Community groups hold forum at Union Train Station on restoring civil rights to former felons
Petersburg Progress-Index
On Saturday, May 30, the Virginia Organizing Project , Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, the Petersburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta and the office of state Del. Rosalyn Dance, D-63rd, hosted a community forum, training and resource fair on the restoration of civil rights for former felons

Car Title Study Committee Meets
WCVE 88.9
A legislative committee appointed to study car title lending in Virginia held their first meeting June 29. Industry lobbysits claimed that only about 5% of borrowers lose their vehicles, but opponents say there's no way to test that claim because car title lenders are unregulated in Virginia. John Ogle reports ... >>Listen

Single-payer surrender
The Virginian-Pilot (Letters)
AT A RECENT meeting of the Virginia Interfaith Center, Sen. Mark Warner discussed end-of-life health care issues. He asked for discussion and suggestions ...

The real history of payday loans
Daily Press (Letters)
Oder was recognized by the Virginia Interfaith Center in 2008 for his work to pass significant regulatory reform to break the cycle of debt created by ...

Payday Loan History
WeeklyLender BLOG (Letter repost)
Because of his legislation, 35 percent of the payday businesses in Virginia have turned in their licenses and more are expected to leave the state by year's end. Appropriately, Del. Oder was recognized by the Virginia Interfaith Center ...
http://weeklylender.com/2009/06/24/payday-loan-history/

State coverage as a worthy charity
BuzzMachine Blog
Waldo gave Richmond Sunlight to Virginia Interfaith Center, a non-profit faith-based advocacy group. I still wish there was a way to fund a reporter to cover the Shenandoah Valley delegation (1 senator, 5 delegates), but Richmond ...

Public policy and the Church: Our voices can be heard
Fiat Lux Blog 
The center earlier this year published a report on how health care costs are skyrocketing in this state, far exceeding growth in wages in this state. I highly commend the report. You can read it by clicking HERE. ...

FAIR Takes Aim at Virginia’s Immigrants and Children
Immigration Impact Blog 
Photo by LullAry. In a new report, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)—an anti-immigrant hate group headquartered in Washington, DC—claims that “Virginia’s illegal immigrant population costs the state’s taxpayers ...

Stimulus package's effects being felt in Virginia
Lynchburg News and Advance
“The aid to the state was to forestall cuts that would have worsened the recession,“ said Michael Cassidy, executive director of the Commonwealth Institute, ...

Stimulus is making an impact in Virginia. (listen to audio)
WCVE-88.9 FM
Nearly 40% of the stimulus will put money directly into the hands of Virginia families, according to a new report by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.

Democratic candidates vow to create jobs. Details are slim.
The Virginian-Pilot
... fiscal benefits tied to increased education spending, said Michael Cassidy, executive director of the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. ...

Stimulus package being felt in Va.
Richmond Times Dispatch
"The aid to the state was to forestall cuts that would have worsened the recession," said Michael Cassidy, executive director of the Commonwealth Institute, ...

News Near You for May 30
Richmond Times Dispatch‎
By Staff Reports Petersburg The Virginia Interfaith Center and the Virginia Organizing Project will host a community forum today on "The Restoration of ...
 
Disciplinary charges filed on a lawyer in AG's office
Virginia Lawyers Weekly
The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy condemned Burnett with a statement from executive director Rev. C. Douglas Smith. Burnett's alleged misconduct “is particularly troubling given her stature in the office of the Attorney ...


Prosecutor involved in Bell case facing misconduct charges
The Winchester Star
An assistant attorney general who helped to prosecute the Edward Nathaniel Bell murder case has been accused of misconduct by the Virginia State Bar Association. ... “For the last 20 years, Ms. Burnett has been involved in every death penalty case in the commonwealth,” said the Rev. Doug Smith, executive director of Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. “This further calls into question an already questionable capital trial system.”

 

Off K Street: Unemployed and Poor Virginians Under the Boot of ...
by Barry Butler 
The Commonwealth Institute also pushed for reforms to Virginia's regressive tax code. Despite taking wage earners off the tax rolls that make less than $22000 per year, low-income Virginians are paying nearly nine times as much in sales ...

Paying our overdue obligation to the poor
The Virginian-Pilot
The second report, from the nonprofit Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, outlines specific recommendations for addressing Virginia's meager aid ...

 

Virginia "stuck in mud' on poverty (listen to audio - 3 min.)
WCVE 88.9 FM/Central Va. Public Broadcasting
Governor Tim Kaine will host a Poverty Summit in Richmond today. The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis says Virginia is “stuck in the mud” when it comes to tackling poverty. The Institute points to what it calls “troubling trends” in the Commonwealth’s effort to deal with poverty ...

 

New Efforts to Reduce Poverty in Virginia
WHSV.com
New efforts are underway in Virginia to reduce poverty. Gov. Tim Kaine announced Thursday the creation of a poverty reduction task force. The announcement came at a summit on poverty and economic opportunity in Richmond. The governor's office says nearly 10 percent of all Virginians live below the federal poverty line. The non-profit Commonwealth Institute released a report this week on what they call Virginia's lagging effort in the fight against poverty. ...



Va Poverty Reduction Taskforce Created
WHSV.com
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced Thursday the creation of Virginia’s Poverty Reduction Taskforce, a collection of public and private-sector partners who will make policy recommendations to combat poverty in the Commonwealth. The taskforce, co-chaired by Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marilyn B. Tavenner and Richmond attorney Robert Grey, will present its recommendations in the spring of 2010. ... Thursday’s summit brings private and public partners together in the effort to combat poverty in the Commonwealth. Speakers included Dr. Ron Haskins, senior fellow with the Brookings Institution, who discussed national poverty trends, and Michael Cassidy, executive director of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, who provided a snapshot of the situation in Virginia.



Kaine to Create Poverty Reduction Taskforce
WSET.com/ABC 13 (Danville)
New help is on the way for struggling Virginians. On Thursday, Governor Kaine announced the creation of the Poverty Reduction Taskforce, which is a group assigned to alleviating the growing poverty in the state. Danville is looking forward to the help. ... The Commonwealth Institute says that 122,000 to 218,000 more Virginians will be living in poverty by year's end. More people, who will count on help from places like this for those simple things, that keep so many going.

