All talk?

 It's been a long and disappointing struggle over the last year to try to get WV Senator Joe Manchin to take positive action on human needs and climate. Now we're getting down to the wire. So many people have been let down, perhaps especially kids and parents who at least so far seem to have lost out on help with child care, paid leave, the refundable Child Tax Credit and more.

If there's any chance of salvaging anything in the federal budget reconciliation process, it might come down to coal miners. The federal Black Lung excise tax provides modest benefits for people struggling with that terrible disease--and it expired last year, leaving the long-term stability of the program in question. Extending it was part of the Build Back Better bill that got tanked by Manchin in December.

In West Virginia, politicians traditionally pretend to care about coal miners, although it seems like most of the real love goes to coal companies. Given all that rhetoric and theater, it seems like this is one thing that has to get across the line, which could open the way for more.

Yesterday, the National Black Lung Association held a press conference at the statue honoring miners at the state capitol calling on Manchin to come through for miners and their families via the reconciliation process. Fortunately, the press showed up, including the Charleston Gazette-Mail, WV Public Broadcasting, WV MetroNews, and even The Hill. More national stories may be in the works.

It seems like there is real pressure now for actions to match words. But I've been wrong before.

AFSC WV statement on Senator Manchin and Build Back Better

 CHARLESTON, WV (December 20, 2021) Over the weekend, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin announced on Fox News that he would not support the Build Back Better act. This comes after months of debate over the provisions in the bill, which would help families with childcare, improve the U.S. response to climate change, and strengthen the social safety net. The proposed legislation would also provide needed funding for Black Lung benefits.

The West Virginia program of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) – a Quaker organization active in the state for a century – issued the following statement calling on Manchin to change his position:

“A century ago, Quaker volunteers began working in solidarity with the people of West Virginia. There was severe economic hardship in the coalfields, with child poverty and hunger being key issues. Sadly, and perhaps incredibly, those issues are still very much alive in West Virginia, and we are still in the struggle to alleviate these challenging circumstances for people in our community.

During the 1920s and and1930s, AFSC administered direct relief to families in West Virginia and advocated for federal New Deal legislation to reduce unnecessary human misery, which transformed U.S. society. From the 1970s onward, AFSC accompanied and advocated for justice for coal miners and other workers, Black people, women, children, people in poverty, and other marginalized communities.

On many occasions, AFSC staff and volunteers collaborated with then legislator, later Governor, and now Senator Joe Manchin on state and federal issues ranging from the minimum wage and fair taxes to coal mine safety and preserving the gains of the Affordable Care Act.

We have also witnessed firsthand the better angels of our Senator’s nature in the compassion he has shown for victims of natural and human disasters. From the 1968 Farmington mine disaster, in which he lost an uncle, to the Aracoma, Sago and Upper Big Branch mine tragedies in the 2000s and beyond, Senator Manchin has shown himself to be compassionate and responsive.

Thus, we are deeply saddened to learn that Senator Manchin has withdrawn support from the proposed Build Back Better Act. Many in West Virginia have worked tirelessly to advocate for an opportunity to pass this life-changing piece of legislation. The Build Back Better Act would be as positively transformative as the New Deal in dramatically reducing child poverty and helping working families negotiate the duties of family and work. The Build Back Better Act would also address the existential threats of climate change and the need for a just economic transition for the people of West Virginia towards a more prosperous, sustainable, and less extractive and exploitive economic future.

We are still hopeful. AFSC is a diverse organization committed to the deeply held view that there is “that of God” in every person. It is not too late for Senator Manchin to return to his commitments, take a bold and needed step in this pivotal moment, and support prompt enactment of these measures.

We are holding out hope that our Senator still has some compassion for the hundreds of thousands of West Virginians and millions of people who would benefit from the Child Tax Credit, childcare support, improved health care, and immigration relief. As an organization with a global footprint, we also hope the Senator has compassion for the billions of people worldwide who might benefit from addressing climate change, an existential threat to us all.

