- Unemployment benefits for 1.2 million Americans could expire Sunday, By John Schmid, February 26, 2010, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Nearly 1.2 million unemployed Americans – including 27,000 in Wisconsin – face an imminent cutoff of government unemployment checks if Congress cannot pass emergency legislation to extend federal benefits before funding expires Sunday. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) pushed this week for Senate passage of a stopgap 30-day extension of jobless benefits, which also includes a 30-day extension of a federal COBRA health insurance subsidy for the jobless. But as of late Thursday, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) objected to each attempt to bring the issue to a Senate floor vote, balking that the measure would further inflate the nation’s debt. The House passed a 30-day extension Thursday. Reid’s 11th-hour actions, however, cut excruciatingly close to the deadline. According to the National Employment Law Project, a research and advocacy group, the ranks of unemployed losing eligibility for unemployment compensation will rise sharply and continuously if Congress decides against an extension. By June, 127,100 Wisconsin residents will see their unemployment insurance phased out if Congress doesn’t act. Nationally, the number swells to 5 million by June, the group calculates…”
- Senate inaction jeopardizes unemployment benefits, Associated Press, February 26, 2010, New York Times: “The Senate failed Friday to extend programs for laid-off workers, jeopardizing unemployment benefits scheduled to expire over the weekend. The benefits are part of a larger package of government programs, from highway funding to loans for small businesses, set to expire Sunday because senators couldn’t agree on how to pay to keep them going. The House passed a bill Thursday extending the programs for one month while lawmakers consider how to address the issues long-term. Senate Democrats repeatedly tried to follow suit Thursday night and Friday morning, but they couldn’t overcome the objections of a single lawmaker, Republican Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky, that the $10 billion bill would add to the budget deficit. The bill would extend unemployment payments to laid-off workers and provide them with subsidies to help pay health premiums through the COBRA program. It would extend funding for highway projects and spare doctors from a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments. It would extend a small business loan program, the National Flood Insurance Program and the copyright license used by satellite television providers…”
Monthly Archives: February 2010
Child Poverty – South Africa
Poverty hits SA children, February 26, 2010, Times Live: “A new OECD working paper on trends in poverty and income inequality in South Africa has found that more than half of all South Africans (54%) are poor but, among children below 10, as many as two out of three are poor. ‘This implies that among all poor South Africans, one in three is a child,’ said the OECD in the report that was released on Thursday. These high values are based on the national poverty line of 515 rand a month, or about US$ 4 a day, which is used for national policy making. International comparisons of lower-income countries often use the World Bank poverty line which is US$2 a day. Under this lower line, the aggregate poverty rate in South Africa is 30% but if the standard OECD poverty line, which is below half the average income, the poverty rate is 26%…”
Justice Department Indigent Defense Program
Justice Dept. to launch Indigent Defense Program, By Ari Shapiro, February 26, 2010, National Public Radio: “The U.S. criminal justice system typically pits defense lawyers against government prosecutors. Now, defense lawyers who represent poor clients are about to get some major help from their usual adversaries. The Justice Department is on the verge of launching a new program to help low-income people receive legal help. It’s called the Access to Justice initiative, and one of the top constitutional lawyers in the country is taking a leave of absence from Harvard to spearhead the project. Although there has been no official announcement, a Justice spokesperson has confirmed the plans. Professor Laurence Tribe of Harvard Law will begin work in Washington next week as senior counselor for Access to Justice. He will coordinate with judges and lawyers across the country with the goal of finding ways to help people who cannot afford a lawyer – a circumstance known in legal terms as indigent defense…”
Opinion: Income Inequality
