Archives: Shriver Center in the News


Pension Woes Affect Other Programs, Rockford Register Star (May 24, 2008)

"'It's a major squeeze on the general revenue fund, and it brings to crisis proportions what would be a problem even without the pension issue,' said John Bouman of the Shriver National Center on Poverty Law in Chicago."
Click here for pdf.

Payday Loan Law Loophole Swallows Borrowers Whole, Chicago Tribune (May 13, 2008)
"Often people who wrack up pay day loans 'don't know how to play the game. They don't know they are getting into something bad,' said Dory Rand of the Chicago-based Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, which has provided economic counseling for consumers over the years."
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CHA Votes to Expand Resident Work Requirements, Chicago Tribune (May 1, 2008)
"'The big problem with applying work requirements to traditional public housing is that it's the housing of last resort," said William Wilen, director of housing litigation for the Chicago-based Sargent Shriver Center on Poverty Law.'
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CHA Board Approves New Rules for Public Housing Residents, Chi-Town Daily News (May 1, 2008)
"'If it [CHA work requirement document] was board-approved today, it should be public to everyone,' Walz says. 'Transparency is to the CHA's advantage.'"
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CHA Critics Say Work Rule Might Violate Child-Welfare Law, Chicago Tribune (April 9, 2008)
"Wendy Pollack, director of the Women's Law and Policy Project at the Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, said the recent economic slowdown and loss of jobs only add to the difficulties many of these single parents face."
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Area Apartment Rents 'Out of Reach,' Chicago Tribune (April 8, 2008)
"William Wilen, director of housing litigation for the Chicago-based Sargent Shriver Center on Poverty Law, said the shortage is reaching a precarious stage. 'More and more families are losing their homes,' he said. 'That puts additional pressure on the already inadequate supply of affordable housing. Thousands of families are on the cusp of homelessness.'"
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Health Care Reforms: Adopt Proven Tactics for Boosting Enrollment, Des Moines Register (March 25, 2008)
"Most Iowa children are already covered, so Iowa does not have far to go to cover all kids. Leaders of this initiative are very impressive, and there is tremendous consensus to finish the job. Disagreements over details, such as whether to require parents to acquire coverage for their children, seem unlikely to derail the main job of establishing the coverage and rolling it out. Yet this requires specific actions, like those taken in Illinois, that Iowa has yet to do." -John Bouman
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Poor Score, Editorial in Houston Chronicle (March 23, 2008)
"No one has to accept the Shriver Center's results at face value, but the Scorecard does provide a wealth of information that can be put to good use by anyone who believes Texans ought to do a better job of reducing the great poverty in our midst."
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Build Right Programs to Insure All Iowa Kids, Des Moines Register (March 20, 2008)
"His [Gov. Rod Blagojevich] vision resulted in the state's All Kids program, which offers health insurance to all children, regardless of immigration status or family income. Illinois also aggressively marketed and advertised the program to get children signed up. 'The state adhered to the marketing principle that people need to be exposed to something seven times,' said John Bouman of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law in Chicago."
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Two Hyde Park Congressmen receive A+ rating for votes, Hyde Park Herald (March 17, 2008)
"Two Congressmen who represent Hyde Park earned an A+ on the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law's "Poverty Scorecard 2007: Rating Members of Congress."
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Senators from Poor States Rank Low on "Poverty Scorecard," U.S. News and World Report (March 13, 2008)
"An analysis released this morning by the Shriver Center showed that in 2007, members of Congress from states with high rates of poverty were "less likely to support anti-poverty measures than other members of Congress."
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Shriver Center Releases Poverty Report Card, Chicagoist (March 11, 2008)
"The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, a Chicago-based organization that 'leads the poverty advocacy community through a bold advocacy agenda,' released a scorecard yesterday that rates congressional votes on significant 2007 poverty-related legislation."
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Vt. Lawmakers Get A+ for Poverty Voting Record, Rutland Herald (March 11, 2008)
"Poverty has not been an attractive issue for politicians to talk about in recent years, but the 2005 hurricane tragedy in New Orleans made people realize 'we had taken our eyes off the ball for a few years,' according to John Bouman, the president of the Shriver Center, which released its report on Monday."
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Poverty Report Card Released, Chicago Public Radio (March 10, 2008)
"Dan Lesser, an attorney with Shriver, says the report was done to raise public awareness. LESSER: We think it's very important to fairly evaluate the performance of every member of Congress. Our intent is to circulate it widely."
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Hynes Wrong on Health Care, Chicago Sun-Times (Feb. 18, 2008)