Gov. Kaine forms Virginia poverty reduction task force
The Virginian-Pilot
After focusing on education, transportation and the environment in his first three years, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is also turning his attention to poverty in the remaining months of his administration. ... Michael Cassidy, executive director of the nonprofit Commonwealth Institute, said that amid a worsening economy, Virginia "is stuck in the mud when it comes to tackling poverty in our state."



Study: Virginia needs to do more for the poor
Media General News Service
Madison Messenger/godanriver.com
Even during the good times, Virginia isn’t doing enough to meet the needs of its poorest residents. That’s the message from the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, which released a report yesterday suggesting that more needs to be done to help those who live in poverty.

 

Study: Va. not ready for spike in poverty
Washington Examiner
Virginia is “stuck in the mud” when it comes to tackling poverty and is ill-prepared to handle a recent spike in unemployment, according to a report ...


Report says Virginia not doing enough for poor
Richmond Times Dispatch
By Holly Prestidge Even during the good times, Virginia isn't doing enough to meet the needs of its poorest residents. That's the message from the ...

 

Danville's Poverty Rate 3rd Highest in State
WBTM-1330 AM
(RICHMOND) --The city of Danville's poverty rate is 24 percent according to a new study out this morning from The Commonwealth Institute. Study coordinator Sara Okos says nearly half of those are listed in "deep poverty." That means their income is less than half of the federal poverty line. Okos says Danville's rate is the third-highest in Virginia. Institute Executive Director Michael Cassidy says Southside and Southwest Virginia had some of the state's highest poverty rates, along with a few urban areas. They're urging state lawmakers to change their minds and accept $125 million in federal stimulus money to expand jobless benefits in Virginia.

 

Va. regulations chasing payday lenders away
RichmondBizSense
Cruising down Broad Street between Virginia Commonwealth University and suburban Short Pump, you’ll see a string of businesses with names like Cash Advance, Cash-2-U and Fast Payday Loans. They’ll lend you money until your next paycheck – at interest rates critics call exorbitant. ... Latonya Reed of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy agrees. “It's our essential belief that it is unacceptable to charge excessive amounts for ...

 

Interfaith protests Virginia's stimulus veto
The Collegiate Times
State legislators refused $125 million in federal stimulus funds aimed at expanding unemployment benefits in April. ... The decision represented a major lost opportunity for the local chapter of the Virginia Interfaith Center on Public Policy, which held a forum Sunday to explain the need for expanded unemployment insurance for poor families and children.

Center Director Doug Smith on Climate Change and Adaptation Funding
WAMU Power Breakfast
April 24, 2009 - General David Petraeus asks Congress for $861 million dollars for military construction in Afghanistan. Another battle is brewing over next year's budget. And former Vice President Al Gore and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich talk climate change in the final day of hearings on legislation. Jessica Weinstein reports...

Virginia Clergy Testify on Climate Change
Public News Service
Ryan Rinn of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy recently met with affected farmers in Nicaragua. He says ignoring the effects of climate ... (listen to audio)

Sides seek compromise after vote on jobless benefits
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Having defeated Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on expanded jobless pay for thousands thrown out of work by the steep recession, Virginia's business lobby now is signaling a willingness to consider compromise on the politically volatile issue. "Everybody on our side certainly is more agreeable to revisiting this when we have more time to understand it and more time to debate it," said Keith D. Cheatham, a lobbyist for the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. ... Kaine spokeswoman Lynda Tran said the governor believes the situation is urgent and is focused on finding solutions that will help Virginians "sooner rather than later." ... "Whatever legislative vehicle is available to us -- be it a special session or regular session next year -- we should take advantage of it," said Michael J. Cassidy, executive director of the Commonwealth Institute, an economic think tank that backed the Kaine initiative.

 

Advocates, opponents drum up support as benefits vote nears
By William C. Flook
DC Examiner
Top Republicans in Virginia’s legislature vowed Tuesday to block a proposed expansion of unemployment benefits, a change needed to receive $125 million in federal stimulus funds, while supporters hoped to peel off enough votes from the House’s GOP majority to pass the expansion.

Unemployment Petition Awaits Legislators (listen to audio)
WCVE 88.9
When the General Assembly convenes today for its Amendment session, members will find a petition calling for changes in Virginia’s unemployment insurance system. The petition is the result of efforts by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, The Virginia Legal Aid Justice Center, The Virginia Poverty Law Center and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy ... (listen to audio)

 

Va. General Assembly to Vote on Unemployment Package
Public News Service
Richmond - The Virginia General Assembly holds an up or down vote today on a series of amendments put forward by Governor Tim Kaine to modernize the state's ... (listen to audio)


Economy, guns, death penalty on assembly’s docket
Richmond Times Dispatch
The explosive issues of guns in bars and expansion of the death penalty are likely to be overshadowed by a General Assembly showdown today over Gov. ...

Battle continues in Va. over unemployment stimulus money
Richmond Times Dispatch
By Staff Reports The shootout over Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's proposal to boost unemployment benefits is continuing today between advocates for the jobless and ...

Lawmakers Set to Decide on Extension of Benefits to Military Spouses
Public News Service
LaTonya Reed, a policy analyst for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, says that because military transfers are mandatory, these 'trailing ... (listen to audio)

Dominion Virginia Power Seeks 6.9% Rate Hike
Washington Post
RICHMOND, March 31 -- Dominion Virginia Power is seeking to raise electricity rates 6.9 percent during the next 14 months to pay for equipment, salaries, plant construction and conservation projects. ... C. Douglas Smith, executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, which received many complaints about last year's increase. ...

Virginians pay more as health insurance coverage falls (listen)
WCVE 88.9
A study by the Robert Wood Johnson foundation found that while the average family income in Virginia increased less than 20% from 1994 to 2007, health insurance premiums jumped nearly 100%. The nonprofit Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis says the report paints a troubling picture, especially for low income Virginians ... (listen to audio)
Read the release (pdf)
Get the RWJF report (pdf)

 

Gov: Expand Unemployment Benefits to Include Part-Timers
Public News Service‎
Michael Cassidy, executive director of The Commonwealth Institute, says that view is shortsighted. "If you don't have unemployment insurance, ...


