I came to Nebraska Appleseed knowing that many of the policies I would advocate would be under attack. I was right, and the common complaints were all present. If a benefits program wasn’t too expensive, it was creating incentives for illegal activity. It is easy for groups to attract support simply by shouting others down, but the quiet, untiring work of Appleseed and public interest groups gives a voice to those most in need of being heard.
The needy are easy scapegoats for the majority, especially in difficult economic times. The temptation will always exist, when the budget gap needs to be closed, to cut public benefits because the majority of people do not see immediate rewards from Medicaid or even early childhood services, and extending a hand to immigrant populations is perceived as a drain on the pocketbooks of potential voters.
But at Appleseed, I have been delighted to find that the attorneys and staff see beyond the short term needs of the majority and those in power. If no one spoke up for those in need, their needs would continually go unmet, and their long-term chances for prosperity would be virtually eliminated. By giving those vulnerable to Nebraska’s leaders’ reactions to political pressure a voice and a seat at the table, Appleseed guards against the caprices of the majority.
The Omaha World Herald reports that the Fremont City Council will consider a 2011 budget that includes property tax hikes to help pay for the defense of the city’s recently voter-approved anti-immigrant law which imposes a ban on hiring or renting property to undocumented immigrants in the small community of 25,000 people. Both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) sued on the basis that the ordinance is discriminatory. Officials have estimated that the cost of implementation, including defending it in court, will average $1 million per year. As a result, Fremont taxpayers are now facing a potential 18 percent increase in property taxes:
A proposed property tax hike to defend Fremont’s controversial immigration law is heading to the City Council. The council at its Aug. 31 meeting will consider a 2011 budget that includes $750,000 to help pay the projected annual cost of defending the voter-approved ordinance. The public will have an opportunity to comment. [...]
City Administrator Robert Hartwig said the council most likely will not vote on the proposed 18 percent increase in the city’s portion of the property tax rate until Sept. 14. If approved, the owner of a $200,000 house would pay about $116 more in taxes next year.
While undertaking a laudable effort to address the concerns of small businesses, U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns has jeopardized one of the key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — a renewed focus on disease prevention and wellness.
During the health care reform debate, one thing that the Nebraska congressional delegation unanimously agreed on was that it is necessary to place an increased focus on disease prevention and wellness as the only viable way to transition our broken “sick care” system into a properly functioning health care system.
This spring, Congress made a historic investment in public health through the creation of the Prevention and Public Health Fund as part of the Affordable Care Act. The fund would provide a dedicated stream of resources to pay for much-needed preventive services, community-level prevention and public health. We are already seeing the benefits of this fund in action, as investments are being made in state and local tobacco cessation, obesity prevention and nutrition and physical activity.
But now this critical program is in jeopardy. Sen. Johanns has proposed an amendment to the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act to repeal a provision in the Affordable Care Act that closed a tax loophole by requiring businesses to report purchases of more than $600 on their federal taxes. To pay for this provision, the Johanns amendment proposes a cut of $11 billion out of $15 billion from the Prevention and Public Health Funding budget, effectively eliminating the program altogether. This amendment also would seriously weaken other important aspects of the health care reform law.
For a number of reasons, my clerkship at Appleseed has been a wonderful experience. First, the work environment is great. Appleseed has a teamwork-oriented atmosphere where a law clerk’s work and input is encouraged, trusted, and valued. Feedback on assignments from staff is always constructive and forward-looking.
Second, because of the latitude of responsibility given to the clerks, my research skills have significantly improved. I was assigned a wide variety of issues to research this summer, forcing me to explore Westlaw, Lexis, and other resources more in depth than I had before. As a result, I became more efficient with my searches and more knowledgeable of legal resources.
Third, working at Appleseed has given me the opportunity to work on social issues that are currently on the forefront of the American conscious right now. With the relatively recent passage of immigration and health care laws, Appleseed has been diligently advocating for those who potentially could be affected the most by the legislation.
Fourth, the Nebraska Appleseed volleyball team is second to none. Well, at least in terms of effort and fun had.
I cannot think of a better culmination to my summer work at Appleseed than being a part of the Concert for Equality on July 30. (Please see earlier blog posts to learn about this awesome event started by Nebraskan Conor Oberst.) I arrived early that afternoon, a bit intimidated to be part of the “stop and dial” crew. People began to line up for the concert and our group of volunteers helped them call senators’ offices to urge comprehensive federal immigration reform, not a patchwork of local and state laws. We also handed out stickers and informational materials. I was pleasantly surprised at how many people wanted to engage in conversation. If someone preferred not to participate, we just thanked them for coming and wished them a good time at the concert. In total, 2000 people from 30 states, England, Australia, and Israel attended the event! Later, Nebraska Appleseed Executive Director Becky Gould spoke on stage and we threw t-shirts into the crowd. I left the concert feeling hopeful–it was truly a community event, one of positive energy and friendly collaboration, something I was proud to participate in.