"Hynes' report relies on census data to claim that Illinois made "no progress" on insuring the uninsured between 2003-2006. If you actually read the census data, you will find that the reason for that statistic is because of the ongoing retreat of employers from offering insurance to their employers." -John Bouman
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Obama Must Convince Voters of Toughness, Washington Post (Feb. 4, 2008)
"I think he'd be great in a crisis. He's got that sort of calm demeanor and keeps his wits about him," said John Bouman, president of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, who has worked with Obama on legislative issues.
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Supreme Court, Taking Care of Business, Mother Jones (Jan. 25, 2008)
The court's overt hostility to average- or low-income people is in itself keeping people out of the court. One possible reason the Supreme Court docket is so crowded with business cases is that liberal public interest lawyers are avoiding it, says John Bouman, the president of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. "There's very little empathy on the court," he says, and as a result "people are showing restraint as to whether to take things up at all."
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Joliet's plan would stop Evergreen Terrace improvements, Joliet Herald News (Jan. 25, 2008)
"Joliet should allow Evergreen Terrace residents the right to stay in their historic community while the owners and HUD proceed with improvements to the property." -Kate Walz, Shriver Center Senior Attorney
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Obama's varied record, Associated Press (Jan. 17, 2008)
"John Bouman, president of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, said Obama's work helped make the program [Illinois' "KidCare" program] more consumer-friendly. He also said Obama was often willing to give up credit for the legislation if that helped win Republican support. 'It tells you something that as a relatively junior member in the minority party, he was an important negotiator,' Bouman said."
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Officials warn against anticipation loans in filing taxes, ABC 7 News (Jan. 14, 2008)
"They take this chance to develop an asset and turn it into expensive, bad debt," said John Bouman, Shriver Center on Poverty Law.
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Tenants sue Joliet to keep Evergreen, Joliet Herald News (Dec. 29, 2007)

"The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law announced Thursday that it has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Evergreen Terrace tenants who want to preserve the 356-unit housing complex."
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Joliet sued over plans to raze complex, Chicago Tribune (Dec. 29, 2007)
"Katherine Walz, an attorney with the poverty law center, said the suit brings tenants into the debate. 'I think for the first time since this whole mess and litigation started, the tenants are being heard,' she said. 'The tenants could permanently lose their housing.'"
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Health for All Kids, Chicago News-Star (Dec. 28, 2007)
"The noise of the current Springfield battles should not obscure the history of cooperation and leadership that produced and maintains the All Kids program, and enables hundreds of families in Cook County to get the care they need, when they need it." -John Bouman
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(Letter also appeared in: Journal & Topics Newspaper (Dec. 27, 2207) Click here for pdf.

Extra Newspaper (Dec. 28, 2007) Click here for pdf.

Daily Herald (Jan. 1, 2008) Click here for pdf.

McGovern still on the anti-war path, In These Times (Dec. 27, 2007)

McGovern, 85, was in Chicago in late November to accept an award from the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law for his efforts to fight hunger, a cherished cause since he led John F. Kennedy's Food for Peace Program in the 60's.
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Health costs trump equality in retiree benefits fight, Chicago Public Radio (Dec. 27, 2007)
Health care is a big issue for Chicago's Shriver Center on Poverty Law. Director John Bouman is watching in dismay: "I'm worried about a larger question, of the fact that the cost of health coverage continues to keep going up, you get situations like this. You know, this is yet another symptom of the larger problem, which is that we need comprehensive health care reform."
Click here to listen to sound clip.

CHA proposing adult residents work 20 hours (Dec. 13, 2007)
"There is a real specter of homelessness," said Bill Wilen, director of housing litigation for the Chicago-based Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. "Traditional public housing is thought of as the housing of last resort for people who can't make it in mixed housing...There needs to be housing for families that can't live elsewhere."
Click here to read the whole article.

