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As I write this in mid-September, a new jobless-claims report has just been issued, tallying a rise in requests for unemployment benefits. The Consumer Price Index, which measures the cost of living, rose for the third month in a row this week. Last week, the Federal government announced that Medicare premiums would rise 17 percent this year, representing the largest premium increase in 15 years. On August 23, new legislation took effect, cutting overtime for millions of middle-class workers.
When jobs evaporate, prices rise, and salaries shrink, women, who more often work in part-time or low-paying service-sector jobs, are the most vulnerable. When health costs rise, particularly for the elderly, women again are affected disproportionately: 75 percent of the elderly poor are women, struggling to pay for their prescriptions and get decent medical care.
George W. Bush says that the “W” in his name stands for “women,” but recently, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity (www.pay-equity.org), “the Department of Labor quietly abolished its Equal Pay Matters Initiative, removed all information about narrowing the wage gap from its Web site, and refused to use available tools to identify violations of equal-pay laws.” President Bush’s 2005 budget calls for a cut in funding for the Small Business Administration, a major source of capital for women starting their own businesses. I could go on.
“It’s a great thing to do to totally change everything around,” says commercial real estate broker Catherine Coate, in our “Choice Career” interview in this issue. She was talking about her midlife career switch. But MAKING BREAD thinks she’s onto something. It’s time that women “changed everything around” in the White House in November.
For its plans to create incentives to expand jobs, support women-owned small businesses, cut taxes for the middle class, reduce the deficit, provide (almost) universal affordable health coverage, reduce drug costs, and increase the Child Care Tax Credit, as well as for its support of a long overdue higher minimum wage, among other reasons, MAKING BREAD endorses the Kerry/Edwards ticket. We urge women—who make up 60 percent of undecided voters—to vote their pocketbooks. You may not agree with our assessment of who is the right person to lead this country to peace and prosperity. But your right to express your opinion is priceless. You have the power to make a difference. Four years ago, Florida’s election was decided by only 537 votes.
In “A Priceless Right,” in this issue, Laurie M. Lesser describes how she found her political voice and discovered the value of her vote, registering to use it for the first time, come November. Other women who make changes in this issue include Hope Jones, who shares how she’s coming to terms with the loss of her husband’s income in “Bye-Bye, Dual Income!”
In “These Girls Just Want to Have Funds,” Allison Acken profiles some savvy women who are earning money, while they learn about the stock market in women’s investment clubs they’ve started around the country. Acken offers advice on how you can start your own club and gives us an update on where the Beardstown Ladies—who pioneered the concept of women’s investment clubs 20-some years ago—are doing these days. One of the best financial ideas I’ve heard lately is the mother-daughter investment club, “Mothers and Daughters Breaking the Cycle,” started by one of the women quoted in this article.
In “On the Road to Splitsville?” award-winning author Lisa Cohn offers directions for obtaining a pain-free divorce. She and the divorce attorneys she interviewed agree on one thing: Separate your finances from your feelings. “When I was first preparing for divorce, I felt confused, bitter and hurt. I was tempted to wage war on my husband over money, possessions and custody of our child,” she says. “One of my close friends advised me to find ways to rise above my feelings for the sake of my son. I took her advice, and I’m glad I did.“
There’s so much more in this issue: We highlight hidden credit-card traps, offer dime-store decorating tips, feature vacations for workaholics, and answer these pressing questions: “Are Home Health Tests Worth the Money?” and “When Is a Splurge Not a Splurge?”
Voting costs you nothing. It’s a priceless right—but it’s worth zip if you don’t use it. So go ahead and splurge on November 2! _________________________________
Gail Harlow is the Founding Editor of MAKING BREAD. Send your comments, questions and suggestions to gail@makingbreadmagazine.com. __________________________________
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