F.A.C.E. to FACE   F.A.C.E. BULLETIN 8/10/04   Dear Friends,   Florida Alliance for Choices in Education will continue its efforts to engage, educate, empower and mobilize parents, community and vested parties on behalf of the struggle for the educational future of Florida’s lower income children and the right of their parents and/or guardians to choose the best educational options for their children.   In addition to the aforementioned, F.A.C.E. hopes to continue to provide value back to your schools. Value-added services for schools and parents in areas such as Title I, E-Rate funding, Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program and other programs.  This newsletter provides three such possibilities.    Thank you for Stepping Up For Students,   Michael A. Benjamin Executive Director Florida School Choice Fund – Supply Program Florida Alliance for Choices in Education (F.A.C.E.)   Literacy Empowerment Foundation [mailto:Literacypro@comcast.net]   Dear Literacy Professional,   The Literacy Empowerment Foundation (LEF), a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that supplies books to over 14,000 schools, has updated its easy Matching Book Grant Program!  The Matching Book Grant Program has now been expanded to allow your school to double its purchasing power on a larger quantity of books at the earliest reading levels.  This is a limited time offer that requires no special screening or application.   Here are the details:   Under the Matching Book Grant Program, there are Guided Reading and Independent Reading Collections available.   * Guided Reading Collections consist of 6 copies each of 18 different titles. * Independent Reading Collections consist of one copy each of 108 titles.   With each set of Guided Reading and/or Independent Reading Collections purchased at the regular price, an additional set of books will be included free of charge. We are happy to announce that we have increased the limit of the Matching Book Grant to $6,000.00 per school!  A school can now order up to $12,000.00 worth of books and pay only $6,000.00.  Any amount purchased (from $100.00 to $6,000.00) will be matched. Orders must be received by September 30, 2004.   Please forward this Email to your friends and colleagues in literacy.   Information and a Matching Book Grant Order Form are available at www.LEFbooks.org   Literacy Empowerment Foundation 6323 Salem Park Circle Mechanicsburg, Pa 17050   Phone: 717-791-6210 Web site: http://LEFbooks.org E-mail: rorendi@literacyempowerment.org         PSC votes to help poor pay for phone service LOUIS HAU. St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Fla.: Jul 21, 2004. pg. 1.D   Copyright Times Publishing Co. Jul 21, 2004 The Florida Public Service Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday to make it easier for low-income Floridians to apply for subsidies that defray the cost of installing and maintaining telephone service. The commission vote approved a PSC staff recommendation that streamlined application procedures and expanded eligibility in an effort to get more people to take advantage of the program. Only 13.7 percent of eligible Floridians use the program, a rate that is well below half the national average. The new rules add participation in the National School Lunch program to a list of such programs that automatically qualifies families for the federal Lifeline and Link-Up assistance programs. The PSC also widened eligibility to include households with incomes equal to 135 percent of federal poverty guidelines, up from 125 percent. Verizon, Sprint and BellSouth had vowed to expand the income- based eligibility requirements when concerns were raised about their applications last year for record-high increases in local basic phone rates. On Tuesday, attorneys for the phone companies urged the commission not to approve the PSC's staff recommendations, saying more information was needed to determine how to implement the changes and what financial impact they might have on the companies. While the companies have the right to protest the vote at a later date, PSC chairman Braulio Baez advised them to "exercise your rights in a very prudent manner," arguing that the new eligibility requirements are "an opportunity for us to do it better." The PSC staff noted that the low participation rates meant Florida paid out $29.2-million more in 2002 than it received back from the funding mechanism that supports Lifeline and Link-Up. That funding mechanism uses money collected primarily through the Universal Service Fund fee assessed on all monthly phone bills. Phone companies also contribute to the programs. Mike Twomey, a Tallahassee attorney representing senior-citizen advocacy group AARP in the matter, said the shortfall means Floridians have been subsidizing Lifeline programs in other states. "We've been addressing this problem unsuccessfully," Twomey told the commission. "The 13.7-percent rate speaks for itself." Lifeline pays up to $13.50 of a customer's phone bill, while Link- Up pays up to $30 to defray the cost of installing phone service. Before Tuesday's vote, commissioner Rudy Bradley emphasized the need to ensure against fraud in the system, a line of argument that exasperated public counsel Harold McLean, who challenged Bradley to cite any evidence of consumer fraud in the Lifeline and Link-Up programs. "Consumers are always committing fraud," Bradley responded. Bradley ultimately voted in favor of expanding eligibility, along with Baez and commissioner Charles Davidson. Commissioners Terry Deason and Lila Jaber voted against the measure. - Louis Hau can be reached at hau@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3404.   