Canadian Social Research Newsletter
February 10, 2008

Welcome to the weekly Canadian Social Research Newsletter,
a listing of the new links added to the Canadian Social Research Links website in the past week.

The e-mail version of this week's issue of the newsletter is going out to 1861 subscribers.

Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see some notes and a disclaimer.

Canadian content

1. Online Federal Pre-Budget Consultations for Budget 2008 (Department of Finance Canada) 
- ends at midnight on Monday February 11.
2. Guarantee income for poor, Kingston senator urges; Segal filed motion to top up those below poverty line (The Kingston Whig-Standard) - February 8
3. Cathy Crowe's Newsletter - February 2008 issue (#42 ) - February 8
4. Québec : New resources from the Québec centre for the study of poverty and exclusion (Quoi de neuf du Centre d'étude sur la pauvreté et l'exclusion)
5. British Columbia Employment and Assistance (welfare) Caseload Going Up (Strategic Thoughts - David Schreck) - February 5
6. Federal Housing Minister snubs "Federal"-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Housing (The Wellesley Institute) - February 6, 2008
7. Legislation to Speed Up Support to Vulnerable Communities Receives Unanimous Consent in Parliament (Finance Canada) - February 5
8. What's New from Statistics Canada:
--- Labour Force Survey, January 2008 - February 8
--- University enrolment, 2005/2006 - February 7
--- Study: Participation in sports, 2005 - February 7
--- University degrees, diplomas and certificates awarded, 2005 - February 7
--- Government Spending on Infrastructure in Canada, 1961 to 2005 - February 7
--- Employment, Earnings and Hours, November 2007 - February 6
--- Legal aid, 2006/2007 - February 5
--- Annual Demographic Estimates by Age and Sex, 2002 to 2007 - February 5
9. National Housing Report Card 2008 (Wellesley Institute) - February 4
10. Alberta Provincial government election called for March 3 - February 4
11. 25-in-5: Network for Poverty Reduction - Ontario
12. What's new from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (Toronto) - February 9

International content

13. Poverty Dispatch: U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs
14. 2007 U.S. Hunger and Homelessness Report (U.S. Conference of Mayors) - December 2007
15. Fiscal Year 2009 Budget (U.S. Government) - February 4
16. U.S. : Final TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] Rules Include Modest Improvements (Center for Law and Social Policy) - February 1
17. EUROPA: Key facts and figures about Europe and the Europeans (Europa, Gateway to the European Union)
18. Australian Policy Online Weekly Briefing - Selected recent content:
19. CRINMAIL 954, 955 - February 2008 (Child Rights Information Network - CRIN)

- Go to the Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm
- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Agriculture to Finance) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk.htm

Guarantee income for poor, Kingston senator urges; Segal filed motion to top up those below poverty line
February 8, 2008
Canadian politicians have tried without success for close to 40 years to introduce a guaranteed annual income for poor people. Kingston Senator Hugh Segal is hoping he's the one who can finally make it happen. On Wednesday, Segal filed a motion in the Senate asking the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology to study the feasibility of using the tax system to provide a guaranteed annual income for individuals living below the poverty line.
Source:
The Kingston Whig-Standard

- Go to the Guaranteed Annual Income Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/gai.htm

Cathy Crowe's Newsletter - issue #42 - February 2008
In this issue of her newsletter, Toronto street nurse Cathy Crowe reports on "a radical technology that will make great strides in solving the problem of global homelessness"; you can also read her January 2008 presentation on poverty hunger and homelessness to the provincial budget consultation; and finally, she appears somewhat skeptical with respect the prognostications of by Philip Mangano, America’s so-called ‘Homeless Czar’, who allegedly told the Edmonton Sun recently that Alberta's capital city can wipe out homelessness within a decade. Cathy wonders whether Canadians should be looking South for inspiration for solutions when there is plenty of evidence that there is an ongoing hunger and affordable housing crisis in most large American cities. She draws specific evidence from the latest report on hunger and homelessness from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which decries growing food insecurity and homelessness across the United States. (The link to the mayors' report appears further below in this newsletter.)

