FRAC News Digest - July 10, 2006

The weekly Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) News Digest highlights what's new on hunger, nutrition and poverty issues at FRAC, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around the network of national, state and local anti-poverty and anti-hunger organizations, and in the media. The Digest will alert you to trends, reports, news items and resources and, when available, link you directly to them.

Issue 27, July 10, 2006

States’ Tax Revenues Exhibit Solid Growth
Op-Ed: School, City and Community Leaders Should Commit to Wellness Policies Designed for Students’ Health
Nebraska Advocates Write That New FNS Chief Will Provide “Quality Leadership on Hunger Issues”
Op-Ed: Justice Department Defends Legality of “Phony” Deficit Reduction Act
Bush Administration Eases Proof of Citizenship Requirement for Certain Medicaid Recipients
New Welfare Regulations Deny States Flexibility to Prepare Struggling Families for Employment
USDA School Meal Certification and Application Verification Analysis for 2004-2005 School Year
D.C. Hunger Solutions Releases Report on Food Accessibility in Nation’s Capital
New York Disaster Assistance Service Centers Set to Help Flood Victims with Food Stamps and Other Services
New York: Increased Need and Aggressive Outreach Add Up to Food Stamp Growth in Rochester Area
Illinois Is Center of Deep Poverty in Midwest
Pennsylvania on Verge of Raising Minimum Wage
Indiana Plan to Privatize Eligibility Services Delayed by USDA
Illinois Veteran Survives on Food Stamps, Fighting Red Tape to Get Military Benefits
New Hampshire: Summer Food Program in Housing Complex
California: Too Many Children in San Joaquin County Lack Access to Summer Food
Colorado Legislature Debates Access to State Services for Illegal Immigrants
New Jersey: Latino Nonprofits in Mercer County Discuss Immigration Reform
Kentucky: Farmers’ Markets Serve Food Stamp and WIC Customers; Help Eliminate “Food Deserts” in Louisville Area
Kansas Receives USDA Grant for Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
New Jersey: Youth Farm Stands Help Residents Get Fresh Produce

1. States’ Tax Revenues Exhibit Solid Growth

(“States’ Tax Revenue Solid in Early 2006,” infozine.com, June 17, 2006)

State tax collections saw solid growth in the first three months of 2006, according to a new report by the State University of New York’s Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. The report features state-by-state lists of personal, corporate and sales tax revenue for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 and indicates the states’ relative financial stability after dealing with their worst financial crises since the Great Depression earlier in this decade. The Rockefeller Institute reported $146.6 billion in state tax revenue for the January-March 2006 period, up 6.8 percent from the same period in 2005. That figure would have reached 8.9 percent if California had not offered a corporate tax amnesty last year. Tax revenue in the far West region also would have had the strongest revenue growth (13 percent) without the California program. The Southeast showed a 10.5 percent increase in tax revenue growth, followed by the Southwest (9.3 percent). The Great Lakes region again recorded the weakest state revenue growth of 5 percent. Another report conducted by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers also found strong revenue growth and a 7.6 percent increase in state spending.

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/15782/

Also see http://rfs.rockinst.org/exhibit/9058/Full%20Text/RR_64.pdf (report, “State Tax Revenue Rebounds on Strength in South and West”)

2. Op-Ed: School, City and Community Leaders Should Commit to Wellness Policies Designed for Students’ Health

(“School, Community Involvement Helps Prevent Childhood Obesity,” nlc.org, July 3, 2006)

“Healthy eating and regular physical activity at school and in the community can be the tipping point in rearing healthier, happier children,” write Madeleine Levin and Crystal FitzSimons of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) in the Nation’s Cities Weekly, a publication of the National League of Cities. By the beginning of the 2006-07 school year, federal law requires every school district participating in the National School Breakfast and School Lunch programs to establish a local wellness policy designed to improve students’ health and well-being. “Local elected officials, public health departments, parks and recreation departments and other city personnel are key allies in supporting changes that schools are making to improve nutrition education, increase physical activity and physical education and increase healthy food choices,” contend Levin and FitzSimons. City officials also can implement wellness policies in afterschool and summer programs by including federally-funded nutritious snacks and meals, nutrition education and physical activity on the agenda. FRAC has developed a guide entitled “School Wellness Policy and Practice: Meeting the Needs of Low-Income Students” that contains sample policies, model programs and key research information about these issues and is helpful to school and city officials and community leaders in addressing the special wellness concerns of low-income students.

