The Delta Grassroots Caucus (DGC) is a broad coalition of grassroots leaders in the eight-state Delta region. DGC is also a founding partner of the Economic Equality Caucus,
which advocates for economic equality across the USA.

Policy Recommendations for May 17-18 DC Conference, & YouTube Presentation to President Trump

Posted on July 12, 2017 at 10:08 AM

Originally posted on May 31, 2017

We have over 100 people to thank and touch base with after the May 17-18 Economic Equality Conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, so it takes a few weeks to express appreciation and inform other partners who were not able to be there about some of the highlights. This is one of a series of reports on the conference.

The Delta Grassroots Caucus will convene our annual Delta conference on Oct. 19-20, 2017 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

There will be a brief opening session on Thursday evening, Oct. 19 from 4:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Arkansas State Capitol Rotunda.

The main session will be Friday, Oct. 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas,

YouTube video on the Economic Equality Caucus recommendations, filmed on location in West Palm Beach, Florida by an attendee (“Delta Diamond”) at the recent EEC conference who is a neighbor of President Trump’s near Mar-a-Lago.

Go to Youtube.com and type in “Delta Grassroots Caucus” and you should be able to pull up the video, which only lasts two minutes.

This is not a link-you will need to go to YouTube.com, then go to “Search,” and then type in “Delta Caucus.”

It is intended to be positive and briefly summarizes several of our key recommendations. We are encouraging people to look at the video for three reasons:

I. A concise message: It is only two minutes long, as opposed to the conference, which was two full days. “Delta Diamond” is the speaker being interviewed in a tongue-in-cheek fashion by a reporter on location in West Palm Beach, but she is positive and presents cookies she baked for President Trump as a gesture of good will, as well as the policy recommendations.

II. Key issues: She notes the widespread support for Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina’s 10/20/30 anti-poverty plan, job creation at living wages, opening up trade in food to Cuba, infrastructure improvements, expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, and support for full funding for major safety net programs like SNAP, school meals and other nutrition programs.

III. The need to promote civility in our national discourse and disagree in a nice, cordial way: We wanted to be completely cordial and positive, and the gesture of baking cookies for President Trump and having a neighbor of his (Delta Diamond really does live near Mar-a-Lago on West Palm Beach, Florida) expresses our conviction that we should be able to disagree with our nation’s leaders while being cordial. We have many people in our network who oppose the Trump budget cuts, but we also oppose groups who boo, shout speakers down and are rude.

Our national discourse is sadly in need of more civility. We are setting an example by disagreeing with President Trump in a perfectly cordial, nice way.

(Delta Diamond has no personal political ambitions and is NOT planning to run for President!!)

President Trump will of course probably never hear about this. On the outside chance that he does, his neighbor Delta Diamond really would like to bring over some cookies and have a nice, pleasant conversation with him and US economic policy the next time he is in Mar-a-Lago.

Delta Diamond said she hopes the baked cookies will open up talks with President Trump about economic opportunity and equality in America.

(Editor’s note: When Lee Powell originally suggested that Delta Diamond deliver baked cookies and the policy memo to her neighbor President Trump in Florida, he thought of it only as a joke. Then he learned that Delta actually wanted to bake the cookies and take them over to the President along with the policy memo, and he thought it was a statesmanlike gesture.)

We attach a memorandum on policy recommendations regarding “Economic Opportunity and Equality in America,” drafted by our Legislative Action Committee after gathering feedback from a wide variety of sources. We do not expect all our colleagues to agree with all of the recommendations, but most will agree with many of them.

A few highlights of the conference were:

Support for the bipartisan 10/20/30 economic opportunity plan championed by Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) and Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY). This does not increase federal spending at all, but just makes sure that it goes where it is most needed.

Rep. Clyburn’s plan requires that 10% of federal discretionary counties go to the most economically distressed areas across the country where 10% of the people have been in poverty for 30 years.

Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) and Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) gave thoughtful presentations on the need for transportation, broadband and other infrastructure improvements, their support for the legislation to allow the historic steamboat Delta Queen to once again travel the Mississippi River and its tributaries, and efforts to open up trade to Cuba. We have supported their positions on these issues for many years and praise their leadership for these beneficial legislative initiatives.

Opening trade to Cuba: On the latter point, Congressman Rick Crawford pointed to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue’s positive comments about the benefits of opening up trade to Cuba for American farmers. Farmers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and elsewhere in the Greater Delta region used to export much of their products to Cuba before the embargo, which has now been in place for 50 years and has done nothing to undermine the Cuban dictatorship. The best way to undermine that regime and bring about change in Cuba is to trade with them and show the Cuban people the benefits of the free enterprise system.

