Mayor promotes poverty awareness

from The Free New Mexican

By HENRY M. LOPEZ

Mayor David Coss, following the likes of Oprah Winfrey, is encouraging people to read and think more about poverty.

Coss spoke outside the Santa Fe Public Library on Wednesday afternoon to announce a "community read" of Nickel and Dimed: On Getting by (or not) in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. The author -- who traveled across the country working low-wage jobs for the book -- will speak at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on March 11, an event sponsored by the Santa Fe Living Wage Network.

"This communitywide read is a new way for Santa Feans to continue the discussion of how to deal with the very serious issue of poverty in our community," said Coss, who has yet to read the book.

As part of the community read, Coss said, the city will sponsor a panel discussion and other events to spur conversation on poverty, but dates were not announced Wednesday. City spokeswoman Laura Banish said the city was looking for locations to show films about issues of poverty.

The library is stocking up on the Ehrenreich book and expects to have 28 copies available by week's end, said Pat Hodapp, library services director.

The library also has published a short list of films and other books that might be of interest. The city Web site contains a list of questions one might want to consider while reading or watching titles from the library list.

The "community read" might be a first for Santa Fe, but other cities have organized similar events. Pasadena, Calif., is reading Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell, and Santa Monica, Calif., has selected The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

Coss made his announcement two days before he convenes a 25-member panel charged with recommending ways to end homelessness in Santa Fe in five years. It came the same day the U.S. House of Representatives passed a federal minimum-wage hike.

"All American workers deserve to be paid a dignified wage that will allow them to provide for themselves and their families," said Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., who voted for the federal increase in a statement Wednesday. "And raising the minimum wage is the first step to a stronger economy for all Americans, not just for a privileged few."

The Democrat-backed minimum wage bill would increase the federally mandated $5.15 per hour wage to $7.25 per hour over 26 months.

The minimum wage in Santa Fe -- the highest of its kind in the United States -- is $9.50 for those employed by firms with at least 25 employees. The City Council will vote late this year on whether to increase the rate to $10.50 per hour in 2008. Coss -- who has become a national figure among those advocating so-called living wages -- said hiking the minimum is only one component in addressing poverty.

"It's wages, it's housing, it's health care costs, and it's education," the mayor said. "As an administration and as a community, we have been addressing these issues with affordable housing, with wages and with work-force development."

The City Council in 2005 adopted an aggressive housing ordinance that requires 30 percent of the homes in new, large subdivisions to meet city affordability standards.

The city also is pursuing development of affordable housing in the Northwest Quadrant. The mayor and City Councilor Carmichael Dominguez are promoting a joint effort with Santa Fe Public Schools to develop a work-force training center.

Coss said the city will work with Santa Fe Public Schools and the Living Wage Network to bring into the March events people dealing with poverty in their everyday lives.

ON THE WEB

http://santafenm.gov/hottopics/nickledanddimedbrochure2.pdf