Daily Dime

America’s economic recovery from the Great Recession has been terribly uneven, with growth concentrated mainly in large urban areas while many rural communities hemorrhage jobs and population. A new study by Olugbenga Ajilore, of the Center for American Progress puts numbers to this phenomenon.… Read more...

Public defenders offices in Louisiana get a portion – and in some cases, all – of their funding through fines and fees levied on people going through the justice system. While these fines and fees can shore up public defenders’ shaky finances, they can also have a crushing effect on those least able to afford them according to a recent blog by Rachel Lane of Louisiana Budget Project:

For people experiencing financial hardship, fines and fees can create a cycle of debt,” she says, “A person who can’t cover an initial $100 for court costs can find those costs compounded by late fees, saddling them with consequences that far exceed their initial punishment.

The 2020 election is in full swing, but poverty – which directly affects more than 38 million Americans – hasn’t been part of the conversation. For politicians with solutions to offer, ignoring poverty may be a strategic mistake. As the Rev.… Read more...

Large parts of rural Louisiana are in an economic crisis, and Gov. John Bel Edwards is looking for answers. The governor announced last week that he’s creating a task force to address the issues, led by his former chief of staff, Ben Nevers.… Read more...