We should acknowledge that President Trump later gave a speech in Miami in which he continued to support the embargo, but it is Congress that has the authority to end the embargo. There is increasing bipartisan support for opening up trade to Cuba.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) gave a thoughtful presentation on infrastructure, agriculture and the economy in the great state of Mississippi. He indicated that he has always been on the other side of the debate regarding trade to Cuba, but acknowledged that farmers in Mississippi would benefit from it, that supporters made valid arguments for our position. He graciously acknowledged that his side is losing the debate and proponents of trade with Cuba are winning it, and cordially shook hands with Lee Powell, Delta Caucus director and EEC Co-Chair. Sen. Wicker is truly a Southern gentleman in the best sense of that word.

Opposition to President Trump’s excessive budget cut proposals to SNAP and other nutrition programs, Medicaid, medical research, public education, and policies harmful to women and minorities:

Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia, Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, state Senator Barbara Favola (D-VA), CEO Joel Berg of Hunger Free America, Walter Tejada, President of the Virginia Latino Leaders Council, Kevin Hickerson of the NEA/Virginia Education Association, Giev Kashkooli of United Farm Workers, and others expressed concerns about the harm these draconian budget cuts would inflict on millions of working families across America.

The full agenda is below and includes distinguished organizations from across the country. People came from as far as California, Texas, New Orleans, northern Louisiana, Arkansas, Memphis, the Midwest, Florida, New York as well as the Mid-Atlantic region.

This was a bipartisan conference. Many leaders from both parties urged President Trump and his administration to follow through on promises for a major program of infrastructure investments to create jobs and repair our deteriorating transportation, housing, levee systems, broadband access and other infrastructure.

Economic Opportunity and Equality in America

Recommendations from the Legislative Action Committee

May 28, 2017

Major populations of our country lag far behind the rest of America economically, such as the Greater Delta Region, Appalachia, the Southwest Border, parts of the Midwest, Native Americans, and inner cities. Poverty rates for women and children across the country are far higher than for the rest of the population, and neglect of our veterans is a national shame. There are deep concerns about Trump administration proposed budget cuts to hunger and nutrition, health care, education, job creation, infrastructure programs among many leaders in both parties. We would strongly advise against major cuts to vital programs that have gained bipartisan support for many years.

While the Virginia/Washington, DC/Maryland region is for the most part relatively prosperous, our coalition expresses grave concerns about the disproportionately harmful impact the Trump budget cuts would have on this region. Not only does this area face the same cuts to vital safety net programs as the rest of the country, but the huge federal government job layoffs are especially harmful to this region, the threat to eliminate federal funding for the Chesapeake Bay restoration program is detrimental environmentally and economically, and Trump administration civil rights policies pose special risks for this region with its highly diverse population having many African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans and other minorities.

A bipartisan initiative that will not increase federal spending but channel funding where it is most needed: The “10-20-30” plan championed by Rep. James Clyburn (D-South Carolina) and Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Kentucky) for all federal programs related to economic development. This requires 10 percent of federal funding to persistent poverty local areas where 20% of the population has lived in poverty for over 30 years. This would not add any federal spending but just assure that those who need it most get their fair share of federal investments.

1) Job creation/retention at living wage levels:

Supporting and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, which has taken millions out of poverty; Expanding the Community Reinvestment Act and Community Development Financial Institutions; Invigorating small business job growth, the most dynamic engine for economic growth-especially at SBA and similar programs such as the Economic Development Administration;

Investing in transportation and other critical infrastructure including housing and broadband to create jobs and improve our deteriorating highways, bridges and access to the Internet; Increasing the federal minimum wage. America’s largest employer, Wal-Mart, raised its wages in 2015, and many other states and local areas did so in 2016. Data overwhelmingly shows that when many states set their minimum wages above the federal level, there is little or no impact as far as their losing jobs to lower wage states, while paying workers better reduces turnover and generates higher productivity. Higher wages are not only just, but are sound economically.

2) Health care, nutrition and education:

Women and children have uniquely high poverty rates, which must be reduced by requiring equal pay for equal work, health and nutrition programs for women and children, greater stress on reducing domestic violence, teen pregnancy and pre-natal programs, and on policies promoting expanded professional opportunities in business, elected office, nonprofits and the professions for women;

Supporting increased funding for Education/workforce development, including relief for the exorbitant costs of student loans for college;

Full funding for SNAP, school meals, WIC and other major nutrition programs that are the vital safety net against hunger and prevent health care problems,

Fully funding USDA Rural Development programs in housing, water and other infrastructure, broadband access, renewable energy, small business for rural areas;

Preserving the basic gains of the Affordable Care Act, with leeway for the modified versions such as Arkansas’ innovative program and other innovative state initiatives;

Fully funding AmeriCorps to further fight poverty and boost opportunity, aid education, help seniors, work in disaster relief, and enhance public lands. AmeriCorps participants perform this service while earning payments for job training, college, home ownership, or starting a business.