We urge our Senator to recommit himself to negotiating the passage of genuinely transformative federal legislation that would dramatically reduce human suffering in West Virginia, the United States, and worldwide.”

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The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action. Drawing on continuing spiritual insights and working with people of many backgrounds, we nurture the seeds of change and respect for human life that transform social systems.

Quick action needed to save the Child Tax Credit

Calling all WV people! There is a disturbing article in Politico to the effect that WV Senator Joe Manchin may want to throw hundreds of thousands of WV kids--and millions from other places--under the bus by slicing the Child Tax Credit from proposed federal legislation. The expanded CTC has reduced child poverty by millions since it went into effect in July. And it dies today unless congress takes action, with Manchin being the key vote.

Manchin has been saying he's not hearing from West Virginians about this. We know that's not true but I'm hoping you can make it even less true by calling his Charleston  (304) 342-5855 and DC 202-224-3954 offices ASAP to save the program

Perfect timing for a seasonal reference

 I think most people can agree that it’s been a tough year, but it hasn’t been all bad. We’re in the middle of the fastest drop in child poverty in the nation’s history, thanks largely to the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) that went into effect on July 15.

Around 346,000 West Virginia children have benefited from the credit. 

According to the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University, “The fourth monthly payment of the expanded Child Tax Credit kept 3.6 million children from poverty in October 2021. The Child Tax Credit reached 61.1 million children in October and, on its own, contributed to a 4.9 percentage point (28 percent) reduction in child poverty compared to what the monthly poverty rate in October would have been in its absence.”

That’s pretty major, and the numbers they’ve been tracking have been getting better month by month since it went into effect in July of this year. Given the chance, they’ll just keep getting better.

Contrary to fears that the CTC would discourage employment, the US jobless rate is at a 21 month low, while Governor Justice announced in October that the WV not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate  was 3.2 percent, the lowest on record.

That shouldn’t be a surprise if you think about it. The boost in monthly income is helping people stay in the workforce while looking after the needs of children.

Recently I’ve been part of an effort to collect and share stories from WV families about what they’re doing with the CTC. Here’s a sample in no particular order of how people are using it to improve their lives: paying for braces for kids, new clothing and shoes for kids, paying off bills, buying food, winter heating, car payments and insurance, kid’s doctor bills, fixing water problems, buying a new toilet, internet access, school supplies, moving to a better and safer home, visiting family members not seen in years, mortgages, utilities and preventing cutoffs, household supplies, and extracurricular activities for kids like sports, camps and cheerleading.

No doubt it’s going to make Christmas a little brighter for many families here and around the country. 

Unfortunately, all those benefits could die this month unless congress passes legislation to extend it without restrictions that would cut off those who need it most. 

Given the holiday timing, I can’t help thinking about the comments of pre-repentance Scrooge in Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. When reminded of the needs of the poor at this time of year, he asks “Are there no prisons?...And the Union workhouses? Are they still in operation?”, referring to the miserable shelters indigent people were sent to at that time.

When he was told that many poor families would rather die than go to such places, he says "If they would rather die…they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”

(I would like to think that we’ve made a little progress in mercy, compassion and social policy since Dickens penned those words in 1843.)

In the end, even Scrooge experienced a change of heart at this time of year and did the right thing. I hope something similar happens in the US Senate, with some help from West Virginia.

(This ran as an op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.)

Interesting times, again

 I never thought it would come down to this. Who would have ever dreamed that the economic fate of millions of low income and working Americans, the climate and--oh yeah--the future of democracy would come down to one vote in the US Senate. And that vote happens to be from a certain West Virginian at a time when West Virginia is at its political nadir (please God don't let us sink any lower!).

I guess it's proof that God, the gods, Lady Fortuna, and/or world history has a sense of humor.

