WROC the NEWS! Cingular Wireless Offers Lifeline Plan
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Dec 4, 2006, 2:56:45 AM12/4/06
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Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition 3 December 2006
ACTION
===========================================
Cingular Wireless Offers Lifeline Plan
It's not quite water or electricity, yet for a lot of people a wireless phone is a necessity. But for many people in our state who don't make a lot of money, a cell phone is a luxury they can't afford. That's where the Lifeline universal service plan comes in.
The program, funded by the federal government, makes it possible for low-income folks to get a free phone and a very cheap monthly service plan.
In our state, Cingular Wireless is the place to go to sign up for the program. "What they're going to get is a choice of four phones, one is free, the most expensive one is $19.99," explains Cingular's Anne Marshall.
The Lifeline plans include 300 anytime minutes, 1,000 night and weekend minutes, nationwide long distance, and free roaming in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. "The plans range anywhere from $1 to $16.74 per month, depending on the level where you qualify," Marshall says. Again, there are income requirements for this lifeline program.
Find out more information and applications visit Cingular's Lifeline/Link-Up website, http://www.cingular.com/lifeline, or call their Lifeline customer service representatives toll-free Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Pacific) at 1-800-377-9450.
Source: Herb Weisbaum (KOMO 4 News) http://www.consumerman.com
==============================================================================
College Degree Worth Extra $23,000/Year
Bachelor's Degree Worth an Extra $23,000/Year, According to Government Report
By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - How much is a bachelor's degree worth? About $23,000 a year, the government said in a report released Thursday.
That is the average gap in earnings between adults with bachelor's degrees and those with high school diplomas, according to data from the Census Bureau.
College graduates made an average of $51,554 in 2004, the most recent figures available, compared with $28,645 for adults with a high school diploma. High school dropouts earned an average of $19,169 and those with advanced college degrees made an average of $78,093.
"There appear to be strong incentives to get a college degree, given the gaps that we observe," said Lisa Barrow, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
The income gap narrowed slightly from five years earlier, when college graduates made nearly twice as much as high school graduates. But the differences remained significant for men and women of every racial and ethnic group.
Eighty-five percent of people 25 and older had at least a high school diploma or the equivalent in 2005, according to the Census Bureau's 2005 Current Population Survey. In 2000, 80 percent had a high school diploma or the equivalent, and a little more than half did in 1970.
Twenty-eight percent had at least a bachelor's degree, compared with about 24 percent in 2000 and 11 percent in 1970.
"I think we've done a very good job of getting individuals into college," said Cecilia Rouse, professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University. "But we don't fully understand why we don't do as good a job of graduating them."
Chester Finn, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Washington, said too many high school graduates are unprepared to succeed in college.
"If you don't emerge from high school having done at least the equivalent of advanced algebra, you are not going to be ready for college math," Finn said. "You can make similar points about English."
Among the other findings in the report:
Minnesota, Utah, Montana, New Hampshire and Alaska had the highest proportions of adults with at least a high school diploma all at about 92 percent.
Texas had the lowest proportion of adults with at least a high school diploma, about 78 percent. It was followed closely by Kentucky and Mississippi.
Connecticut was the state with the highest proportion of adults with at least a bachelor's degree, nearly 37 percent. It was followed closely by Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey.
Nearly 47 percent of adults in Washington, D.C., had at least a bachelor's degree.
West Virginia had the lowest proportion of college graduates, at 15 percent. It was followed at the bottom by Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisiana.
On The Net:
Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov
Evelyn Dortch, BSW,LSW
Executive Director
Direct Action Welfare Group Inc. (DAWG)
PO Box 20079, Charleston, WV 25362
(304)?539-3157
Through a unified voice people living in poverty will be heard.
==============================================================================
We've been keeping in touch with you lately regarding a number of important health policy issues being debated on Capitol Hill. Here's the latest on what Congress has (or hasn't) been up to:
They’re Gone – But Not for Good
On October 6th, Congress left town to go home and campaign for reelection. They'll be back for a lame duck session after the November elections.
Before adjourning, both chambers approved a "continuing resolution" to keep the government going until they can agree on how much to spend for fiscal year 2007.
Besides failing to reach closure on spending, Congress left several important pieces of business unfinished. Three of them are very important to health care advocates:
1. Extension of TMA
2. SCHIP Funding "Fix"
3. Delay Part D Penalty
Extension of TMA
The Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA) program expires on December 31st. TMA is critical because it allows families moving from welfare to work to hold onto their Medicaid coverage. Often, people who transition from welfare to work find themselves in low-paying, entry-level positions that do not offer health insurance or whose plans are too costly. TMA allows them to work without jeopardizing their access to health care services.
SCHIP Funding “Fix”
Thousands of children are at risk of losing health care coverage next year because funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is $900 million short. Without new money, the following 17 states will experience shortfalls next year: Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Senator Rockefeller and Representative John Barrow have introduced bills (S. 3913 and H.R. 6098, respectively) to bridge the funding gap. Congress left town without taking action on this important legislation.