Virginia Should Reform Its Unemployment Insurance System
Richmond Times-Dispatch
MICHAEL CASSIDY TIMES-DISPATCH GUEST COLUMNIST
Published: March 30, 2009
Virginia has a great opportunity to help unemployed workers and their families, and boost the state's economy -- and Virginia would get paid millions of dollars to do it. That's an offer the state's poli cymakers shouldn't leave on the table.

Kaine urges expanded unemployment benefits
Richmond Times Dispatch
... providing a boost in unemployment benefits is critical," said Michael Cassidy, executive director of The Commonwealth Institute, a Richmond-based think ...

 

HearSay with Cathy Lewis (listen -- Thursday March 26, 2009)

Spiritually Speaking

WHRO 89.5

Today on HearSay we'll discuss Interfaith Initiatives, including justice and social welfare ministries, with Jeff Spence of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and Doug Smith of the Virginia Interfaith Center.

Helping the Unemployed: A Small Thing You Can Do for Big Results ...
Blue Commonwealth
But that’s not all, according to the Commonwealth Institute,. Only seven states extend benefits to fewer unemployed workers than Virginia. CI explains here that because Virginia adopted an alternative base period for calculating ...

 

 

It Doesn’t Walk Like a Duck, So It Definitely is Not Usury
Blogger News Network
What a shock this must be to people like Ann Rasmussen, the former policy director of the Virginia Interfaith Center. Then again, I tried corresponding both ...

 

Study of Uranium Mining in Virginia Approved
istockAnalyst.com (press release)
A Virginia panel is giving the go-ahead to a study on opening the state to uranium mining and likely bankrolled by the industry -- raising fears that the research will be weighted in favor of proponents. ... Joseph R. Stanley III, an environmental analyst for the Virginia Interfaith Center, which is helping to organize resistance to a Pittsylvania mine, ...


Study of uranium mining in Virginia approved
Richmond Times-Dispatch
A Virginia panel is giving the go-ahead to a study on opening the state to uranium mining and likely bankrolled by the industry -- raising fears that the research will be weighted in favor of proponents. ... Joseph R. Stanley III, an environmental analyst for the Virginia Interfaith Center, which is helping to organize resistance to a Pittsylvania mine, ...

VA Uranium Mining Opponents Find Allies Downstream
Public News Service
Virginia Beach, VA - A proposed uranium mine in south-central Virginia has nearby residents as well as those living downstream concerned. (Listen to audio)

 

Business coalition urges Va. to reject $130M in stimulus
The Virginian-Pilot - ‎12 hours ago‎
A coalition of Republican lawmakers and business interests is urging Virginia to reject $130 million in federal stimulus money that would expand unemployment benefits. ...Pushing for acceptance of the stimulus is The Commonwealth Institute ...

 

Opponents of uranium mine find allies at the Beach
The Virginian-Pilot‎
While the event is likely to attract mostly passionate opponents of mining, it's being organized by the Virginia Interfaith Center and Tidewater Sowers of ...

 

Check 'n Go may be checking out of Va.
Daily Press
"We don't know why they might leave," said Doug Smith, executive director of Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. "It might just be there's too ...

 

Moran proposes homeowners’ bill of rights « Decision Virginia
6 Mar 2009 by nbc12 
“Brian Moran is building a sustainable plan for Virginia’s homebuyers and homeowners that is so practical and comprehensive that it just may work,” Rev. C. Douglas Smith from the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy said. ...

 

Car-Title Lender Reform Effort Fails in Legislature
Saslaw Says New Limits Will Come
The Washington Post
Car-title lenders evaded an attempt by Virginia's General Assembly this year to regulate their business, but they have been put on notice that new limits could be around the bend. ... "We've heard from a number of borrowers who say they cannot deal with the sheer weight of these interest payments," said LaTonya Reed, a policy analyst for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

 

Southside Virginia Against Uranium Mining: Uranium Mining in ...
14 hours ago by Smidgen
The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy and the Tidewater Sowers of Justice will host a discussion for concerned citizens about Uranium mining in Virginia, with remarks by Delegate Joe Bouchard and members of the Virginia Beach ...

 

Virginia Faith Leaders Call on Sens. Webb & Warner to Support ...
3 Mar 2009
WHO: Linda Crabbs, Associate Pastor, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. Bishop Charlene Kammerer, United Methodist Church- Virginia Conference. Ali Faruk, Policy Analyst, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy ...

 

 

Deeds, Moran Take Different Routes in Va. Race
Washington Post
A look at the way Deeds and Moran spent one day late last month offers a window into what each gained or gave up by his decision. Moran started his day ... "Deeds has been a constant fighter for redistricting and one of our best allies on it," said Joseph Stanley, policy fellow for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

 

State may eliminate sales tax discount
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
The state's Commonwealth Institute says the discount is outdated because costs of collecting and remitting sales tax are negligible in the age of ...

 

Poverty in Virginia
17 Feb 2009 by vjp
The Commonwealth Institute and Voices for Virginia’s Children issued a report today (pdf) in which they warn that our worsening economic conditions will result in thousands more Virginians living in poverty. From the press release: ...

 

Report: Slumping economy could increase Va. poverty - wtop.com
If that happens, the Commonwealth Institute says the number of Virginians living in poverty is going up between 159000 and 218000. If unemployment hits 8 percent, the poverty figure will rise between 122000 and 169000. ...
WTOP / Virginia News / Virginia Stories - http://www.wtop.com/

 

Health Insurance Premiums in Virginia Up 82 Percent
Public News Service
Richmond - The price of health insurance for Virginians has been heading sky-high, exposing what advocates for high-quality, affordable health care call the current crisis in that area. … Reverend C. Douglas Smith, executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, says that the current federal stimulus package will only help in the short term. … (Listen to audio)

 

Fiat Lux: Ash Wednesday and those who live in the ashes
2 hours ago by The Rev. James Richardson  
Forecasting for the first time the impact of the current recession’s rising unemployment on the number of Virginians forced into poverty, a new report by The Commonwealth Institute and Voices for Virginia’s Children estimates that an ...
Fiat Lux - http://spmcrector.blogspot.com/

 

hburgnews.com » H’burg “among the highest poverty rates” in Virginia
23 Feb 2009 by Brent Finnegan  
According to Michael Cassidy, Executive Director for The Commonwealth Institute, Harrisonburg’s unemployment rate rose from 2.9 to 4.1 percent in 2008. However, the percentage of local residents living in poverty is 26.7 percent: among ...
hburgnews.com - http://hburgnews.com/ - References

 

 

More Virginia chilidren live in poverty (audio)
Virginia Public Radio
Nearly 700 thousand Virginians are currently living in poverty.  Two organizations are issuing a warning the problem is increasing and can be harmful to the children of the Commonwealth.  While official numbers aren't out yet, they're pointing to some troublng indicators.  WVTF's Connie Stevens reports. (Listen to Audio)

 

 

Poverty in Virginia — New report underscores financial woes
Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV
An alarming new report from the Commonwealth Institute is warning that Virginia’s poverty level could increase by as much as 218000 people if national ...