To subscribe to Cathy's Monthly Newsletter,
send an email message to crowenews@sherbourne.on.ca

Newsletter Archives - back to 2004, recommended reading!

Source:
Cathy Crowe's website
Cathy Crowe has been a street nurse in Toronto for 19 years. She received the Atkinson Economic Justice Award which permits her to pursue her passions for nursing and working on homelessness and housing issues. In this newsletter she reports on her activities, she creates a link to a broader group of individuals who care about these social issues, and she encourages critical debate.

- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm
- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (A-C) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk2.htm

Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion (CEPE) - Québec
[English home page]
CEPE is an observation, research and discussion centre entrusted with providing reliable and rigourous information, notably of a statistical nature, on poverty and social exclusion issues. Created within the context of the Act to combat poverty and social exclusion, the CEPE acts under the aegis of the ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS).

What's New from CEPE:

February 7, 2008
Report on low incomes in Québec
This document describes poverty trends in recent years and the proportion of low-income family units among Quebecers, the gap between their income and low-income thresholds, the duration of their situation, and their main sociodemographic and economic characteristics. More detailed information is provided about unattached persons and last-resort financial assistance recipients.
Details and document
Press release (PDF, 94 ko) (French)

February 7, 2008
New "Other Documents" section
You can now consult the new Other Documents section, which comprises a number of documents that are considered to provide important information for understanding poverty-related phenomena.

February 7, 2008
Strategic plan for anti-poverty research and knowledge transfer
The purpose of this strategy is to increase research efforts aimed at a fuller understanding of the problem of poverty and to contribute to producing lasting solutions. The strategy insists on the importance of knowledge transfer and appropriation and the need to make research results known and easy to access.
Details and document

Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (CCLP) - English page
[Consultative Committee on the Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion]
"...The primary role of this committee is to advise the Government of Québec on the actions implemented under the National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion."

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- Go to the Québec Links (English) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qce.htm

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Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion (CEPE) - Québec
... un lieu d’observation, de recherche et d’échanges visant à fournir des informations fiables et rigoureuses, notamment de nature statistique, en matière de pauvreté et d’exclusion sociale. Instauré dans l’esprit de la Loi visant à lutter contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale, le CEPE est rattaché au ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS); il est géré en collaboration avec un comité de direction composé de personnes en provenance des milieux gouvernemental, universitaire et de la recherche ainsi que de personnes œuvrant auprès des individus en situation de pauvreté ou d’exclusion sociale.

Quoi de neuf du CEPE:

7 février 2008
Le faible revenu au Québec : un état de situation
Mettant en relief la conjoncture observable depuis quelques années, ce document porte sur la proportion d’unités familiales à faible revenu dans la population, l’écart entre le revenu de ces dernières et les seuils de faible revenu, la période durant laquelle elles demeurent dans cette situation, ainsi que leurs principales caractéristiques sociodémographiques et économiques. Sur ces questions, les personnes seules et les prestataires de l’aide financière de dernier recours font l’objet d’un portrait plus détaillé.
Détails et document
Communiqué de presse (PDF, 94 ko)

7 février 2008
Nouvelle section «Autres documents»
Vous pouvez consulter dès maintenant la nouvelle section Autres documents. Cette section comporte plusieurs documents jugés importants quant à la compréhension de divers phénomènes associés à la pauvreté.

7 février 2008
Plan stratégique de recherche et de transfert de connaissances pour lutter contre la pauvreté
La présente stratégie a pour objectifs d’accroître les efforts de recherche pour mieux comprendre le problème de la pauvreté et de contribuer à l’élaboration de solutions durables. Elle insiste sur l’importance du transfert et de l’appropriation des connaissances, sur la nécessité de faire connaître les résultats de la recherche et de les rendre facilement accessibles.
Détails et document

Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (CCLP)
« ...Le rôle premier de ce comité est de conseiller le gouvernement du Québec quant aux actions mises en œuvre dans le cadre de la Stratégie nationale de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale. »

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- Rendez-vous à la page de liens de recherche sociale au Québec: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qcbkmrk.htm

