ISP Update / April, 2006

Contents Greetings

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GREETINGS

Greetings.....a bit of news from ISP.......for April. I hope you are all well. It seems pretty busy where I am, and I assume it is the same for you. Here are some items to note regarding Influencing State Policy:

• Deadline approaching: Please promote the ISP annual contest among your students and colleagues. The deadline is May 5, 2006. Directions can be found at: http://www.statepolicy.org/contest/index.html. At least one entry from each program!!! I have 4 entires so far for the MSW program level..
   
• The Policy Conference will be held in Washington, DC from June 16-19, 2006 at the Mayflower Hotel. The complete program is now available to be reviewed with day, time, presenters, and 50 word abstracts. Please check over the sessions; there is so much variety that something will convince you to come! Go to:
   
  http://www.vcu.edu/slwweb/PolicyConf06/PolicyConf06_agenda.html#Preview
   
  Registration for the conference is at the following site . http://www.vcu.edu/slwweb/PolicyConf06/PolicyConf06_registration.html
  
  ISP is sponsoring three roundtables on some of our priorities: field placement development at legislative sites; accreditation guidelines for policy practice; and legislative advocacy when your program is more than 50 miles from the state capital.....look for them in the program and feel free to join us in DC.
   
• Keep sending in your total visits by social work students to their state capitals. Last year we had 8,078 and our goal this year is 9,000. A month ago we had 1,340. Here is the tally as of 4.11.06: 4,856....we still need more states to report....let me know asap!
   
  
  • Alabama: 26
  • Alaska:
  • Arizona: 370
  • Arkansas:
  • California: 450
  • Colorado:
  • Connecticut: 60
  • Delaware:
  • District of Columbia:
  • Florida: 400
  • Georgia: 366
  • Guam:
  • Hawaii:
  • Idaho:
  • Illinois:
  • Indiana: 575
  • Iowa: 260
  • Kansas:
  • Kentucky: 25
  • Louisiana:
  • Maine:55
  • Maryland: 350
  • Massachusetts:
  • Michigan: 254
  • Minnesota:
  • Mississippi: 18
  • Missouri: 245
  • Montana: (N/A, No 2006 Legislative Session)
  • Nebraska: 215
  • Nevada:
  • New Hampshire:
  • New Jersey: 150
  • New Mexico:
  • New York: 120
  • North Carolina: 165
  • North Dakota:
  • Ohio:
  • Oklahoma: 27
  • Oregon:
  • Pennsylvania:
  • Rhode Island:
  • South Carolina: 24
  • South Dakota: 26
  • Tennessee: 550
  • Texas:
  • Utah:
  • Vermont:
  • Virginia: 125
  • Washington:
  • West Virginia:
  • Wisconsin:
  • Wyoming:
     
    > Total: 4,856
     
  
  
• A second dues notice went out to non-paying ISP members....please consider the $25 fee a bargain that helps us promote social work advocacy in the state legislative arena now and in the future. The ISP membership form is on line at: http://www.statepolicy.org/about_us/index.html. Be on board!
   
• Final report on the ISP auction in Chicago: I wish you could have all seen the beautiful items that we had on display. It was our best showing yet. We had pieces from so many different countries: Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, Guatemala, Mexico, Poland, Nepal, Costa Rica, Peru, Ethiopia, Ghana, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, etc. We had an excellent display of goods from the Lakota tribe in South Dakota. Our jewelry, carvings, and art work from Ethiopia were just outstanding. We had two apartments in New York City for a week each. We had a 7 day cruise on the Snake and Columbia Rivers in the NW on a sternwheeler, the Empress of the North. We had one week accommodations in Tucson, AZ and Mathews, VA. A book autographed by Sen. Clinton. A Harley Davidson leather jacket for a woman went for $100. The ISP Traveling Gavel went to IN and will be shared with MN. Lots of handmade earrings and much more......great stuff!
  
  We grossed about $7,150.....and netted, after expenses for renting the booth, shipping charges and some upfront monies, about $5000. This money will go to any number of our projects, be it another video, awards for the ISP contest, award for the PhD dissertation award, co-sponsorship of events on legislative advocacy, etc. Our next auction will be in San Francisco in November, 2007. The date gives us a little breather....but, if you are planning on traveling this summer (and next), please keep ISP in mind....those beautiful but very inexpensive items can be auctioned off at 6-8 times their cost. Please bring a few items back for the auction and let me know. If anyone of you is truly serious about shopping for the auction, let me know and I will give you some cash advance to help you get the best buys and bring them back. E.g., $100 to someone going to Ghana yielded over $600 in the sale of the items.....a good return, no?
   
• A job opening in DC: National Low Income Housing Coalition NLIHC is hiring multiple Outreach Staff to engage NLIHC members in federal policy advocacy and voter participation by low income people, and to expand NLIHC's base. Applicants must have strong written and oral communication skills; excellent electronic technology skills, including high proficiency in database management; organizing experience, including successful meeting planning; knowledge of federal housing policy; and commitment to social justice. Bachelor's degree required. All positions are based in Washington, DC, but will require travel. NLIHC offers competitive salary and benefit package. NLIHC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Send resume and cover letter to Deputy Director, National Low Income Housing Coalition, 727 15th Street NW 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20005 or fax to: 202/393-1973.

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