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Goal Statement   one sentence that further defines the topic 

• Provide educational background about various aspects of economic injustice
• Inform and influence the community about economic policy options, both past, present, and possible future options
• Economic Justice as defined by us: A society that affords citizens a living wage and communal awareness that enables all citizens the same access to universal levels and quality of food, education, leisure, and work

Scope of the Problem

• Low wage jobs are less likely to provide such crucial benefits as health insurance and retirement savings.  Only one-quarter of low-income, non-elderly North Carolinians were covered by an employer-sponsored health plan in 2006; the rate for high-income workers was 79%. (Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Analysis of Current Population Survey, 2006 and 2007)
• Better paying jobs exist and are being created.  These positions, however, typically require work with some level of education beyond high school, and 49% of NC adults currently possess no more than a high school diploma. (Quinterno, John.  An Educational Mismatch, Raleigh, NC: NC Budget andTax Center, September 2006)
• The living income standard is a market-based approach for estimating how much income working families with children need to pay for basic expenses.  The LIS represents an advance over the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) in at least two ways.  First, the LIS uses actual cost data to assess how much money a family needs to pay market prices for a bundle of goods and services.
• Approximately 25% of employed households in Buncombe County are on food assistance.

Policy Options    

     PAST POLICY

• Temporary Assitance to Needy Families (TANF)- the WorkFirst Program
  • Qualifying families can get a one-time payment equivalent to up to three months worth of cah WorkFirst benefits, based on a needs assessment by the county worker, Medicaid, child care, and Food and Nutrition Services, if eligible, as well as access to other supportive services.
  • To receive WorkFirst Family Assistance benefits, parents must register with the First Stop Employment Assistance Program, sign a Mutual Responsibility Agreement (MRA) and, once they move into the work cmoponents of the program, they can continue to receive benefits for up to 24 months.  In most cases, families who have reached the 24-month limit cannot receive WorkFirst Family Assistance for three years. (http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dss/workfirst/index.htm#about)

     CURRENT POLICY

• Refer to TANF

     LIVING-WAGE CONCEPT

• The amount that an individual must be paid to afford his or her basic necessities, without private or public assistance.  For example, the living wage for a single individual in the Asheville, NC area for 2008 is $11.35/hour.  http://justeconomicswnc.org/what-we-do/asheville-buncombe-living-wage-campaign/
  • Employer certification program for Asheville-area businesses
    • Criteria
      • Endorse the Living Wage concept
      • Pay at least the current Asheville/Buncombe Living Wage to all regular full- and part-time employees
      • A Certified employer may pay a wage that is less than the living wage to part-time employees who are under 18 years old; to employees who are in a probationary period or hired temporarily (limited to 3 months); and to employees and volunteers paid by others
      • A Certified employer may use benefits that are provided to employees, such as health insurance, tips, union memberships, pensions, discounts, generous leave policies, etc., as an offest to the wage criteria
      • An employer may be rejected for certification or have its certification revoked where there are known violation of workers' rights guaranteed by NC and Federal law.http://justeconomicswnc.org/what-we-do/living-wage-certification-program/

     POLICY OPTIONS

• Increase minimum wage to the point where it is comparable to a living wage standard (broader the adopted standard, the more just the implementation).
• Shift funding within city (Asheville) and county (Buncombe) governments to assist local non-profits adderssing economic inequality.
• Augment individual purchasing power by participating in Asheville LETS, a program that exchanges labor hours instead of hard currency.
• In addition, alter the LETS system so that a currency system is used that is based off an established price to provide a baseline of comparison, perpetuating local exchange.
• Discontinue Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)-Payroll tax alleviates the burden on the employer so employees will receive a higher wage.

Key Organizations and Individuals

• Just Economics of Western North Carolina (JE) is a grassroots organization based in Asheville, NC.  They educate, advocate, and organize for equitable economic conditions, increased union representation, and a fair share for all in the prosperity of the region, regardless of race, gender,or citizenship status.  They also instituted the Living Wage Employer Certification Program.  Sarah Osmer is the Coordinator.
• Buncome County Department of Social Service-Economic Services oversees all Federal and state public assistance programs in the county, including Medicaid, Food Assistance, and WorkFirst.  Tim Rhodes is the Program Administrator.
• City of Asheville
  • Mayor Terry Bellamy
  • Vice-Mayor Jan Davis
  • Councilmember Robin Cape
  • Councilmember Kelly Miller
  • Councilmember Carl Mumpower
  • Councilmember Brownie Newman
  • Councilmember Bill Russell
• Buncombe County Board of Commissioners
  • Chairman David Gantt
  • Vice Chairman Bill Stanley
  • Commissioner K. Ray Bailey
  • Commissioner Holly Jones
  • Commissioner Carol Peterson
• Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Executive Committee, Peter Alberice
• OnTrack Financial Education and Counseling
  • Celeste Collins, Executive Director
  • Laurie Knowles, Director of Education
• AB Tech Small Business Center Incubator
  • Russ Yelton, Executive Director
• Economics Professors
  • Dr. Jeff Konz, Chair of Economics Department, UNC-Asheville
  • Dr. Robert Mulligan, Professor of Economics, Western NC University
  • Dr. Susan Kask, Professor of Economics, Warren Wilson College

Glossary of Terms   key words or phrases that the layperson needs to know to understand this issue 

• Economic Justice: A society that affords citizens a living wage and communal awareness that enables all citizens the same access to universal levels and quality of food, education, leisure, and work

• Living Wage: The amount an individual must be paid to afford his or her basic necessities without public or private assistance.  $11.35/hour for the City of Asheville (without benefits)

• Minimum Wage: The lowest hourly wage an employer may legally pay to employees, $7.25/hour in NC.

Bibliography    

• Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Analysis of Current Population Survey, 2006 and 2007.

• Quinterno, John.  An Education Mismatch, Raleigh, NC: NC Budget and Tax Center, September 2006.

• http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dss/workfirst/index.htm#about

• http://justeconomicswnc.org

• http://www.buncombecounty.org