I take a look at two recent reports on poverty in New York, and their widely divergent findings: When elected officials and nonprofit advocates gathered on the steps of City Hall last Wednesday to announce the release of a new … Continue reading
A look at some of the reasons the jobless report are blocking them from finding jobs that will lift them out of poverty: Say you’re a New Yorker, and you’re poor. You’re hardly alone: The latest figures show that close … Continue reading
If you missed my appearance on the WNYE-FM program “Communique” last Wednesday, I’ve uploaded a recording of the show here. Much talk about why New York’s welfare rolls haven’t risen amid the economic downturn, with myself and the excellent Liz … Continue reading
Late notice, but I’ll be on WNYE-FM in New York City, 91.5 on your radio dial, from 1 to 1:30 pm today talking about my recent article on falling welfare rolls amid rising need. I can’t find a link for … Continue reading
The news media is finally getting around to noticing poverty, but do only a certain class of needy qualify? As the economy crumbles, issues of poverty and economic need have begun to make more frequent appearances in the news media. … Continue reading
Despite the worsening economy and rising unemployment, the number of people receiving welfare in New York City continues to fall. Do welfare applications just lag behind the economy, or is this a sign that the city needs to be doing … Continue reading
The Congressional Democrats’ plan to boost food stamp spending as part of an economic stimulus bill is a giant step in the right direction. But two steps would be so much more valuable: As soon as I heard that the … Continue reading
I review Joel Berg’s new book “All You Can Eat: How Hungry Is America?” If there’s anyone in America who knows more about the politics of hunger than Joel Berg, they’re well hidden. First as a top staffer in the … Continue reading
As much as I hate to write about hunger during hunger season, it’s a key moment in what’s becoming a growing crisis, with need on the rise and donations on the wane: Just to dispel any misconceptions: There were no … Continue reading
Twenty-two months after New York Mayor Bloomberg announced a new city agency to fight poverty (and six months after I wrote an insanely long investigation of the mayor’s new programs), the city council held its first hearing on how things … Continue reading