Speakers Bureau

Speaker's Bios
Media inquiries and interview requests
Timothy Rusch, Communications Director
Tel: (212) 633-1405 Email press@demos.org

	Sasha Abramsky Algernon Austin Rich Benjamin Patrick Bresette David Callahan Steve Carbó Stuart Comstock-Gay Lisa J. Danetz** Tamara Draut Regina Eaton Allison H. Fine Robert H. Frank Jose Garcia Jim Lardner	Michael Lipsky Glenn E. Martin** Lorraine Minnite Scott Novakowski Nomi Prins Miles Rapoport John Schwarz David Smith Dianne Stewart Linda Tarr-Whelan Jennifer Wheary Brenda Wright** Cindy Zeldin
	Sasha Abramsky Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Democracy/Election Issues Election Reform Felon Disfranchisement Incarceration Political History
	Sasha Abramsky is a part-time lecturer in the writing program at UC Davis and a journalist.  He has written extensively about the criminal justice system and is the author of "Hard Time Blues: How Politics Built a Prison Nation", "Conned: How Millions Went to Prison, Lost the Vote, and Helped Send George W. Bush to the White House", and "American Furies: Crime, Punishment, and Vengeance in the Age of Mass Imprisonment". Sasha has also reported on the minimum wage movement, progressive urban politics, and the subprime mortgage crisis. His work has appeared in both U.S. and international publications, including The Atlantic Monthly, The Nation, The American Prospect, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, Independent and Observer. He is a regular contributor to The Guardian. Quotes for Attribution: Felon Disfranchisement: "If you can't vote, you're unlikely to encourage your family and neighbors to vote. The millions of dollars spent to teach people to find their candidate on a computer screen doesn't alter this basic fact. So, in poor neighborhoods, where there are often plenty of felons, fewer legally eligible people will show up on election day to use all the expensive new voting technology...Proponents of tough disfranchising laws argue that most felons aren't the voting type. They're wrong..." "Disfranchisement laws now deprive as many as five million Americans of the right to vote. Numbers this large really matter. At the last election [2000], if even a small proportion of Florida's disfranchised population had voted, and if they had broken 60-40 in Al Gore's favor -- a highly conservative estimate given the demographics of this group -- George Bush would not have won an Electoral College majority. Felony disfranchisement, coupled with very high disfranchisement rates, has become a major challenge to our democratic values." Back to Top
	Algernon Austin Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Black Americans Demographics Education Incarceration Poverty Racial Minorities
	Algernon's work focuses on obstacles to the growth of the black middle class, and on the collateral costs of high incarceration rates among African Americans. He is a sociologist with an emphasis on race relations. His most recent book, "Getting It Wrong: How Black Public Intellectuals Are Failing Black America", argues that there is no basis to accusations that there exists a "culture of failure" in black America. He is the founder and director of the Thora Institute, a company that provides research about black Americans in order to improve their socioeconomic standing. Algernon writes a quarterly column for the New Haven Register and his writing has appeared in The Hartford Courant, San Francisco Bay View and other newspapers. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University and is a former professor of racial relations and research methodology at Wesleyan University.  Quotes for Attribution: From "Getting It Wrong: How Black Public Intellectuals Are Failing Black America" On Poverty and Family Structure "Male single-parent families, at worst, produce a modest increase in poverty. If women earned what men of their race earn, there would be a drastic reduction in poverty among female single-parent families. If black women heading single-parent families earned what white single fathers earn, there would most likely be less poverty among black female single-parent families than among black families in general. Poverty is caused by low income, not family structure." On "Black Culture" and the Economic Status of Black Americans "The economic state of black America can best be understood not by looking to 'black culture' but by looking to the American economy and the past and present history of racial discrimination. When one compares graphs of black and white economic data over the last forty years, what is striking is that the graphs follow the same patterns. Blacks are always worse off than whites, but the trends are identical. When white poverty declines, black poverty declines. When black poverty remains at the same level, white poverty remains at the same level. When black unemployment increases, white unemployment increases. It is obvious that blacks and whites are-except for the gap-overwhelmingly subject to the same economic forces, yet repeatedly people look to 'black culture' to attempt to explain black economic conditions. When there is high white unemployment, the American economy is said to be in recession. Faced with high black unemployment, the workings of the American economy are presumed to play no part." On Black Street Crime "Racial discrimination, in the form of lower quality schools for blacks and labor market discrimination against blacks, makes it more likely that blacks end up with poor