NC Policy Watch with Fitzsimon & Schofield » Special Features

Squandering the Stimulus: Average North Carolina Households Spent Their Economic Stimulus at the Pump

Phineas Baxandall & Shana Becker — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:23:13 +0000

Bill in Congress would authorize $1.7B for public transportation in response to high gas costs

Without sufficient alternatives to driving, American families spent their entire economic stimulus check on high-priced gas. According to new analysis from the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group, since President Bush signed the tax rebates into law on February 13th, the average household spent over $1500 filling their tanks. Gas costs were higher than average in areas without robust public transportation.

Unfair bank practices threaten to shred the safety net of Social Security for older Americans

Staff — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:31:30 +0000

Americans 55 and over pay $4.5 billion in fees annually for overdraft loans they haven't asked for and typically don't want, a new study by the Center for Responsible Lending finds. Of that, nearly $1 billion is stripped from people heavily dependent on Social Security income.

Senate’s proposed budget “misguided” and “irresponsible”

Staff — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:10:20 +0000

Hopefully, the budget conferees will continue to not follow the Senate’s lead because the Senate’s proposed budget is fiscally irresponsible and does not target the limited dollars available at the needs of low- and moderate-income working families – the people most affected by the current downturn in the economy.

First-of-its-kind report looks at school readiness

Staff — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:53:16 +0000

Putting the Pieces in Place: A North Carolina School Readiness Report examines the key aspects of school readiness in North Carolina—Ready Children, Ready Schools, and Ready Families and Communities. The report uses data indicators to determine North Carolina's current degree of school readiness, providing a baseline which can be used in the future to measure progress.

2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book

Staff — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:51:34 +0000

A report released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation of Baltimore, Md., ranks North Carolina 38th in the nation—a slight improvement from 39th in 2007—on 10 keyindicators of child well-being, including family income, health and education.