A snapshot of income disparity, By Tim Rutten, February 24, 2010, Los Angeles Times: “On the eve of our worst financial crisis since the Depression, the United States was — from an economic standpoint, at least — a less equal nation than at any time since the Gilded Age. The sputtering recovery now underway is producing few, if any, jobs to replace those that have been lost. Meanwhile, a variety of factors continues to push wages and most salaries lower. Thus, we’re likely to emerge from this downturn with even greater disparities in income, wealth and effective tax rates, and the forces pushing us in that direction are particularly strong in Los Angeles County. We have a pre-recession portrait of American inequality because, in 1992, the Clinton administration asked the Internal Revenue Service to begin tracking the incomes and tax payments of the country’s 400 richest households. During the George W. Bush years, the IRS continued to collect the data, but — you’ll be shocked to know — didn’t release it to the public. Last week, the figures for 2007 were quietly made available, and, as David Cay Johnston, who formerly covered tax policy for the New York Times and now teaches at Syracuse University’s law school, points out, ‘The incomes of the top 400 American households soared to a new record high in dollars and as a share of all income in 2007, while the income tax rates they paid fell to a record low…’”
Poverty Rate – Madison, WI
Despite Madison’s relative affluence, poverty rate growing rapidly, By Mike Ivey, February 24, 2010, Capital Times: “The doors at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry on Fish Hatchery Road don’t open for another 30 minutes, but a line has already formed. They wait quietly, for the most part, this rainbow coalition of all ages: African-American grandmothers, Latino families, young women with pierced tongues, disabled seniors and working fathers. What they have in common is poverty. Once a month, with a valid photo ID, clients get enough groceries to last a week. ‘As my kids get older, I just keep having to cook more, so every bit helps,’ says Belinda Washington, 44, who has four children at home ages 4 to 17. A Chicago native, Washington moved to Madison 17 years ago and lives in the Lake Point neighborhood off West Broadway on the city’s south side. Her resume includes food service, catering and factory work but she’s been unemployed since her youngest was born. ‘I keep applying but the jobs are hard to come by,’ she says. Danny Pilgrim, 37, has a part-time job at Einstein Brothers Bagels in Madison but had his hours reduced recently. Now, he’s visiting the food pantry with his wife. ‘What can I say? We need the groceries,’ explains the father of three. Being poor, hungry or unemployed is a world far removed for many in Wisconsin’s capital city, where arguments over passenger rail, Badger sports or high-rise hotels can dominate the news. But the reality is Madison’s poverty rate is climbing – rising nine times faster than the rate of other U.S. cities, according to a new report from the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution…”
Teenage Pregnancy Rate – England
- Teenage pregnancy rate falls, February 24, 2010, BBC News: “The number of teenage pregnancies in England and Wales has fallen by 4%, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). A total of 41,325 women under 18 fell pregnant in 2008, down 3.9% from 42,988 in 2007, the figures show. Of these young women 49% had an abortion, compared with 50% in 2007. The government had pledged in 1999 to halve teenage pregnancy rates among under-18s in England by this year but is widely expected to miss that target. The ONS data shows for every 1,000 girls aged between 15 and 17 in England and Wales, there were just over 40 pregnancies…”
- Teenage pregnancies fall, but not far enough, By Anna Bawden, February 24, 2010, The Guardian: “The government today announced an overhaul of its teenage pregnancy strategy after new figures showed conception rates among under 18s were not falling fast enough. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, 41,325 girls under 18 in England and Wales fell pregnant in 2008, a decline of 3.9% from 2007, while the number of pregnancies among the under-16s fell 7.6% to 7,577. But the decline is far short of the government’s pledge to halve teenage pregnancies by 2010. Ministers committed to halve pregnancies among 15- to 17-year-olds in England from the 1998 rate of 46.6 conceptions per 1,000 girls…”
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Applications for help on heat bills rise by 15%, By Erik Eckholm, February 22, 2010, New York Times: “The number of households applying for home heating assistance has climbed to record levels for the third straight year, rising by 15 percent to a projected 8.8 million this winter, state energy officials said Monday. This compares with almost 7.7 million recipients last year and 5.7 million in 2008. Average heating costs have declined slightly since 2009, and the increase in applications reflects, in part, the mounting troubles of those suffering prolonged unemployment, including many people who had not sought the aid in the past, said Mark Wolfe, director of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, which represents state aid officials in Washington…”
Extension of Jobless Benefits
- Jobless fear benefits will end shortly, By Todd Spangler, February 23, 2010, Detroit Free Press: “Congress has less than a week left to extend unemployment benefits for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders. Otherwise, programs providing extra weeks of unemployment checks and paying two-thirds of the cost of health care insurance for some unemployed workers are set to expire. Michigan’s 14.6% unemployment rate led the nation in December…”