BC Welfare Caseload Up
February 5, 2008
The Campbell government continues to suffer from the excesses of its first term. Time will tell whether the bungled sale of BC Rail, details of which are unfolding in the courts, will inflict damage before the May 2009 election. It still has not escaped the consequences of cutting the Ministry of Children and Family Development as if it were any other government department, and this week it is being reminded of its 2001 decision to cut the Mental Health Advocate. For a surprise on the list of memories, who would have thought that under the hard-hearted Campbell government the welfare caseload would increase?
Source:
Strategic Thoughts

Related links from the BC Ministry of Employment and Assistance:

Latest Employment and Assistance statistics- December 2007
Updated January 29, 2008
- incl. * Number of Cases by Program and Family Type * Number of Clients by Program and Family Type * Number of Cases by Region

BC Employment and Assistance Statistics
- links to earlier statistics

- Go to the BC Government Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (D-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk3.htm

Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Housing
‘We are unified in taking action to address housing needs’
February 6, 2008
VANCOUVER - February 6, 2008 – Provincial and territorial ministers responsible for housing are taking action and engaging the federal government to address the country’s critical housing issues. Ministers stress the urgency of responding quickly to support the four million Canadians in need. During the provincial/territorial forum of Ministers responsible for Housing, the ministers reaffirmed the principles adopted in White Point, Nova Scotia in 2005 that define an effective federal/provincial/territorial partnership to meet the housing needs of Canadians. At that time, provincial and territorial ministers agreed upon a set of shared guiding principles for current and future housing initiatives that defined roles, responsibilities, and funding mechanisms. (...) Ministers were disappointed the federal minister was not present at the forum; however, while at the meeting, ministers received a commitment to meet with the federal minister in Ottawa within 60 days. (...) Provincial and territorial ministers are seeking an immediate commitment in the upcoming federal budget to increase the level of funding for housing programs, including those set to expire in March 2009.
Source:
Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat

Related links:

Minister Solberg boycotts meeting, then promises to meet
Federal housing minister Monte Solberg boycotts housing summit,
Then promises to meet provincial counterparts within two months
February 6, 2008
By Michael Shapcott
(...) The three major national housing and homelessness programs (the federal affordable housing program, the federal homelessness program and the federal housing rehabilitation program) are all due to expire in fiscal 2008. At their Vancouver meeting, the provincial and territorial housing ministers added their voice to that of many housing groups in calling on the federal government to immediately renew funding for these critical programs.
Source:
Wellesley Institute Blog
[ The Wellesley Institute ]
The Wellesley Institute advances the social determinants of health through rigorous community-based research, reciprocal capacity building, and the informing of public policy.

Also from the Wellesley Institute:

National Housing Report Card 2008
February 4, 2008
"...the federal government and eight of the thirteen provinces and territories have failed to meet the commitments they made in November of 2001 to invest an additional $2 billion in affordable homes.

- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm

Legislation to Speed Up Support to
Vulnerable Communities Receives Unanimous Consent in Parliament
News Release
February 5, 2008
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today introduced Bill C-41 in Parliament, which was unanimously adopted at all stages. Upon receiving Royal Assent, this legislation will allow $1 billion in federal funding to begin flowing to struggling communities through the Community Development Trust recently announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Source:
Department of Finance Canada

Related links:

Community Development Trust - Backgrounder
10 January 2008
Source:
Prime Minister of Canada

Bill C-41, An Act respecting payments to a trust established
to provide provinces and territories with funding for community development
- Passed February 5, 2008
Source:
Parliament of Canada

- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Agriculture to Finance) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk.htm

What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

February 8, 2008
Labour Force Survey, January 2008
Employment grew by an estimated 46,000 in January, boosting the employment rate to a record high (63.8%). These gains pushed the unemployment rate back down to 5.8%, matching the 33-year low

February 7, 2008
University enrolment, 2005/2006
Enrolment in Canadian universities hit a record high for the fifth consecutive year during the academic year 2005/2006, in the wake of on-going growth in the number of foreign students and young Canadian adults.

