IAF Co-Director Ernesto Cortes Jr., participated in a panel discussion alongside Robert Walsh, NYC Small Business Services Commissioner, and Ray Suarez of PBS Newshour; the event was hosted by the Aspen Institute.

Cortes asserts, "There are all kinds of sectors which are begging people to come into their profession, but unfortunately there are not the long-term job training programs to revive those skilled workers.... A lot of the work we've had to do is the political work of creating the political will ...to create the funding streams to pay for training..."

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Building on an Austin victory criminalizing wage theft statewide, TMO institutions take the fight against wage theft to the pews.

"For The Metropolitan Organization, the wage theft law is not just about employees' rights; it is a way to carry out immigration reform in the current political climate. The Rev. Kevin Collins (photo right), the organization's co-chairman, says that... they will still benefit from the reform.

[Photo Credit: Wenjing Zhang, New York Times]

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Four years ago, the Jeremiah Group created, fought for, and won approval for a proposal to set aside $75 million for home ownership in Louisiana (with $52 Million for New Orleans).

The Times Picayune reports that "the $52.3 million 'soft-second mortgage' program has endured many starts and stops over the years. The program was approved nearly four years ago by the state and former Mayor Ray Nagin, but it never got off the ground.

The faith-based Jeremiah Group, however, continued to fight City Hall for the money until it finally became a reality."

[Map Credit: Times-Picayune]

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"We believe healthy communities require willing institutions to engage with each other in the public square for the common good..."

-- IESC Statement

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"An alliance of Omaha churches and community groups celebrated Tuesday after the City Council unanimously approved measures to increase fees for city building permits and inspections...About 30 members of the group Omaha Together One Community filled ...council chambers as seven of its members testified in favor of the amendments..."We know that many owners respond by fixing the problem. Our concern is with those who do not," said OTOC member Susan Kuhlmann of Omaha."

Since 2003, city fees had stagnated at $41 per re-inspection, a fee so low that 4,000 cases with unpaid fees remain open. The change would increase the fees to $125 per re-inspection over the next three years, high enough for an unpaid fee to appear on a landlord's credit report.

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New Computers, New Mindset, San Angelo Standard Times

Phoenix Mayoral Candidates Don't Follow Debate Rules, Fox 10 News

"'Iowa's revamped mental health care system must include more state workers so that care is easier to access and is funded properly,' an advocate said Sunday..."

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In a large scale effort to help California IAF leaders address the state's economy and challenges facing state and local officials, over 400 Bay Area IAF leaders convened in an October conference, joined by economists, thinkers, demographers, and other state power players. Leaders told stories illustrating how the downturn has hurt families and communities, reflected on their faith traditions and strategized around local opportunities. The conference helped energize regional strategies around immigration and identify training opportunities on housing and education.

"I'm excited. I'm very excited, about the whole thing," says the customer service rep. "I want a career, not just a job."

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