educational and employment opportunities. Blacks in these situations are then more likely to have weaker social ties to law-abiding individuals and weaker moral restraints." "We cannot ignore the ways that racial discrimination creates the conditions that lead more blacks to street crime and thus lead to more black victims of street crime. If we wish to prevent blacks from becoming crime victims, we must address not only morality but also the causes of black inequality in education and employment and the other factors that put stress on black families and communities." On Black Educational Achievement "The evidence on black educational achievement is published regularly by the U.S. Department of Education. While the 2003 edition of the U.S. Department of Education's Status and Trends in the Education of Blacks acknowledges achievement gaps between blacks and whites, it also acknowledges black progress. For example, it highlights the long-term trends from the respected, standardized National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exams. The authors state, 'Long-term trends in NAEP scores show increased performance in reading for Black students between 1971 and 1999. Trends in Black performance in NAEP mathematics and sciences also show improvements over the long term.' As of this writing, the most recent news from the NAEP is that blacks have shown significant improvements in math and reading between 1999 and 2004. While a black-white achievement gap exists, it is smaller today than it was in the seventies. One hopes that someday, some prominent black will look at and talk about these findings." Back to Top
	Rich Benjamin Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Democracy Demographics Education Middle Class Youth / Young Adult Issues
	Rich's work examines the intersections of youth alienation, civic engagement and popular culture. He has lectured on youth, media and American politics in the U.S. and Europe, and his social and political commentary has been featured in USA Today and The Boston Globe and he has appeared on Fox Radio and NPR. He has also been a senior advisor to Why Tuesday?, a bi-partisan grassroots campaign to increase civic participation chaired by Jack Kemp, Bill Bradley, and Andrew Young. He is currently working on a book about boomtowns and exurbs to be published by Hyperion Books. Rich holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University, a professional certificate from the New York Film Academy, and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. Quotes for Attribution: Values and Politics:   "There is arguably no more tortured and absurdly used word in the world of politics than "values." "Progressives should take Coretta Scott King's lead by sounding a simple yet powerful call to morality, a call that points out the "culture" of greed, self-indulgence and hedonism so common in our nation. "Progressives should promote the "values" banner effectively on their own terms. "Family values" should include providing economic security for struggling families, not to mention creating quality, affordable health care for all and supporting any union between two loving adults. While we're at it, let's reappropriate terms such as the "sanctity of life" and "the culture of life" to include the lives of death row inmates, pregnant women and all civilians and military personnel in Iraq." "Those of us concerned about the increasing pressures on low- and moderate-income families, and who decry unbridled corporate power, are becoming more and more marginalized in public conversation. As Democratic hopefuls like Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) do the electric slide to the political center, others become afraid to use the word "poor" without first slapping the validation sticker "working" in front of it." Middle Class: "Earning a college education is increasingly vital, but access to higher education is declining for poor and working-class Americans. Since 1980, the cost of attaining a four-year degree has outpaced the average growth of middle-class wages, increasing more than 40 percent beyond the rate of inflation. Whether talking about the "name-brand" Ivies-or the public universities serving more than 80 percent of American students-a college degree is becoming less financially feasible for the non-wealthy." "Remarkable recent studies by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Bureau of Labor Statistics find that class mobility in America has been on the decline since the 1970s, and now stagnates. Contrary to popular belief, America does not have more class mobility than Canada, France, Germany or the Scandinavian nations." Youth/Young Adult Issues: "For many young adults, there is little job stability, less satisfaction, and declining mobility." "School yard shooter Jeff Weise and million of other young Americans belong to a new generation - Generation Permalance, our permanent freelancers. Our government's policies, our social failures, and our zeal for personal economic success and notoriety, have made them disposable like the flood of useless consumer products in our throw-away society. If we intend to better our country's future, we need to invest in theirs first." Back to Top
	Patrick Bresette Associate Director or Public Works	Topics of Expertise: Government and the Public Sector Public Opinion about Government and the Public Sector Tax Policy