February 7, 2008
Study: Participation in sports, 2005
Barely 3 out of every 10 Canadians aged 15 and over participated regularly in one or more sports in 2005, a dramatic decline from the early 1990s when the proportion was closer to one-half, according to a new report.

February 7, 2008
University degrees, diplomas and certificates awarded, 2005
University students received a record number of bachelor's and master's degrees in 2005, as the overall number of degrees, diplomas and certificates rose for the seventh consecutive year. Universities granted a record high 215,400 degrees, diplomas and certificates in 2005, up 2.3% from 2004. This was an increase of more than 43,000 over the level in 1998, which was the lowest in 10 years.

February 7, 2008
New products
Insights on the Canadian Economy:
"From Roads to Rinks: Government Spending on Infrastructure in Canada, 1961 to 2005", no. 19
Summary (HTML)
Report (PDF - 346K, 28 pages)
[ Other issues in this series ]

February 6, 2008
Employment, Earnings and Hours, November 2007 (2.4MB, 541 pages)
In November, the average weekly earnings of payroll employees (seasonally adjusted) increased $7.65 (+1.0%) from October to $784.83. Compared with a year earlier, average weekly earnings were up 4.0%.
[ Other issues in this series ]

February 5, 2008
Legal aid, 2006/2007
Canada's legal aid plans spent $659 million on delivering legal aid services in 2006/2007, or the equivalent of $20 for every Canadian. These figures do not include spending by the legal aid plans in Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. Spending was down 4% from the previous year, once inflation was taken into account. However, this decline came on the heels of an increase of about 9% the year before. These plans have been established in each province and territory with the common goal of assisting lower income Canadians who require professional legal counsel. Each plan has developed its own individual legal aid scheme, so structures, operations and eligibility requirements vary from one jurisdiction to the next. For 2006/2007, 11 of 13 legal aid plans provided data for the survey.
------------------------
Related links:

Legal Aid in Canada:
Resource and Caseload Statistics, 2006/2007 (PDF File - 635K, 88 pages)

Crime and justice stats from StatCan

See also:
Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics links to crime and justice studies - from
Computing in the Humanities and Social Sciences (University of Toronto)
------------------------

February 5, 2008
Postcensal estimates of population for census divisions, census metropolitan areas and economic regions (preliminary estimates)
Annual demographic estimates as of July 1, 2007, for census metropolitan areas, economic regions and census divisions, are now available.

Report:

Annual Demographic Estimates: Census Metropolitan Areas,
Economic Regions and Census Divisions, Age and Sex, 2002 to 2007
- incl. links to : 1. Highlights 2. Sections 3. Tables 4. Charts 5. Maps 6. Data quality, concepts and methodology 7. Appendices 8. User information 9. Related products
10. PDF version (2.3MB, 151 pages)

- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk2.htm

Wellesley Institute's 2008 national housing report card
shows that feds, most provinces fail to meet their own funding promises
February 4, 2008
On the eve of the first provincial-territorial housing ministers' summit in almost two and one-half years, a new report card from the Wellesley Institute reveals that the federal government and eight of the thirteen provinces and territories have failed to meet the commitments they made in November of 2001 to invest an additional $2 billion in affordable homes. "The numbers underline the urgent need not only for more dollars for affordable homes," says Michael Shapcott of the Wellesley Institute.

Complete report:

National Housing Report Card 2008 (PDF file - 202K, 18 pages)
Feds, most provinces fail to meet their commitment to increase affordable housing funding by $2 billion

Related documents and links
from the main page of the National Housing Report Card 2008:

Affordable housing gap tops $1 billion - from The Toronto Star

Ten Things You Should Know About Housing and Homelessness

United Nations Special Rapporteur’s preliminary observations following his recent fact-finding mission to Canada

Federation of Canadian Municipalities National Housing Action Plan

Wellesley Institute's Housing and Homelessness Issues page

University of Toronto’s Centre for Urban and Community Studies

Source:
The Wellesley Institute
The Wellesley Institute advances the social determinants of health through rigorous community-based research, reciprocal capacity building, and the informing of public policy.

- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm

Albertans to vote March 3
February 4, 2008
After weeks of election speculation in Alberta, it's official: there will be a provincial election March 3. Conservative Leader Ed Stelmach made the announcement less than an hour after the speech from the throne outlined his government's plans, including eliminating health care premiums over four years, increasing the number of health care workers and spending more on crime reduction.
Source:
CBC News

Also from CBC:

Alberta Votes 2008
- incl. leader profiles and party platforms, riding and voter information, candidates and issues, and much more...

-----------------------------------

- Go to the Alberta Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/abkmrk.htm
- Go to the Political Parties and Elections Links in Canada (Provinces and Territories) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/politics_prov_terr.htm

25-in-5: Network for Poverty Reduction
This is a multi-sectoral network comprised of more than 100 provincial and Toronto-based organizations and individuals working on eliminating poverty. We have organized ourselves around the call for a Poverty Reduction Plan with a goal to reduce poverty in Ontario by 25% in 5 years and 50% in 10 years.

- incl. links to : About Us - Events - News/Media - Resources - Contact Us - FAQ

Resources page
- incl. 60+ links to info about poverty reduction strategies in Canada (NL, QC) and internationally (U.K., Italy), community proposals for poverty reduction, housing and homelessness resources, links to non-governmental organizations working with disadvantaged populations and much more

Related articles in the Toronto Star:

Drawing up a poverty plan
Editorial
February 04, 2008
As a new Ontario cabinet committee meets this week to begin the serious work of devising a poverty reduction strategy, it would do well to remember that a complex problem requires complex solutions. The "25 in 5 network," a coalition of more than 100 anti-poverty groups who want the government to commit to cutting poverty by 25 per cent in five years, last week cautioned the government against trying to solve the problem with piecemeal measures. History shows that approach hasn't worked. Indeed, Ontario's disjointed and inadequate system of supports for the poor has left 1 million Ontarians struggling below the Statistics Canada low-income line, a rate that has not changed in a generation.

Matthews takes aim at poverty
More efficient to catch province's most vulnerable before they fall through cracks, minister says.
We have people accountable for programs but we don't have people accountable for people
February 4, 2008
Ontario's anti-poverty czar Deb Matthews often talks about a homeless man named Murray. Million-dollar Murray. That's what U.S. officials estimate the Nevada man cost the government in hospital visits, treatment programs and other services before he died. With Ontario's disjointed and inadequate network of supports for the poor, it's just the kind of thing that could happen here, says Matthews, minister of children and youth services. As chair of the cabinet committee on poverty reduction, she plans to change that.

- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (A-C) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk2.htm

What's new from the
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) :

February 9, 2008

Tell the Harper government why child care funding must be a priority
8 Feb 08
- NUPGE is encouraging people to remind the Finance Minister that public investment in ECEC is a social priority for Canada’s families and economy.

Childcare provision: Whose responsibility? Who pays?
8 Feb 08
- Chapter from new Australian book describes current debates about childcare provision and identifies possibilities of who should pay and provide care for young children.

The state of the world’s children: Child survival
8 Feb 08
- Report by UNICEF conveys the current worldwide under five mortality rate and makes suggestions for initiatives for further progress.

Education for all global monitoring report 2008: Education for all by 2015-- Will we make it?
8 Feb 08
- Report from UNESCO about where the world stands on its commitment to provide basic education for all children, youth and adults by 2015.

immigrantchildren.ca
8 Feb 08
- Website by the Working Group of the Canadian Coalition for Immigrant Children and Youth is a blog for the connection of immigrant children and their parents. See the Anti-bias tool, a modified ECERS.

more WHAT'S NEW ONLINE »

child care in the news

· Ed delivers daycare promises: But critics say plans fall short [CA-AB]
8 Feb 08

· Yukon First Nations seek more time to review child act [CA-YT]
7 Feb 08

· Population growth strategy lacking, says some critics [CA-NB]
6 Feb 08

· Child care must be made affordable [AU]
5 Feb 08

· Maximizing the ‘early years’: Premier Shawn Graham calls on Margaret Norrie McCain to assist early childhood development committee [CA-NB]
5 Feb 08

