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JPIC Office Blog
November 14, 2008
Envisioning God’s grace
surrounding President-elect Barack Obama
We ask God to bless him with the
wisdom necessary to promote the common good
for all God’s people
and all of creation.
His new administration and the elected
congressional leaders are challenged
with the responsibilities to
meet the needs of the poor and vulnerable in our country
and
throughout the world.
We pray that their efforts are focused on
building a world
of peace, solidarity and justice.
Obama’s
hopeful message that change is possible
inspires our
efforts.
So we pray to be instruments
of peace,
transformation, hope and healing.
Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF and
Leader of the JPIC Office
BY ANN PIASECKI
JPIC
COORDINATOR
Stories in the November
2008 JPIC Blog:
Financial Crisis: What Happened and Why?
Climate change strategies in the offing
Clean car program drives global warming
efforts
Ugandan representatives seek green solutions
Immigration remains a priority
Immokalee workers press for tangible support
measures
Budget matters for housing
Mortgage provision assistance available
Banks moving to adjust mortgages
Illinois takes steps to thwart predatory mortgage
lenders
Financial Crisis: What
Happened and Why?
NETWORK: A national Catholic
social justice lobby group based in Washington, D.C., explains the
circumstances that led to the financial crisis, beginning in the
United States. The JPIC Office is a member of the NETWORK
organization and supports its efforts.
WASHINGTON, D.C. —The
financial crisis had multiple, simultaneous causes, including the
securitization of subprime mortgage loans, lax and
predatory lending practices, inaccurate ratings of
the risks of investing in new financial products, and little
regulation and lack of transparency of those
products.
Because so many commercial and investment banks and
insurance firms have failed, a climate of distrust has developed.
Banks and other financial institutions hesitate to lend to
businesses or to each other because they don’t believe in the
solvency of other financial institutions and fear they won’t be
repaid. In addition, trust in the competence and credibility of the
credit ratings agencies has been badly
damaged.
The financial crisis is affecting the real economy
in many ways. For example, when businesses cannot borrow to fund
their operations, layoffs occur, causing unemployment to rise ever
higher. In addition, retirees relying on 401K retirement accounts
have seen their nest eggs shrink. Even states and municipalities are
being adversely affected by the crisis, and will likely be forced to
make budget cuts.
For more details about the economic
situation from Wall Street to Main Street, visit the NETWORK Web
site at: http://www.networklobby.org/issues/index.html.
Climate change
strategies in the offing
LISLE—The Midwest Greenhouse
Gas Reduction Accord, which was signed last February by the Canadian
provinces of Ontario and Manitoba along with the governors of
Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin,
Ohio and Kansas, is acquiring a degree of clout. A bill proposed in
the Illinois General Assembly would make it mandatory for
pollution-generating industries not only to reduce their output of
greenhouse gases (GHGs) but also to participate in a carbon cap and
trade auction program.
The Global Warming Response Act, if
authorized, is designed to implement the initiatives recommended by
the two-year-old Illinois Climate Change Advisory Group. As an
energy stewardship plan, it would be administered and controlled on
a permit basis. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency would
be expected to establish a threshold for allowable emissions, which
would be consistently cutback as technology is enhanced to function
without GHGs. Jonathan Goldman, executive director of the Illinois
Environmental Council (IEC), noted recently that Illinois expects a
cap-and-trade system that forces an immediate auction provision. The
auction provision speeds up the process. And it is intended to
function as a measure that halts the transfer of public money to
private for-profit businesses.
The system would work to lower GHGs from
“power plants to 1990 levels by 2020,” according to Goldman.