- More than 20,000 Floridians each week stand to lose unemployment benefits unless Senate acts, By William E. Gibson and Marcia Heroux Pounds, February 22, 2010, South Florida Sun Sentinel: “More than 20,000 Floridians each week will see their unemployment benefits run dry starting in March unless Congress acts to extend their aid. In response to cries for help from South Florida and around the nation, the Senate this week plans to vote on a jobs bill that would give a tax break to employers who hire those who have been out of work for at least 60 days. Senate leaders also hope to extend unemployment benefits through a separate bill, similar to one already passed by the House. But the timing and prospects for passage remain uncertain. For many of the jobless in Florida, where the unemployment rate has climbed to nearly 12 percent, delays and uncertainties in Congress have jeopardized a lifeline of aid and added to a sense of desperation…”
States and Children’s Dental Care
- Study: 1 in 5 kids don’t see dentist each year, By Alison Young, February 23, 2010,USA Today: “At least one in five U.S. children go without annual dental care and most states lack key policies to ensure access to cost-saving preventive treatments, according to a study released Tuesday by the Pew Center on the States. Six states received an “A” grade from the non-profit policy analysis group for their dental health policies. But even children in those states have problems accessing care, the report said…”
- Group gives Ohio a B in child dental care, By Misti Crane, February 23, 2010, Columbus Dispatch: “It might not be gold-star-worthy, but Ohio’s grade on a national review of state dental policies isn’t bad. With its B, Ohio outscored 35 other states in the Pew Center on the States’ review of policies that improve children’s access to dentists. The state won special attention for its efforts to provide dental sealants, which prevent cavities. All states have room for improvement, according to the report, which highlights the importance of preventive care to drive down the incidence and cost of more expensive treatments later. The report estimates that 17 million children, or one in five, go without the dental care they need every year…”
- Study: Minnesota lags in providing dental care to disadvantaged kids, By Lorna Benson, February 23, 2010, Minnesota Public Radio: “A national study says Minnesota needs to do more to help disadvantaged kids access dental care. The state received a ‘C’ grade on its dental policies from the Pew Center on the States. Pew measured the performance of all 50 states and the District of Columbia on whether they are abiding by eight well-established policy solutions that enhance children’s access to dental care. The policies include preventative dental care services covered by the Medicaid program, fluoridated public water supplies and establishing a new category of dental provider to compensate for dentist shortages. Shelly Gehshan, director of the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign, said Minnesota only met four of the eight policy measurements…”
Recession and Long-Term Unemployment
Millions of unemployed face years without jobs, By Peter S. Goodman, February 20, 2010, New York Times: “Even as the American economy shows tentative signs of a rebound, the human toll of the recession continues to mount, with millions of Americans remaining out of work, out of savings and nearing the end of their unemployment benefits. Economists fear that the nascent recovery will leave more people behind than in past recessions, failing to create jobs in sufficient numbers to absorb the record-setting ranks of the long-term unemployed. Call them the new poor: people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life who are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives – potentially for years to come. Yet the social safety net is already showing severe strains. Roughly 2.7 million jobless people will lose their unemployment check before the end of April unless Congress approves the Obama administration’s proposal to extend the payments, according to the Labor Department…”
Economic Stimulus and State TANF Programs
$3.8B in stimulus funds for welfare jobs untouched, By Dionne Walker (AP), February 19, 2010, Washington Post: “Desperate though they are to fill gaps in their budgets, more than half the states in the country haven’t touched a $5 billion pot of federal stimulus funds meant to find work for welfare recipients. Leaders in most states have hesitated to pony up the matching funds the program requires to create jobs that might not last after the federal subsidy’s Sept. 30 sunset date. The Department of Health and Human Services has handed out $1.2 billion of the emergency cash for general welfare programs. That includes $124 million that went to 21 states and the District of Colombia to help them ease caseloads by paying employers to hire low-skilled, low-income workers. States such as California, Tennessee and Georgia – where officials have seen unemployment rates spike among recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – are eagerly tapping the fund to subsidize the creation of thousands of jobs they say keep these workers from sinking further into poverty…”