· Day cares closing doors to babies [CA-AB]
2 Feb 08

· Childcare in the eye of a storm [GB]
28 Jan 08

· Pilot program to prep four-year-old students is in limbo [CA-NS]
10 Jan 08

more CC IN THE NEWS »

Related Links:

Subscribe to the CRRU email announcements list
Sign up to receive email notices of updates and new postings on the CRRU website which will inform you of policy developments in early childhood care and education, new research and resources for policy, newly released CRRU publications, and upcoming events of interest to the child care and broader community.

Links to child care sites in Canada and elsewhere
CRRU Publications - briefing notes, factsheets, occasional papers and other publications
ISSUE files - theme pages, each filled with contextual information and links to further info

Source:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU)

- Go to the Non-Governmental Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd2.htm

Poverty Dispatch (U.S). ===> the content of this link changes twice a week
- links to news items from the American press about poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.

February 7, 2008
* States and Medicaid Cuts
* Welfare Reform and Welfare-to-Work Programs
* Food Stamp Program Eligibility - New York
* Study: Development of Rural Children Living in Poverty
* State Children's Health Insurance Program - West Virginia
* Healthy Indiana Plan
* States and Economic Development - Minnesota, Ohio
* Earned Income Tax Credit
* Dropout Prevention - Indianapolis, IN
* No Child Left Behind and State Funding
* Federal Budget and Spending on Social Programs

February 4, 2008
* Privatization of Social Services - Texas
* Child Welfare Programs - Wisconsin, Oregon, Arkansas
* Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
* Medicaid Rules and State Spending - Minnesota
* Medicaid Premature Births and Follow-up Care
* States and Health Care Reform
* Poverty and Assistance Programs - North Carolina
* Prisoner Re-entry Programs - Ohio
* Federal Budget and Spending on Social Programs
* School Breakfast Programs - Wisconsin
* Socioeconomic School Integration - North Carolina

Search Poverty Dispatches
IRP compiles and distributes Poverty Dispatches, links to Web-based news items dealing with poverty, welfare reform, and related topics twice a week. Each Dispatch lists links to current news in popular print media. Persons wishing to receive Poverty Dispatches by e-mail should send a request to rsnell@ssc.wisc.edu.

Past Poverty Dispatches - back to June 2006

Source:
Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
[ University of Wisconsin-Madison ]

- Go to the Links to American Government Social Research page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm

U.S. Mayors examine causes of hunger, homelessness (small PDF file - 2 pages)
News release
December 17, 2007
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Sodexho, Inc. released today the results of its 2007 Hunger and Homelessness Survey at a press conference at the Conference of Mayors Headquarters in Washington, D.C. For more than 21 years, the Conference of Mayors has documented the magnitude of the issues of hunger and homelessness in our nation’s cities. This report provides an analysis of the scale of the problem in twenty-three of America’s major cities (listed below) and the efforts these cities are making to address the issue.
Source:
The U.S. Conference of Mayors
Sodexho USA

Complete report:

2007 U.S. Hunger and Homelessness Report (PDF file - 983K, 72 pages)
December 2007

- Go to the Food Banks and Hunger Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/foodbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm
- Go to the Municipalities Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/municipal.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm

Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) Budget
- Transmitted to Congress on February 4, 2008
- Covers the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2008

Browse the FY09 budget - links to: Budget Documents | Appendix | Supporting Documents | Related Documents | Spreadsheets
Description of FY09 budget documents

Sample content from the 2009 budget:

Overview of the President's 2009 Budget (PDF file, 399K)
The Nation's Fiscal Outlook (PDF file, 450K)
Department of Health and Human Services (PDF file, 490K)
Department of Housing and Urban Development (PDF file - 442K)
Social Security Administration (PDF file, 411K)

Previous Budgets - back to 1996

Source:
Government Printing Office (GPO)

State Budget Links
(direct link to the website of the National Association of State Budget Officers)

