Michigan depends on its skilled workers, and much has been written and said about the need to build up our state’s workforce. Yet year after year in the state budget, state policymakers neglect to adequately fund adult education, making it less accessible for low-skilled workers who want to build their skills, become financially self-sufficient and contribute to Michigan’s economy. Adult education is the key to preparing these workers for occupational training and skilled employment, and better funding and an expanded role will enable it to meet the demand more effectively.
In the past, high school graduates could enter the middle class by getting jobs in the manufacturing sector immediately after graduation and moving eventually into skilled, higher-paying positions. Today, however, technological advances and offshore production have greatly decreased the need for unskilled, entry-level labor. A high school diploma by itself has far less value in the job market as a result, and employers increasingly prefer to hire skilled workers with a postsecondary credential such as a degree, certificate or license. With 9% of working age Michigan adults lacking a high school diploma, 1 out of 10 low-income working families having a parent that does not speak English well, and 6 out of 10 community college students needing remediation, it is clear that too many workers have basic skill deficiencies that make it difficult to attain such credentials.
Expanding adult education services to help more low-skilled but highly motivated individuals succeed in post-secondary training will benefit Michigan. Skilled workers help attract and keep businesses in the state, spend more in their local communities, pay more in taxes, and are less likely to become unemployed or need public assistance. On the other hand, continuing to neglect adult education keeps a segment of the population out of the skilled labor pool, which in turns keeps the need for public assistance high, slows the revitalization of struggling communities and wastes an opportunity to increase state revenues.
The push in Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would jeopardize the health coverage and economic security of approximately 650,000 Arizonans, including 160,000 children. Most of those who stand to lose coverage work in jobs that are the backbone of our economy – people such as waiters, construction laborers, janitors, school staff, and those providing care to children, the sick, and the elderly. Taking coverage away from Arizonans would also increase the number of uninsured people visiting emergency rooms for regular, non-emergency conditions and for complex and costly health problems that could have been addressed earlier. This could make healthcare more expensive for everyone, including people who are covered through their employers.
Louisiana’s tax system is broken. It doesn’t bring in enough revenue to pay for the things that allow communities to thrive- strong schools, good hospitals and public safety. It taxes people with low incomes at higher levels than the rich. It doesn’t keep up with economic growth. And it’s riddled with special-interest exemptions and tax breaks.
It’s time to trade the never-ending cycle of budget shortfalls for long-term stability that allows for new investments in Louisiana’s communities. It can only happen with fundamental tax reform that meets some basic principles: Fairness, Adequacy, Competitiveness, Timeliness and Sustainability.
A new report by LBP’s Nick Albares, “Moving from Budget Cuts to State Investments: A Blueprint for a Stronger Louisiana,” provides a series of recommendations for how Louisiana’s tax code can be restructured in a way that generates new revenue and shifts the public debate from a question of “where to cut” to “how to invest” in Louisiana’s working families.
Making these common-sense reforms will allow Louisiana to meet its current obligations to students, families and health care providers while making new investments in priorities that can grow and sustain the middle class: college financial aid, early care and education, affordable housing and public safety.
Publication
- February 1, 2017
- COWS
- Laura Dresser, Mary C. King, and Raahi Reddy.
Oregon’s current care economy is vast and largely invisible. Currently underinvested, it creates and exacerbates poverty and inequality. We are missing the opportunity to invest adequately in the care economy in order to build a stronger, more inclusive economy and better life for us all. This report seeks to bring care work into view.