The Poverty, Work and Opportunity Task Force was formed in January 2006 to create a mayors' action-oriented agenda to significantly reduce the numbers of Americans living in poverty. In line with the Mayors' 10-Point Plan and to promote the Annie E. Casey’s Family Economic Success agenda, the Task Force has examined workforce development, funding for No Child Left Behind, children's health insurance, and an expansion of affordable housing as critical steps toward the creation of a mayors' anti-poverty agenda.
Meetings of the Mayors Poverty, Work and Opportunity Task Force
77th Annual Conference, Providence, RI, June 2009
The Mayor’s Poverty, Work and Opportunity Task Force conducted its second Task Force meeting during the 77th Annual Conference on June 15, 2009 in Providence, RI. The Task Force, chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, provided a plan of action to repair the economic ladder and building a middle class in partnership with the Obama Administration. Villaraigosa stressed that there is no better time than the present to rebuild and transform America's middle class while simultaneously building a foundation on which the poor can elevate themselves to a better life.
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77th Winter Meeting, Washington, D.C. January 2009
The Mayor’s Poverty, Work and Opportunity Task Force conducted a meeting at the 77th Winter Meeting on January 17-19, 2009 in Washington, D.C. The Task Force, chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, engaged mayors and several experts on a myriad of poverty issues facing cities and how to engage the new Administration. Joining the mayors was Congressman Jim McDermott (WA), Senior Member of the Ways and Means Committee and Chairman of the Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee, and Robert Greenstein, Executive Director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
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Mayors Action Forum on Poverty, Los Angeles, CA, September, 2008
Mayors from cities across the nation met in Los Angeles September 23-24, 2008 to develop an action agenda on poverty to present to the President of the United States. The meeting was the culmination of two years of work by the Mayor’s Poverty, Work and Opportunity Task Force on this national action agenda on poverty. The agenda provides the President with specific recommendations and actionable strategies for a new and stronger relationship with the nation’s cities—a federal-local partnership to assure the development of adequate anti-poverty strategies and common-sense ways in which federal and local authorities can work together to secure a brighter future for children.
View the New Report: National Action Agenda on Poverty For the Next President of the United States
USMayor Press coverage
76th Annual Conference, Miami, FL, June 2008
Poverty, Work and Opportunity Task Force Chair Antonio Villaraigosa Speech at 76th Annual Meeting
Speech - June 22, 2008
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76th Winter Meeting, Washington, D.C., January 2008
1st Bi-Annual Meeting of the Task Force (Mayors only)
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Influencing Poverty Policy in the New Administration
The Measuring American Poverty Act, introduced by Congressman Jim McDermott in the House and Senator Chris Dodd in the Senate, would direct the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics to adopt a “modern” measure of poverty, as called for by the USCM Poverty, Work and Opportunity Task Force. The nation’s mayors reaffirmed their commitment to supporting legislation modernizing the federal measure of American poverty during the 77th Annual Conference of Mayors by adopting the Revising the Federal Measure of Poverty resolution.
View the USCM support letter, the USMayor Article on the House legislation, the USMayor article on the Senate legislation, the McDermott press release and the Dodd press release.
USCM Support of the Task Force
Capturing Best Practices & Developing National Media Interest
As the Task Force continues to identify key issue areas, USCM has assisted in the collection and dissemination of Best Practices.
View the Best Practices: City Profiles compilation
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Over the last several years, The U.S. Conference of Mayors, with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has helped cities establish campaigns to encourage low-and-moderate income working families to take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Throughout the nation, cities that have undertaken such campaigns are seeing significantly increased numbers of eligible EITC recipients and are sharing in the benefits produced.
Mayoral Outreach
USCM provides information and discussion opportunities on the EITC campaign for mayors at USCM meetings. At the USCM Leadership Meeting on October 1-2, 2008 in Palm Beach, FL, Conference President Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz announced the kickoff of the Conference’s EITC campaign and asked mayors to be on lookout for USCM EITC campaign outreach kits.
USCM disseminates information to the USCM membership from the Conference President about the importance of EITC to cities across the country, encouraging them to become involved with and develop or enhance an EITC program in their city. View the letter to mayors.
USCM distributes EITC resource toolkits for the upcoming tax season, provided by The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, to all member mayors, to assist with the development or expansion of EITC programs in their cities.
USCM Outreach
Surveying and monitoring EITC and FES agenda activities in cities. View the USCM EITC Campaigns Across the Nation publication.
Coordinating the EITC campaign with The U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council (WDC) members to assure that EITC information is in all One-Stop Centers in cities.
Updating WDC members and City Human Service Officials on USCM/AECF activities with an emphasis on the EITC campaign in WDC Weekly Updates and EITC Updates.
National Action Agenda on Poverty For the Next President of the United States
Best Practices City Profiles: How Mayors are Addressing Poverty
EITC Campaigns Across the Nation
