March 16, 2010 Today, as I watched a screening of Josh Fox’s documentary GasLand, about natural gas extraction by means of a hydraulic drilling process called “fracking,” it struck me just how often we allow short-term greed to stand in the way of what is best for everyone over the long term. Natural gas has [...]

March. 02, 2010 Are you poor if you earn enough money to buy food and keep a roof over your head, but not enough to pay for child care or essential prescription drugs? What about if you earn twice the official poverty rate, but, thanks to a high cost of living, are paying more than [...]

Jan. 27, 2010 Those who are homeless are often invisible, ignored. We chose to see, or not see, the man begging for change as we walk down the street. We forget that our friends who just needed a place to stay “for a few days” are still sleeping on our couch. We ignore the waitress [...]

Jan. 25, 2010 Apparently South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s recommendation not to feed strays extends beyond feral cats. At a recent town hall meeting in Greenville, Bauer, who is seeking the GOP nod to run for governor this fall, compared giving assistance to those living in poverty in his state to feeding stray cats.  [...]

Yesterday marked the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It is among the most controversial Supreme Court decisions in U.S. history, and each year those for and against legalized abortion face off in what seems to be a never-ending battle. As I am fiercely pro-choice, I can accept that some women believe abortion is wrong. [...]

Jan. 20, 2010 Tuesday’s surprise defeat of Democrat Martha Coakley in the Massachusetts special Senate election has many Democrats scratching their heads and pointing fingers, and has Republicans jumping for joy. Republican Scott Brown’s victory strips Democrats of their filibuster-proof majority, and throws the entire health care bill into jeopardy. But, despite the wild speculation [...]

Jan. 19, 2010 The Washington Post today reported that the crush of those seeking public services has so far exceeded the district’s ability to process applications that some have been forced to spend day after day waiting in line. It is a far cry from the near mob scene in Detroit last October when thousands [...]

Dec. 28, 2009 Human beings are not meant to live in the cold. Some of us may enjoy living in cooler regions, but I doubt anyone enjoys spending any real amount of time exposed to the elements without proper clothing. Yet routinely the poor and the homeless are left ill prepared to shelter themselves from [...]

Dec. 27, 2009 Earlier this week the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the release of $1.4 billion in grants to help keep thousands of local homeless assistance programs operating. It pales in comparison to the massive bailouts handed out to financial institutions earlier this year, but it is welcome news nonetheless. The [...]

Dec. 26, 2009 Considering that the average American gains at least a couple pounds during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, it is hard to imagine anyone in this country is going hungry. Yet more than one in seven, or 14.6 percent, of American households suffered from food insecurity in 2008, according to [...]