tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56589595821780857042024-03-13T10:17:47.497-07:00Middle Class MovementDale G. Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15669457299170126286noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658959582178085704.post-27365545434261412182018-01-21T17:45:00.001-08:002018-01-22T06:01:46.996-08:00Overview of the Middle Class Movement<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">According
to the World Bank and the CIA World Fact Book, approximately 50% of the world’s
working age population is unemployed or underemployed. It is hard to verify the exact percentage of
poverty around the world. However, it is
clear that the world has a significant poverty problem. The “<i>Middle
Class Movement</i>” or “<i>MCM</i>” was
founded to influence a reduction in poverty that would lead to an increase in
the global middle class. <i>MCM</i> is focused on utilizing social
impact measurement to influence an economic revitalization of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Definition of the Middle Class<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
term “Middle Class” has historically had many different definitions because so
called experts have attempted to assign an income threshold to the term. The amount of money to be considered middle
class differs significantly in different parts of the world. We therefore define the middle class simply
as “households that can pay their basic bills on time.” If a household has sufficient income to pay
their basic bills (i.e. housing, food, health care, child care, transportation,
insurance, etc.) on time, they may still feel like they are struggling
economically. However, they do not feel
the emotional, mental and financial stress of households that do not have
enough money to pay basic bills on time.
These households are frequently forced to commit crimes to survive. We therefore consider households that cannot
pay their basic bills on time “Poor.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Theoretical Framework<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
writing my dissertation this year, I discovered the importance of having a
theoretical framework that provides guidance on one’s research. I believe that this is extremely important
for successful social movements as well.
Dr. King relied on Mahatma Ghandi’s “Theory of Nonviolent Communication”
(Bode, 1995). His non-violent approach
to the Movement was a key factor in its success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
2010, I was writing a book on leadership and looked up Webster’s definitions of
the words “Leadership,” “Command,” and, “Authority.” I was surprised to discover that the word
“Influence” was used in each of these definitions. This discovery convinced me to refocus my
book on influence instead of leadership.
This research led me to develop “Intelligent Influence Theory” which
states that people “do what they do, think the way they think, and accomplish
what they accomplish because of influence.”
Intelligent Influence Theory suggests that the right publicly accepted
social impact measures will influence leaders to adopt policies that grow the
middle class and reduce poverty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mission<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
mission of the <i>Middle Class Movement</i>
is “to increase the middle class by reducing financial, educational and
emotional poverty.” The extant
literature suggests that previous efforts to reduce poverty have failed because
they have focused on reducing financial poverty and largely ignored educational
and emotional poverty (Caldwell, 2017).
If a household receives more income and they are illiterate, the income
will likely not be sustainable. If a
household receives more income and is literate but they are dealing with
emotional and behavioral issues, that income will likely not last. It is therefore essential to ensure that
people are financially, educationally and emotionally healthy for them to reach
and remain in the middle class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Strategy<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">MCM’s</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> strategy to influence global
change is to use social impact measures to influence leaders to adopt policies
and programs that reduce, financial, educational and emotional poverty and grow
the middle class. Measures like the
Living Wage Index (LWI) that we created based on the MIT Living Wage
Calculator, clearly show the percentage of households that can pay their bills
(the middle class). By holding leaders
accountable for increasing measures like the LWI, we can influence a growth in
the middle class through job creation programs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Funding<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
do not believe that grant funding is sustainable so we are focused on
generating our own income. I created the company <i>PeopleUp Inc.</i> to </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“<i>support the Middle Class
Movement’s poverty reduction efforts by producing profitable consumer driven products,
services and entertainment</i>.” This
company has established the <i>PeopleUp
Music and Tennis Tour</i> which consists of professional tennis tournaments and
concerts using local talent. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> This unique
entertainment program is identifying the next generation of music artists and
tennis pros. It is also providing significant
funding for the operations of the <i>Middle
Class Movement</i>. Entertainment is the
perfect vehicle to provide sustainable funding for <i>MCM</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">84% Solution<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
roll of two or more dice hundreds of times results in what statisticians call a
bell curve or normal probability distribution.
This type of distribution is surprisingly frequent in nature. If household income data fell into a normal
distribution, then it is likely that even with the most effective programs
possible, 16% of the world's households will be extraordinarily wealthy and 16%
of the households will extremely poor.
