Survey uncovers disturbing disparities

Roughly one year ago, the horror of Hurricane Katrina pushed poverty, income inequality and racial disparities into our consciousness in a way that was impossible to ignore. For an all-too-brief time, there was a real public conversation about those issues. While we still occasionally hear about how those who suffered from that tragedy are faring, the discussion of the systemic problems exposed by the hurricane seems to have passed.

The one-year anniversary of Katrina marked a unique opportunity to renew that conversation and make a commitment to sustaining it. At the same time, the anniversary brought the first release of data from the Census Bureau's new annual survey. That survey allows us to analyze the incomes and employment status of Washingtonians with greater detail and frequency than has been possible.

Now we know that 44 percent of African American children in Tacoma were poor in 2005. We know that 34 percent of Spokane women who worked full-time all year long earned less than $25,000. We know that the unemployment rate in Grant County is 11.7 percent.

With a tool such as the American Community Survey, we don't need a hurricane to uncover those disturbing facts. But like all tools, the ACS isn't much use idle in a toolbox. Sure, it's the kind of thing policy wonks and academics dream of and when the news is good it will give politicians something to brag about.

However, there is potential for something more: We should use the annual ACS reports as benchmarks to guide policy decisions.

Using regularly reported economic statistics to steer government action has many precedents. As one example, the Federal Reserve keeps an eagle eye on monthly price indexes because we've given it the mandate of taking action to keep inflation under control.

Expanding opportunity to our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet is as important a goal of our local, state and national governments as is controlling inflation. The new ACS statistics should move us to action with as much promptness as the Federal Reserve moves to raise interest rates.

Making a real commitment to opportunity will take courageous leadership and a long-term investment. Social and economic problems such as poverty won't be eradicated overnight or on the cheap.

The past four years also have taught us that we can't rely on general economic growth to do the job. Despite growth in gross domestic product and soaring corporate profits, incomes of regular American families have not seen corresponding improvements.

We can do better. We can come together and decide that it is unacceptable for half the preschoolers in Bellingham to be poor and for 138,000 Washingtonian children to be without health insurance. Then we can put our minds together and come up with real solutions.

Jeff Chapman is research director at the Washington State Budget & Policy Center (www.budgetandpolicy.org).

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