http://www.nlc.org/Newsroom/nation_s_cities_weekly/weekly_ncw/2006/07/03/11021.cfm

Also see http://www.frac.org/pdf/wellness_guide2006.pdf (FRAC guide, “School Wellness Policy and Practice: Meeting the Needs of Low-Income Students”)

3. Nebraska Advocates Write That New FNS Chief Will Provide “Quality Leadership on Hunger Issues”

(“Montanez A Good Choice,” journalstar.com, July 1, 2006)

“Nebraska Appleseed is very excited and pleased that [Nancy] Montanez has been selected” to be the next Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, write Jen Hernandez and Milo Mumgaard of Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest in the Lincoln Journal Star. “Under Montanez’s leadership, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has taken steps toward simplifying the food stamp application” and the state has adopted “simplified reporting” that helps decrease the burden of paperwork on the agency and needy families. “We believe Montanez will provide even more of the same quality leadership on hunger issues at the USDA.”

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2006/07/03/letters/doc44a5aa94b161a045584949.txt (please scroll down to see this article)

4. Op-Ed: Justice Department Defends Legality of “Phony” Deficit Reduction Act

(“The Deficit Reduction Act? What Deficit Reduction Act?” nytimes.com, July 8, 2006)

“New legal filings by the Justice Department in an unusual, and unusually important, federal lawsuit challenging the validity of the phony Deficit Reduction Act that President Bush signed in February” contradict most Americans’ understanding of what it takes for a bill to become law, writes Dorothy Samuels in her “Editorial Observer” column in The New York Times. The suit is one of several seeking to block the law’s cuts in student loans, Medicaid and Medicare, and argues that although the measure was signed by the president and approved by the Senate, it was never approved in the same form by the House. The controversy started last December, with an inadvertent clerical error after the Senate approved the bill by the narrowest of margins. “Made aware of the discrepancy, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist apparently made a command decision not to try to fix it by having their chambers vote again,” Samuels writes. “Instead, the leaders barged ahead. Mr. Hastert signed a statement with the president pro tempore of the Senate attesting that the act had been approved in identical form by both chambers when everyone knew that hadn’t happened.” The Justice Department acknowledges the fact but “contends that a musty 1892 Supreme Court ruling requires courts to accept as fact Mr. Hastert’s fictional certification that both chambers passed the same bill,” making budget cuts affecting millions of Americans. “My eighth-grade social studies teacher …. told students it takes an approving vote of both the House and Senate for a bill to be enacted, … it says so in the Constitution.” If the department’s reasoning succeeds, “it will be very bad for democracy.”

http://tinyurl.com/jgfat

5. Bush Administration Eases Proof of Citizenship Requirement for Certain Medicaid Recipients

(“White House to Ease Medicaid Rule on Proof of Citizenship,” nytimes.com, July 7, 2006)

The Bush administration announced that it would exempt some of the most vulnerable Medicaid recipients from the new Deficit Reduction Act provision that requires proof of U.S. citizenship by showing birth certificates, passports or other documents. This exemption appears to be intended to forestall a ruling in a federal court hearing on a lawsuit that challenges the new requirement, which took effect on July 1. According to Dr. Mark B. McClellan of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, more than 8 million of the 55 million Medicaid recipients would be exempt from the new proof of citizenship rules because they had established their status when they applied for Medicare or Supplemental Security Income. About six million people receive both Medicare and Medicaid. The exemption will help people with mental retardation, Alzheimer’s disease and other mental impairments, who might have difficulty providing required documentation. It also will benefit many seniors living in nursing homes. Ronald F. Pollack of Families U.S.A. commended the exemption, but pointed out that “many other people who need health care the most and can’t come up with the required documentation — such as foster children and homeless people — may still lose Medicaid coverage and join the ranks of the uninsured. This should be corrected.”

http://tinyurl.com/znuqo

6. New Welfare Regulations Deny States Flexibility to Prepare Struggling Families for Employment

(“CBPP Statement: The New TANF Regulations Issued Today by the Department of Health and Human Services,” cbpp.org, June 29, 2006)

This analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) of new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations related to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program calls the regulations overly restrictive. “The Administration chose to adopt rigid rules that deny states the flexibility to prepare families for employment most effectively. Some states will no longer get credit for successful programs they now run,” stated Sharon Parrott of CBPP. The regulations adopt narrow definitions of the work activities for parents with disabilities or other barriers to employment. By limiting the states’ ability to place people with mental problems – a large percentage of TANF recipients – into more specialized services and by “disallowing credit for these activities, HHS has increased the incentives for states to restrict access to assistance to the poor families that have the greatest problems,” Parrott noted. The regulations make it more difficult for states to engage recipients in education and training. States will not be able to get a credit when recipients participate in English as a Second Language programs, even if a state determines that the lack of language skills prevents a recipient from work or job training. The new rules also “penalize states that provide assistance to children after their parents reach the time limit” for receiving benefits, even though this measure prevents destitution among those children.

http://www.cbpp.org/6-28-06tanf-stmt.htm

Also see http://tinyurl.com/pnuud (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program; Interim Final Rule” of June 29, 2006)

7. USDA School Meal Certification and Application Verification Analysis for 2004-2005 School Year

(“Analysis of Verification Summary Data School Year 2004-2005,” fns.usda.gov, May 2006)

This analysis by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture summarizes the data submitted by local School Food Authorities (SFAs) regarding verification of applications for free and reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch and the School Breakfast programs for the school year that ended in June 2005. The analysis found that 35.1 percent of all enrolled students were certified for free meals and 7.8 percent were certified for reduced-price meals. Students become eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits through direct certification or through application. Verification does not affect students who are directly certified for free meals based on their participation in Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or Food Distribution programs on Indian Reservations; it also does not affect students who are categorically eligible because of their status as homeless, migrant or runaway youth. SFAs reported that 435,989 applications, 4.2 percent of the total applications approved, were selected for verification. The report provides an analysis of verification outcomes by SFA size and by certification status. Overall, 67.4 percent of applications selected for verification remained unchanged; however, 21.4 percent lost their approval for free or reduced-price meals due to failing to respond. The report does not examine what proportion of them continued to be income eligible in fact. The report concludes that changes in verification requirements in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 2004 that went into effect for the 2005-2006 school year will alter verification results in the future, with the likely outcome being an increase in applications that change in meal status, as well as a rise in nonresponse rates.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/oane/MENU/Published/CNP/FILES/CNVerification.pdf

8. D.C. Hunger Solutions Releases Report on Food Accessibility in Nation’s Capital

(“Healthy Food, Healthy Communities: An Assessment and Scorecard of Community Food Security in the District of Columbia,” dchunger.org, July 2006)

The D.C. Mayor’s Commission on Food and Nutrition and Mayor Anthony A. Williams highlighted a new report on food accessibility released by D.C. Hunger Solutions last week. The report presents a ward-by-ward assessment of the state of nutrition and hunger in the District of Columbia and details the factors influencing the availability, cost, and quality of food for area households. The report examines the distribution of grocery stores and farmers’ markets by ward; healthy food availability and cost at area grocery stores and corner markets; and the impact of grocery cooperatives. It also provides direction for organizations, government and individuals interested in ensuring better access to healthy and affordable food in every community. “In most vulnerable communities in the District, a well-stocked neighborhood grocery store is non-existent,” said Shana McDavis-Conway of D.C. Hunger Solutions.

http://www.dchunger.org/pdf/healthfoodcomm.pdf

9. New York Disaster Assistance Service Centers Set to Help Flood Victims with Food Stamps and Other Services

(“Assistance Centers Open in Four Tier Counties,” pressconnects.com, July 3, 2006)

New York Gov. George E. Pataki announced the creation of six “Disaster Assistance Service Centers” to provide victims of the recent floods in Broome, Delaware, Otsego, Sullivan and two other counties with critical services and information from state and local agencies and charities. The centers will give the victims the opportunity to meet with representatives of County Social Services Offices whose specialists will help them to apply for emergency assistance and expedited food stamp and Medicaid benefits. The application process will be based on a common application form that allows applying for each program simultaneously and with minimal documentation requirements.