We therefore believe that a realistic global goal is for 84% of
households to earn sufficient income to be classified as middle class or
wealthy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
good news is that if this goal is achieved, the world’s Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) will reach record highs and the quality of life throughout the world will
be increased significantly.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">If more
people can pay their bills and become middle class, the existing middle class
and the wealthy will earn more income so everyone will benefit.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">There is absolutely no political or financial
reason not to support the </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Middle Class
Movement</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">We are therefore looking
for as many people as possible to help us use the </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">MCM</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> to push the world toward this “84% Solution.”</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you would like more information about </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">MCM</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">, please visit </span><a href="http://www.middleclassmovement.com/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">www.MiddleClassMovement.com</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
Dale G. Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15669457299170126286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658959582178085704.post-74328953879537379422015-11-02T13:33:00.001-08:002015-11-02T13:33:38.451-08:00The Myth of the Self-Made Man<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Tragically, too many public policies are based on the false myth
of the “Self-Made Man.” This fantasy is
rooted in the belief that everyone has an equal chance to “pull themselves up
alone by their own bootstraps” and become a millionaire. The philosophy states that anyone from
anywhere in any circumstances will succeed if they simply work harder than
other people. The <i>Intelligent Influence</i> model explains that a lot of people work very
hard and still fail because they do not have the same access to support (influences)
as others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">No-one ever made it alone without the help (positive influence) of
one or more other people. The person
whose parents give him $1 million in business start-up capital is off to a
better start than the innovative young man that lives in a homeless shelter
with no money to invest. Both people
will succeed or fail based on their hard work <u>and</u> the “influences” on
their path to success or failure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Tragically, because of the self-made man myth, public policy
throughout the world is built around the idea of creating “Safety Nets” that
prevent people from becoming homeless and hungry. This safety net policy is a way for people who
believe in the self-made man concept to ease their conscience by helping people
barely survive. They falsely believe
that, “if I can help to prevent someone from being homeless, then, if they work
hard like I did, they will have the same chance of being successful as I do.
They can become the self-made man that I am!”
However, without access to the influences of a good education, quality staff
and emotional and financial support that others have they will not succeed no
matter how hard they work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The tragedy is that current public policy and funding is focused
on preventing people from suffering instead of empowering them to succeed and
become middle class citizens. Safety net
policies and programs (homeless shelters, feeding programs, etc.) are important
because they help people in the short term. However, they tend to catch people in a safety
net and keep them part of a poverty class with little chance of advancing to
the middle class. When these individuals
do not succeed, the self-made man devotees erroneously believe that “these
people failed because they did not work as hard as I did.” Unfortunately, not everyone has the level of
support (positive influences) and access necessary to become successful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Public policy should be built around the concept of a “Safety
Trampoline” that helps people “bounce up” into the middle class. Instead of focusing on expanding programs that
have the ultimate goal of preventing people from being homeless or hungry,
political leaders should support programs that have an ultimate goal of
providing training and jobs (and other positive influences) that will “bounce”
people up into the middle class. Safety
net programs provide short-term relief to chronic problems. Safety trampoline programs solve the chronic
problems. These types of programs force
a reinvestment of public dollars that would eliminate the need to expand safety
net programs because they would be focused on expanding the middle class to
improve the quality of life for everyone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Most importantly, by expanding the middle class and pulling
families out of financial and educational poverty, politicians will be
confronting many of the world’s most significant problems. An expanding middle class will reduce crime, illiteracy,
terrorism, homelessness and hunger. In
addition, it will improve the world’s housing stock, the quality of public
education, expand health care services, and, if the right types of employment
opportunities are created, reduce pollution around the world. The primary focus of every government leader
should be on creating the jobs necessary to expand the middle class in their
country. The creation of jobs paying a living