 

Helping your neighbor in times like these
Staunton News Leader, VA
The results of the study are not surprising, but they are sobering. The faltering economy will increase the number of poor Virginians by as much as 218000 ...

 

Report Indicates Virginia Poverty Level Could Increase
NBC 29 News, VA
A report by the Commonwealth Institute says Virginia's poverty level could increase by as much as 218000 in the coming year. Seven-hundred-thousand people ...

 

Recession Hitting VA Poverty Numbers
WMDT, MD
By TERRENCE LEE -- WMDT 2/23/2009 The recession is projected to worsen this year The unemployment rate nationwide is at the highest level in more than 16 …

 

Poverty Rates on the Rise
WHSV, VA
Poverty in Virginia is on the rise again because more and more people are out of work. Among the hardest hit are Virginia's children as more adults around ...

 

RECESSION POVERTY Report: Slumping economy could increase Va poverty
WMDT, MD
A report by the Commonwealth Institute says Virginia's poverty level could increase by as much as 218000 people if national unemployment reaches 9 percent. ...

 

Report: Slumping economy could increase Va poverty
Daily Press, VA
A report by the Commonwealth Institute says Virginia's poverty level could increase by as much as 218000 people if national unemployment reaches 9 percent. ...

 

Moran’s Homeowners’ Bill of Rights « VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All ...
“Brian Moran is building a sustainable plan for Virginia’s homebuyers and homeowners that is so practical and comprehensive that it just may work,” Rev. C. Douglas Smith from the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy said. ...

 

Mother Talkers :: Meet the New Face of Homelessness: Two-Parent ...
A study to be released tomorrow by the Richmond-based research groups Commonwealth Institute and Voices for Virginia's Children concludes that if the national unemployment rate reaches 9 percent by the fall, as many as 218000 Virginians ...

 

Area Arts, Education & Social Efforts Counting on Stimulus
Without Boost, Serious Harm is Predicted
The Falls Church News Press
Virginia's social safety nets, as well as her arts and education efforts, are looking to President Obama's $787 billion stimulus package signed into law Tuesday to mitigate what will otherwise be disastrous recessionary consequences throughout the Commonwealth. … But the long-lasting impact of the recession on childhood poverty statewide was the major issue that the Commonwealth Institute called attention to in a special report released Monday, entitled "Predicting Poverty in the Commonwealth."

 

Byron bill to change corporate tax rate amended
Lynchburg News and Advance
The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, which had opposed earlier versions of Byron’s bill, said the amendment was appropriate. ...

 

 

Recession Will Push Thousands More Children into Poverty

Public News Service
A study linking current unemployment with future poverty finds a dramatic increase in poverty rates as the recession deepens in Virginia. As unemployment worsens in the state, there will be a significant increase in the number of children living in poverty, according to the study, conducted by The Commonwealth Institute and Voices for Virginia's Children. ... (Listen to audio)

 

 

Poverty Predicted to Grow in Virginia (Listen to audio)
WCVE 88.9 FM
A new forecast by Voices for Virginia's Children and The Commonwealth Institute says the number of people living in pov in the state could increas eby more than 200,000 by the end of the year ... (Listen to audio)

 

Poverty in Virginia « VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local
The Commonwealth Institute and Voices for Virginia’s Children issued a report today (pdf) in which they warn that our worsening economic conditions will result in thousands more Virginians living in poverty. From the press release: ...

 

Homelessness: The Family Portrait
Washington Post, United States
A study to be released tomorrow by the Richmond-based research groups Commonwealth Institute and Voices for Virginia's Children concludes that if the ...

Car Title Loan Bill Dies
WHSV-TV
Efforts to crack down on car title lenders are officially dead for this year. The only remaining bill aimed for regulating interest rates for car title lenders has died in both the VA House and the VA Senate. ... Policy adviser Latonya Reed says ... 

 

State House Finds New Revenue - Stopping Big Retailer's Sales Tax Skim
Public News Service-VA

Richmond, VA - Virginia lawmakers' struggle to balance the state budget is a task made seemingly impossible by the ongoing freefall in the U.S. economy. The state faces a $3.2 billion shortfall, an amount expected to increase when January revenue numbers are tallied. Michael Cassidy, executive director of The Commonwealth Institute, approves of one effort to raise revenue. >> Read the full story/Listen to audio

 

 

Va. bill cracks down on car title, payday lenders
Forbes, NY - Jan 22, 2009
By DENA POTTER , 01.22.09, 03:02 PM EST Virginia would crack down on car title lenders under Senate legislation introduced Thursday, and tighten controls on ...

 

Virginia, Box in Payday Loans at Your Peril
Personal Money Store Blog, WA - Jan 22, 2009
By CashAdvanceMojo Why? Because the results inevitably remove competitive price regulation from the payday loans and short-term lending arena. ...

 

Payday Loans Don’t Lead to Bankruptcy, Clemson Study Shows
Personal Money Store Blog, WA - Jan 22, 2009
By CashAdvanceMojo The common complaint about payday loans from pseudo-reputable special interest organizations like the Center For Responsible Lending ...

 

Va. bill targets car title, payday lenders
WTOP, DC - Jan 22, 2009
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Virginia senator has introduced legislation to crack down on car title lenders while also taking on payday lenders who are getting ...