Delay of Part D Penalty
Lastly, Congress failed to delay the penalty imposed on those who enroll late in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. As a result of the complicated and confusing nature of the program's roll-out period, advocates called on Congress to eliminate the penalty for all enrollees, but Congress failed to address this problem before leaving. And, while eligible individuals living in parishes and counties ravaged by Hurricane Katrina were granted a waiver of the late enrollment penalty, victims of Hurricane Rita were not. FamiliesUSA has sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt asking him to treat victims of Hurricane Rita--who also faced challenges enrolling for Part D and now face a lifetime financial penalty--the same as victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Back November 14
Congress returns to Washington on November 14th. Passing a budget resolution before the November 17th deadline is likely to be at the top of their agenda. During the lame duck session we hope that they will address these critical and unresolved issues as well.
We will be sending another update as additional information becomes available.
Meanwhile, don't forget to vote!
The Government Affairs team at Families USA:
Lena O'Rourke
Jennifer Beeson
Sarina Fogel
===============================================================================
JOBS
For FULL job information please visit our Job Web Space at http://wroc.org/home/jobs.html
===========================================
Job Opening at Pride Foundation: Marketing and Communications Director
Hi,
I wanted to let you know about this great job that is open at Pride Foundation. Pride Foundation is lucky to have had C. David Hopkins filling the role of Marketing and Communications Director for the last 2+ years, and he is now moving on to start his own consulting firm (www.cdavidhopkins.com). Luckily, David has built an incredibly solid program here at Pride Foundation, that his successor will be thrilled to inherit.
Please pass this job description on to folks you know who are creative, passionate about social change and interested in telling Pride Foundation's story.
Let me know if you have questions!
Thanks!
Zan McColloch-Lussier
Director of Community Giving
206.323.3318 X101 | z...@pridefoundation.org
www.pridefoundation.org
===============================================================================
Seattle Office: 1820 E. Pine Suite 324 | Seattle, WA 98122 | Phone: 206.324.3063 | 1.877.330.3063 | Fax: 206.860.8825 | wro...@wroc.org
Olympia Office: 701 Franklin SE | Olympia, WA 98501 | Phone: 360.352.9716 | 1.866.343.9716 | wro...@wroc.org
Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition 3 December 2006
WROC the NEWS!
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empowers through education, leadership, and action"
***************************************************************************************************************
Just a reminder that our NEW location for our e-letter is WROC-t...@googlegroups.com
ACTION
ALERTS!
- Cingular Wireless Offers Lifeline Plan
- College Degree Worth Extra $23,000/Year
- Important Health Policy Issues
JOBS:
- Job Opening at Pride Foundation: Marketing and Communications Director
===============================================================================
ACTION
===========================================
Cingular Wireless Offers Lifeline Plan
It's not quite water or electricity, yet for a lot of people a wireless phone is a necessity. But for many people in our state who don't make a lot of money, a cell phone is a luxury they can't afford. That's where the Lifeline universal service plan comes in.
The program, funded by the federal government, makes it possible for low-income folks to get a free phone and a very cheap monthly service plan.
In our state, Cingular Wireless is the place to go to sign up for the program. "What they're going to get is a choice of four phones, one is free, the most expensive one is $19.99," explains Cingular's Anne Marshall.
The Lifeline plans include 300 anytime minutes, 1,000 night and weekend minutes, nationwide long distance, and free roaming in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. "The plans range anywhere from $1 to $16.74 per month, depending on the level where you qualify," Marshall says. Again, there are income requirements for this lifeline program.
Find out more information and applications visit Cingular's Lifeline/Link-Up website, http://www.cingular.com/lifeline, or call their Lifeline customer service representatives toll-free Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Pacific) at 1-800-377-9450.
Source: Herb Weisbaum (KOMO 4 News) http://www.consumerman.com
==============================================================================
College Degree Worth Extra $23,000/Year
Bachelor's Degree Worth an Extra $23,000/Year, According to Government Report
By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - How much is a bachelor's degree worth? About $23,000 a year, the government said in a report released Thursday.
That is the average gap in earnings between adults with bachelor's degrees and those with high school diplomas, according to data from the Census Bureau.
College graduates made an average of $51,554 in 2004, the most recent figures available, compared with $28,645 for adults with a high school diploma. High school dropouts earned an average of $19,169 and those with advanced college degrees made an average of $78,093.
"There appear to be strong incentives to get a college degree, given the gaps that we observe," said Lisa Barrow, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
The income gap narrowed slightly from five years earlier, when college graduates made nearly twice as much as high school graduates. But the differences remained significant for men and women of every racial and ethnic group.
Eighty-five percent of people 25 and older had at least a high school diploma or the equivalent in 2005, according to the Census Bureau's 2005 Current Population Survey. In 2000, 80 percent had a high school diploma or the equivalent, and a little more than half did in 1970.