Payday loans are dangerous to your financial health (Dec. 4, 2007)

"Payday loans can be dangerous to your financial health. Consumers should be especially alert if they take out any payday loan that is more than 120 days in length. If you do, you will not be protected by the Illinois law that regulates payday loans and protects consumers," said Dory Rand, Supervising Attorney, Community Investment Unit, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.
Click here for pdf.


George McGovern on Poverty and Politics, Chicago Public Radio (Dec. 3, 2007)

"The Sargent Shriver Award for Equal Justice recognizes McGovern's decades of service fighting poverty and hunger...George McGovern joined us in the studio last week, the morning after receiving his award at the Shriver National Center on Poverty Law."
Click here to listen to McGovern's interview.

Give Thanks for All Kids, Rockford Register Star (Nov. 25, 2007)

"Illinoisans should take a look around the nation and realize that All Kids is the envy of other states, most recently copied by Wisconsin. At this time of giving thanks, it's important to remember that All Kids is a work in progress, but it is also an accomplishment that public officials in both parties and the voters who put them there can be proud of." -John Bouman
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You can go home again, Chicago Tribune (Oct. 28, 2007)

"It's going well," said William Wilen, director of Housing Litigation for the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, who works on behalf of the Henry Horner residents. Market-rate and lower-income residents are socializing in reading and exercising groups, he said, adding, "We'd be happy with more interaction and more activities like block parties and softball games."
Click here for the pdf.

CHA asking more tenants to work, Chicago Tribune (Oct. 18, 2007)

William Wilen, director of housing litigation for the Chicago-based Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, has a more ambivalent view of the proposal. "It's a very important experiment that the CHA is trying," he said. "They do have a safe harbor clause that allows people who are trying to remain in good stead as long as they are making an effort to become engaged."
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Educating Prisoners for Life on the Outside, New York Times (Oct. 3, 2007)

"Rather than separating the imprisoned from the educated, therefore, perhaps we should be asking how to bring them together."
Click here for the pdf.

Future Still Uncertain at Grove Parc, Chicago Public Radio (Sept. 12, 2007)

"A lawyer for residents, Kate Walz, says a federal law puts certain requirements on the government to preserve the subsidy at Grove Parc. She's threatening to sue if it gives residents vouchers instead." Click here for the pdf.

All Kids program has had desired impact, The State Journal Register (Aug. 20, 2007)

"Our organizations serve children every day, and we can state categorically that All Kids is an excellent policy being implemented well, and it is bringing needed health care to tens of thousands of Illinois children who would not otherwise have it." Click here for the pdf.

Sowing SEEDS of sense, Chicago Sun-Times (April 9, 2007)

"The family savings rate in the U.S. is at the lowest level since the Great Depression, but 66 elementary school students in Bronzeville are doing their part to change that -- they've saved more than $50,000 in three years."
Click here for the pdf.


Everyone Pays for the Uninsured, Daily Southtown (March 22, 2007)

"The problem of health coverage concerns all -- those with insurance and those without it. In addition to the human and social cost, bearing the expense of the uninsured now is a major part of the cost of doing business in Illinois. But no matter how steep the price of insuring all, the cost of doing nothing is greater than the cost of investing in the economic health of our state." Click here for pdf..

Health Care for the Rest of Us, New York Times (March 7, 2007)

"Around kitchen tables, families are fuming over their rising premiums, uninsured relatives, and unpaid medical bills. The problem of health coverage concerns all those who have insurance, those offered insurance by employers who turn it down because of the expense, and the uninsured." Click here for pdf..
High Cost of Citizenship, Washington Post (February 10, 2007)
"For the first time in memory, both sides of the polarized immigration debate are in full agreement: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' proposed increases in the fees to become a citizen are thoroughly misguided. Immigrants who have come to America in accordance with our laws, learned English, qualified to become citizens and are willing die for our country should not have such a high financial barrier placed in their path that, as Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) explained, would put citizenship out of reach." Click here for pdf..
Silence on US Poverty, USA Today (January 29, 2007)
"President Bush's State of the Union address ignored 37 million people living in the largest state in the union: the state of poverty. In addition to those in poverty, many more live with only slightly more income; 47 million are uninsured and millions more are underinsured." Click here for pdf..
Welfare Reform, Is it Working?, Crisis Magazine (January-February, 2007)
"'The debate needs to scale the decibel level down a bit and actually look at poverty,' says Margaret Stapleton of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law in Chicago. 'In the welfare system, they are most frequently talking about changes in the cash assistance program for parents with children. Fewer people are getting cash assistance. But the reality is that many people in America who are working full-time are poor.'" Click here for pdf.

