Friday, November 20, 2009
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Politics and Government

Main Street Economics | Politics and Government
EITC changes to raise rural incomes
05/19/2009

The Carsey Institute

Nearly half of rural families that receive an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) will get an increase in the benefit because of the federal economic stimulus act. A slightly higher percentage of metropolitan EITC recipients will get more money from the benefit this year.

A study by Marybeth J. Mattingly at the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire found that of rural families that receive the EITC, 43 percent will get an increase in the size of their tax credit. For suburban families that are eligible for EITC, 45 percent will get an increase, while 47 percent of EITC recipients in the central-city will get an increase.

The average increase in EITC will also be a little higher for suburban and urban families. The average increased benefit for rural families will be $115, while the increase for suburban families is $147 and central city families $178. The amount of the tax credit is based on a variety of factors such as the number of children in a family, the size of family income, and the number of earners in a household.

Changes in the EITC program that were included in the stimulus package (officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) will add $3.4 billion to the incomes of poor working families through the EITC program. Of that amount, the report estimates that $566 million will go to rural families. Nationally 34 percent of U.S. families qualify for the benefit, while 39 percent of rural families do.

Media | People to Know | Politics and Government
Can Small town legislator win Iowa governor's race?
05/19/2009

robertsRepublicans see a chance to win Iowa’s gubernatorial race in 2010  with Rod Roberts.

Main Street Economics | Politics and Government
The Presidential Budget, where does rural America fit?
05/15/2009

Total 2010 budget outlays are projected at nearly $3.6 trillion with a deficit of $1.26 trillion or 8.5 percent of the Gross National Product.


The Rural Policy and Research Institute (RUPRI) has prepared a snapshot of the 2010 federal budget proposal that covers topics of particular concern to members of the National Rural Assembly:

    * Regional and Rural Economic Development

    * Broadband Deployment

    * Health Care

    * Renewable Energy

    * Infrastructure

    * Conservation and Natural Resources

    * Community Development

One of the budget documents released by the Office of Management and Budget is Terminations, Reductions and Savings. This itemizes 121 programs to be cut or reduced in order to save some $17 billion.  About $82 million for Congressional earmarks in the USDA budget, which support a wide range of rural projects and programs, has been eliminated from the budget for FY2010.  Read the OMB’s key issues fact sheet, Standing with Rural America.

RUPRI's summarization also includes an appendix  that outlines proposed budget cuts for a wide range of rural programs.

Arts and Culture | Politics and Government
Banishment? Sounds Scary!
05/14/2009

Tribalbanishment
 Generations ago, banishment of offending members was the ultimate in tribal justice. The traditional practice of banishment among tribes has been revived recently and has been used effectively in dealing with modern day criminals. For tribal members living on the reservation, banishment means loss of access to basic services or political representation and for some tribes, loss of per capita payments. Banishment is akin to a jail sentence but in some cases,the practice leads to permanent disenrollment from the tribe.

Per capita payments, usually offered among gaming tribes, are often relatively small sums, such as $500.00 per year. But for residents of hardscrabble reservations with little or no jobs, every penny counts. Only a handful of gaming tribes are able to offer their membership the whopping $5k or more per month, stories of which are so often portrayed in the mainstream media.

Many in Indian Country allege that banishment and disenrollment are sometimes being used as political tools by tribal leadership to silence opposing voices within the community.  Some also say that these practices are the results of plain old human greed. Since the ability for American Indian tribes to determine their own membership is such an essential element of tribal sovereignty, banished or disenrolled members have little recourse.  A recent U. S. District Court decision in Washington State, however, is presenting a viable challenge to this practice. Judge James Robart ruled that the under the Indian Civil Rights Act,  the Snoqualmie Tribe failed to follow due process in banishing nine of its members.

Carolyn Lubenau told the SnoValleyStar, “Banishment is a horrible, evil punishment.” Lubenau, who was tribal council vice chair before her banishment hopes to help other American Indians who have been banished from their tribes.

Arts and Culture | Politics and Government
Law and Order in Indian Country
05/13/2009

patches

An American Indian attorney explains the complexities and challenges of law enforcement and justice in Indian Country.

Arts and Culture | Education | Politics and Government
Native Language Summit
05/13/2009


indiankids

Only 20 of the nearly 300 native languages originally spoken in America are spoken today by Native youth.
According to Ryan Wilson, Oglala Lakota, President of the National Alliance to Save Native Languages, indigenous languages are sacred and vital to the cultural survival of Native peoples.

Leaders in then Native language revitalization movement are convening in Washington D. C. this week at the National Museum of the American Indian. Participants also plan to meet for a briefing session on Capital Hill at the Senate Indian Affairs Committee Hearing Room. The session will be followed by visits to their congressional delegations to share information about supporting Native language systems through the Ester Martinez Native Languages Preservation Act.