 

Virginia Bill Targets Car Title, Payday Lenders
Associated Press
Published: January 22, 2009
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Virginia senator has introduced legislation to crack down on car title lenders while also taking on payday lenders who are getting around new regulations that took effect Jan. 1.

 

VIRGINIA TECH-SLAYING Victim of Virginia Tech slaying was decapitated
WMDT, MD - Jan 22, 2009
Mark Herring of Loudoun introduced a bill Thursday to cap the interest car title lenders can charge at 36 percent. Virginia is unique in that car title ...

 

Bill Targets Car Title and Payday Lenders

WHSV.com

 

Voting rights, lending limits on agenda for Va. black caucus
The Virginian-Pilot, VA - 12 hours ago
By Dave Forster The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus promoted an agenda Friday to expand voting rights, restrict car title lending and protect funding for ...

 

Payday lenders' approach consternates Va. lawmakers

Given an inch, lenders are taking a mile with a credit line that has no restrictions on interest or fees.

By Mason Adams
(804) 697-1584

RICHMOND -- Last year Sen. Phillip Puckett, D-Russell County, fought to keep the state's payday lending industry alive as he carried legislation that represented a hard-fought compromise between the industry and its critics. Now, less than a month since new regulations took effect, Puckett said payday lenders have not kept their end of that bargain.

AN INTERFAITH COMMITMENT FOR PEACE
Richmond Times Dispatch, VA - Jan 23, 2009
By John Witt We, members and leaders of the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities in the Greater Richmond area - all having deep and symbolic ties to ...

Children will be children: redistricting videos « VIVIAN J. PAIGE ...
The Virginia Interfaith Center, one of the many groups committed to bi-partisan redistricting, provides some video from Monday morning’s 7am hearing on their blog. Seems it turned into a bit of “Did, too!” “Did not! ...

Modern Republicanism: Sunlight A Modern Republican  
The website is call "Richmond Sunlight" and is a program of the Virginia Interfaith Center. Run by Waldo Jaquith, it is a bi-partisan attempt to inform Virginians about the actions being taken by our General Assembly. ...

 

Lawmakers Hold Early Morning Meeting on Redrawing Political Boundaries
Richmond, VA - Lawmakers in the General Assembly meet at 7 a.m. today - January 19th, a federal holiday - to discuss redrawing Virginia's political lines. Every 10 years, after the U.S. Census, states redraw their political districts, and with the approach of the 2010 census, many in the Commonwealth believe Virginia should form a bipartisan redistricting commission.

Douglas Smith is the executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. He says that, all too often, politics poisons the process, making the political map contorted and convoluted as a result of efforts to create 'safe' seats for both political parties. >>Listen

 

Payroll retirement savings plan would benefit small business employees
Friday, January 16, 2009 9:43 AM EST
Richmond - AARP Virginia has joined forces with a group of key stakeholders, including Danville Del. Danny Marshall, to support legislation in the 2009 Virginia General Assembly that may lead to the establishment of a voluntary payroll retirement savings deduction plan for employees of small businesses. ...Those joining AARP Virginia in this effort include the Virginian Retail Merchants Association, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia State Retirement System, Virginia College Savings Program, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Department of Business Assistance, Small Business Administration Board, Virginia Secretary of Finance, Metropolitan Business League, the Commonwealth Institute, Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Asian Chamber of Commerce.

 

Jeremy White | Car-title lending - what is it, really?
January 16, 2009 by chrisgraham 
When someone gets a car-title loan, the lender is fully secured by the borrower’s automobile. And here are more details:
- The interest rate is at least 300 percent. Yes, 300 percent.
- The loan has no maturity date because it is structured as a “line of credit.”
- The monthly payment pays little to no principal on the loan.
- When an individual borrows $1,000 at 300 percent interest, the borrower pays $250 a month and that only covers the interest.
- After a year, the borrower will have paid $3,000 in interest.
- Oh yeah, after a year of faithful payments, the borrower still owes the full amount $1,000 borrowed.
This is the world of car-title lending. It is a black hole, from which the consumer cannot escape. It is predatory and it is unconscionable. >>Read More

 

Payday lenders’ ally now upset
Richmond TImes-Dispatch
A powerful ally of payday lenders is furious over the industry’s perceived end-run on new restrictions on high-cost instant loans and is vowing to...

GA session starts today; Kaine delivers State of the Commonwealth ...14 Jan 2009
In 2007, The Virginia Interfaith Center and long-time blogger Waldo Jaquith teamed up to produce Richmond Sunlight–an open-government enthusiast’s mega-site for tracking legislation and following the exploits of local senators and ...
Star City Harbinger - http://starcityharbinger.com/

 

WCVE (Central Va. Public Broadcasting)
The General Assembly returns to Richmond this week (listen .mp3)
The General Assembly returns to Richmond this week with a number of critical issues to consider. The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is gearing up with regular on line reports to help Virginians get information about issues that concern them.

Richmond Times-Dispatch
Payday Lenders Use SCC
The financial crisis has confirmed the wisdom of the Virginia Supreme Court in 1941, that unfettered free markets with lax oversight, inadequate regulation,...

FOX News.com
Lenders Find Loopholes Around Virginia Law Limiting Payday Loans ...
31 Dec 2008
"I know the legislators feel like they need a break after the payday lending fight, but the reality is that ordinary people are not getting a break," said LaTonya Reed, an analyst for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. ...  

Durham Herald Sun
New Va. payday lending law takes effect Jan. 1
Durham Herald Sun, NC - Dec 31, 2008
... but the reality is that ordinary people are not getting a break," said LaTonya Reed, an analyst for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. ...

Virginian Pilot
Faith-based lobbying groups ready to take on General Assembly
The Virginian-Pilot, VA - Jan 3, 2009
The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy and the Virginia Catholic Conference are against cutting programs for the poor, and The Family Foundation ...

Faith-based lobbying groups ready to take on General Assembly4 Jan 2009 by Talk Virginia Reporter  
... be pushing legislators not to solve Virginia's budget problems by cutting programs for the poor."We know we have to protect the social safety net," said the Rev. Douglas Smith of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. ...
Talk Virginia - http://www.talkvirginia.net/

Public News Service
Poll: Three in Ten Households Defer Health Care Due to Cost
Richmond – Three in ten American adults admit they, or a family member, delayed medical treatment in the last year because they were afraid of its cost, according to a survey by Gallup. Rick Shinn, public affairs director for the Virginia Community Healthcare Association, says the survey results are proven in examining rooms at community health care centers when patients present complicated health issues.