In fairness, as the senator in question has pointed out, if an election or two somewhere else had gone just a little differently, we wouldn't be in this situation. And, believe it or not, the situation could be worse. A lot worse.

In the last year, it seems that many groups and individuals around the country have discovered West Virginia again. I was hoping those days would pass since the torrent of journalistic "Trump country safaris" tapered off. 

In my experience, and taking a long view of history, it's almost never a good thing when the larger world discovers West Virginia.

Apparently, some from out of state think this senator sprang into existence out of nowhere sometime around last February and have tried to inform us of that fact. Some have even suggested we might consider contacting the senator in question...like it never would have occurred to us and as if we had no knowledge or experience of this person. 

What I do know is that a lot of people here are working hard to get the best possible Build Back Better through and to do all we can to push for voting rights--and that no fight before or after will ever be as important as this one. Some are focused mostly on climate, others on voting, others on economic issues, and many care deeply about all the above.

As you can probably imagine, this kind of pressure raises lots of interesting questions and tensions about tactics and strategies. As in soft or hard, inside and/or outside, calling in versus calling out, how hard to push without crossing a line, what works and what backfires, and more. And the situation changes every day.

All this would be an interesting intellectual exercise if there wasn't so much at stake. 

Stitching WV back together

 Apart from deer hunting, it’s hard to think of anything more classically Appalachian than quilting. It was an art born of necessity that produced items of beauty and warmth treasured for generations.

Both of us grew up in homes where quilting played the part. In Amy Jo's home, the sewing started when fall began, and those winters are memories of three generations gathered around the quilting frames set up in the sunroom. On similar evenings, Rick’s mother could be found curled up on a couch with a quilting hoop and a cat or two after a day of teaching junior high math.

In the days before textiles were mass produced in overseas sweatshops, things like clothing and blankets weren’t taken for granted. When garments became worn or threadbare, anything that could be salvaged was likely to wind up as part of a patchwork. It was also a way of preserving a bit of sentimental treasures like baby clothes or a special dress or of simply helping someone in need. 

It wasn’t a throwaway culture.

Aside from keeping people warm, quilts and quilters plaid a role in the struggle for freedom. During the days of slavery, quilts hanging outside a home were even used as codes to assist escapees along the underground railroad by identifying safe houses or warning of dangerous conditions.

Today, the fabric of our communities is frayed. West Virginians have been hit by factory and mine closings, automation, massive outmigration, an opioid epidemic, deaths of despair, floods and other extreme weather events—not to mention decades of growing inequality and the COVID pandemic. We need to salvage what we can and sew our state back together in the spirit of our parents and grandparents. 

One way to do that is to ensure the passage of the Build Back Better agenda now under consideration in Congress. This includes provisions that would reduce child poverty, make child care affordable for millions, provide paid family leave, help seniors with in-home care, improve health care and more.

We were recently part of a group that delivered a quilt to Senator Manchin’s office. The squares told true stories of what the Child Tax Credit (CTC)—set to expire at the end of this year--has meant to West Virginia families. Some spoke of how the CTC helped them buy shoes and clothing for kids, fix cars so parents could work, or take part in extracurricular activities.

We’ve also heard from people about how the lack of safe and affordable child care kept them from entering the workforce. Others spoke of being torn between work and caring for m family members with disabilities, illnesses or injuries. We could easily fill up more quilts with stories like those.

We hope the quilt is a reminder of what West Virginia families need and of the best in our traditions. We need to follow the examples of our parents and grandparents and save what can be saved.

We can’t afford any more throwaway lives, families, or communities. 

(This ran as a joint op-ed with Amy Jo Hutchinson in the Charleston Gazette-Mail."

WV Groups call on Senator Manchin to Build Back Better

 For the last year, all eyes have been fixed on West Virginia, a state long economically exploited and stereotyped in the national media. In a narrowly divided Senate, our own Senator Joe Manchin would cast a deciding vote on groundbreaking policies that will affect millions of Americans for years to come.