Health Insurance Coverage – Kentucky
Kentucky’s rolls of uninsured rise sharply, survey finds, By Patrick Howington, February 21, 2010, Louisville Courier-Journal: “A third of adult Kentuckians below Medicare age – nearly 900,000 people – don’t have health insurance, a poll has found. And researchers say the recession and the resulting rise in unemployment are to blame. The survey, which the University of Cincinnati conducted in October and November for the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and a similar Cincinnati group, found a sharp increase in uninsured adults since a similar poll last year: 33 percent of Kentuckians ages 18 to 64 lacked insurance, compared with 23 percent in early 2008. During the same period, Kentucky’s jobless rate rose from just shy of 6 percent to about 11 percent. The two groups that sponsored the survey, released in December, work to improve the region’s health…”
Poor Women and Eviction
A sight all too familiar in poor neighborhoods, By Erik Eckholm, February 18, 2010, New York Times: “Shantana Smith, a single mother who had not paid rent for three months, watched on a recent morning as men from Eagle Moving carried her tattered furniture to the sidewalk. Bystanders knew too well what was happening. ‘When you see the Eagle movers truck, you know it’s time to get going,’ a neighbor said. On Milwaukee’s impoverished North Side, the mover’s name is nearly as familiar as McDonald’s, because Eagle often accompanies sheriffs on evictions. They haul tenants’ belongings into storage or, as Ms. Smith preferred, leave them outside for tenants to truck away. Here and in swaths of many cities, evictions from rental properties are so common that they are part of the texture of life. New research is showing that eviction is a particular burden on low-income black women, often single mothers, who have an easier time renting apartments than their male counterparts, but are vulnerable to losing them because their wages or public benefits have not kept up with the cost of housing. And evictions, in turn, can easily throw families into cascades of turmoil and debt…”
States and Medicaid Enrollment
- States consider Medicaid cuts as use grows, By Kevin Sack and Robert Pear, February 18, 2010, New York Times: “Facing relentless fiscal pressure and exploding demand for government health care, virtually every state is making or considering substantial cuts in Medicaid, even as Democrats push to add 15 million people to the rolls. Because they are temporarily barred from reducing eligibility, states have been left to cut ‘optional benefits,’ like dental and vision care, and reduce payments to doctors and other health care providers. In some states, governors are trying to avoid the deepest cuts by pushing for increases in tobacco taxes or new levies on hospitals and doctors, but many of those proposals are running into election-year trouble in conservative legislatures…”
- Medicaid enrollment rises nationwide, analysis finds, By Amy Goldstein, February 19, 2010, Washington Post: “The recession has fueled the greatest influx of Americans onto Medicaid since the earliest days of the public insurance program for the poor, according to new findings that show caseloads have surged in every state. More than 3 million people joined Medicaid in the year that ended in June, the data released Thursday show. That pushed enrollment to a record 46.8 million, exacerbating the financial strains on already burdened states and complicating the federal politics of health care. The analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy and research organization, found that in three-fifths of the jurisdictions, including Maryland and the District, people rushed into the safety net for health coverage at more than twice the rate as the year before…”
- Medicaid enrollment climbs, By Richard Wolf, February 18, 2010, USA Today: “More than half the states are reducing Medicaid services and payments to health care providers this year as the recession propelled enrollments to record levels and sapped money from treasuries. Governors who will meet with President Obama this weekend have taken some actions to close budget deficits. Arizona froze enrollment in its Children’s Health Insurance Program. California plans to close adult day health care centers next month. Nevada is cutting coverage for eyeglasses, dentures and hearing aids…”
- Report: Without more federal help, states will likely cut Medicaid, By David Goldstein, February 18, 2010, Kansas City Star: “Unless Congress bails them out, states probably will have to cut health coverage for low-income families and others without insurance, a new report says. Lawmakers included higher Medicaid reimbursement funds for states in last year’s economic stimulus bill, but the money will expire Dec. 31. Without an extension, most states won’t be able to ensure that eligible Medicaid beneficiaries will be served, according to Families USA, a nonpartisan health advocacy group, which issued the report Thursday…”
State Cuts to Programs for the Poor – Virginia, California, Minnesota