Smyth County News & Messenger
Overcoming barriers to high school graduation
A new report says a program called Jobs for Virginia Graduates in schools across the state, including Smyth Career & Technology Center, is among the most efficient at curbing high school drop-out rates.
Further, high school students graduating on time contribute more to Virginia’s economy than do those failing to earn high school diplomas, according to the study. The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis in Richmond released last month “A New Lesson Plan: How Increasing Graduation Rates Boosts Virginia’s Economy,” authored by Michael Cassidy and Sara Okos.

News-Virginian (Waynesboro)
Layoffs add to economic woes
Combining the recent layoffs of more than 340 company and contract workers at Invista with the current nationwide recession, Waynesboro stands to lose an undetermined amount of tax money. However, the negative economic news at the local, state and national levels will have a deeper, residual effect on residents and the city.

Layoffs, according to Michael Cassidy, executive director of the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis in Richmond, mean people will lose health insurance, have limited unemployment benefits and will put a strain on the city’s budget as people cut back on shopping and eating out. That doesn’t count Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine’s latest proposal to slash $2.9 billion from the state budget.

Richmond Times-Dispatch
Group warns of car-title loans
A faith-based advocacy group is launching a billboard campaign today that seeks to warn consumers about car-title loans. The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is spending about $2,200 to display its message for four weeks on two electronic billboards in the Richmond area.

The Virginian-Pilot
Gov. Kaine to propose big cuts, doubling of cigarette tax
… "I think the most troubling part would be freezing access to the Medicaid program," said Michael Cassidy, executive director of the Commonwealth Institute, a fiscal-policy think tank. …

Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star
Car title loans in line for scrutiny
The Virginia Partnership to Encourage Responsible Lending is a coalition of non-profits, including the Virginia Interfaith Center and the Virginia Poverty ...

Lynchburg News & Advance
EDIT: Newest Form of Predatory Lending Strikes
Predatory lending practices are no longer the domain of payday loan shops. While payday lenders have attracted the most attention from consumer activists, another insidious lending practice has crawled out from the basement to prey upon those least able to pay for high interest loans.

They are called car title loans

Daily Press
LTE: Medicaid spending
To the Editor:
In the Nov. 11 AP story by Bob Lewis on increases in the Virginia state operating budget over the past decade, the Department of Medical Assistance was described as spending $5.6 billion during the last fiscal year.

Richmond Times-Dispatch
LTE: Virginia Employees Are Getting Squeezed
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
Your recent article on the Mercer study of health care premium cost-shifting from employers to employees underscores the challenges facing Virginia's workers. According to our earlier report, "Feeling the Pinch: The State of Working Virginia,"

Some turn to title lending for quick cash
The need for quick cash in tough economic times has some in the D.C. area turning to something called an "auto title loan."

Advocates Advise Consumers Against Costly Borrowing
Washington Post, United States - Dec 4, 2008
... loans," said LaTonya Reed, a policy analyst for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, a consumer group spearheading the regulation effort. ...

Rob Port, Minot, column: Hoeven's most dangerous game
Grand Forks Herald, ND - 10 hours ago
According to the Commonwealth Institute, the Commonwealth of Virginia enjoyed big budget surpluses starting in 1999 and carrying on through 2007. ...

McGuireWoods and AOL Honored for Pro Bono Collaboration
PR-CANADA.net (press release), Montenegro - Dec 6, 2008
AOL and McGuireWoods have partnered with the Fairfax Bar Association’s Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center, and Reston Interfaith to create, ...

After making gains, low-income child care threatened by cuts
Washington Examiner, DC - Nov 22, 2008
... said Kerrie Wilson, chief executive officer of Reston Interfaith, a nonprofit whose services include operating a day care center for 135 children. ...

Raising Kaine:: Closing the Gun Show Loophole - Does Dave Albo ...

8 Dec 2008 Other notable support comes from the Virginia Parent Teacher Association, the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, ...

 

Fiat Lux: Guadalupe, bells, pageants

3 hours ago by The Rev. James Richardson   St. Paul's is a member of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, a non-profit initiative working for a more just, sustainable and healthier creation by reducing global warming. Those of you from California will recognize it as part of the ...

 

Disciples Together: Disciples New Briefs

3 Dec 2008 by Dennis Sanders   ... Texas; Preston T. Adams III, executive minister at Light of the World Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, and C. Douglas Smith, executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. ...

 

Happy Thanksgiving - A Tribute and a Treaty

26 Nov 2008 by virginiadem   ... seeds sown faithfully year after year producing honor, respect, dignity and tolerance. What seeds have you sown? What seeds do we sow together? And what is our harvest? –Patrick. Hat Tip Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

 

 

InsideNOVA.com
Interfaith groups discuss legislative priorities
There is one road to getting back your right to vote as a felon in Virginia. That road is often a long one filled with hurdles. And it is one that more than 300,000 felons who have served their sentences, been released and begun the process to have that right restored are being faced with, said Ryan Rinn of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

BLOG: WholeFaith
Preaching the Song of Pluralism
“Will one day a 9- or 11-year-old stand up and say ‘I want to be an interfaith leader?‘ We want to put ‘interfaith leader’ into the culture. It takes dreamers, believers, builders to put a new category into the culture. We are a part of that,“ said Dr. Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of Interfaith Youth Core.

Public News Service
Beyond Election '08 - Building Interfaith Bridges
An annual meeting in Richmond today will bring together young people from different faiths to try to capitalize on their new energy to build bridges of understanding and revitalize communities.

Great Falls Connection
Letter: Faithful Citizens’ Role in Politics
To the Editor:
Very often the argument is made that faith has no place in politics. A quick review of U.S. history reveals that people of faith have been at the very heart of politics in this country since its formation. ? John Horesji.

WVIR-29 Charlottesville
Group Fights to Keep Education Funding
As the state struggles to balance the budget, Governor Tim Kaine has promised, we're going to see more cuts. So one group is stepping out ahead of that with a plea to keep one part of the money that goes to keep education sacred.