3) Economic equality for economically distressed regions: Expanding key initiatives based on the Clinton administration’s New Markets Initiative. Creating an improved version of the New Markets Tax Credit to give tax incentives for investing in economically distressed areas. Simplifying the complex application process is essential.

Eliminating or greatly reducing the local matching grant requirements for the poorest counties, which often don’t have funds for the small local funding requirement and thus miss out on larger amounts of funding. Regional commissions that aid economically distressed areas like the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority should be supported and their funding increased-the DRA in particular has always been severely under-funded. A starting point is that the poorest 100 counties in America pay no local matching grant, the next 100 a greatly reduced amount; the next poorest 100 counties pay a lesser reduced amount for local matching requirements;

Providing Veterans with strong safety net programs for job training, physical and mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and housing for the huge number of veterans who served our country bravely in two major recent wars and many other areas across the globe.

Trade: Job training and other programs for workers losing their jobs due to changing trade patterns, as well as labor and environmental safeguards for free trade agreements.

Opening up trade in food and other exports to Cuba. The failed embargo has been in place for a half century. This is sound national policy in weakening the Cuban dictatorship by exposing their people to the benefits of the free enterprise system, while opening up new markets for American products;

We supported the dislocated worker program to help those thrown out of work due to changing patterns of international trade. Any trade agreements must include strong labor, environmental, and intellectual property safeguards,

4) Implementing tax reform for lower to middle income working families,

Creating new fees on financial transactions for wealthy Wall Street speculators.

Reducing income taxes for those in the income brackets from $18,000 to $75,000, graduated for the number in each family. Removing huge tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans in the top 1 percent.

Reversing tax inequity: the wealthiest 8 Americans increased their wealth by $87 billion in 2014, which is more money than America spent on SNAP (food stamps) that year.

Returning the tax code to its structure of the 1970s, or at a minimum to where it stood at the end of the Clinton administration. If the tax code of the 1970s had continued, as of 2016 the wealthiest 1% would have had $1 trillion less and working families would have $1 trillion more.

Doubling the child care tax credit.

Voting rights: Economic equality is advanced if everybody has equal rights to participate in the democratic process. We support the right to vote for all Americans regardless of income, racial or ethnic group, gender, or other status. This includes voting rights for Hispanics and a legal path to citizenship.

While employment and economic growth are on the rebound, this expanded tax revenue will afford investments in more economic equality for hard-working families in lower to middle ranges. Sound job growth investments are self-sustaining financially due to the increases in tax revenue they generate.

Economic Equality Caucus Conference

“Jobs, Health Care, Infrastructure, Diversity”

May 17-18, 2017, Washington, DC

OPENING SESSION, US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RAYBURN BUILDING ROOM 2060,

WEDNESDAY MAY 17, 2017, 4:30 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. “Best Practices in Community and Economic Development”

MODERATORS-Lee Powell, Economic Equality Caucus Co-Chair and Director of the Delta Grassroots Caucus, Washington, DC region; and Millie Atkins, Economic Equality Caucus Co-Chair and community leader from Monroe, Louisiana

4:45 p.m. -Randy Henderson, Nucor Yamato Steel and Nucor Steel of Arkansas, Blytheville Arkansas

5 P.M. TO 5:15 P.M.-Ilene Jacobs, Director of Litigation, Advocacy & Training, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (state-wide organization in California)

AT 5:15 P.M.-CONGRESSMAN DON BEYER OF VIRGINIA

  1. Giev Kashkooli, United Farm Workers; national official based in Washington, DC; Organization for farm workers across the country-this is the organization founded by Cesar Chavez)

  2. Katrin Sirje Kark, Program Officer, Rural Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC); focusing on LISC’s work in Appalachia

  3. Stephen Sugg, government relations manager, national Housing Assistance Council or another representative from HAC, a major national anti-poverty organization active in the Southwest Border, Delta, Midwest, Appalachia and other regions

  4. Cornel Martin, CEO, Delta Queen Steamboat Company, New Orleans (promoting bill to allow Delta Queen to travel the Mississippi River and its tributaries once again CONGRESSMAN RICK CRAWFORD OF ARKANSAS SCHEDULED TO SPEAK AT 6 P.M.

Introduction of Rep. Crawford by Harvey Joe Sanner, President, American Agriculture Movement of Arkansas, Des Arc, Arkansas, and senior Delta Caucus agriculture policy adviser.