When I came to law school I was already committed to working in public service, I just hadn’t figured out quite what that meant for me. This summer I’ve worked on many interesting research projects including: state and local anti-immigrant legislation, meatpacker safety, Fremont ordinance, and health care reform. The staff of Nebraska Appleseed has been so inspiring, patient, and welcoming to the law clerks and interns. As I figure out where my talents meet the world’s needs, I am thankful that I was able to be part of such a great organization.
I could not have asked for a better summer clerkship experience. I feel extremely fortunate to have had a clerkship where I could both sharpen the skills I learned during the first year of law school and serve the needs of others. This summer, I worked in Appleseed’s Low Income Economic Opportunity Program. Through the research I was able to complete, as well as through legal and policy discussions with other clerks and attorneys, my understanding of these programs and the needs of Nebraskans grew greatly. Ultimately, it is somewhat difficult to reflect on my experience at Nebraska Appleseed, as it feels as if the summer flew by. While I was able to delve into research and discussions surrounding a number of issues, this experience left me wanting to do even more.
For some time now, I have hoped to eventually have a career in which I could work for the needs of others and work on issues I feel passionate about. I am of the firm belief that our society is a community, one that thrives when there is social justice for all, when collaboration and dialogue among members is fostered, and when the needs of all within the community are met. My experience at Appleseed, in addition to being an invaluable educational experience, solidified this belief and my desire to work in public interest law, an area both personally rewarding and beneficial to others.
On Saturday July 31st, 2010 in Omaha, NE, several bands including Bright Eyes, Cursive, Desaparecidos (their first live performance since 2002), and Lullaby For The Working Class gathered together to fight for equality by playing a benefit show for the ACLU Nebraska.
All proceeds from the concerts went to the ACLU Nebraska who prepared a law suit against the town of Fremont, Nebraska, the latest in a series of U.S. towns that have decided to take immigration law into their own hands. ACLU Nebraska filed a lawsuit challenging the law which attempts to ban undocumented immigrants from renting, residing or being employed in the Nebraska town.
Ever since I decided to go to law school I have been interested in public interest law. So, when I began searching for a job to keep me busy between my 1L and 2L years of law school, I was excited to come across Nebraska Appleseed. While I wanted to work in an area of law that I was interested in, my first priority was to find a job that would allow me to practice the skills that I learned in my first year of law school and provide me with substantive legal work. Fortunately, Nebraska Appleseed allowed me to do both. This summer, I have been able to work on issues that I am passionate about as well as challenging legal work. I got to help write and then give testimony at a public hearing on Medicaid managed care, research the state’s ability to limit access to Medicaid, and observe as an Appleseed attorney argued in court.
The legal experience I gained at Appleseed will truly benefit me in law school and in my future career as a lawyer. However, I also had the unique opportunity to work on issues that I care about with attorneys who have put their careers towards helping individuals who may not otherwise have a voice in public policy debates. I also got to see first-hand the challenges and rewards that come with a career in public interest law. Nebraska Appleseed works every day on important issues that affect all of us, and I am grateful that I got to be a part of it this summer.
Each summer, Nebraska Appleseed’s law clerk program attracts some of the best and brightest public interest minded law students from Nebraska and across the country. This summer was no exception. We were fortunate to have eight students: three from the University of Nebraska College of Law, three from Creighton University Law School, one from the University of Iowa College of Law, and one from Georgetown University’s Law School. These students worked side-by-side with us as we tackled some of the most pressing public interest issues of the day, including the state’s fragile child welfare reform, ongoing health care access issues, and harmful immigration policies.
In the coming days, this blog will feature reflections from Appleseed’s summer law clerks. You will hear in their own words what they have done and learned this summer and how their experience has impacted their thoughts about their future career paths. It has been great to see the level of interest and talent reflected in this group of students and we look forward to watching the various ways they will work to “sow the seeds of justice” in the future!