With so much hanging in the balance, ordinary West Virginians mobilized as never before in support of a Build Back Better agenda that could revitalize our economic and community life. Many issues are riding on the outcome: Poverty, care for children and the elderly, health coverage, access to education, jobs, infrastructure, climate and more. While different groups and people  on the ground here had many priorities, we made a conscious effort not to be divided. 

We recognize the same people who gain from child and earned income tax credits need child care to work and help when sickness or disaster strikes. And that a changing climate makes us all look at the sky with a new fear.

When the outlines of the plan announced by President Biden were revealed, we celebrated. The Child Tax Credit alone has the potential to reduce child poverty by nearly half, doing for our children what Social Security has done for elderly Americans

Working parents constantly struggle to meet child care costs, which can exceed college tuition. Capping these expenses for families earning up to 250 percent of median family income would ensure quality care for around 20 million children while parents work or attend school. Improvements to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act will expand home care for seniors and people with disabilities, extend coverage to millions of uninsured Americans and hold down premiums for many more.

We would get funding for Pell grants and job training programs. We could expand child nutrition programs. Additional investments in affordable housing will help stabilize and improve the quality of life for many families. The framework also represents the largest effort to confront the many threats of climate change in American history while rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and helping the Appalachian region transition to a more prosperous and sustainable economy.

We recognize that no deal will be possible without the vote of Senator Manchin and it’s time for him to make a commitment to support Build Back Better. We call on Senator Manchin, his colleagues in Congress, and the Senate to move to pass this transformative legislation.

This wouldn’t be the first time our senator has influenced national policy in the interests of ordinary Americans. In 2017, he helped preserve the Affordable Care Act when it was in danger of repeal, while opposing irresponsible tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy. He played a critical role in the passage of the American Rescue Plan earlier this year. We urge him to step up again for West Virginia and the nation. 

We regard the Build Back Better agenda as a major down payment for America’s future, one which we hope will eventually ensure a healthy and inclusive society in which all people can live a life with dignity and thrive. An ancient Chinese proverb says that “a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” This is a good first step, with many more to come.

(Note: this statement was signed by a number of West Virginia organizations, including Young West Virginia, West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, West Virginia Citizen Action Group, Rattle the Windows, American Friends Service Committee West Virginia, Community Change, TEAM for West Virginia Children, National Association of Social Workers West Virginia Chapter, Race Matters West Virginia.)

Child Tax Credit should help those who need it most

 Imagine developing a powerful medicine that could dramatically reduce human suffering, and then denying it to those who need it most.

Unfortunately, something like that could happen, with legislation now under consideration in Washington. The “medicine” is the expanded child tax credit that was passed as part of the American Rescue Plan and that went into effect in July and could expire at the end of the year, unless action is taken.

The child tax credit covers nearly all American children, including about 346,000 in West Virginia. And that’s a good thing. When the first installment of the refundable credit went out for the first time on July 15, the Census Bureau found that food insecurity in households with children immediately dropped by about 25%.

Probably the greatest thing about the child tax credit is its broad reach. By covering so many families, it could do for kids what Social Security did for elderly Americans. Before Social Security became a thing, poverty rates were high for older Americans. In 1969, for example, more than a third of older Americans experienced poverty. By the end of the century, the rate had dropped to less than 10%.

Without Social Security today, the poverty rate for the elderly would climb to nearly 40%, but it also makes life easier for millions of families living above the poverty line. That’s one reason why it’s so popular.

The child tax credit can do the same for our children. It has the potential not only to help working families but also to reduce child poverty by nearly half. However, that will happen only if it is extended and if it doesn’t exclude those families living in deepest poverty.

It’s kind of like the flip side of the old story about asking a bank robber why he robbed banks. He answered, “That’s where the money is.” If you want to reduce child poverty and the lifelong damage it can do, you need to go where the money isn’t.