On Nov. 10, Rev. Clare Butterfield, executive
director of Faith In Place, an interfaith environmental advocacy
group headquartered in Chicago, addressed representatives from the
Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet in Lisle, Ill. She
said, “The carbon cap and trade proposal for the Midwest is expected
to be the cornerstone” of the Global Warming Act proposal. The
proposal is in keeping with the overall policies of the
environmental faith group. Furthermore, the notion was lauded as
part of a concrete solution to climate change by representatives
from the Diocese of Joliet and other participants, including Robert
Gronski, policy coordinator for the National Catholic Rural Life
Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. The bill is expected to wind its way
through the General Assembly in the winter of 2009. Updated advocacy
efforts will be forthcoming.
Meanwhile, faith group representatives gave a
special nod of approval because within the plan consideration is
given to the potential economic hardship to the poor due to
increased energy costs. At the outset, the act calls for the
creation of a program to address the special impacts of higher
energy costs on low-income families and individuals.
At the federal level, a series of related
proposals addressing an overall cap-and-trade auction plan have been
introduced. Meanwhile, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is being drawn into the matter to establish guidelines and act
as an oversight agent.
The cap-and-trade auction design is also
being considered for application to water emissions. Federal and
state EPA officials are currently working to collaborate on
applicable guidelines and implementation strategies, according to a
report issued Nov. 13 to the DuPage County Environmental Commission.
For information, visit the Web
site for IEC at Check out the IEC Web site at http://www.ilenviro.org/news/, the Midwest
Governors Association at http://www.midwesterngovernors.org/resolutions/Greenhouse%20gas%20accord_Layout%201.pdf
or Faith in Place at http://www.faithinplace.org/news.php?ID=44.
Clean car program drives
global warming efforts
JOLIET—The
proposed Illinois Clean Car Act, HB3424, is meant to mirror GHG
vehicle emissions standards in California. In effect the bill would
mandate that all newly built vehicles get 39 miles to the gallon by
2012.
In an October presentation, Kate Shrank, an environmental
attorney from Naperville and founder of the nonprofit organization,
Cool Ride Clean Choice, updated the Legislative Advocacy Committee
for the Diocese of Joliet on the proposal that could come up for a
vote during the November veto session of the Illinois Legislature.
“Cleaning up the cars on our state’s roads can make a huge
difference to our environment, public health and economy. And the
way to do it is simple: adopt California’s car emissions standards,
just like 14 other states all across American have already done,”
noted.
Together with a team of environment-savvy high school
students from throughout the DuPage County region, Shrank collected
petition signatures in support of the measure at the Oct. 11 Wheaton
Franciscan-sponsored Earth Summit 2008. She explained that these
more restrictive standards would reduce carbon monoxide and other
pollutants between 5 percent and 16 percent. In addition,
carcinogenic air toxics stand to drop by another 13 percent to 21
percent and global warming pollution by “a whopping 30 percent.”
As demonstrated in California and 14 other states, car
manufacturers already have the technology to produce the same
fuel-efficient vehicles in Illinois. What places Illinois in a
pinnacle position is the fact that is the fifth most populous state
in the U.S. If Illinois approves the measure, it could be seen as
the “tipping point” to force federal legislation, she
said.
And while the proposed HB3424 acts to reduce
global warming, Shrank said it has multiple benefits. A significant
reduction in GHGs has been found to decrease the number of asthma
emergencies at hospitals. Advocacy updates are scheduled for JPIC
Web site posting.
For more information, visit http://www.cleancarsillinois.org/
and the Environmental Law & Policy Center Web site at http://www.elpc.org/.
Ugandan representatives
seek green solutions
WHEATON—A team of five observers from
the central region of Uganda arrived in Chicago Nov. 1 for a
nine-day tour of environmental endeavors that might be adapted for
use in the east African nation, ranging from waste water management
to horticultural projects. Led by Jack Sheaffer, hydrologist and chairman of the
DuPage County Environmental Commission, the team got a first-hand
look at a variety of developments that defied global warming trends
in favor of preservation and conservation ideals.