Twenty-eight percent had at least a bachelor's degree, compared with about 24 percent in 2000 and 11 percent in 1970.
"I think we've done a very good job of getting individuals into college," said Cecilia Rouse, professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University. "But we don't fully understand why we don't do as good a job of graduating them."
Chester Finn, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Washington, said too many high school graduates are unprepared to succeed in college.
"If you don't emerge from high school having done at least the equivalent of advanced algebra, you are not going to be ready for college math," Finn said. "You can make similar points about English."
Among the other findings in the report:
Minnesota, Utah, Montana, New Hampshire and Alaska had the highest proportions of adults with at least a high school diploma all at about 92 percent.
Texas had the lowest proportion of adults with at least a high school diploma, about 78 percent. It was followed closely by Kentucky and Mississippi.
Connecticut was the state with the highest proportion of adults with at least a bachelor's degree, nearly 37 percent. It was followed closely by Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey.
Nearly 47 percent of adults in Washington, D.C., had at least a bachelor's degree.
West Virginia had the lowest proportion of college graduates, at 15 percent. It was followed at the bottom by Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisiana.
On The Net:
Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov
Evelyn Dortch, BSW,LSW
Executive Director
Direct Action Welfare Group Inc. (DAWG)
PO Box 20079, Charleston, WV 25362
(304)?539-3157
Through a unified voice people living in poverty will be heard.
==============================================================================
We've been keeping in touch with you lately regarding a number of important health policy issues being debated on Capitol Hill. Here's the latest on what Congress has (or hasn't) been up to:
They’re Gone – But Not for Good
On October 6th, Congress left town to go home and campaign for reelection. They'll be back for a lame duck session after the November elections.
Before adjourning, both chambers approved a "continuing resolution" to keep the government going until they can agree on how much to spend for fiscal year 2007.
Besides failing to reach closure on spending, Congress left several important pieces of business unfinished. Three of them are very important to health care advocates:
1. Extension of TMA
2. SCHIP Funding "Fix"
3. Delay Part D Penalty
Extension of TMA
The Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA) program expires on December 31st. TMA is critical because it allows families moving from welfare to work to hold onto their Medicaid coverage. Often, people who transition from welfare to work find themselves in low-paying, entry-level positions that do not offer health insurance or whose plans are too costly. TMA allows them to work without jeopardizing their access to health care services.
SCHIP Funding “Fix”
Thousands of children are at risk of losing health care coverage next year because funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is $900 million short. Without new money, the following 17 states will experience shortfalls next year: Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Senator Rockefeller and Representative John Barrow have introduced bills (S. 3913 and H.R. 6098, respectively) to bridge the funding gap. Congress left town without taking action on this important legislation.
Delay of Part D Penalty
Lastly, Congress failed to delay the penalty imposed on those who enroll late in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. As a result of the complicated and confusing nature of the program's roll-out period, advocates called on Congress to eliminate the penalty for all enrollees, but Congress failed to address this problem before leaving. And, while eligible individuals living in parishes and counties ravaged by Hurricane Katrina were granted a waiver of the late enrollment penalty, victims of Hurricane Rita were not. FamiliesUSA has sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt asking him to treat victims of Hurricane Rita--who also faced challenges enrolling for Part D and now face a lifetime financial penalty--the same as victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Back November 14
Congress returns to Washington on November 14th. Passing a budget resolution before the November 17th deadline is likely to be at the top of their agenda. During the lame duck session we hope that they will address these critical and unresolved issues as well.
We will be sending another update as additional information becomes available.
Meanwhile, don't forget to vote!
The Government Affairs team at Families USA:
Lena O'Rourke
Jennifer Beeson
Sarina Fogel
===============================================================================
JOBS
For FULL job information please visit our Job Web Space at http://wroc.org/home/jobs.html
===========================================
Job Opening at Pride Foundation: Marketing and Communications Director
Hi,
I wanted to let you know about this great job that is open at Pride Foundation. Pride Foundation is lucky to have had C. David Hopkins filling the role of Marketing and Communications Director for the last 2+ years, and he is now moving on to start his own consulting firm (www.cdavidhopkins.com). Luckily, David has built an incredibly solid program here at Pride Foundation, that his successor will be thrilled to inherit.
Please pass this job description on to folks you know who are creative, passionate about social change and interested in telling Pride Foundation's story.
Let me know if you have questions!
Thanks!
Zan McColloch-Lussier
Director of Community Giving
206.323.3318 X101 | z...@pridefoundation.org
www.pridefoundation.org
===============================================================================
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Seattle Office: 1820 E. Pine Suite 324 | Seattle, WA 98122 | Phone: 206.324.3063 | 1.877.330.3063 | Fax: 206.860.8825 | wro...@wroc.org
Olympia Office: 701 Franklin SE | Olympia, WA 98501 | Phone: 360.352.9716 | 1.866.343.9716 | wro...@wroc.org
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