LIVING-WAGE JOBS IN THE FOREFRONT!
Pick up a new book by one of this countryâs most dedicated racial and social justice advocates and Professor of Law at Loyola University, William P. Quigley. In his book, Ending Poverty As We Know It÷Guaranteeing a Right to a Job at a Living Wage, Professor Quigley clears the road for the creation of a Constitutionally protected right to jobs that pay a living wage.

Across the United States tens of millions of people are working forty or more hours a week...and living in poverty. This is surprising in a country where politicians promise that anyone who does their share, and works hard, will get ahead. In Ending Poverty As We Know It, William Quigley argues that it is time to make good on that promise by adding to the Constitution language that insures those who want to work can do so÷and at a wage that enables them to afford reasonable shelter, clothing, and food.

To view an excerpt of this book visit: www.temple.edu/tempress.

Another Police Department Publicly Affirms It Will Not Enforce Civil Immigration Laws!
With the support of leaders from DCâs rapidly growing Latino community, DCâs Chief of Police, Charles Ramsey, recently issued a public statement reaffirming the departmentâs policy prohibiting officers from inquiring into citizenship, immigration, or residency status. All new officers will continue to receive instruction regarding this firm stance as part of their training. In addition, the policy prohibits officer use of the National Crime Information Center ãsolely for the purpose of inquiring about immigration status.ä For a complete copy of the Metropolitan Police Department statement, visit: www.mpdc.org/.

Community Law Center Launches Urban Environmental Justice Initiative
The Community Law Center is a nonprofit, public interest law firm that has provided legal counsel and technical assistance to Baltimore Cityâs community and faith-based organizations for over 16 years. In this time, the Law Center has recognized that in order for Baltimore City to be a desirable place to live, basic quality of life issues need to be addressed, particularly in those communities that do not have an adequate voice in the governmental decision making process. These issues include a disproportionately high amount of crime, vacant and abandoned properties, and environmental degradation. Low-income urban communities rarely have the resources to combat environmental threats effectively... Click here to read the entire story.

Language Services Action Kit: Interpreter Services in HealthCare Settings for People with Limited English Proficiency
The Access Project and the National Health Law Program have developed a Language Services Action Kit for advocates and others working to ensure that people with limited English proficiency get appropriate language assistance services in medical settings. The kit includes helpful information on the federal laws and policies that require healthcare providers to ensure language access, techniques you can use to demonstrate language needs through your advocacy campaigns, information on how states can get federal funding to help pay for language services, examples of successful language service models, and next steps for getting your advocacy efforts started. For more information on how you can obtain this toolkit, visit the National Health Law Program at: www.healthlaw.org.

National Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Center (NCSTAC)
NCSTACâs purpose is to strengthen organizations supporting mental health consumers and advocates through innovative technical assistance. The NCSTAC resources include access to research and informational materials such as: The National Voter Empowerment Project, which is dedicated to training consumer supporter organizations to launch voter campaigns; The Cultural Competency Project, which explores outreach to the elderly, Native Americans, African Americans, and others; and The Freedom Self-Advocacy Curriculum, which is a teaching tool focusing on the knowledge, skills and attitudes behind self-advocacy. For more information visit: www.ncstac.org/.