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060703/NEWS01/60703029

10. New York: Increased Need and Aggressive Outreach Add Up to Food Stamp Growth in Rochester Area

(“Food Stamp Use on Rise Since ‘01,” democratandchronicle.com, July 1, 2006)

The six- county Rochester, N.Y., region has mirrored the nationwide trend in food stamp participation. From 1996 to 2001, the number of local food stamp recipients dropped, only to rise over the past five years when enrollment in the area increased by 42 percent. For example, in Monroe County participation declined from 71,392 in 1996 to 55,235 in 2001, and then rose to the current 75,571. “While we have a lot of people working, they’re working at low-wage jobs and they’re lacking benefits,” said Ellen Vollinger of the Food Research and Action Center. “People … are forced to figure out, are they going to pay their rent, or are they going to pay for food.” People earning low wages are relying on food stamps to feed their families, while county governments use the program to support healthy diets and to hold down public health care costs. Bill Carpenter, Monroe County budget director, sees food stamps as a way “to improve nutrition, to improve health outcomes, [and] it lowers Medicaid costs, and it’s a federally paid program.” Sue Segelman, coordinator of the Nutrition Outreach Project of the YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County, finds potential recipients at soup kitchens, health fairs, community events and through referrals from other agencies. About 60 percent of 1,200 people she reaches per year turn out to be eligible, but only 40 percent end up filling in an application. “There is a lot of distaste, fear, misperceptions about dealing with the Department of Social Services,” Segelman said. Millions of Americans are not taking advantage of a program that could alleviate hunger on a wide scale. Experts cite various reasons: a lack of awareness, the stigma of enrolling in a government program, and perceived difficulties in signing up.

http://tinyurl.com/qld3q

11. Illinois Is Center of Deep Poverty in Midwest

(“Illinois Leads the Midwest in ‘Deep Poverty,’ Report Shows,” belleville.com, July 5, 2006)

Although Illinois has the fifth-largest economy in the country, 5.8 percent of the state’s population, or about 724,000 residents, live in “deep poverty,” the highest rate in the Midwest, according to the “2006 Report on Illinois Poverty” by the Heartland Alliance. In Michigan, people living in deep poverty (defined as a family of four living on $9,675 or less per year) account for 5.5 percent and in Ohio, for 4.6 percent. The report and U.S. Census and other data show a surge in deep poverty in the six-county Chicagoland area since 2000. McHenry County had the sharpest increase, up 81.7 percent from 2000 to 2004, followed by Kane County at 77.8 percent. The Heartland Alliance report attributes the growth of poverty to cuts in social services, the loss of 225,000 manufacturing jobs since 1990 and rising housing costs.

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/state/14969602.htm

Also see http://www.heartlandalliance.org/creatingchange/documents/Povertyreport2006lr.pdf
(“2006 Report on Illinois Poverty”)

12. Pennsylvania on Verge of Raising Minimum Wage

(“Pa. House Passes Minimum Wage Bill,” phillyburbs.com, June 30, 2006)

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed 161-37 a new bill that would raise the state’s minimum wage by $2 per hour over the next year. The measure would increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.25 an hour on Jan. 1, 2007, and then to $7.15 an hour on July 1, 2007, but would allow small businesses with 10 or fewer employees to wait two years before paying employees $7.15 an hour. This exemption reflects a compromise with Senate Republicans who stalled previous attempts to raise the minimum wage. After the expected Senate approval, the bill will go to Gov. Ed Rendell. Rendell said he would have preferred raising the wage sooner. “Why we’re making people who earn $10,700 a year, and in many cases have two or three children ... wait until Jan. 1 is beyond me,” Rendell commented. “I can’t let my personal disappointment stand in the way of signing a bill that will bring tremendous monetary gains to 423,000 Pennsylvanians who go to work every day and work awful hard.” The increase in Pennsylvania’s minimum wage would be the first in nine years since Congress increased the federal minimum wage to $5.15 an hour. Since then, 21 states and Washington, D.C., have raised their minimum wage.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-06302006-678208.html

13. Indiana Plan to Privatize Eligibility Services Delayed by USDA

(“Privatization of Eligibility Services Might Be Delayed for Months,” fortwayne.com, July 1, 2006)

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) will delay turning over the application process for food stamps, Medicaid and other government safety net programs to private vendors. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will review the estimated $1 billion Indiana contract. Those who argued that Indiana was rushing into the privatization plan that might affect almost one in six state residents welcomed the delay. The state would risk the loss of USDA funding for some of the costs if the agency did not approve the contract. The vendor that wins the contract could receive as much as $100 million per year for 10 years, or $1 billion total, FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob said. The state now spends approximately $160 million per year on the work that would be outsourced, he said. The competing teams of vendors are led by International Business Machines and Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services, and by Bahamas-based Accenture. FSSA, which has originally planned to implement the systems change this month, believes that the current benefit system creates too many errors and a privatized operation would improve access to benefits.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/14948171.htm