In a statement to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Wilson reported that Indian students who attend language immersion schools routinely out perform their counterparts attending English-only schools.  Students also display lower drop out rates, disciplinary problems, substance abuse and lower rates of truancy.  These problems are epidemic for Native youth, especially those living on reservations.

Arts and Culture | Politics and Government
Settlement Possible in Black Hills Case
05/12/2009

When the United States broke the Fort Laramie Treaty in 1877 by taking the Black Hills, litigation eventually found that the only relief for tribes was money. A 1980 judgment in the U.S. District Court in Sioux Falls, S.D. awarded the eight tribes $105 million.  However, those tribes in the treaty have maintained for years that the land is sacred and not for sale.  They have refused to accept the settlement.

The Oglalas, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Santee Sioux and Sioux Tribe of Fort Peck have been united in their stand against accepting the money. The tribes are located in South and North Dakota, Nebraska and Montana. Recently, however, the Sioux Tribe of Fort Peck in Montana announced it would like to see the money paid out to plaintiffs.

In 2007, a lawsuit to pay out the money began. The Fort Peck tribe joined the 8,000 plaintiffs, individual tribal members from various reservations, in the lawsuit that would like to see the money dispersed to individual tribal members. Douglas Kettering, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, told the Argus Leader that the settlement amount, with interest, might be as much at $900 million. This is an extremely contentious issue for communities living at or below the poverty line. As some have pointed out, the courts do not have the authority to return the land.

Many in Indian Country, however, fear that dodging tribal governments by awarding money to individuals would seriously undercut the authority of these governments.

Arts and Culture | Politics and Government
Embassy of Tribal Nations a Reality
05/11/2009

The National Congress of American Indians has announced their purchase of a building in Washington D. C. that will house its offices as well as an Embassy of Tribal Nations.  According to NCAI President Joe Garcia, the Embassy will send a message to congress and federal agencies that tribal nations are serious about working closely with them.
NCAI began a funding campaign five years ago for the Embassy with the hope of securing a space for tribal leaders to meet and talk about important issues in Indian Country.
Tribes and individual donors have contributed to the ongoing campaign including the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation that each gave $1million. The building at 1514 P Street NW was listed on a real estate website for $8.5 million.

NCAI will move its offices into the building by the end of the month. Information on a grand opening will be announced soon.

Politics and Government
Parties form rural groups, agendas
05/08/2009

Rep. John Boehner and Sen. Blanch Lincoln

How is bipartisanship faring in our nation’s capital?

Well, Republicans and Democrats appear to agree that something needs fixing in rural America.

“Families, small businesses, and farmers in rural areas are struggling,” says House Republican Leader John Boehner (R) from Ohio.

“Our rural communities are suffering during these tough economic times,” says Arkansas Sen. Blanch Lincoln (D).

But so far that’s where the agreement appears to end. Last week House Republicans announced a new group composed of 15 Republican House members that will address rural issues. The Rural America Solutions Group will “focus on solutions that create jobs and economic opportunities as well as address the unique challenges rural communities face,” according to a press release.

The group is taking President Obama to task for failing to deliver on a campaign promise to hold a rural issues summit in the first 100 days of his administration.

On the other side of the aisle (and the other side of the legislative branch) Democratic senators last month released a rural issues platform. The platform, called the “Senate Democratic Caucus’ Rural Agenda,” mentions health care, education, economic development, agriculture, and energy, among other topics. This effort was announced by Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, who is chairperson of the caucus’ rural outreach.

Health | Politics and Government
Hard Times in the Heartland
05/07/2009

hhgraff

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently released a report detailing health care challenges in rural America. Hard Times in the Heartland was developed by HH staff. 

The report indicates that nearly 50 million people in rural America face challenges accessing health care. Not only do these Americans face higher rates of poverty, they report more health problems, are more likely to be uninsured, and have less access to primary health care providers than do Americans living in urban areas. The report notes:

    * Nearly one in five of the uninsured -- 8.5 million people -- live in rural areas.
    * Rural residents pay on average for 40 percent of their health care costs out of their own pocket, compared with the urban share of one-third.
    * In a multi-state survey, one in five insured farmers had medical debt.

The Hard Times report also details statistics relating to lack of access to quality providers in rural communities as well as the disparities of needs of rural patients. Diabetes, obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure are more common in rural communities.

“Americans in rural communities have seen their premiums skyrocket and are finding it difficult, if not impossible to get the care they need,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Today’s report confirms that we cannot wait to enact comprehensive health reform.”

Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural
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