If you know a talented student who would like to intern or clerk at Nebraska Appleseed please direct them to: http://www.neappleseed.org/jobs/
If you would like to consider supporting our young public interest leadership program please consider donating online at: http://www.neappleseed.org/contribute/
This is the third week of “Voices from Fremont,” a series sharing the experiences of Fremont-area residents since their city became the most recent in a handful of towns across the country to pass a city ordinance that attempts to regulate immigration at the local level. In this third week, we will let the voices speak for themselves. (See weeks one and two on 7/30 and 8/6. Note that the ordinance has not yet gone into effect, despite the impact it has already had on the community.)
Nuestra vida no está tranquila….y además los Americanos siempre nos ven con más odio y por supuesto nos sentimos muy mal mas por nuestros hijos por que los niños no saben nosotros lo que queremos es luchar para sacar adelante nuestra familia. (8/1/10)
Our lives aren’t calm…and the Americans always see us with more hate and of course we feel bad, more for our children because the kids don’t know. What we want is to keep struggling and to strive for our family. (8/1/10)
___
No hay tranquilidad porque los americanos nos demuestran el racismo. Uno de hispano no entiende porque ellos nos tratan así porque también somos personas y nosotros lo que queremos es salir adelante y no hacerle daño a nadie. (8/1/10)
There’s no peace because Americans have demonstrated racism. As a Hispanic, one doesn’t know why they treat us like they do, because we’re human beings, too, and what we want is to move forward and not hurt anybody. (8/1/10) Read more »
I came to Nebraska Appleseed knowing that many of the policies I would advocate would be under attack. I was right, and the common complaints were all present. If a benefits program wasn’t too expensive, it was creating incentives for illegal activity. It is easy for groups to attract support simply by shouting others down, but the quiet, untiring work of Appleseed and public interest groups gives a voice to those most in need of being heard.
While undertaking a laudable effort to address the concerns of small businesses, U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns has jeopardized one of the key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — a renewed focus on disease prevention and wellness.
For a number of reasons, my clerkship at Appleseed has been a wonderful experience. First, the work environment is great. Appleseed has a teamwork-oriented atmosphere where a law clerk’s work and input is encouraged, trusted, and valued. Feedback on assignments from staff is always constructive and forward-looking.
I cannot think of a better culmination to my summer work at Appleseed than being a part of the Concert for Equality on July 30. (Please see earlier blog posts to learn about this awesome event started by Nebraskan Conor Oberst.) I arrived early that afternoon, a bit intimidated to be part of the “stop and dial” crew. People began to line up for the concert and our group of volunteers helped them call senators’ offices to urge comprehensive federal immigration reform, not a patchwork of local and state laws. We also handed out stickers and informational materials. I was pleasantly surprised at how many people wanted to engage in conversation. If someone preferred not to participate, we just thanked them for coming and wished them a good time at the concert. In total, 2000 people from 30 states, England, Australia, and Israel attended the event! Later, Nebraska Appleseed Executive Director Becky Gould spoke on stage and we threw t-shirts into the crowd. I left the concert feeling hopeful–it was truly a community event, one of positive energy and friendly collaboration, something I was proud to participate in.
I could not have asked for a better summer clerkship experience. I feel extremely fortunate to have had a clerkship where I could both sharpen the skills I learned during the first year of law school and serve the needs of others. This summer, I worked in Appleseed’s Low Income Economic Opportunity Program. Through the research I was able to complete, as well as through legal and policy discussions with other clerks and attorneys, my understanding of these programs and the needs of Nebraskans grew greatly. Ultimately, it is somewhat difficult to reflect on my experience at Nebraska Appleseed, as it feels as if the summer flew by. While I was able to delve into research and discussions surrounding a number of issues, this experience left me wanting to do even more.
Ever since I decided to go to law school I have been interested in public interest law. So, when I began searching for a job to keep me busy between my 1L and 2L years of law school, I was excited to come across Nebraska Appleseed. While I wanted to work in an area of law that I was interested in, my first priority was to find a job that would allow me to practice the skills that I learned in my first year of law school and provide me with substantive legal work. Fortunately, Nebraska Appleseed allowed me to do both. This summer, I have been able to work on issues that I am passionate about as well as challenging legal work. I got to help write and then give testimony at a public hearing on Medicaid managed care, research the state’s ability to limit access to Medicaid, and observe as an Appleseed attorney argued in court.
This is the third week of “Voices from Fremont,” a series sharing the experiences of Fremont-area residents since their city became the most recent in a handful of towns across the country to pass a city ordinance that attempts to regulate immigration at the local level. In this third week, we will let the voices speak for themselves. (See weeks one and two on 7/30 and 8/6. Note that the ordinance has not yet gone into effect, despite the impact it has already had on the community.)