---------------

Related Web/News/Blog links:

Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms (without the quote marks):
"2009 US federal budget"
Web search results page
News search results page
Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca

Related Links from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

2009 Federal Budget Analysis
- incl. links to extensive budget analysis and special features, e.g., Introduction to the Federal Budget, Slideshow: Federal Budget Overview
Sample content:
--- The Dubious Priorities of the President’s Budget
"The President's budget would provide more tax cuts heavily skewed to the most well-off while cutting vital services for low- and moderate-income Americans, generating large deficits, and increasing the strain on states already confronting budget problems as a result of the economic downturn. The budget reflects misguided priorities that would leave the American people more vulnerable in a number of ways...."
--- President's Budget Would Push States Deeper into Fiscal Crisis
"Federal grants to states and localities cut deeply in Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Budget"

State Budget Debates
- analysis of state budget issues including multi-state trends, the adequacy and equity of tax policies, structural budget issues, and budget transparency

From the Center for Law and Social Policy:

President’s Budget Disregards Sound Investments for Young Children (small PDF file - 5 pages)
February 4, 2008
by Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen.
Every Administration uses the budget to send a signal about its priorities for the coming year. In this period of economic downturn, when our most vulnerable children and families need access to comprehensive supports, the message of this budget is simple and stark: children in low-income working families don’t matter.

- Go to the Links to American Government Social Research Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm

Final TANF [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families] Rules Include Modest Improvements;
Further Action Needed to Restore the Safety Net (PDF File - 32K, 2 pages)
by Elizabeth Lower-Basch
February 1, 2008
This week, the Department of Health and Human Services placed on public display the final rules implementing the changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. These regulations are scheduled for publication in the Federal Register next week. The final rule contains a number of modest changes from the interim final rule published in June 2006 and the guidance that HHS has given states since then. Many of the changes respond to concerns that CLASP and numerous other organizations submitted in response to the interim final rule. The rule also provides some helpful clarifications in areas where states were concerned that they might be subject to penalty.
Source:
Center for Law and Social Policy

What's TANF?
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a block grant created by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, as part of a federal effort to “end welfare as we know it.” The TANF block grant replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, which had provided cash welfare to poor families with children since 1935.
Source:
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm

EUROPA: Key facts and figures about Europe and the Europeans
Which countries are in the European Union? What goods do countries in the European Union produce? Is Andorra a member of the European Union? These questions (and many more) are all answered in this interactive and lively site created by the European Union (EU). The site is set up to provide access to key facts and figures about Europe and Europeans in general, and visitors can click on one of nine playful graphic icons to learn about topics like quality of life, transport, and economic activity and trade. After looking through some of these fact-filled areas, visitors can also browse around in the "What's New?" area. Here they can read newly added reports and fact sheets that address food safety, biofuels standards, and the EU's efforts to combat gender stereotypes.
Reviewed by:
The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008.

Europa - Gateway to the European Union
EUROPA is the portal site of the European Union. It provides up-to-date coverage of European Union affairs and essential information on European integration. Users can also consult all legislation currently in force or under discussion, access the websites of each of the EU institutions and find out about the policies administered by the European Union under the powers devolved to it by the Treaties. (About Europa)

- Go to the Government Social Research Links in Other Countries page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/internat.htm

APO Weekly Briefing ===> the content of this link changes each week
The content of this page changes each week, and it includes links to a few book/report reviews, about two dozen new reports, a few job ads and 60+ events (mostly conferences) of interest to social researchers...
Source:
Australian Policy Online (APO)
With nearly 120 member centres and institutes, Australian Policy Online offers easy access to much of the best Australian social, economic, cultural and political research available online.
NOTE: the APO home page includes links to the five most popular reports on the APO website, and this list is updated each week.