WRVA-1140 AM
AUDIO: Think-Tank Pushes Education Funding
Commonwealth Institute Says Six Education Programs They Studied More Than Paid For Themselves
With lawmakers gearing up for a General Assembly session bound to be dominated by budget cuts, a left-leaning think tank has released a report examining the cost-effectiveness of some education programs.  The Commonwealth Institute found that six programs, designed in part to get kids to graduate, more than paid for themselves.

WDBJ-7 Roanoke
Can Virginia improve graduation rate numbers?
Almost two in ten Virginia students don't graduate on time. At a time when state and local budgets are strapped for cash, how can Virginia improve those numbers? ? The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis looked at six programs schools use and measured their effectiveness.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch
Interfaith center to host diversity expert at annual meeting
The faith line that divides young people can lead to conflict or cooperation. The choice to cross the line can be shaped by education and exposure -- working with others of different faiths, said Eboo Patel, executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core.

Virginian Pilot
Free health clinics in Va. feel the squeeze
By the Associated Press
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Increasing demand for services is forcing some free health clinics in Virginia to tighten their eligibility requirements. Others are trying to recruit more doctors and health-care providers to reduce wait times.
The culprit: the downturn in the economy. The percentage of working Virginians who received health insurance through their jobs decreased to 61.9 percent in 2007 from 66.7 percent in 2006, according to The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.

WAVY-TV 10
Free health clinics in Va. feel the squeeze
By the Associated Press
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Increasing demand for services is forcing some free health clinics in Virginia to tighten their eligibility requirements. Others are trying to recruit more doctors and health-care providers to reduce wait times. The culprit: the downturn in the economy. The percentage of working Virginians who received health insurance through their jobs decreased to 61.9 percent in 2007 from 66.7 percent in 2006, according to The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch
Interfaith center to host diversity expert at annual meeting
The faith line that divides young people can lead to conflict or cooperation.
The choice to cross the line can be shaped by education and exposure -- working with others of different faiths, said Eboo Patel, executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core.

The Washington Post
Warner a Hands-On Dealmaker, Though Critics Question the Need
RICHMOND -- When Democrat Mark R. Warner was sworn in as Virginia governor in 2002, he pledged to give legislators and voters "plain old straight talk" about the challenges facing the state.

 

Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star

To our credit--or debit? THE HIGH COST OF 'UGLY DEBT'

Don't we all want access to credit? Credit has provided real value for millions of households, permitting the purchase of homes that can add to family wealth and cars that can expand job opportunities. Access to credit can be valuable, but it can also create problems.

 

Virginian Pilot

Free health clinics in Va. feel the squeeze

By the Associated Press

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Increasing demand for services is forcing some free health clinics in Virginia to tighten their eligibility requirements. Others are trying to recruit more doctors and health-care providers to reduce wait times.
The culprit: the downturn in the economy. The percentage of working Virginians who received health insurance through their jobs decreased to 61.9 percent in 2007 from 66.7 percent in 2006, according to The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.

 

WAVY-TV 10

Free health clinics in Va. feel the squeeze

By the Associated Press

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Increasing demand for services is forcing some free health clinics in Virginia to tighten their eligibility requirements. Others are trying to recruit more doctors and health-care providers to reduce wait times.
The culprit: the downturn in the economy. The percentage of working Virginians who received health insurance through their jobs decreased to 61.9 percent in 2007 from 66.7 percent in 2006, according to The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.

Daily Press

EDITORIAL: This has got to go

Car-title lenders prey on the casualties of a poor economy

These are happy days for car-title lenders, and they're looking forward to even better days ahead. Vilified — rightly — by consumer advocates, financial advisers and people concerned about our most economically marginal citizens, they're the vultures of hard times, feeding on the carnage of the economic downturn.

 

The Virginian Pilot

Free health clinics see influx of new patients

It's been a new experience for Antoinette McCraw, and one she'd rather have skipped - learning to live without health insurance.

 

Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star

Culpeper Food Closet facing possible shortfall

With wobbly economy driving up needs and lowering donations, Culpeper Food Closet forced to cut back

 

The Washington Post

Va. Providers Brace for Cuts In Services for Poor, Elderly

Doctors, advocates, service providers and others who work with Virginia's poor, elderly and disabled residents are bracing for what they see as inevitable as the state attempts to close a projected $2.5 billion shortfall in its two-year 2009-10 budget: steep cuts in services for the state's most vulnerable.

 

Roanoke Times

Forum slated for school board candidates

With two weeks left before Election Day, the League of Women Voters has scheduled a forum with two local candidates -- Montgomery County school board hopefuls Phyllis Albritton and Becky Amy Mauldon.

Both women have volunteered with the League in the past.  Other sponsors of the forum are: the local NAACP, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy and students in goverment classes at Blacksburg High.

The debate is slated for 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Blacksburg Town Council chambers.

 

BLOG: Raising Kaine

Commonwealth Institute Report

The Commonwealth Institute nails it in this new report, "A Balanced Approach
to Balancing the Budget.": “As the state's policymakers work to secure Virginia's fiscal future, it is important that a balanced approach be taken. All options need to remain on the table. A family would not try to balance their household budget by ignoring what their income looks like, only focusing on their expenses. Similarly, Virginia should not ignore the revenue side of the state's budget. A "cuts-only" strategy is not what the Commonwealth and its residents need during these tough times. It does not speak to the underlying structural problems in the state's budget and would lead to unnecessary constriction of economic investment at the very time the economy needs stability.”

 

WRVA AM1140

AUDIO: Think Tank Recommends Raising Revenue;

Call Plans To Just Cut To Solve Budget Shortfall "Unbalanced"

The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis has come out with a report suggesting Virginia should be raising some revenue to fill the Commonwealth's $2.5 billion shortfall.  The group targets tax credits and tax breaks, including the popular land preservation tax credit and the popular estate tax cut.

