Gauging the Administration's Support for Community Action Programs

Tomorrow is a big day. I am meeting with some high-ranking Obama Administration officials about their vision for Community Action programs within the next few years.

With stimulus dollars due to expire, Community Action Agencies need to know the Administration’s outlook for their programs as they plan for the future.  I plan to uncover answers to the following questions:

1. What are the Administration’s plans for the Weatherization Assistance Program and Community Services Block Grant in the 2012 budget?
2. To what extent does the Administration support these programs?
3. Where does the Administration see these and other programs in the next five years?

I look forward to the meeting and to letting the network know what I discover.

Stay tuned.

Remembering Senator Robert Byrd

This morning, the loss of Senator Robert Byrd is weighing heavily on my heart and mind.

As the longest serving member of Congress in U.S. history, Senator Byrd has been a fixture in the Senate throughout my career and before it ever began. He was part of the last remaining members from the historic class of 1958, and he is one of the true giants of the last 100 years.

When Robert Byrd gave his word, you could take it to the bank. And, you knew he had the power to back it up. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I always knew that he would fight hard for the maximum number of dollars for domestic programs.

In 1970 Senator Byrd beat out Senator Ted Kennedy for the #2 leadership slot in the Senate. Just 10 years later, Senator Kennedy reached out to Senator Byrd as his running mate in the 1980 presidential race. I once asked Senator Kennedy why he chose Senator Byrd. The way he described his most sincere respect for Robert Byrd as a legislator and a leader has stuck with me all these years.

This morning I have been reflecting on the incredible pace of change in Congress over the past year: the loss of Senators Byrd and Kennedy, the retirements of Senator Dodd and Congressman Obey and so many members facing difficult re-elections. It really makes sad.

I don’t think I will ever see the likes of a Robert Byrd again. He will be missed deeply.

Energy & Water Appropriations Bogged Down in 2010 Politics

I estimated early last week that the House Energy and Water Appropriations, which funds the Weatherization Assistance Program, would be up first. Like most everything else, this has been paralyzed by 2010 politics.

Appropriations bills that do not affect Community Action programs may be picking up a bit of steam, but there is still no movement on Energy and Water and Labor-HHS appropriations. However, by watching the explosive temperaments that I expect we'll see during the other appropriations mark-ups, we may be able to gain useful insight into the political posturing that will most likely occur in the next three months.

Stay tuned.

How is the Gulf Oil Spill Impacting Community Action Services in the Area?

I will be traveling to Mississippi next week, and I am looking forward to speaking with the Community Action Agencies down there to get a real handle on what, if anything, we should be requesting from Congress in response to the increase of services related to the gulf oil spill. My sense is that the real crunch for services and assistance hasn’t happened yet.

We are willing to help, but we need specificity of needs and concrete ideas coming out of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. These ideas should go beyond requests for more Community Services Block Grant dollars, as some of these states still have significant amounts of CSBG stimulus dollars that remain unspent.

I welcome comments below, and hope to answer this question in the next couple weeks.

House Energy & Water Appropriations First Up

This is an interesting week on the House side. House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt has announced that he will introduce an alternative budget resolution that will attempt to reduce more of the deficit than President Obama’s budget plan.

The House will introduce a broad outline on spending and then try to move on appropriations. Up first will be House Energy and Water Appropriations, which funds the Weatherization Assistance Program.

As Weatherization Recovery Act funds will run out soon, questions about the next steps for Weatherization will begin to come home to roost. We, as a network, need to outline where we think the Weatherization Program should be in the next three to five years. While the appropriations cycle will not be completed until after the elections, preparations need to be made now.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Wall Street Without Walls

I had breakfast this week with the founder of Wall Street Without Walls, which connects traditional institutions and financial products of the capital markets with community-based development groups engaged in community economic development in low- and moderate-income communities.

We had a very intriguing discussion about community development, investing in low-income communities, how our energy programs relate to financial markets and maximizing the financial muscle of Community Action. It reinforced for me the great possibilities of our programs.

This could be one of the most exciting times ever in the history of the War on Poverty. By building partnerships and embarking upon new initiatives, we can go and grow in many worthwhile directions.

SNHU Master's Program to Launch in January 2011

I recently participated in two invigorating days of planning for the Southern New Hampshire University master’s program in community economic development that will launch in January 2011.

We had a great mix of participants representing Community Action and SNHU. Creative ideas flowed as we worked together to design this 36-credit-hour graduate program that will proceed mostly online.

With good professors and great content, I am confident this program soon will become one of the more outstanding Community Action achievements of the last 30 years.

Watch for more details to come.  In the meantime, please comment below or contact me directly if you have questions.

Full Week of Congressional Visits

It has been a long week filled with rich conversations with elected officials.

Monday night I enjoyed a small dinner with the retiring Congressman David Obey and the candidate who is running to replace him in their Wisconsin district.

The conversations centered on the pressures that Congress is facing on big issues, the effects of the recession in his state and what can be accomplished during the remainder of the year.

In a lot of ways David Obey – who has been a long-time friend of Community Action and to me personally – seemed more relaxed. I think it is because he can see a time that the enormous pressures he has been facing during the past several years will no longer be there.

I spent Tuesday discussing policy with House Democratic leadership. It was a full day of understanding more about the issues driving the party and how they plan on responding.