	As Associate Director of Public Works, Patrick is responsible for taking the work of the program out to the states, and partner organizations, to imbed the lessons learned and strategies developed into the everyday work of the many stakeholders for an effective public sector. Patrick has presented at a number of conferences including Voices for America's Children Annual Forum and Economic Analysis and Research Network Annual Conference. Patrick comes to the project after thirteen years as Associate Director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities and before that as a legislative aide in the Texas House of Representatives. He brings with him a broad understanding of how to work with and within the public sector for positive social change. His years of work leading the policy team at CPPP, spearheading the organization's legislative initiatives and leading diverse coalitions of partner organizations situate him well for his outreach and partnership development efforts with this initiative. Patrick has an MPA from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and a BFA in Sculpture from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. In addition to his role at Demos, Patrick currently serves on the Board of Catholic Charities of Central Texas. Back to Top
	David Callahan Research Director and Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Appraisal Fraud Business Ethics Home Finance Values and Politics
	David is a co-founder of Demos and Senior Fellow. He has written extensively about ethics, business, the culture war and public policy. He is author of seven books, including his newest, The Moral Center, published by Hartcourt in 2006. He is also author of The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead. David is a regular media commentator who has appeared on numerous radio and television programs. David's articles have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The American Prospect, and The Nation. In addition to his writing and media commentary, David speaks regularly to universities and business associations. David is a graduate of Hampshire College and holds a Ph.D in Politics from Princeton  University. In a 2004 profile, the New York Times called David a "new liberal with old values." David has appeared on CBS Early Show, Fox and Friends, Lou Dobbs Tonight, CNN, and Deborah Norville Tonight, MSNBC. He is also a regular radio commentator for Marketplace, has been featured on NPR's Morning Edition, NPR's The Connection and The Tavis Smiley Show. He has given dozens of speeches across the country about his provocative look at cheating in America, including at: Harvard Business School, UCLA Law School, Duke Law School, University of California at Berkeley, the Denver Forum, the Wharton Business School, and the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley. Quotes for Attribution: Appraisal Fraud: "Appraisal fraud is part of a bigger, more ominous picture. As home prices have continued to increase above inflation, even nearing 20 percent per year in some cities, American homeowners are vulnerable as never before to financial ruin if home prices fall to their natural market value." Expanding the Middle Class: "It is time for a more honest debate. Prosperity by itself is not - and never has been - a reliable formula for expanding the middle class and ensuring opportunity for all. A fresh generation of public policies is needed to cope with new economic conditions that systematically siphon wealth toward the top and leave a growing number of ordinary Americans insecure. Redistribution of wealth could be called un-American - and so it may seem until compared with the alternative of abandoning the American Dream." Back to Top
	Steven Carbó Senior Program Director of Democracy Program	Topics of Expertise: Civil Liberties Democracy Demographics Election Day Registration Election Reform Felon Disfranchisement Voter Identification
	As Senior Program Director of the Democracy Program, Steven leads Demos' efforts to eliminate barriers to political participation through applied research, policy analysis and organizing assistance. Steven Carbó has 14 years of experience in advancing progressive civil rights, social justice and community economic development policies at the federal, state and community levels. Before joining Demos, Steven worked as Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Nydia Velazquez, Special Counsel on Environmental Justice for U.S. Representative Jose Serrano and Legislative Staff Attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Over the years, he has helped shape federal and state policies and programs on voting rights, fair employment, education, environmental justice, economic development and affordable housing. He holds a J.D. and B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his role at Demos, Steven serves on the Board of Directors of the Jesse Smith Noyes Foundation. Quotes for Attribution: Voter Identification: "As states move forward in implementing the new election law, their mandate is to remove the barriers and inefficiencies that deny qualified voters their right to cast a ballot. Instead, some states are using HAVA to enact onerous ID requirement that threaten to exclude voters. The ID requirements would have the harshest impact on poor voters, voters of color, young people and new citizens." Election Reform: "The avoidance of a protracted vote count or constitutional meltdown notwithstanding, the 2004 election failed many Americans. Our system for registering voters and counting ballots is understaffed, overly partisan, and frequently incompetent. But the flaws run deeper. As reflected in hundreds of cases of voter intimidation and vote suppression, highly organized political operatives and their patrons work diligently to thwart full enfranchisement. Outright racial animus and the willful manipulation of voting rights of people of color for partisan ends colluded to deny the vote to many." Back to Top