wage is the most powerful safety trampoline program in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dale G. Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15669457299170126286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658959582178085704.post-90373910096826111052015-10-22T13:18:00.001-07:002015-10-22T13:22:29.476-07:00The Legacy of Dr. King<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
Throughout
history, social movements have changed the world. The <i>Protestant
Reformation</i>, the <i>Boston Tea Party</i>,
the <i>American Revolution</i>, the <i>French Revolution</i>, the <i>Indian Independence Movement</i>, the <i>American Civil Rights Movement</i>, and, the
<i>South African Anti-Apartheid Movement</i>
are just a few of the movements that have had tremendous influence on
history. These movements were successful
because they addressed a major problem at the right time, in the right way with
the right focus. </div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">In 1968, just
months prior to his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the creation
of what was to be the second phase of the </span><i style="line-height: 150%;">Civil
Rights Movement</i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> that he called the “</span><i style="line-height: 150%;">Poor
People’s Campaign</i><span style="line-height: 150%;">.”</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Dr. King was
assassinated in April of that year so one of his closest associates, Reverend Ralph
Abernathy, led the campaign.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">This
movement, in spite of (or because of) King’s assassination, brought tens of thousands of
protesters to the Washington Monument Mall in Washington, D.C. to advocate for
jobs for the unemployed and underemployed. Unfortunately, this movement only
lasted a few months.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Historians have
many different theories as to why this movement did not grow. However, I have learned from my <i>Intelligent Influence</i> model that most
successful movements must be “aspirational” to succeed. The short-lived <i>Poor People’s Campaign</i> was focused on “preventing” people from
being poor while the successful <i>Civil
Rights Movement</i> was helping people of color “aspire” to receive equal
rights. This aspirational purpose
inspired millions of people around the world to support the goals of the <i>Movement</i>. It was abundantly clear to me that the best
way to achieve the goals of the <i>Poor
People’s Campaign</i> was to create an “aspirational movement” called the <i>Middle Class Movement</i>. </div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">My favorite
picture is one of my Father, Reverend Gilbert H. Caldwell, Jr., leading a press
conference with the person who would become the leader of the </span><i style="line-height: 150%;">Poor People’s Campaign</i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> Reverend
Abernathy and the leader of the </span><i style="line-height: 150%;">Civil
Rights Movement</i><span style="line-height: 150%;">, Dr. King (see the picture on the “</span><i style="line-height: 150%;">About Us</i><span style="line-height: 150%;">” page on </span><a href="http://www.middleclassmovement.com/" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: blue;">www.MiddleClassMovement.com</span></a><span style="line-height: 150%;">).</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">This picture, which hangs in my office,
reminds me every day that I have a responsibility to carry on the legacy of
leaders like my Dad, Dr. King and Rev. Abernathy.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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My Dad’s active
involvement in the <i>Civil Rights Movement</i>
has influenced me to do what I can to help to finish the work that he, King,
Abernathy and thousands of others started.
The aspirational <i>Middle Class
Movement</i> that has been founded 46 years later is intended to use what I
have learned from my management consulting background and <i>Intelligent Influence</i> model to build on the <i>Poor People’s Campaign</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The intent of
this movement is to prove to the world that the economic and educational
well-being of all people in the world (the wealthy, middle class and poor) will
be improved if global financial and educational poverty is minimized. I am convinced that this campaign will
succeed because there is both a moral and economic self-interest imperative to
influence global leaders to create millions of living wage jobs and enhance the
reading levels of 9 and 10 year olds throughout the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The <i>Middle Class Movement</i> is positioned to
succeed because it is being initiated:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><i>At the Right Time</i> - because we
live in a period of widespread global poverty (which is increasing because of
the millions of people who are illiterate or were formally considered part of
the middle class who are now currently struggling to survive).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><i>In the Right Way</i> - because we are
using easy to understand indices to measure progress and social media to expand
the movement’s influence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><i>With the Right
Focus</i> - because many of the world’s problems can be solved by
increasing pressure on politicians and other global leaders to increase the
reading levels of 9 and 10 year olds and support independent businesses that
create living wage jobs. Wide-spread
reading remediation and job creation will improve local economies, educational
quality, health care and the environment while reducing poverty, crime and
terrorism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Only time will tell if this
movement will become the next great movement.
