[Imc-newsroom] Living Wage Endorsed By These Candidates

[Mike Lehman]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 28, 2001

The Champaign County Living Wage Association is pleased to announce the
results of our candidate survey for the Spring 2001 elections in
the cities of Urbana and Champaign. Support for Living Wage requirements
for the expenditure of public funds continues to grow throughout the
political spectrum. The Living Wage (defined as the federal poverty
level for a family of four) is currently $8.20 an hour. 

These candidates have endorsed a satement in support of the Living Wage.
Voters should carefully consider this support when choosing who they
will vote for on Tuesday, April 3.

For Champaign School Board:
Margie Skirvin
Robert R. West
Mike Woods

For Mayor of Urbana:
Eddie Dalton - Republican
Alfred Weiss - Green (write-in)

For Urbana City Council:
Ward 1 - Esther Patt - Democrat
Ward 2 - Ruth Wyman - Democrat
Ward 3 - Jim Hayes Jr. - Democrat
Ward 4 - Danielle Chynoweth - Democrat
Ward 5 - Laura Huth - Democrat

Cunningham Township Supervisor:
Carol Elliot

Urbana School Board Member:
District 2 - Laura Haber

In the wake of the Sunday, Feb. 18 News-Gazette editorial section’s
article on increasing income disparity in the last 25 years, which
undermines the American Dream for many working families and individuals,
it is reassuring to see this growing support. Although the article by
Edward Wolff details national level solutions to this unfair situation
that has, at its roots, a relationship to government policies that have
exacerbated this economic trend, it is important to remember that the
Living Wage is a local solution to income disparities that has gained
support across our nation in over 50 localities.

A Living Wage makes it possible for working people to meet their
financial responsibilities without relying on increasingly constrained
government aid programs, but it has other positive benefits for our
area. A Living Wage would help build local tax bases by increasing
income from sales taxes by giving workers more spending power and from
increased property tax revenue as more families are able to afford to
own homes. It would also help business, as higher income demographics
make our region more attractive to businesses seeking to locate in our
area. It would help build customer bases for already existing business
through the increase in spending power by consumers

While the cities of Champaign and Urbana substantially comply with our
proposal in terms of their direct employees, it is important that Living
Wages be paid to the employees of businesses that supply goods and
services to the cities. Champaign County itself has  more than 100
workers who are paid less than a Living Wage, but it would only take
about $250,000 a year to bring all county employees up to Living Wage.

Most importantly, we believe that all economic development assistance to
private business in our area should be targeted toward providing Living
Wage jobs. This would require no increase in funding because it would
simply put a performance requirement on already available funding,
giving the public more bang for its buck.

For further information:
www.prairienet.org/livingwage/
Mike Lehman, CCLWA Coordinator
PO Box 953
Urbana, IL 61803
217-344-5609
rebelmike at earthlink.net