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News :: Miscellaneous |
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These Candidates Support A Living Wage - Think Before You Vote April 3 |
Current rating: 0 |
by Mike Lehman
(No verified email address) |
28 Mar 2001
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Press release on results of the Champaign County Living Wage association's survey of candidates in the April 3 election. |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2001
The Champaign County Living Wage Association is pleased to announce the results of our candidate survey for the Spring 2001 elections in the cities of Urbana and Champaign. Support for Living Wage requirements for the expenditure of public funds continues to grow throughout the political spectrum. The Living Wage (defined as the federal poverty level for a family of four) is currently $8.20 an hour.
These candidates have endorsed the Living Wage and voters should carefully consider this support when choosing who they will vote for on Tuesday, April 3.
For Champaign School Board:
Margie Skirvin
Robert R. West
Mike Woods
For Mayor of Urbana:
Eddie Dalton - Republican
Alfred Weiss - Green (write-in)
For Urbana City Council:
Ward 1 - Esther Patt - Democrat
Ward 2 - Ruth Wyman - Democrat
Ward 3 - Jim Hayes Jr. - Democrat
Ward 4 - Danielle Chynoweth - Democrat
Ward 5 - Laura Huth - Democrat
Cunningham Township Supervisor:
Carol Elliot
Urbana School Board Member:
District 2 - Laura Haber
In the wake of the Sunday, Feb. 18 News-Gazette editorial section’s article on increasing income disparity in the last 25 years, which undermines the American Dream for many working families and individuals, it is reassuring to see this growing support. Although the article by Edward Wolff details national-level solutions to this unfair situation that has, at its roots, a relationship to government policies that have exacerbated this economic trend, it is important to remember that the Living Wage is a local solution to income disparities that has gained support across our nation in over 50 localities.
A Living Wage makes it possible for working people to meet their financial responsibilities without relying on increasingly constrained government aid programs, but it has other positive benefits for our area. A Living Wage would help build local tax bases by increasing income from sales taxes by giving workers more spending power and from
increased property tax revenue as more families are able to afford to own homes. It would also help business, as higher income demographics make our region more attractive to businesses seeking to locate in our area. It would help build customer bases for already existing business through the increase in spending power by consumers
While the cities of Champaign and Urbana substantially comply with our proposal in terms of their direct employees, it is important that Living Wages be paid to the employees of businesses that supply goods and services to the cities. Champaign County itself has more than 100 workers who are paid less than a Living Wage, but it would only take about $250,000 a year to bring all county employees up to Living Wage.
Most importantly, we believe that all economic development assistance to private business in our area should be targeted toward providing Living Wage jobs. This would require no increase in funding because it would simply put a performance requirement on already available funding, giving the public more bang for its buck.
For further information:
www.prairienet.org/livingwage/
Mike Lehman, CCLWA Coordinator
PO Box 953
Urbana, IL 61803
217-344-5609
rebelmike (at) earthlink.net |
See also:
http://www.prairienet.org/livingwage/
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Tod still hasn't caved huh? |
by Zach
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
29 Mar 2001
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So even with pressure from the left _and_ the right Tod still hasn't signed on to living wage huh? I just don't get where that guy learned "political tactics 101" from but he should take a refresher course.
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What about Chuck McCaffrey? |
by Joe Futrelle
futrelle (nospam) ncsa.uiuc.edu (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
01 Apr 2001
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Where does Chuck McCaffrey stand on this? I should just call him up and ask. |