	Stuart Comstock-Gay Director of Demos' Democracy Program, and Executive Director of the National Voting Rights Institute	Topics of Expertise: Campaign Finance Reform Civil Liberties Democracy Demos General Election Reform Felon Disfranchisement Voter Identification
	As Director of the Democracy Program, Stuart leads Demos' efforts to eliminate barriers to political participation through applied research, policy analysis and organizing assistance. Stuart serves jointly as Director of Demos' Democracy Program and Executive Director of the National Voting Rights Institute, Demos' formal collaboration partner. Stuart has an extensive record of speaking and writing on issues of democracy, foundation practices and civil liberties. Recent speeches include: Council on Foundations Annual Conference for Community Foundations, Minneapolis, October 11, 2004; Annual Conference, Alliance for Democracy, Activists Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, July 21, 2004; Fannie Lou Hamer Project 5th Anniversary Conference, Durham, North Carolina, June 2004; Council on Foundations Annual Conference for Community Foundations, Baltimore, Maryland, October 2003; NH Conference on Aging, Concord, NH , May 2003; Leadership NH Conference on Leadership, Bedford, NH, April 2003; and Independent Sector annual conference, Cleveland Ohio, November 2002. Stuart has written a wide range of commentary on issues of election reform for publication and has often been quoted in national magazines, newspapers and wire services, including Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, TomPaine.com, United Press International, Wilson Library Quarterly and more. He has also appeared on TV and in numerous radio interviews, including: C-SPAN Morning show, National Public Radio, Fox Radio News and numerous local radio shows. Before joining NVRI, Stuart served as the Vice-President & C.O.O., and Vice President for Programs, of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation in Concord, NH. Before joining NHCF, Stuart served as the Executive Director of the Maryland ACLU in Baltimore. He is currently Chair of the Board of the Concord Community Music School and on the community board of Friends of Concord Crew in New Hampshire. Stuart received his MPA from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and a BA in Political Science from Bucknell University. Back to Top
	Lisa J. Danetz** Attorney for Demos' partner organization NVRI **Demos affiliate	Topics of Expertise: Campaign Finance Reform Civil Liberties Democracy Election Day Registration Election Reform Felon Disfranchisement Voter Identification
	Lisa J. Danetz, is an Attorney with Demos' partner organization National Voting Rights Institute (NVRI), working primarily in conjunction with the Democracy Program's NVRA Implementation Project. At NVRI, she has handled constitutional litigation seeking public financing in North Carolina and defending candidate spending limits at the state and university level, drafted legislation, advised officials and other advocates on the National Voter Registration Act, spearheaded the organization's FEC enforcement work (including campaign finance violations involving former Attorney General John Ashcroft) and published articles on campaign reform. Lisa's expert advice has appeared in many newspapers across the country, including The Washington Post, TomPaine.com, Associated Press, Roll Call, Boston Phoenix, Law.com, BNA Money in Politics, Billings Gazzette, and The Missoulian. In addition, she has been interviewed on several radio shows, appeared on Wisconsin Public Television, and has guest lectured or spoken at student events at Williams, Wesleyan and Vassar Colleges. Lisa received her B.S. from Yale University and her J.D. cum laude from New York University School of Law. Subsequent to law school, she held judicial clerkships with United States Circuit Judge Ruggero J. Aldisert, Jr., and United States District Judge Stanley R. Chesler. Back to Top
	Tamara Draut Director of the Economic Opportunity Program	Topics of Expertise: Asset Building/Economic Development Bankruptcy Credit Card Industry/Credit Card Debt Distribution of Wealth and Income Economic Policy/EconomicSecurity Education Home Finance Middle Class Poverty/Welfare Race and Debt Student Loan Debt Youth/Young Adults
