Joint Center Analyzes State of Union Address, Its Policy Implications for African Americans

1/22/2004

From: Denise L. Dugas of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, 202-789-3508 or ddugas@jointcenter.org; http://www.jointcenter.org

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 -- President Bush's State of the Union touched on several domestic policy issues of great concern to African Americans. Job creation, health care, education and training, and the criminal justice system, are all critical issues facing the nation in this election year.

With a record budget deficit, a jobless recovery, double-digit unemployment for blacks and less health coverage, the president's proposed programs, however, do not bode well for African Americans. According to David Bositis, a political scientist and senior research associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, President Bush's plan to make the 2001 tax cuts permanent would, in the long term, threaten many programs that black Americans rely on, such as housing assistance, child care, Medicaid, and even earned income tax credits. "Policy wise, little was made of the threatening budget deficit, and Mr. Bush's claims that the economy is recovering failed to differentiate between the rebound for the wealthiest Americans and the jobless recovery that in particular hurts African Americans," said David Bositis.

To schedule interviews, please contact Denise L. Dugas, vice president for communications and marketing, at 202-789-3508 or ddugas@jointcenter.org.

"Job training for those currently in the workforce and a better quality education for the workforce of the future is of equal or greater concern to African Americans compared with the population at-large," said economist Margaret C. Simms, the Joint Center's senior vice president for programs. "President Bush's proposed four-year, $300 million Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative is especially important to the black community since African Americans constitute 45 percent of the nearly 1.4 million inmates in federal and state prisons and one-third of those on parole. The way in which the $300 million will be allocated to effectively serve a re-entry population growing by 2.6 percent yearly remains to be seen."

Since 1984, the Joint Center has conducted the only national opinion poll to regularly include equal numbers of African Americans and the general population. The National Opinion Poll, roster of black elected officials, DataBank, Black Worker in the 21st Century series, and the newly created Health Policy Institute are all signature products unique to the Joint Center.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, conducts research and analyses on public policy issues of concern to African Americans and other minorities, promotes their involvement in the governance process, and operates programs that create coalitions within the minority, business, and other diverse communities. For information, please visit http://www.jointcenter.org.