Sheaffer’s
interest and participation in the recent Earth Summit 2008 held on
the campus of the Wheaton Franciscans sparked an ongoing willingness
to collaborate with the staff at the Justice, Peace and Integrity of
Creation (JPIC) Office of the Wheaton Franciscans. He brought the
Ugandan visitors along with a fellow water management expert from
Miami, Fla., Guy Hamilton, to the Nov. 3 Dinner & Dialogue
series. The topic, “Enhancing our World and Reducing our Carbon
Footprint,” was led by Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF and Leader of the
JPIC, and Covenant Member Seth Dibblee, environmental scientist.
The Ugandan contingent included: Kampala City Council
members Olive Kitui and Dr. Makanga Livingstone along with Abbey
Walusimbi, chairman of the Global Diaspora Advisory Council to
President Yoweri Museveni and member of the Floodplain Solutions
Group for Uganda; Geraldine Misanur, a nurse and occupational
therapist, and Joshua Zake, also a member of the Floodplain
Solutions Group.
They toured Sheaffer’s waste water
management facility in Itasca, Ill., and were introduced to a
variety of projects in Chicago and throughout DuPage County. The
group attended a meeting of the Rotary Club of Naperville, where
they gained support for efforts to bring solar ovens to
Kampala.
On Nov. 7 the group met with Sr. Sheila and
discussed efforts already underway by Franciscan International (FI)
to assist with green development and peace initiatives in Uganda.
Some in the group were familiar with FI programs and staff members
and expressed satisfaction with education and health care projects.
Kitui was particularly interested in agricultural advances
as they are linked to the carbon credit marketing system, which
provides funds for individuals contributing favorably to the
environment by planting trees and reducing greenhouse emissions. One
of the country’s chief problems is a shortage of water due to severe
drought conditions. Sheaffer said he would connect the group with
horticultural experts who are currently working on plants and trees
that not only grow well in dry conditions but also produces
nutrients to enrich the soil.
Some in the group are working
with universities in the east African region and participating in
water solutions projects. The group is preparing for participation
in the 5th annual World Water Forum slated from March 16-19 in
Istanbul, turkey. For information, visit the forum Web site at: http://www.worldwaterforum5.org/ .
Immigration remains
a priority
WHEATON—Franciscan Action Network
(FAN) is a grassroots, faith-based legislative advocacy organization
which lists the enactment of an effective and compassionate
immigration policy as one of its top priorities. One of the founding
members of FAN, Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF and Leader of the JPIC, said
the group is committed to pressing Congress for a policy that will
be forthright and just for all. For more information on FAN, visit
the Web site at: http://www.franciscanaction.org/ .
Immokalee workers
pressing for tangible support measures
WHEATON—The
Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has launched a post-card
campaign to press the head of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., a
franchise of national restaurants, to join with McDonald’s, Burger
King and Whole Foods corporations in paying an extra penny per pound
for tomatoes picked by crop harvesters in Immokalee, Fla. The text
for post-cards can be accessed at the CIW Web site at: http://www.ciw-online.org/CIW_response_to_Chipotle.html.
The cards should be mailed to: Mr. Steve Ells, CEO, Chipotle Mexican
Grill, Ind., 1543 Wazee St., Suite 200, Denver, CO 80202.
The CIW represents the bulk of Florida’s tomato pickers,
most of whom are migrant farm workers. Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF and
Leader of the JPIC Office, together with representatives of the
Diocese of Joliet have worked with CIW and restaurant executives to
encourage dialogue. The results have been positive and have helped
ease the financial plight of those living on the margins of society.
The farm workers earn minimum wage for 10-hour days in grueling
conditions, said Sr. Sheila.
Organization officials have invited
President-elect Barack Obama to tour the community to see firsthand
the extreme conditions the workers and their families
endure.
Budget matters for
housing
Bob Palmer, executive
director of Housing Matters, serves also as a consultant for DuPage
Housing Action Coalition (DHAC); the Wheaton Franciscans are also
members of DHAC and work in cohort with the organization’s
affordable housing
objectives.