	As Director of the Economic Opportunity Program, Tamara oversees Demos' research, policy and advocacy work on economic security issues. Tamara is author Strapped: Why America's 20 and 30 Somethings Can't Get Ahead, published by Doubleday in January 2006. Strapped offers a groundbreaking look at the new obstacle course facing young adults-the under 35 crowd-as they try to build careers, buy homes and start families. Tamara is co-author of the recent Demos reports, The Plastic Safety Net: The Reality Behind Debt in America, Millions to the Middle: Three Strategies to Grow the Middle Class, Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Adults, Retiring in the Red: The Growth of Debt Among Older Americans, and Borrowing to Make Ends Meet: The Growth of Credit Card Debt in the 90s, among others. Tamara's op-eds and expert advice have appeared in many newspapers across the country, including the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, Baltimore Sun, Kansas City Star, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, US News and World Report, Newsweek, Boston Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, Metro, Village Voice and Akron Beacon Journal. She has appeared as a commentator on CNN, ABC, NBC, CNN Money, CNN Headline News, MSNBC, Fox News, Reuters Television and numerous radio shows. Tamara has presented at many major conferences and forums including the Neighborhood Funders Group Annual Conference, March 14, 2002 as keynote speaker. She has also testified before US House Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, Hearing on "Financial Services Issues: A Consumer's Perspective" on September 15, 2004. Tamara holds an M.P.A. from Columbia University and a B.S.J. from Ohio University. Quotes for Attribution: Student Loan Debt: "Students are taking on debt even before they step onto a college campus. With less federal grants available, many students are now turning to federal loans to pay for their education, adding to their debt levels. Yet for many students, loans may not suffice because of their declining value." Seniors and Debt: "As older Americans face shrinking income and savings, just one unexpected expense - an illness, hospitalization, or even a repair to an aging home - can start a vicious cycle of debt. Seniors are turning in droves to credit cards as a safety net, but high interest rates and fees are trapping many into a nearly inescapable web of debt." "Today's seniors have a lot of economic pressures on them as they head into retirement, including paying their mortgage. People who are in retirement are living in the red, and as the baby boomers start to retire, it seems like they're not on track in terms of retirement savings." Youth Economic Trends: "The message of our Generation Broke report and others are clear: The ladder of economic opportunity is broken. According to Census data, in 1972 the median annual earning for male college grads ages 25 to 34 was $52,087, in inflation-adjusted 2002 dollars. In 2002, it was $48,955. Of course, lots of costs have risen higher than inflation: rents, college and health care to name a few. And, as many young adults can attest, this generation can't rely on aging into better earnings. Wage growth has slowed, job mobility has declined and employer benefits are steadily disappearing." Credit Card Debt: "Over the last two years, millions of families refinanced or cashed out equity in their homes to absorb their credit card debt, putting their house at risk if hard times return. But because the underlying problem of rising costs and declining incomes hasn't been solved, most of these families will be in credit card debt again. And they'll pay dearly. As families have become more economically vulnerable, the credit card companies have responded by bilking customers with escalating rates and fees that push balances upward-making it near impossible for families to get out of debt. When the Federal Reserve raises the federal funds rate, the already sky-high interest rates on credit cards will touch the stratosphere." "There seems to be a bi-partisan agreement to let the credit card industry change the price of a loan at any time. No other business has as much regulatory leeway to alter the terms of a contract at any time, for any reason, as all standard cardholder agreements state. It's the Wild West in the credit card industry. But thanks to deregulation, there's no Wyatt Earp coming to our rescue." Bankruptcy and Debt: "There is growing outrage about the fact that billions of dollars are being taken from the wallets of ordinary Americans through practices that were once considered usury and illegal. With more Americans filing for bankruptcy every year than graduating from college, it's time for elected officials to seriously address the problem of debt and the high cost of credit in America." "Our research tells a story that's no surprise to the millions of families struggling with credit card debt. Families are borrowing to make ends meet, and they're one missed paycheck away from collapse. The Congress members of both parties who are embracing these punitive measures for working families are dangerously out of touch with the grim economic realities faced by ordinary families." Debt: "With millions of Americans going deeper into debt to make ends meet-many of them risking their homes, their retirement security and their kids' college educations' in the process-it is time for the government to address the debt crisis facing American families." Back to Top
	Regina Eaton Deputy Director, Democracy Program	Topics of Expertise: Democracy Demos General Election Day Registration Election Reform Felon Disfranchisement Voter Identification
