John Edwards' views on poverty

Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday December 17, 2005

The second biggest item of national news coming from UNC this year was the return of John Edwards to direct the Law School's Program on Poverty, Work and Opportunity. Edwards is also a new resident of Orange County, one whom I hoped might offer some insight into our local efforts to address the problems of poverty. This past week I had a conversation with him on that question.

A significant issue for us over the years has revolved around efforts to site facilities to serve the poor. Edwards believes it is possible for neighborhoods and communities to become more welcoming.

"It's similar to the way I talk about this in general," he said. "[Helping] people who are struggling in poverty, it's not something we do for them, it's something we do for us. It's not them and us, it's all of us, people who are struggling want to be part of our community and we want to give them a chance to do better."

He stressed the importance of direct contact with the poor because "what's clear if you spend time with the people who come to these centers is that they are just like us, they are up against more obstacles. They are hoping for many of the same things that most people hope for.

"We need to make sure that people in communities understand in a personal way the struggle that these folks face and become engaged in the notion that it's important for all of us that these folks do better. What you see is what I've seen, is that the vast majority of people who live in poverty are good, hard-working people who are having a hard time."

Edwards talked about the ethnic and racial dimension of poverty that leads to 25 percent of African-Americans and 20 percent of Latinos living in poverty. He stressed the importance of bridging the "asset gap" that accounts for the average black household having $6,000 in assets and the average Latino household $8,000 as compared to $80,000 for whites. Edwards spoke favorably of a British program that provides "birth bonds" to low-income babies so that "by the time they are 18 they have a chunk of money for buying a home, starting a business, going to college."

A major concern of workers at UNC, including those who clean the former senator's office, is obtaining their right to collective bargaining, currently blocked by state law. Edwards is an outspoken supporter of unions.

"Organized labor is a great anti-poverty movement in American history," he said. "It gives voice to working people, allows them to get decent wage and benefits, created the middle class in America. The more organizing the better."

Edwards is on the side of North Carolina's public employees, insisting "it is absolutely possible to have collective bargaining for public employees which does not risk public safety. It has to be done right with appropriate safeguards in place."

This year, Orange County launched its Partnership to End Homelessness. Edwards cautions that ending homelessness could be more than local communities can accomplish on their own.

He said "it's wonderful that Chapel Hill and Orange County are committed to doing something but this is not just a local issue, it's a national issue, something that requires the nation collectively to engage."

Edwards believes we need more money and better programs for housing the poor: "ideas ranging from better funding for and better use of Section 8 vouchers ... accounts for low-income families so we give them matches to help with rent and house payments and come up with down payments." He wants to "use Section 8 vouchers to integrate neighborhoods racially and economically so that low-income families are not clustered together like they were in New Orleans."

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Edwards thinks Americans are ready to tackle these issues. "I've been out there. I've been listening. The country is hungry for something to do. This would not be a hard sell.

"Katrina showed us that the country is willing to do something big and important. People volunteered, they made huge contributions, they took evacuees into their communities, they embraced them. The aftermath of Katrina gave us an enormous opportunity to tap into the good will and consciousness of the American people but leadership is needed to capitalize on that. It won't happen by itself. There was a huge momentum but we need leadership that's willing to take advantage of that momentum."

John Edwards and his family helped serve Thanksgiving meals at the Inter-Faith Council last month. Hopefully, as he establishes his home in Carrboro, his work to galvanize the nation to address poverty and the continuing efforts of the Program on Poverty, Work and Opportunity will boost our efforts to combat poverty and homelessness locally.