Building workers' power in Roanoke, VA
Under the guise of "safety" following the recent nonstop media coverage of the tragic school shootings, Roanoke's proposed budget for 2019 seeks to expand it's program of police in elementary schools. While the fear and terror inflicted on communities after such events is very real and should not be downplayed the reality is that schools... Continue Reading →
In the aftermath of a mass shooting event that killed 17 people, parents and students alike feel an understandable urgency to act. Locally, Roanoke is considering allotting twice as many funds in their budget for school resource officers—armed police officers who work in schools. Roanoke is not the first city to do this; all across... Continue Reading →
From what we've gathered, there are *at least* three cities in VA that have passed living wage ordinances for city workers. In chronological order these cities are: Alexandria - passed in June 2000 as $10.89/hr (it is $14.13/hr as of 2016), then Charlottesville - passed in Nov. 2001 as $8/hr (it is $13.79/hr as of 2017), then Arlington - passed in June 2003 as $10.98/hr (it is $14.50/hr as of 2016)
Federal Poverty Levels: Way Off By "poverty" we mean generally not having or being able to afford the basic costs of living (including food, housing, clothing, hygiene, transportation, childcare, phone). In the so-called U.S., who is officially considered poor and thus "deserves" assistance and who's not is determined by the federal poverty levels (FPL), a... Continue Reading →