Any measure that would impose income requirements to qualify for an extended child tax credit would undo its most beneficial effects by leaving out those with little or no income.

One population that could be hit hard by income and employment requirements is households with grandparents and other seniors raising children. According to the Census Bureau, in 2019 — before the COVID-19 recession — West Virginia was among the top five states where grandparents were responsible for taking care of children. We’re mostly talking about retirees, although anyone who has raised children knows that is work.

According to a news report from Clarksburg’s WBOY, “More than half of grandparents in West Virginia who live with their grandchildren who are 18 or younger are responsible for them, according to the 2019 U.S. Census numbers, making West Virginia the second in the nation for grandparents raising grandchildren.” The numbers have gone up since then.

According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, slightly over half of state children in foster care are in a formal or informal kinship/relative home, with much of the weight carried by seniors.

Another group that could miss out is people with disabilities or those who care for them, a group that overlaps to some degree with seniors. In 2019, about one in five West Virginians (nearly 350,000) had some type of disability. For people over age 65, the figure is about 40%. In 2017, 37% of working-age West Virginians with disabilities, i.e., those most likely to have children, lived in poverty.

Then there are parents and kids in domestic violence situations, which have been described as “intimate terrorism.” Among a host of bad things, this can keep people from meeting income and employment requirements for reasons of either power and control or personal and family safety.

According to Futures Without Violence, a national nonprofit advocacy group, “About one in four women experience intimate partner violence over their lifetime and reported some related impact.” Women between the ages of 18 and 24, prime childbearing years, suffer the highest rates of intimate partner violence.

The group also notes: “Increased financial security also gives survivors of domestic violence more options for safety for themselves and their children, such as living independently from an abusive partner.” Too often, people stay with abusive partners because they lack financial resources to support themselves and their children. Fully 74% of women in those situations reported staying in an abusive environment because they lacked financial resources according to a 2012 survey.

The Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody reports: “One researcher has estimated conservatively that at least 10 to 20% of children are exposed to intimate partner violence annually, with as many as one-third exposed at some point during childhood or adolescence.”

Nobody wins by denying benefits to people who are too terrorized to hold a job.

Aside from those situations, there also are people simply with very low incomes, those who have lost work because of the pandemic and seasonal workers in industries like tourism, one of our few growing economic sectors.

The beauty of the child tax credit is that it benefits a wide range of families with children. That needs to stay. But we shouldn’t leave anyone behind, especially those who would gain the most.

(This ran as an op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.)

How the Child Tax Credit helped one WV family

(Please take less than two minutes to watch this video about the real life benefits of the  Child Tax Credit made by AFSC's JoAnna Vance and videographer Orlando Pinter--then consider calling the DC office of WV Senator Joe Manchin at the number given below.)

The Child Tax Credit is not an abstract policy; it has real impact on real people like JoAnna Vance and her family in West Virginia. Watch and share her story, then take action: Call Sen. Joe Manchin at (202) 224-3954 and tell him to support the Build Back Better agenda.

"My name is JoAnna Vance, and I am an organizer in the state and the nation.

Everything that I am today is a direct result of my recovery. The reality is, you stopped using drugs and you're in recovery and now you are there, in life, every day—not numbing your feelings, not running away from your problems, actually facing them—for probably the first time in your life.

My husband and I worked really hard to get where we are today, to give our kids the life that they have. Just like many other families, we still struggle.

When I got the Child Tax Credit in July [2021], it went straight to the pediatrician and I paid the bill that I owed for my children's health care. It was just a weight off my shoulders. You need all of the support and the help that you can get, especially in early recovery. Not having support, not having these other options, not having sustainability can all be detrimental.

The Child Tax Credit is helping people with recovery. It's helping people who have been affected directly by substance use disorder. The Child Tax Credit is doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing, and it's helping our kids and helping our families in West Virginia and across the nation."

JoAnna Vance, AFSC WV Recovery Fellow