WHEATON—The
economic crisis on Wall Street and Main Street alike makes Illinois’
Appropriations and General Fund proposal, SB 1103, that much more
poignant. The bill, which cleared both the House and Senate, was
sent to Gov. Rod Blagojevich in early October. It authorizes a
series of contingent expenses, including the restoration of $4
million for supportive mental illness housing, explained Bob Palmer,
executive director of Housing Matters, a nonprofit affordable
housing advocacy organization.
The governor has till Dec. 6
to sign the bill, which would allow for the restoration of
previously cut programs and services for some of Illinois’ “most
vulnerable” residents—the homeless population and those needing
substance abuse treatment, as well as those individuals and families
requiring mental health care. At risk are funds for social services
to assist with 769 supportive housing units for 900-plus homeless
men, women and children (along with those suffering mental illness
or special needs), he said. For more information, visit the Web site
for Housing Matters at: http://www.housingmatters.net/.
Mortgage provision
assistance available
WHEATON—The
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has established a refinance
program for primary residence homeowners having difficulty paying
their mortgages.
Called HOPE for Homeowners, the program went
into effect on Oct. 1. Bob Palmer, executive director of Housing
Matters, said “borrowers must demonstrate their long-term ability to
repay the mortgage” and meet several other requirements. For more
information, visit the FHA Web site at: http://www.fha.gov/.
Banks moving to adjust
mortgages
WHEATON—Home
mortgage institution, Citibank, announced Nov. 11 that it was
imposing a moratorium on foreclosures in regions suffering the worst
from the economic slowdown. In total, the corporation is offering to
renegotiate interest rates, reduce the principal or increase the
term of the loan for homeowners owing 90 percent of the purchase
price on homes whose market value has dropped significantly.
Communities in Michigan and Ohio stand to gain the most benefit,
since the unemployment is soaring there.
According to a Nov.
11 Associated Press report, “500,000 homeowners” are
eligible for assistance if they meet the
criteria—homeowners who are up-to-date on their
mortgage payments but deemed to be potentially at risk of falling
behind.
Meanwhile the White House is backing off its proposed
mortgage relief plan. Subprime mortgage holders have been eliminated
from a plan to modify terms and rates, according to a Nov. 12 story
in the New York Times.
Illinois takes steps
to thwart predatory mortgage lenders
WHEATON—Illinois Attorney General
Lisa Madigan last month accepted an $8.7 billion settlement on a
lawsuit against Countrywide Financial Corp., charging the fifth
largest mortgage lender and servicer in the nation, with undertaking
predatory lending practices. Madigan led the charge, which was
joined by California Attorney General Jerry Brown and nine other
states.
According to Bob Palmer, executive director of the
nonprofit advocate organization Housing Matters, the settlement
demands a mandatory loan modification process. In Illinois, close to
11,000 borrowers are eligible for mortgage adjustments.
The program “hopefully will serve as a model for other
lenders and the federal government for how to help homeowners on the
verge of foreclosure,” he said.
Almost 11,000 borrowers in
Illinois are expected to be eligible for loan modifications.
Specifically, adjustments are aimed at assisting primary home
dwellers who received subprime loans or those who accepted Pay
Option Adjustable Rate mortgages between January 2004 and December
2007.
Palmer added “hopefully (it) will serve as a model for
other lenders and the federal government for how to help homeowners
on the verge of foreclosure.
The program is anticipated to
get underway by Dec. 1, 2008. For more information, visit the
Countrywide Financial Web site at http:://www.countrywide.com or
visit the Housing Matters Web site at: http://www.housingmatters.net/.
As always thank you for reading our blog, for
your prayerful support and for your part to make this world a better
place.
Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF
JPIC Leader
Wheaton Franciscans
Blog Archives
January, 2008
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2008
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May, 2008
June, 2008
July, 2008
August, 2008
September, 2008
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