating this year.

As you requested, we are writing to you with our Torture Awareness Month toolkit, which you can download at: www.nrcat.org/June2013Toolkit

Our Torture Awareness Month toolkit includes two bulletin inserts (one focused on post-9/11 detainee treatment and one focused on solitary confinement in U.S. prisons), interfaith prayers, a downloadable poster, and links to other activities that congregations and people of faith can do during June. You can also go to www.nrcat.org/june2013 for all the links.

We invite you and your congregation to commemorate Torture Awareness Month by focusing attention on two important efforts:

Informing your congregation about the excellent and comprehensive report of the Task Force on Detainee Treatment of The Constitution Project, a high level bi-partisan panel on U.S.-sponsored torture. It is also important to ask the Senate Intelligence Committee to release its 6,000 page report on U.S.-sponsored torture of post-9/11 detainees. This request is particularly needed now that the Task Force report has been released.

Encouraging people of faith to learn the facts about prolonged solitary confinement in the context of mass incarceration in U.S. prisons and to participate in NRCAT’s efforts to end torture in U.S. prisons.

Also, we will sponsor several public events throughout the United States. Planning is underway in several areas and if you are planning a public event that you would like us to advertise or consider co-sponsoring, please contact Paz at 202-547-1920 or by email.

Finally, please help us know what you’ll be doing this June through the quick form at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/tam2013report

We thank you for your commitment and dedication to the effort of ending torture. Please let us know if we can help you with your Torture Awareness Month plans or if you have any questions.