APO Archive
The APO archive is grouped into 23 subject areas, with entries appearing in reverse chronological order.
* Ageing *Asia and the pacific * Citizenship and the law * Disability * Economics and trade * Education * Employment and workplace relations * The environment * Foreign policy and defence * Gender and sexuality * Health * Housing * Families and households * Immigration and refugees * Income, poverty and wealth * Indigenous * Media, communications and cultural policy * Politics and government * Population, multiculturalism and ethnicity * Religion and faith * Rural and regional * Science and technology * Social policy * Urban and regional planning * Youth

- Go to the Social Research Links in Other Countries (Non-Government) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/internatngo.htm

From the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)

7 February 2008 - CRINMAIL 955
* DEATH PENALTY: Child rights expert explains Arab Charter [publication]
* IRAQ: al-Qaida 'training children' [news]
* UNITED KINGDOM: Youth games exclusion for learning disabilities 'unlawful' [news]
* VIOLENCE: International Day against Female Genital Mutilation [news]
* SOUTH AFRICA: Rights groups slam Child Justice Bill [news]
* EMPLOYMENT - Bice - SOS Kinderdorf - Save the Children Sweden
**NEWS IN BRIEF**
**QUIZ**

5 February 2008 - CRINMAIL 954
* COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD: 47th session concludes [reports]
* UNITED STATES: Report shows teens more likely to reoffend [news]
* LIBERIA: Govt concerned about high adoption rates [news]
* WORLD BANK: The Road Not Traveled: Education Reform in the Middle East and North Africa [publication]
* UNITED KINGDOM: WorldForum 2008 Early Intervention and Prevention [event]
* ARMED CONFLICT: Psycho-social webpage [call for papers]
**FROM THE FRONT LINE"" Dr Philip Cook [interview]
**NEWS IN BRIEF**

Earlier issues of CRINMAIL
- links to 200+ earlier weekly issues, many of which are special editions focusing on special themes, such as the 45th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Source:
CRINMAIL(incl. subscription info)
[ Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) ]

- Go to the Children's Rights Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/chnrights.htm

Disclaimer/Privacy Statement

Both Canadian Social Research Links (the site) and this Canadian Social Research Newsletter belong solely to me, Gilles Séguin.

I am solely accountable for the choice of links presented therein and for the occasional editorial comment - it's my time, my home computer, my experience, my biases, my Rogers Internet account and my web hosting service.

I administer the mailing list and distribute the weekly newsletter using software on the web server of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Thanks, CUPE!

If you wish to subscribe to the e-mail version of newsletter, go to the Canadian Social Research Newsletter Online Subscription page:
http://lists.cupe.ca/mailman/listinfo/csrl-news

You can unsubscribe by going to the same page or by sending me an e-mail message [ gilseg@rogers.com ]

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The e-mail version of this newsletter is available only in plain text (no graphics, no hyperlinks, no fancy bolding or italics, etc.) to avoid security problems with government departments, universities and other networks with firewalls. The text-only version is also friendlier for people using older or lower-end technology.

Privacy Policy:
The Canadian Social Research Newsletter mailing list is not used for any purpose except to distribute each weekly issue.
I promise not share any information on this list, nor to send you any junk mail.

Links presented in the Canadian Social Research Newsletter point to different views about social policy and social programs.
There are some that I don't agree with, so don't get on my case, eh...

To access earlier online HTML issues of the Canadian Social Research Newsletter, go to the Newsletter page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/news.htm

Please feel free to distribute this newsletter as widely as you wish, but please remember to mention Canadian Social Research Links when you do.

Cheers!
Gilles

E-MAIL:
gilseg@rogers.com

Twisted Sayings

A Public Service Announcement

safe2pee

When ya just gotta go:
Click the link above to access Google maps for (as of Feb. 9/08) 1370 SAFE BATHROOMS in 368 CITIES in the U.S. and Canada.

public bathrooms in ottawa, ontario (46 bathrooms)
NOTE: this is definitely a work in progress : the Montreal list contains 23 bathrooms and the Toronto list contains 8 - that must make for some looooooooooooooooong lineups...

Gender-Neutral Bathroom resources from safe2pee
- when you KNOW you have to go but you're not sure where.

Coming in Spring 2008: safe2poo! <just kidding>

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Top 100  Most popular websites  in Canada
http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?cc=CA&ts_mode=country&lang=none