Social Welfare Action @ Eastern Michigan University

Squirrels on Crack???

Drugs in London are on the rise!  Do residents now need to worry about strung out squirrels terrorizing the streets?  According to The Guardian, a Brittish news site, squrrels in south London may be digging up drugs that have been burried by crack addicts.  Read more at The Guardian.

Posted by Melissa Helton

DeLay Rejects Plea Bargain?

If that is true, Delay is the epitome of someone who feels a strong sense of entitlement.  He is offered a "sweet deal", plead guilty to a "misdemeanor" and he says NO!  You know why?  Because he believes he will get off with less than the slap on the wrist that was offered to him.
Check out this article by Larry Margasak of the AP to read more.
Written & Edited by Betty Sellers

Supersize Me

The writer, director and star of the smash hit documentry Supersize Me Morgain Spurlock will be on campus in November.

"Supersize Me" Lecture, Weds. Nov. 9
An evening with Morgain Spurlock, filmmaker of "Supersize Me," and director of the hit reality television series "30 Days,"  Wednesday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m. at Pease Auditorium.  Tickets are $5 EMU student and $12 general public. Tickets on sale now at the EMU Convocation Center (M-F 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.) and Quirk Theatre Box Office (M-F noon - 5:30 p.m.) or by calling 487-2282. Presented by Campus Life.

You can also catch free screenings of Supersize me at EMU's Roosevelt Auditorium on Nov, 2ed at 7pm.
Check out a trailer for the movie over at Apple - Trailers.

Reform Ohio Now

Check out www.reformohionow.org they are an organization that has put four election reform amendments on the Ohio November 8th ballot.

Issue 2: Allows ALL VOTERS to use mail in ballots up to 35 days before the election. This would encourage larger voter turn out and would allow people who normally have a hard time voting due to job restrictions or child care there right to vote.

Issue 3: This amendment would create limits on individual campaign contributions to $2,000 for statewide candidates and $1,000 to legislative candidates, ban corporate contributions, and require full disclosure. This number contribution amount is being reduced from a staggering $20,000! Last time I checked I don't know anyone who can afford to donate that amount of money to a politician.

Issue 4: It would create an independent board with an open process that allows citizens to submit plans for legislative districts. This would create greater competition among candidates and provide real choices for voters, not just contributors. If you haven't hear about problems with "redistricting" you need to do some googling. This amendment would take affect in 2008 as opposed to 2012 so it can fix the district manipulation all ready in place for the 2008 elections.   

Issue 5: Would remove partisan public officials from the administration of state elections. This amendment would create a bipartisan board similar in responsibilities to the County Board of Elections. If a bipartisan system is good enough for all of our 88 counties, it should be good enough for Ohio as a whole. Also, any Ohioan could vote by mail, ensuring equal access for everyone.

Submitted and edited by Josh Wilkins

From Poverty Reform to Program Funding Cuts

Where are the advocates? Where are the social workers? What are the Democrats doing? People thought that electing Howard Dean as the chairman of the Democratic National Convention would make some waves but even in light of the recent Republican debacles the conservatives have us chasing our tails and too overwhelmed to push any issues effectively.

Check out this piece on how the conservatives are turning hurricane rebuilding into another reason to turn the screws on the poor.
Jason DeParle writes in his NYT article Liberal Hopes Ebb in Post-Storm Poverty Debate:

Conservatives have already used the storm for causes of their own, like suspending requirements that federal contractors have affirmative action plans and pay locally prevailing wages. And with federal costs for rebuilding the Gulf Coast estimated at up to $200 billion, Congressional Republican leaders are pushing for spending cuts, with programs like Medicaid and food stamps especially vulnerable.

"We've had a stunning reversal in just a few weeks," said Robert Greenstein, director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal advocacy group in Washington. "We've gone from a situation in which we might have a long-overdue debate on deep poverty to the possibility, perhaps even the likelihood, that low-income people will be asked to bear the costs. I would find it unimaginable if it wasn't actually happening."

Submitted and Edited By Josh Wilkins

Free Grant Writing Workshops

The EMU Social Work department currently is not planning on offering the grant writing elective this Winter semester. May MSW students have show interest in the class and were a little disappointed to hear the news, especially this years graduating students who will not get a chance to take the elective class.
But there is hope...

Free Grant Writing workshops are available to EMU Graduate Students at
Starkweather Hall (the old stone building next to the student union
where the Graduate School is located)on the following dates.

      Oct. 20    3:30 - 5 pm
      Nov. 9     4:30 - 6 pm
      Feb. 16    3:30 - 5 pm
      March 14   4:30 - 6 pm

Contact the Graduate School at 734-487-0042 for further information.

No-Bid to Re-Bid

After some news attention, much public uproar and a Senate panel investigation millions of dollars of no bid contracts are going up for rebid.

"I've been a public servant for a long time, and I've never been a fan of no-bid contracts," Paulison told a Senate panel investigating the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response to the hurricane. "Sometimes you have to do them because of the expediency of getting things done. And I can assure that you we are going to look at all of those contracts very carefully."

"All of those no-bid contracts, we are going to go back and rebid," he said of pacts that were worth millions of dollars.

Paulison said after the hearing that he did not have a total figure for no-bid contracts that have been given, but said they include four agreements for $100 million each for housing and construction services awarded immediately after the storm hit. The government has been accused of overpaying for some contracts that were awarded with unusual haste in an effort to speed assistance to Katrina's victims.

Check out the full article on written by Lara Jakes Jordan of the AP at AOL News

Submited by Betty Sellers
Edited by Josh Wilkins

Paris’ parents tell hurricane evacuees to get out of their hotel

Holbrook Mohr of the Associated Press reports that Hurricane evacuees are being asked to leave Hilton Hotels.

Hilton Hotels Corp., the parent company of Hampton Inn and other brands, is trying to find other rooms for the evacuees but said they were warned when they checked in that their stays would be limited by room availability, said Hilton spokeswoman Kathy Shepard.

The article points out how many times evacuees are living several families to a room and are receiving vouchers to reimburse the hotels for there stays. The hotels are upset because the evacuees tend to use more water and electricity then normal guests and don't spend as money on things such as food or incidentals. The hotel companies are worried about bad press but on the other hand must cater to there high paying guests with reservations.

Submitted by Betty Sellers
Edited by Josh Wilkins

Well off hurricane evacuees having problems affording housing

Joe Garofoli reports in the SF Gate that even well off hurricane evacuees are having a hard time making ends meet in one of the most liberal but expensive cities in the country. Maybe its time for San Francisco Bay area resources to take a cultural / social ergonomic status refresher course.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said last week that it would give families $2,358 apiece over three months in renewable housing subsidies. The trouble for evacuees in the Bay Area is that the figure is based on a national average for what it costs to rent a two-bedroom apartment.

In San Francisco, however, the average rent for a two-bedroom unit is $1,539 a month, according to federal housing figures.

Florida Wal-Mart workers start a non-union union

Mitch Stacy of the Associated Press is reporting that Wal-Mart workers are organizing!

About 250 employees and former employees from 40 central Florida stores have joined the fledgling Wal-Mart Workers Association, spurred by what they say is a reduction of hours and schedule changes recently that may jeopardize health care benefits for some. Organizers say the word-of-mouth campaign is attracting 15 to 20 new members every week.