Political Winds are in Favor of Expanded Health Care, Daily Southtown (November 25, 2006)

"The reelection of Governor Rod Blagojevich in Illinois showed the country that fighting for expanded health care is not only good policy, it’s good politics." Click here for pdf.

Homeless Veterans Need our Help, Chicago Sun-Times (November 10, 2006)

"On Nov. 11, Americans all over the country will honor the past and present sacrifices of our soldiers on our national Veterans Day. Yet, over half a million of our veterans will be homeless at some point during this year. One out of every three homeless men in our cities and towns has worn the uniform. As more and more soldiers return from Afghanistan and Iraq, this dire situation will only get worse. We must do better." Click here for pdf.
Still Blind to the Poverty, Newsweek (September 4, 2006)
"A year ago, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Newsweek published a cover story called, "Poverty, Race and Katrina: Lesson of a National Shame." The article suggested that the disaster was prompting a fresh look at "The Other America"--the 37 million Americans living below the poverty line." Click here for pdf.
Medicaid Rule Called a Threat to Millions, Washington Post (June 30, 2006)
“A Medicaid rule takes effect tomorrow that will require more than 50 million poor Americans to prove their citizenship or lose their medical benefits or long term care…The provision ‘throws out a dragnet and says “all of you, all 50 million of you, need to come in here and document your citizenship whether we think there’s a problem or not,”’ said John Bouman, a lawyer with the Sargent Shriver National Center On Poverty Law.” Click here for pdf.

New Medicaid law is called a threat, Chicago Tribune (June 28, 2006)

“As a result of the new law—an effort to keep illegal immigrants from finding their way onto the Medicaid rolls—consumer advocates warn that many vulnerable Americans could lose or be denied Medicaid coverage…It doesn’t make sense to subject 50 million current Medicaid members to burdensome new requirements, said John Bouman, advocacy director at Chicago’s Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.” Click here for pdf.

Center tackles poverty’s effects on women, children, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin (April 22, 2006)

“For nearly four decades, the Sargent Shriver National Center On Poverty Law has worked to promote legislation to help level the playing field for low-income individuals and families. Recently, however, organizers came to the realization that they have to take gender into account if their strategies are to be as successful as possible.” Click here for pdf.

Healthy Illinois Program good for state, Chicago Sun-Times (February 16, 2006)

“There are 46 million Americans without health insurance; 1.8 million are here in Illinois. The facts are painful. The uninsured are sicker and die sooner. They have trouble on the job because they are frequently ‘sick at work’ or preoccupied with family health issues. They have crushing medical debt, which is the second-leading cause of family bankruptcy and a leading cause of family stress and breakdown. And the cost of their emergency care is built into hospital rates charged to insured patients, whose insurance is therefore $1,000 more each year in Illinois.” Click here for pdf.

Settlement means better medical care for poor kids, Chicago Sun-Times (June 28, 2005)

“State officials agreed Monday to a multimillion-dollar upgrade in basic medical care given to Cook County’s poorest children. In settling a 13-year lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, the state agreed to provide greater reimbursements to doctors who accept Medicaid patients…The suit—brought by Health and Disability Advocates, the Sargent Shriver National Center On Poverty Law and the Chicago law firm Goldberg Kohn, which handled the case pro bono—focused on the lack of ‘equal access’ to quality care that Medicaid-eligible children in Cook County received.” Click here for pdf.

Abuse victims, know your rights, Chicago Sun-Times (March 9, 2005)

“…Since the Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act, or VESSA, became law on August 25, 2003, just 22 complaints have been filed. In many instances, employers agree to settle, eliminating the need to file a formal complaint, said Wendy Pollack of the National Center on Poverty Law in Chicago and the author of VESSA.” Click here for pdf.