 

The Virginian-Pilot
Editorial: Few good tradeoffs in budget slashing

It would be easy to second-guess $974 million in emergency budget cuts announced by Gov. Tim Kaine last week. In fact, the suggestion box is already overflowing. … Newport News Del. Phil Hamilton, for one, wants to reduce spending even more to avoid a $400 million withdrawal from the state's rainy day fund that Kaine wants. Pushing in the other direction was the Commonwealth Institute, a nonprofit funded by religious groups, which called for tax increases to avoid reductions to mental health, safety and social services.

 

Blog: Facing South

Richmond investors plan to cash in on immigrant detainees

Changing immigration enforcement policy has left federal authorities struggling to cope with rapidly rising numbers of detainees. A controversial partnership in Farmville, Va. proposes to address the crisis with a 1,040-bed, for-profit immigrant detention center. … "We are seeing people who have already been hurt by our economic policies victimized again," said Teresa Stanley of the Catholic advocacy group Sowers of Justice. "These people are only trying to work to support their families. They contribute hundreds of millions to the Virginia economy and they are being locked up so that corporations can reap a profit." This was a reference to a study (pdf) released this year by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis that found the annual tax contribution of undocumented workers in Virginia to be over $400 million.

 

 

Richmond Times Dispatch

State social services face $86.6 million in reductions

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s budget reductions announced Thursday include reductions of more than $86.6 million to mental health, health and human resources agencies. These are the agencies that make sure people with serious mental illness get treatment, that waters where seafood is harvested are routinely tested for contaminants so consumers don’t get sick, that families get the child support due them, among many other things. “Folks can sometimes forget and think about the budget as just a series of numbers on a piece of paper,” said Michael Cassidy, executive director of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a nonprofit agency in Richmond.

 

WSLS NBC-10

State social services face $86.6 million in reductions

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s budget reductions announced Thursday include reductions of more than $86.6 million to mental health, health and human resources agencies. These are the agencies that make sure people with serious mental illness get treatment, that waters where seafood is harvested are routinely tested for contaminants so consumers don’t get sick, that families get the child support due them, among many other things. “Folks can sometimes forget and think about the budget as just a series of numbers on a piece of paper,” said Michael Cassidy, executive director of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a nonprofit agency in Richmond.

 

The Virginian Pilot

Editorial: Clamp down now on car title lenders

With payday lenders facing new, albeit modest, restrictions this year, another group of predatory lenders known as car title lenders has concluded that Virginia is a land of lucrative opportunity. State leaders should return the favor and view title lenders as an opportunity, a chance to avoid the mistakes they made with payday lenders.

 

The Virginian-Pilot
Obama, McCain offer two very different paths to health care

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain are promising to fix the nation's health care system, at a cost of more than $1 trillion over the next decade.

 

The Roanoke Times

Editorial: In Virginia, coverage has gone down

A new study underscores the need to get serious about health care reform.

Virginians wondering about their own vulnerability to rising health care costs will get no comfort from a report last week by The Commonwealth Institute.

 

WAMU 88.5

Immigration Advocates Pointing At Bottom Line

September 24, 2008 - Immigration advocates are pointing to a new bottom line in the debate over how much undocumented workers are costing Virginia.

Tommie McNeil reports...

 

WCVE 88.9

The economy seems to be slowing

A new study finds that in spite of the Commonwealth’s above average economic growth in recent years, the economy seems to be slowing and workers in Virginia are feeling the strain. The Commonwealth Institute notes that the unemployment rate and the number of underemployed are evidence that not everyone is sharing in the state’s prosperity.

 

 

WRVA 1140 AM

Another Crisis In The Wings?

New Study Shows Health Care Premiums In Virginia Rising More Than Four Times Faster Than Employee's Wages

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Do you have adequate health insurance?  If a new survey is correct, it's becoming harder and harder for you to afford it and it's not giving you quite as much as it used to.

 

WHSV TV-3

Virginia Health Premiums Rise

A new study shows a disturbing health care trend, which spiked in Virginia last year, and it's only getting worse.

 

Style Weekly

Missed it? Hear the candidates for mayor.

Tune in to the Race

Richmond Decision ’08, a three-part series of forums with the candidates for mayor of Richmond, launched Tuesday, Sept. 23, at The Renaissance Conference Center. Forum II in the series, “Education and the Cultural Landscape,” is scheduled for Oct. 14 at the Virginia Historical Society, 428 N. Boulevard. And Forum III, “Living and Working in Richmond,” will be held Oct. 28 at the Library of Virginia, 800 E. Broad St.

 

The Washington Post

Virginians Who Lack Insurance On Rise

Study Says Many Pay More of Health Costs

The percentage of Virginians going without health insurance is on the rise, and many of those who have coverage through their jobs are paying higher premiums than other U.S. employees, according to a report being released today.

 

The Virginian-Pilot

Growing number of Va. workers hit hard by health costs

Virginia's economy shows healthy signs in areas such as worker productivity and income, but troubling cracks in health insurance and the gap between rich and poor, says a report released Tuesday by a non profit organization in Richmond.

 

The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Wage gap remains high in Virginia

Study says Richmond area's average weekly wage ranks second in state, behind N.Va.

The wage gap remains high among Virginia workers, with many earning far less than the average worker's contribution to the economy, according to a study by The Commonwealth Institute.

 

Public News Service

New Report: The Work Doesn't Pay for Virginians

Virginians are working harder--and for what? Despite being more productive than ever, not all of the state's workers are seeing the fruits of their labor when they open their paychecks. A new report shows that wage growth has failed to keep pace with the increased productivity of the state's labor force.

 

Lynchburg News and Advance

Wage gap remains high in Virginia

The wage gap remains high among Virginia workers, with many earning far less than the average worker’s contribution to the economy, according to a study by The Commonwealth Institute.

Civic involvement: A boomer way to volunteer 
Boomer Life Magazine
By Alberta Lindsey

Volunteering to most people means ladling soup for the homeless or shuttling the elderly to the grocery store or a doctor’s appointment. But there’s another way to give back: Civic engagement. A look at just one opportunity...

Style Weekly
Five mayoral hopefuls agree to candidate forum series

 

The five men vying to become Richmond’s next mayor have agreed to engage in a three-part series of candidate forums kicking off Sept. 23.

 

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Rally urges politicians to support children's issues

Undeterred by rain, about 100 people attended a Capitol square rally yesterday to urge candidates to champion issues affecting children.