  1. Alan Gumbel, President, Gumbel & Associates, Memphis, Tennessee, workforce development consultant; long-time Delta grassroots leader including work with Lower Mississippi Delta Development Commission 1988-90, the Clinton administration Delta Regional Initiative; and the Delta Grassroots Caucus

  2. Warwick Sabin, Senior Director, US Programs of Winrock International, national nonprofit; Mr. Sabin is a state Representative in Arkansas

THURSDAY MORNING SENATE SESSION, MAY 18, 8:30 A.M. TO 10;30 A.M. SENATE RUSSELL BUILDING CAUCUS ROOM 385

“Hunger, Nutrition, Rural Development Infrastructure and USDA Programs”

1.Jensyn Hallett, Heifer International US Domestic Programs in Arkansas and Appalachia

  1. Patty Barker, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance

  2. Shannon Maynard, Executive Director, Congressional Hunger Center, bipartisan Congressional office devoted to developing hunger and nutrition policy experts and advocacy on nutrition issues

  3. Duke Storen, Senior Director of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign

  4. Natalie Jayroe, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, Louisiana

SEN. JOHN BOOZMAN OF ARKANSAS, CO-CHAIR OF THE US SENATE HUNGER CAUCUS SPEAKS AT 9:30 A.M.

SEN. ROGER WICKER OF MISSISSIPPI, 9:45 A.M.

  1. Michael Wilson, Director of Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Maryland organization, Maryland Hunger Solutions, Baltimore Maryland

CLOSING AND MAIN SESSION-THURSDAY LUNCH AND EARLY AFTERNOON, MAY 18, LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE REFORMATION NEAR US SUPREME COURT, LUNCH SERVED AT 11 A.M., SESSION FROM 11:30 A.M. TO 2:30 P.M.

“The Trump Budget Cuts and Their Impact Nationally as Well as on the Virginia/DC/Maryland Region” Begin serving lunch at 11 a.m.

11:30 A.M.-Kimberly Adams, teacher and former President, Fairfax Virginia Education Association, Democratic Candidate for Congress, 10th District of Virginia

11:40 a.m.-Dan Helmer, 10th District Congressional candidate (other candidates Jennifer Wexton and US Rep. Barbara Comstock were invited)

Kevin Hickerson, Virginia Education Association, President, Fairfax Education Association

NOON to 12:20-Joel Berg, CEO, Hunger Free America-national foundation based in New York, former Clinton administration Presidential appointee, nationally recognized economic equality expert. Joel Berg will have copies available for signing of his nationally recognized new book, America, We Need to Talk, about political and economic issues in America and how all of us need to take responsibility and action to solve them.

12:20 to 12:30-Sen. Barbara Favola, Virginia state senator from Arlington, northern Virginia

12:30 to 12:40-Jennifer Allen, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia

12:40 to 12:50 p.m. Walter Tejada, President, Virginia Latino Leaders Council

CONGRESSMAN JAMES CLYBURN OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THIRD RANKING NATIONAL LEADER IN THE HOUSE, IS SCHEDULED FOR 1 P.M.

1:30 p.m. to 1:40 p.m.- Edsel Brown, Maryland NAACP Economic Development Chairman

1:40 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.-Mike Town, Executive Director, Virginia League of Conservation Voters

1:50 p.m. to 2 p.m.-. Michael Curtin, CEO, DC Central Kitchen, nationally recognized nonprofit based in Washington, DC

2 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.- Lisa Oelfke, health care expert with the state of Maryland with direct experience implementing the Affordabe Care Act

2:10 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.-Nicole Brown, CEO, Carter Enterprise Solutions, Maryland minority businesswoman, addressing Trump administration’s proposed cuts to programs providing incentives for minority small business

2:20 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.-Closing remarks-Rodney Fisher, Education policy expert, Alexandria, Virginia, former aide to US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and four Commissioners of Education in Texas

Sponsors for the Economic Equality Caucus Conference

May 17-18, 2017, Washington, DC

Tribute to the late, great Sam Scruggs At this conference we are paying tribute to the memory of the late Sam Scruggs, Executive Director of the great nonprofit, Mississippi County Arkansas Economic Opportunity Commission in northeast Arkansas, who passed away early in 2017 after a lifetime of distinguished leadership for the community and economic progress of the Greater Delta Region

Lead Sponsor

Nucor Yamato Steel and Nucor Steel of Arkansas

Major Co-Sponsors

Heifer International

Mississippi County AR Economic Opportunity Commission, Blytheville, Arkansas

Sponsors

Kay Goss, author, educator, Associate Director of FEMA for President Clinton, Emergency Manager

Sikeston, Missouri, Regional Chamber of Commerce

Wilson Golden, Board Member of the Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi, Presidential appointee in the Clinton administration, now based in Georgia

American Agriculture Movement of Arkansas

First State Bank & Trust, Caruthersville, Missouri

Writing Our World Publishing, LLC

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas

EEC Grassroots Partners

Last but not least, we would like to thank the literally hundreds of grassroots partners across the country for their many contributions of registration fees, annual membership dues or other voluntary donations in the amounts of $100, $75, $50 and $25. As a grassroots private sector coalition, we need to have a diversified financial base with large numbers of small contributions, and we could not do our work without these numerous contributions.