Poverty rates are almost double the national average in areas surrounding streets named after Martin Luther King Jr., according to a recent study, and educational attainment is much lower. Our geography research, published in the GeoJournal in September 2020, analyzed the racial makeup and economic well-being of 22,286 census blocks...
Walters: High Housing Costs Keep Californians Poor
Congratulations California, you’ve done it again. The Census Bureau has once again found that California has the highest real-world poverty rate of any state, 17.2% over the previous three years and much higher than the national rate. The “supplemental” poverty rate includes factors ignored by the outdated “official” poverty rate, such...
Guaranteed Income Gains Favor as Mayors Across the Country Sign On
A growing number of mayors across the country support giving cash to low-income families with no restrictions on how they can spend it — part of a growing movement to establish a guaranteed minimum income to combat poverty and systemic racism. The effort is being led by Michael Tubbs, the...
Kirk Douglas Rose From Poverty to Become a King of Hollywood
NEW YORK — He was born Issur Danielovitch, a ragman’s son. He died Kirk Douglas, a Hollywood king. Douglas, the muscular, tempestuous actor with the dimpled chin, lived out an epic American story of reinvention and perseverance, from the riches he acquired and risked to the parts he took on...
Walters: ‘California for All’ vs. Daunting Reality
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s website is topped by his official slogan, “California for All.” “The California Dream — the idea that every person can achieve a better life, regardless of where they start out — is central to who we are as Californians,” it declares. “Even in a time of economic growth...
Hello to the Roaring 2020s. California Soon Will Be Reborn.
January 1, 2030 To my three sons: I’m so proud of you. I especially appreciate that, now that you’re 21, 18, and 16 years old, you no longer fight with each other constantly. You’re doing well in school, and have bright futures. But please never forget how lucky you’ve been...
LA Times' Steve Lopez Is All Wet. Finish High-Speed Rail in Valley.
A recent Steve Lopez column titled “Let’s shift stalled bullet train funds to L.A. and San Francisco, where they’ll do some good” in the Los Angeles Times is once again a narrowminded view that perpetuates the decades-old problem of overlooking, and underestimating the value of California’s Central Valley. Even with...
No Cash? Salvation Army Now Accepting Mobile Donations
CHICAGO — Carolyn Harper made her pitch for donations to the Salvation Army with a smile on her face and a bell in her hand, trying to convince shoppers along Chicago’s busy Michigan Avenue that there was “no line, no wait.” Despite her prodding, half a dozen people apologetically explained...
Bolivia in Power Void as Morales, Would-Be Successors Resign
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Bolivia entered a sudden era of political uncertainty on Monday as President Evo Morales, pushed by the military and weeks of massive protests, resigned after nearly 14 years in power and seemingly every person constitutionally in line for the job quit as well. Crowds of jubilant...
California Needs You: A Veteran’s Call to Service
I am thankful on this Veterans Day. I had the honor to serve our country as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Now, as chief service officer for the state of California, I have the opportunity to bring home my experience and empower all Californians to serve our state and...