However, if you believe in our goals we want your support. Please visit our website at <a href="http://www.middleclassmovement.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.MiddleClassMovement.com</span></a> or
email me directly at <a href="mailto:middleclassmovement@gmail.com"><span style="color: blue;">middleclassmovement@gmail.com</span></a>.</div>
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Dale G. Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15669457299170126286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658959582178085704.post-60254340362669339122015-10-11T06:34:00.001-07:002015-11-02T13:34:58.405-08:00Changing the World By Keeping Score<span style="font-family: 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">“What’s the score in your community?” “What
percentage of households make enough money to pay their annual bills?” </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">“What percentage of 4</span><sup style="font-family: 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"> graders (9
and 10 year olds) can read at grade level?”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Chances are that you have no idea
what the answers to these questions are.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">However, the answers to these two simple questions are the key to peace
and prosperity in your community, your country and the world as a whole.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If someone asked you what the score of the
last game your favorite sports team played you could probably tell them the
score and where your team stands in comparison to their biggest rivals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, if you were asked “How does your
community compare to the next town over in terms of household incomes or
reading levels?” you could not give a good answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">According to the Central Intelligent Agency’s
(CIA) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The World Fact Book</i> and the
United Nations, more than 50% of the people in the world are unemployed or
underemployed (they do not make enough money to pay their bills).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the primary reasons for this is that
there is no globally accepted way to keep score on the economic and educational
well-being of local communities around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently, the voting public cannot hold
politicians accountable for improving the quality of life in the community they
represent.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
results in lower quality of life for residents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">There are a lot of measures used by global
development agencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, they are
so complex and focused on the wrong measures that they are not understood or
accepted by the general public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is as
if, in major sports competitions, we ignore the number of points scored and
determine the winner of a soccer game by the number of shots on goal or a
football game by the number of yards rushed or a baseball game by the number of
base hits each team has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As sports fans,
we would never accept this type of scoring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, in the game of life we do not hold politicians accountable for improving
society because we do not have an easy to understand way to keep score on the trends
in the financial and intellectual health of the people who elected them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Middle
Class Movement </i>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MCM</i>) was founded
to change the world by keeping score on the economic and educational health of
every municipality in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We call
this effort the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Middle Class Movement”</i>
because it is focused on using an unconventional approach to reverse the
shrinking of the middle class by exposing the economic realities of the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Looking at Poverty in a New Way<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MCM</i>
will develop and utilize many different indices in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Movement</i> is focused initially on two of the areas that are the
foundation of a healthy city, county, state, country and world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are attempting to reduce two very
important types of poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first,
and most obvious, is “Financial Poverty” which we measure using the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Living Wage Index</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This type of poverty
is defined as the state of having inadequate income.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who fall into this category do not
have enough money to pay their bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most social programs around the world are focused exclusively on this
type of poverty and ignore other aspects of poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The second type of poverty, which is
frequently overlooked, is called “Educational Poverty” which we measure using
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reading Level Index</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RLI</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This type of poverty is defined as the state of having an inadequate
education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who fall into this
category cannot read at grade or job level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Educators are interested primarily in reading levels in school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, research based assessments of
reading (i.e. Lexile Framework for Reading) indicate that there are defined
reading levels required for different types of jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tragically, too many adults are so
educationally poor (they don’t read at a certain job level) that they will
never have access to jobs above their very low reading level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">There is a tragic cycle of modern poverty
rooted in the unfortunate reality that too many people grow up in families
experiencing financial poverty which creates an “Emotional Poverty” which leads
to an inadequate education which results in educational poverty which prevents
gainful employment which leads to financial poverty which results in this cycle
continuing for generation after generation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sadly, in many families financial and educational poverty is inherited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This cycle of poverty is a drain on
society because financial and educational poverty is the root cause of
unemployment, illiteracy, violence, emergency room use, hunger, homelessness, crime,
incarceration and even the recruitment of terrorists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, billions of dollars are spent on
safety net programs that treat the results of poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A 2008 study entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The economic costs of childhood poverty in the United States</i> by
Harry J. Holzer, et. al. estimates that childhood poverty costs the US 4% of
GDP or $500 billion annually (which would be $697 billion today).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Programs that reduce the two types of poverty
have the potential to save tax dollars and improve society by increasing
employment and reducing the most significant social problems in a
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These programs can also
enhance national security by limiting the ability of terrorists to recruit the
poor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The United States (US) is the most
influential country in the history of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have the potential to, without the use of
our military, influence other countries to focus on improving the quality of
life in their local communities by using two simple, yet powerful, measures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Middle
Class Movement</i> is a global effort to measure the well-being of local
communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, because of the
relative influence and easy access of data in the US, our initial efforts are
focused on establishing these measures in America first and then expanding them
throughout the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s explore the
two ways we are keeping score – the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI </i>and
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RLI</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Living Wage Index (LWI)<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Living
Wage Index</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i>) is based on the
“Living Wage Calculator” developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The calculator shows the minimum
income required to survive (frequently called the “Living Wage”) in every
county in the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the US,
we utilize US census data to calculate the percentage of households in municipalities
in these counties that earn a living wage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are in the process of calculating the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i> in other countries using available data. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i> is in many ways the most important
measure in a country because it indicates what percentage of people in every
municipality in that nation that are in a “Living Wage Crisis” because they are
not making enough money to pay their bills every month to survive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The national average of local <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i> calculations is a much better
measure of the local economic health of a country than Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) or the national stock market index.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The GDP or stock market index of choice provide information about the
aggregate financial health of the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, they provide little insight into the economic conditions of
municipalities or average citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Communities with a high <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i>
will generally have a higher quality of life than communities with a low <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We found the results of our initial calculations to be very
surprising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In most major cities in the
US, more than 30% of the households are in “Living Wage Crisis” (they do not
make enough money to pay their bills).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">We list the LWI percentages for some of
the best known cities below and include, in parenthesis, the percentage of
households in that community that don’t make enough to pay their bills (we call
those “Living Wage Crisis Households”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The US is the wealthiest country in the history of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is why the percentage of households in
living wage crisis in cities is startling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is particularly disturbing because the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i> is a measure of household income not individual income.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently, it reflects the income of
multiple income earners in a household that, even together, do not earn a
living wage income.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our surprising <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i> findings are below:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Living
Wage Index (Percentage of Households in Living Wage Crisis)<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> B</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">altimore
– 58.04% (Living Wage Crisis Households: 41.96%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Camden,
NJ – 32.71%. (Living Wage Crisis Households: 67.29%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Chicago
– 62.40% (Living Wage Crisis Households: 37.60%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dallas
– 55.81% (Living Wage Crisis Households: 44.19%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Detroit
– 44.41% (Living Wage Crisis Households: 55.59%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Houston
– 61.25%. (Living Wage Crisis Households: 38.75%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Los
Angeles – 56.52% (Living Wage Crisis Households: 43.48%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Memphis
– 54.99% (Living Wage Crisis Households: 45.01%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Newark,
NJ – 43.81%. (Living Wage Crisis Households: 56.19%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">New
York City – 60.93% (Living Wage Crisis Households: 39.07%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Philadelphia
– 57.86% (Living Wage Crisis Households: 42.14%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">San
Diego – 66.10% (Living Wage Crisis Households: 33.90%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">These astounding percentages of financial
poverty in a country with a GDP of 17,419 billion dollars provide several
important lessons for public policy makers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, financial poverty is not
some arbitrarily contrived government determined income level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The government reports poverty rates that are
a third or half of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True financial poverty occurs when a
household does not make enough money to pay their monthly bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, even though the national economy is
healthy many local economies are in a deep crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Macroeconomic models need to be revised to
include something we call “Neighborhood Economics” (that includes the true
economic health of a municipality instead of top down regional aggregate
analysis).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Third, criminal activity in these cities
is high because large percentages of people have to do illegal things to pay
their basic bills and survive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fourth,
policies like increasing the number of local police to reduce crime is addressing
a symptom of the living wage crisis not the root cause of the problem which is
the lack of local jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly these
households are surviving one way or another. They are paying their bills
through the underground economy of not paying taxes, taking unreported cash
only jobs, selling drugs or stealing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hiring more police will not change that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It will lead to greater conflict between police and people in living
wage crisis and will lead to more violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally, the solution to financial poverty is the development of
policies that support the growth of local businesses that hire local
residents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ensuring that local
businesses get meaningful tax breaks for hiring and training local residents is
a powerful way to effectively address the living wage crisis in these cities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Reading Level Index (RLI)<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">One of the most eye opening discoveries of
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MCM</i> to date is that there is very
little publicly available and easily accessible data on the reading levels of
local public school students across the nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is plenty of easy to find public information on national
high-stakes standardized test scores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, there is very little public information on reading levels of
early learners in specific schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every public school in the US uses one or more assessments to gauge the
reading levels of students in the first, second, third and fourth grades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The report <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Early Warning: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters</i>
sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, provides an “eye opening”
explanation of why students who are not reading at grade level in 4<sup>th</sup>
grade are likely to struggle in school and life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The study confirms that students learn to
read by third grade and read to learn after that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they are not reading at grade level in 4<sup>th</sup>
grade they are more likely to drop out of school and experience financial
poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reading Level Index (RLI) </i>is simply the percentage of 4<sup>th</sup>
graders who are reading at grade level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The Casey report and others indicate that the
assessment of 4<sup>th</sup> grade reading levels is a powerful measure because
it is not only an early indicator of student academic performance through high
school, it is an accurate predictor of future graduation rates, crime rates,
unemployment levels and financial poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In some localities around the world, estimates of future prison
construction needs are based on the reading levels of 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup>
graders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Communities with a low <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RLI</i> are likely to struggle for many
years to come because of the lack of an educated local future workforce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our disturbing findings on the percentage of
students who were “Proficient” or “Advanced Proficient” in reading, based on
the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scores, are
listed below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RLI</i>, the percentage of 4<sup>th</sup> graders reading at or above
grade level, is the first percentage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The percentage of 4<sup>th</sup> graders not reading at grade level,
which we describe as being in “Reading Level Crisis,” is provided in the
parenthesis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Reading
Level Index (Percentage of 4<sup>th</sup> Grade Students Reading Below Grade
Level)<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Atlanta
– 27% (Reading Level Crisis: 73%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Baltimore
– 14% (Reading Level Crisis: 86%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Boston
– 26% (Reading Level Crisis: 74%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Chicago
– 21% (Reading Level Crisis: 79%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Cleveland
– 9%. (Reading Level Crisis: 91%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dallas
– 16% (Reading Level Crisis: 84%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Detroit
– 8% (Reading Level Crisis: 92%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Houston
– 20%. (Reading Level Crisis: 80%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Los
Angeles – 18% (Reading Level Crisis: 82%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Miami-Dade
County – 35% (Reading Level Crisis: 65%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">New
York City – 28% (Reading Level Crisis: 72%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Philadelphia
– 15% (Reading Level Crisis: 85%)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In an extraordinarily wealthy country,
with the most respected higher education system ever developed, it is tragic
that more than 60% of the 4<sup>th</sup> graders in every major US city do not
read at grade level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incredibly, in many
of these cities, more than 80% of the 4<sup>th</sup> graders do not read at
grade level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We believe that once the
general public is aware of the realities of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RLI</i> they will influence leaders
to make policies that increase these measures their top priority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is clear that improving the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI and RLI</i> in every city in America
should be at the top of every politician’s agenda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">We the People<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The US Constitution, one of the most
influential documents in human history, begins with the words “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We the People, in Order to form a more
perfect union,…</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is time for a
global constitution that reads “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We the
People, in Order to form a more perfect world,…</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks to social media, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We the People</i>” have never had more influence in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes to reducing the two types of
poverty, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We the People</i>” are not
liberal or conservative, male or female, black or white or gay or
straight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We the People</i>” are citizens of the world committed to leaving
society better off for the children of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Middle
Class Movement</i> is focused on bringing “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We
the People</i>” together to improve global society in a measurable positive way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We
the People</i>” have the power to demand that world leaders keep score on the
number of households that can’t pay their bills and the number of 9 and 10 year
olds that cannot read on grade level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Middle Class Movement</i> was
founded to rally “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We the People</i>” to
hold leaders accountable for keeping score and implementing policies like reducing
taxes on local businesses and other job creators to increase the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Living Wage Index</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will also influence education officials to
provide incentives to schools and parents for improved reading levels to significantly
increase the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reading Level Index</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The universally accepted scoring system in
every major sport enables teams to develop comprehensive strategies to win a
contest or even the championship. A universally accepted scoring system in
society will help government, corporate and nonprofit leaders develop
comprehensive strategies to “win” by reducing the two types of poverty. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MCM </i>is
leading the effort to reduce the two types of poverty by keeping score in every
municipality in the world in a way that will motivate “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We the People</i>” to action. If this approach works for poverty then
it can be a model for solving many other problems in society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If you are interested in helping us keep
score on society and influence political and other leaders to action against
poverty, please email me at <a href="mailto:dalegcaldwell@aol.com"><span style="color: #0563c1;">dalegcaldwell@aol.com</span></a>
or call me personally at (844) 208-9808.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our website will go live on November 1, 2015. We will ask you at that
time to visit our website <a href="http://www.middleclassmovement.com/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.MiddleClassMovement.com</span></a>
and sign our petition to support the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Living
Wage Index</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LWI</i>) and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reading Level Index</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RLI</i>) as measures of global municipal
well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need your help in
changing the world for the better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dale G. Caldwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15669457299170126286noreply@blogger.com1