- Va gov seeks deep cuts to schools, social services, By Bob Lewis (AP), February 17, 2010, Daily Press: “Gov. Bob McDonnell has proposed deep, unprecedented cuts to public schools, the state government work force and health and welfare safety net programs in a $2.1 billion bid to balance a critically troubled state budget. The Republican governor, who ruled out any tax boosts before he took office a month ago, sent shock waves across a General Assembly struggling with its own budget plans and through teachers, state workers…”
- Proposed cuts would end California assistance for most new legal immigrants, By Alexandra Zavis and Anna Gorman, February 16, 2010, Los Angeles Times: “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest proposals to close California’s budget shortfall would end public assistance for most new legal immigrants, eliminating emergency cash, food and medical aid for those who don’t yet qualify for federal welfare. The proposal would represent an about-face for the state. In 1996, Congress denied access to welfare for most legal immigrants who weren’t citizens. California and other states established programs to fill the gap. Now, officials say the state can’t afford the price tag. Schwarzenegger’s plan would save $304 million but leave tens of thousands of elderly, disabled and impoverished people with no safety net in a deep recession…”
- Advocates: Grants program can’t replace Pawlenty’s proposed cuts to the poor, By Madeleine Baran, February 18, 2010, Minnesota Public Radio: ” Thousands of Minnesota’s poorest residents still stand to lose their only source of income if Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s budget passes, despite a new welfare program the governor said would replace it. The state’s department of human services today unveiled more information about a new program offering short-term grants that Pawlenty said would offset his proposed cuts. Low-income adults could access the crisis program only once per year, unlike the current program, which provides up to $203 a month…”
- Votes, then a veto, for health care, By Warren Wolfe and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, February 19, 2010, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune: “Acting with bipartisan force and unusual speed, the Minnesota Legislature voted overwhelmingly Thursday to extend a health insurance program that covers Minnesota’s poorest and sickest citizens — only to find Gov. Tim Pawlenty waiting at the end of the day with a veto. Pawlenty issued his veto from Washington, D.C., where he was preparing for a major political conference. The day’s events only escalated an emotional showdown among the governor, legislators and health care advocates over General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), a program seen as a key safety net covering 35,000 poor adults in a typical month…”
US Annual Homeless Survey
Homeless in America’s suburbs: More women, children, jobless struggle to find places to stay, By Frank Eltman (AP), February 16, 2010, Chicago Tribune: “Homelessness in rural and suburban America is straining shelters this winter as the economy founders and joblessness hovers near double digits – a ‘perfect storm of foreclosures, unemployment and a shortage of affordable housing,’ in one official’s eyes. ‘We are seeing many families that never before sought government help,’ said Greg Blass, commissioner of Social Services in Suffolk County on eastern Long Island. ‘We see a spiral in food stamps, heating assistance applications; Medicaid is skyrocketing,’ Blass added. ‘It is truly reaching a stage of being alarming.’ The federal government is again counting the nation’s homeless and, by many accounts, the suburban numbers continue to rise, especially for families, women, children, Latinos and men seeking help for the first time. Some have to be turned away…”
Honolulu Star Bulletin Series on Homelessness
Hawaii’s Homeless, series homepage, Honolulu Star Bulletin:
- Fix the problem a roof at a time, By Mary Adamski and Susan Essoyan, February 17, 2010, Honolulu Star Bulletin: “The homeless situation can seem overwhelming to the point where some observers just throw up their hands. ‘When we look at the people who are homeless, sometimes there’s a feeling that, gosh, there are so many of them and they’re growing and there’s nothing that we can do about it,’ said Sylvia Yuen, director of the Center on the Family at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, which tracks data on the homeless. But she and other experts say that homelessness is a multifaceted issue that can be tackled piece by piece…”
Medicaid and Managed Care – Kentucky, Florida
- Passport costs more than regular Medicaid, official says, By Tom Loftus, February 17, 2010, Louisville Courier-Journal: “Passport Health Plan, often praised for its efficiency as Kentucky’s only Medicaid managed care venture, costs the state far more per person than the state’s regular Medicaid program, a key state official contends. The assertion was made in a five-page letter sent Tuesday by state Medicaid Commissioner Elizabeth Johnson – and strongly disputed by Passport officials – to the staff of the House budget committee. The panel is considering an expansion of the Passport approach as one of many ways to save money to help plug a $1.5 billion revenue shortfall in the 2010-12 state budget. Passport – a consortium of hospitals, doctors and other health-care providers – was created in 1997 to apply the efficiencies of managed care to limit the soaring costs of the Medicaid program in a region that includes Jefferson and 15 surrounding counties. Managed care aims to achieve savings by keeping clients within a network of providers…”
