Poor People’s Campaign – Washington State
Reverend Dr. Kelle Brown, Senior Pastor of Seattle Plymouth United Church of Christ and faith tri-chair of the Washington Poor People’s Campaign discusses the history and spirit of the Poor People’s Campaign with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama.
The Washington State Poor People’s Campaign March to Stay Alive will be Saturday, March 2, 2024 at the State Capitol in Olympia at noon. They recommend an RSVP and to view their Covenant of Nonviolence.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal Town Hall
On March 14th, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal held a Town Hall at Town Hall Seattle.Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal was elected in in 2016, and is serving her fourth term in Congress representing Washington’s 7th District. The district includes most of Seattle, Shoreline, Vashon Island, Lake Forest Park, and parts of Burien and Normandy Park. She is the first South Asian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. You’ll listen to excerpts of Congresswoman Jayapal’s Town Hall Event from Tuesday, featuring updates from congress, and an opportunity for the Congresswoman to listen to constituents.
Pramila Jayapal
Incarcerated Women: Fines and Fees
Do financial obligations levied on current and former incarcerated people penalize the poor? A majority of people locked up are either poor or unemployed, prior to incarceration, according to the Prison Policy Initiative’s compilation of data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Fines, fees, and restitution payments pile up for many people leaving prison, making it nearly impossible to find a way out of poverty. KBCS’s Yuko Kodama speaks with Alexes Harris, a University of Washington Sociology Professor who researched monetary sanctions on incarcerated people for her 2016 book, “A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions as a Punishment for the Poor“. Harris shares her thoughts on inequality and the intersection of poverty and incarceration.
Income Inequality
According to a recent report from the National Employment Law Project, low-wage jobs are the fastest-growing sector of the economy. This makes the good-jobs deficit even deeper than it was at the start of the 21st century. The report says the unbalanced recession and recovery mean the long-term inequality in the U.S. continues to rise.
Tomorrow is May Day. A march is planned in downtown Seattle and on Thursday, May 2nd Working Washington hosts a Poverty-wage Story Slam. We have some of those participating in Thursday’s event here to share their story:
Spencer is an airport worker who loads and unloads baggage for Alaska Airlines passengers at Sea-Tac Airport. He makes around $12.25/hour.
Arturo is an immigrant from Mexico who has worked 5 years at a fast-food chain in North Seattle and is paid less than $10/hour.
Sarah Laslett, Director of Washington State Labor and Education Research Center at South Seattle Community College.
Listen to the interview: KBCS_M+I_2013043_LowWageWork
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