| Features |
| Five Ways to Vote for an All-In Economy |
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Equity and opportunity are on Election Day ballots around the country, giving millions of Americans the chance to vote for policies to build a just and inclusive economy.
Here are five ways that you can vote to put our cities, states, and the nation on a path to equitable growth and shared prosperity.
1. Improve wages and jobs
With Congress stalled on raising the minimum wage, cities and states across the political spectrum are putting the issue to voters. Ballot initiatives in Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Alaska would raise wages up to $9.75 an hour. San Francisco's Proposition J would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2018, putting the city even with Seattle for the nation's highest minimum wage. Illinois, New York, and cities from Los Angeles to Portland, Maine, are considering legislative action to raise wages.
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| Can Having a Say in City Budgets Create More Economic Inclusion? |
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More than 1,500 young people in Boston, ages 12 to 25, recently voted on how to invest $1 million in city funds to improve opportunities for youth in lower-income communities.
In Vallejo, California, nearly 4,000 residents recently voted to spend $3.2 million in sales tax revenue to fund 12 community-designed projects, including neighborhood gardens, youth scholarships, and neighborhood infrastructure improvements.
And residents of nearly half of New York City's council districts are directly deciding how to allocate $25 million in public funds to strengthen their neighborhoods.
These initiatives are part of a rapidly growing movement called participatory budgeting. Designed to empower communities and deepen democracy, PB engages people who have historically been excluded from political processes in determining public investment priorities. The process has the potential to expand economic opportunity where it is needed most.
Most PB initiatives so far have involved relatively small pools of money in municipal budgets, many of them restricted to infrastructure investments. However, a participatory approach was recently approved for money flowing to communities through Community Development Block Grants. Giving local residents control over federal investments in job creation, business expansion, affordable housing, and other opportunities supported by these grants could be a game-changer for low-income communities.
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Getting Racial Equity on the Menu
Restaurant workers of color earn 56 percent less than their white counterparts and are more likely to be denied opportunities to advance, according to a new reportfrom Restaurant Opportunities Centers United. As a result, workers suffer economic insecurity and employers face high turnover rates among staff. The solution? Raise the minimum wage, eliminate the tipped sub-minimum wage, and create career ladders in the restaurant industry. Learn more.
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| Reminder: Sign up for the National Equity Atlas Webinar, Tuesday, November 18
See what people are saying:
“What would happen if everyone in America — black, white, Hispanic, Asian — was on a level playing field? For one, our cities would be richer.” – Tanvi Misra, CityLab
“Cities that have high levels of persity – think Los Angeles, Houston, San Antonio – understandably have more to gain from racial equality. But the research demonstrates that every single city in the list of the biggest 150 metro areas would grow its economy.” – Janie Boschma, National Journal
“Eliminating the racial pay gap requires a lot more work than just ending outright discrimination – improving education and job training, ending the justice system's racial bias, providing affordable access to decent health care, finally passing immigration reform, etc.” – Tom McKay, Mic.com
“Demographics themselves are rapidly changing. As the country inches closer to becoming majority-minority, the potential economic benefits of racial equality will grow. Or, rather, the cost of inequality will grow, too.” – Emily Badger, The Washington Post Wonkblog
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