- Medicaid revamp faces obstacles in Tallahassee, By Kelli Kennedy (AP), February 17, 2010, Miami Herald: “With Medicaid costs now consuming 26 percent of the state budget, the upcoming session seems primed for a program overhaul. But legislators will tackle the issue amid a foundering pilot program, a class-action Medicaid lawsuit that could cost the state millions, all while waiting to see if and how a federal health bill will affect the state. Reining in the program for low-income and disabled patients has been discussed, with little change, for years. But with Florida’s sour economy driving Medicaid enrollment to an all-time high, lawmakers say they have no choice this session. The state expects to pay $17.9 billion to serve 2.6 million recipients – one out of every seven residents – and an 11 percent increase from last year…”
Economic Stimulus and Job Creation
- Judging stimulus by job data reveals success, By David Leonhardt, February 16, 2010, New York Times: “Imagine if, one year ago, Congress had passed a stimulus bill that really worked. Let’s say this bill had started spending money within a matter of weeks and had rapidly helped the economy. Let’s also imagine it was large enough to have had a huge impact on jobs – employing something like two million people who would otherwise be unemployed right now. If that had happened, what would the economy look like today? Well, it would look almost exactly as it does now. Because those nice descriptions of the stimulus that I just gave aren’t hypothetical. They are descriptions of the actual bill. Just look at the outside evaluations of the stimulus. Perhaps the best-known economic research firms are IHS Global Insight, Macroeconomic Advisers and Moody’s Economy.com. They all estimate that the bill has added 1.6 million to 1.8 million jobs so far and that its ultimate impact will be roughly 2.5 million jobs. The Congressional Budget Office, an independent agency, considers these estimates to be conservative…”
- Independent analysis says federal stimulus brought $2 billion to Wisconsin, By Matthew DeFour, February 17, 2010, Wisconsin State Journal: “In the last year, the federal Recovery Act has infused $2 billion – or about $369 per person – into the pockets of Wisconsin citizens, including $155 million in Dane County, according to an analysis by the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, a independent nonprofit advocacy group. UW-Madison economist Andrew Reschovsky said the $800 billion stimulus may not have created jobs as swiftly as expected, but it has helped buoy the economy, as well as state and local budgets…”
- Was stimulus good for Ohio?, By Mark Niquette and Doug Caruso, February 17, 2010, Columbus Dispatch: “One year after Congress passed what was intended to be a $787 billion jolt to a reeling economy, at least $2.8 billion has been spent in Ohio so far to preserve jobs and state services, build roads and accomplish a wide range of other purposes. But as Congress considers a second jobs bill, debate still rages about what this stimulus package is accomplishing. Critics question how the money is being spent at a time of growing federal deficits. They also point out that unemployment has gotten worse since the bill was passed one year ago today. According to federal statistics, Ohio has lost a net 107,800 jobs since last February, and the state’s jobless rate rose from 9.5 percent to 10.9 percent during that time…”
Poverty Rate – Germany
- Study reveals a steep rise in German poverty levels, By Andreas Illmer, February 17, 2010, Deutsche Welle: “One in seven people is now defined as living on or below the poverty line, according to a report. Families with children and young people were particularly likely to struggle for money, researchers found. The proportion of people defined as being ‘at risk of poverty’ in Germany has risen significantly over the course of a decade. Some 11.5 million Germans, 14 percent of the population, fell into that category in 2008 – about a third more than ten years earlier. Children and young people are particularly hard-hit, according to a study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) released on Wednesday…”
- Number of Germans living in poverty surges, February 17, 2010, The Local: “The ranks of the poor in Germany have swelled over the past decade, as a study released on Wednesday showed more than 11 million people living in poverty. According to the alarming figures published by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), the number of people below the poverty line – 14 percent of the total population – expanded by a third in the last ten years. The study analysed income data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), which operates under the DIW. It found that young people between the ages of 19 and 25 and families were at particular risk…”