Tampa Stands To Benefit From Prosperity Campaign What's a quick and easy way to pump at least $13 million into Hillsborough County's economy? Identify low-income workers eligible for the federal earned income tax credit and help them apply for it. That's what's being done to great success in Dade, Duval, Palm Beach, Broward and other Florida counties. Hillsborough should join them. This infusion of money improves the lives of thousands of struggling families while giving a boost to local businesses. The possibilities are demonstrated most clearly in Miami-Dade County, where business, government and nonprofit leaders launched the Greater Miami Prosperity Campaign in 2002. The first year, the campaign helped the working poor take home nearly $63 million in tax credits. The average check cut to individuals: $1,800. The Internal Revenue Service estimates that 19,390 eligible Hillsborough County residents didn't file for the credit in 2001 and more may be eligible today. The maximum credit for 2004 is $4,204, depending on income, marital status and number of children. Low- wage earners also may qualify for past credits simply by filing amended tax returns going back three years. Some filers could collect a check for almost $17,000 - enough money to buy a new car, pay for a college education, place a down payment on a house. The key to making the prosperity campaign work, those in Miami say, was building a community coalition to go after the money. The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce led the way by urging its members to educate executives and human resource officers so they could help employees apply for the credits. Some businesses now tout such help as a benefit in competing for workers. The mayor's office supported the effort and instructed neighborhood liaisons to spread the word. Classes were held around the community. Information about the program was made available at libraries and other public buildings. Nonprofits such as the United Way provide staff and volunteers to work with the IRS to help fill out forms and steer people toward legitimate tax form preparers. Officials estimate that about one- third to one-half of those eligible don't apply for the credit, including about 70 percent of immigrants. Part of the campaign's effort is to educate poor people about better options and planning for the future. Programs sponsored by private foundation grants help recipients make wise decisions about paying off debt, opening bank accounts, finding good investments and making major purchases. The IRS also allows the credits to be collected in advance through company payrolls. Employees can ask their employers to do the paperwork to add up to $1,500 to their paychecks throughout the year and thus improve monthly cash flow. Businesses find such programs boost morale and build loyalty. Congress enacted the earned income tax credit in 1975 to offset federal taxes paid by low-income wage earners and to serve as a work incentive. Funding for the program expanded under federal welfare-to-work legislation in the mid-1990s to help welfare recipients survive on low wages and make the transition off government assistance. Last year, more than 20 million taxpayers collected more than $36 billion in EITC payments. About $2.4 billion came to Florida. Prosperity campaign members are working together to identify additional assistance for the needy from other private and public sources, such as food stamps, Medicaid and KidCare insurance coverage for children. Nearly $1.6 billion in state and federal funds went uncollected last year. This is money that recipients could use to buy clothing, education and housing while building the foundations of a productive life. Tampa should learn from its urban counterparts which have discovered that aiding the poor can be a smart business decision. LB: INCOME STAN DARDS To qualify for the earned income tax credit, workers with children can earn up to $33,692 in 2004 ($34,692 for married couples filing jointly). The limit is $29,666 ($30,666 if married) with one child or $11,230 ($12,230 if married) without a child.

 

Florida Alliance for Choices in Education (F.A.C.E)

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