I enjoyed another opportunity to be around Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. I continue to be really impressed with her. She is tough and decisive in her role. In fact, David Obey told me that she is the best Speaker of the House he has ever worked with!

Yesterday I met with a variety of senators and Senate hopefuls from both parties. All are in agreement on one thing: Washington is broken.

Each of the candidates seems to say government needs to do better for our country. No one can say exactly how it will happen or when, but each candidate says they are going to help change the tone in Washington. I want to believe them. But, we heard the same in 2008 . . . and 2006 . . . and 2004.

It has been a week with too many hours and too little sleep, but I am left exhilarated by the interesting policy and political discussions I have had.

Election Outlook Shifting

After this week’s primaries, the volatility in the political realm is still apparent. I think that in light of the Republican candidates winning several of these primaries, Democrats actually will retain more seats than I first expected. Some seats that, as little as a month ago, I felt were very likely lost are now back to a 50-50 chance that the seat will be retained.

I still think that, despite all the anger focused toward incumbents, the majority of the voters are not as far to the right as some of these candidates believe they are. As a result, I think Democrats are catching a little bit of a break right now. I think this is a trend worth watching.

That said, I hope that Congress keeps plugging away. Realizing they are each anxious to get back to their states and districts, I have been encouraging every member I talk to not to lose sight of the many things that need to get done in this country.

Appropriations, supplemental appropriations, policies related to the war and energy – these big ticket items require more focus in Washington and less focus on November.

Plans Underway for Emerging Leader Think Tank

I have been overwhelmed with the amount of people who are interested in the emerging leader meeting that I discussed in previous blogs.

There are a few emerging Community Action leaders in town this week working with me on the Southern New Hampshire University graduate program. I am asking a couple of them to take the lead in helping me organize this event that will be held at the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida, July 26 -27.

I am envisioning this event will solidify a group of 50 to 60 people who will meet once a year for the next three years and become a think tank, a sounding board and a guide for National Community Action Foundation on the following:

1) identifying strengths and weaknesses of Community Action programs and helping answer the question of where it should be in the next 10 to 15 years,

2) developing strategies for addressing some of the myths about the program and how to show our strengths better than we are,

3) brainstorming new ideas about how we develop and experiment with new programs,

4) helping us understand the capacity needs of the program and figuring out how we lift everyone, and

5) sharing what I can do to help make their careers more rewarding, break down any barriers to creativity and energy and make them feel more ownership in the legacy of Community Action.

This is absolute ground floor opportunity to help refresh our programs!

Attendees could fly in on Sunday evening for a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. session on Monday and a 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. discussion on Tuesday. They could fly out late on Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning.

We have reserved $129 rooms at the Vinoy and they are ready to take reservations. Space is truly limited, so make your reservations today!

Thank Heavens for Public Radio!

For the last six months I have been a source for American Public Media on a documentary series they are doing on the War on Poverty. I have been working with them a lot on directions to go.

This week I did an hour-long interview with American RadioWorks, an arm of APM that boasts 15 million listeners. It should be distributed next week. They voiced interest in doing another hour as well! I will try to keep you posted on particulars.

I found the experience with a really educated interviewer a lot of fun and very refreshing. So many times interviews can be in-your-face and uninformed. So many feel that the War on Poverty has been a failure because we still have poverty. On many accounts it has been successful, based on the originators’ definition of success.

This interview really allowed me time to explain things in great detail. The interviewer asked informed questions and great follow-up questions. We had a reasoned discussion that was the highlight of my week. It was a refreshing taste of what the role of media should be.

Thank heavens for public radio!

Help Needed in Organizing New Emerging Leaders Session

We had great e-mail response from my previous blog regarding holding a two-day session with "emerging leaders" to look at the challenges and opportunities facing the future of Community Action. As a result, I am looking at holding this July 26 - 27.

On the horizon I see more opportunities than ever before in our history. I would like to see emerging leaders in Community Action becoming stronger stakeholders in this future. I want them to be aware of and involved in the direction of our network. And, I would also like them to answer one important question: How can we help make their careers in Community Action more satisfying?

As a first step of leadership, I need a few emerging leaders to step forward ASAP to help me organize this event. If you are interested in providing input as we design this workshop, please comment below or contact me directly.

Save Money & Support US Autoworkers with GM-NCAF Partnership Offer

Last week I worked a lot on a brochure to highlight the importance of the partnership between General Motors and National Community Action Foundation that was established back in November 2009.

NCAF partnered with GM to provide a special discount to Community Action Agencies who purchase General Motors vehicles. The response from the Community Action network in the first six months of the partnership has been somewhat underwhelming.

If we want to keep this strong corporate partner, we must do better. The $500 discount offer is valid on most GM models, and is available until Oct. 30, 2010. However, if CAAs end up responding more favorably in the next six months, the deal may be renewed.

If your agency is considering purchasing a vehicle for agency activities, you can save money and support the American auto industry and the American worker through the GM-NCAF partnership offer. Click here for full details.

Preparing for Appropriations Process

As Congress returns from a week-long break, appropriations will be high on the agenda in the House and Senate.

A few people have put out a rumor that Community Services Block Grant is up for a big cut. I just don’t see that.

However, I do know that appropriators will have to make some tough choices. They must go through the exercise of scrutinizing each and every federal program.

We will be relying heavily on the Community Action network to make sure we are prepared with information to make the strong case for CSBG and other Community Action programs.

Stay tuned.