	As Deputy Director of the Democracy Program, Regina M. Eaton focuses on policy issues aimed at increasing voter registration and turn out, including Election Day Registration. Prior to her present position, Ms. Eaton was the first Executive Director of The Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) from March 2001 to March 2005. As Director, Ms. Eaton was both the chief executive officer and principle spokesperson of the organization. Ms Eaton was a leading advocate for Education Funding Reform in New York and her work has received national attention. Regina's op-eds and expert advice have appeared in every region throughout New York State and nationally, including Buffalo News, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, The Utica Observer Dispatch,Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, New York Daily News and The New York Times. Regina has also appeared on NPR; Inside Albany, the PBS weekly broadcast program on New York state government, and NY1. Ms. Eaton and her work with AQE was feature in a National PBS documentary commemorating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. She also was a panelist at a major national program examining the legacy of Brown. The program included Ted Shaw from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, along with former student activists from the period of Brown v. Bd. Ms. Eaton has addressed conferences sponsored by National Education Association and Public Education Network, and represented Demos at the South Carolina Progressive Network 2005 Fall Retreat; the Progressive Michigan at their Fall 2005 Statewide Planning Session and the Iowa League of Women Voters of Statewide Meeting of their Council 2006. Back to Top
	Allison H. Fine Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Democracy Use of Social Media (Interactive Digital Technology) for Social Change
	Allison is a social entrepreneur and writer dedicated to helping grassroots organizations and activists implement and sustain social change efforts. She is the author of Momentum: Igniting Social Change in the Connected Age, which detailed how citizens can effect change using social media and interactive digital tools. She is a frequent speaker and commentator and has been published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Foundation News & Commentary, and her work has been cited in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and on National Public Radio.   Allison previously served as the C.E.O. of The E-Volve Foundation, an organization that promotes open source technology used to increase citizen participation. Allison has a Masters in Public Administration from New York University and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University. Back to Top
	Robert H. Frank Distinguished Senior Fellow
	Robert's work analyzes the impact of economic inequality on American society. He is a monthly contributor to the "Economic Scene" column in The New York Times, author of nine books, including, "Falling Behind: How Rising Inequality Harms the Middle Class" and "Luxury Fever: Money and Happiness in an Age of Excess and The Winner-Take-All Society". He is the H.J. Louis Professor of Management and Professor of Economics at the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University. He holds a B.S. from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an M.A. and Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley. Back to Top
	Jose A. Garcia Senior Research and Policy Associate	Topics of Expertise: Asset Building/Economic Development Credit Card Industry/Credit Card Debt Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Democracy Demographics Distribution of Wealth and Income Economic Policy/Economic Security Home Finance Middle Class
	As the Senior Research and Policy Associate he is responsible for providing quantitative and statistical analysis for the Economic Opportunity Program. He has over 10 years of experience working on civil rights, census advocacy and sociodemographic analysis. Prior to working at Demos, Jose was the Vice President for Policy at the National Institute for Latino Policy (NILP), where he was in charge of the program priorities for NILP. Mr. Garcia's latest publication provides background statistical data abstracts on Latinos and the Criminal Justice system. In addition, Mr. Garcia collaborated with Mr. Angelo Falcon on "The Atlas on Puerto Ricans on the Mainland". Mr. Garcia has spoken on television and on the radio and has been quoted in national, local, and ethnic newspapers and journals including The New York Post, Daily News, Orlando Sentenial, El Diario, NY1, Univision, Telemundo, Univision and others. Jose has presented at many major conferences and forums including the National Puerto Rican Coalition Conference and Census Information Center Town Hall and the Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Coalition, Children Defense Fund Latino Conference and others. Mr. Garcia received his Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Social Policy from the University of Connecticut his Bachelors form Dayton University. Back to Top
	Jim Lardner Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Corporate Governance Distribution of Wealth and Income Economic Policy/ Economic Security Health Care Reform
	Jim Lardner is the co-editor, with Chuck Collins, of Inequality.org, an online research center for journalists, teachers and concerned citizens.  He is also co-editor and one of the authors of Inequality Matters: The Growing Economic Divide in America and Its Poisonous Consequences. As a journalist, he has written for the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Nation, and other publications. He is the author of Fast Forward: A Machine and the Commotion It Caused, and the co-author, with Thomas Reppetto, of NYPD: A City and Its Police. Quotes for Attribution: FROM THE INTRODUCTION TO Inequality Matters & When the founders declared all men to be created equal, they gave America a long-term project as well as an argument for independence. For two centuries, we have clung to the notion of a society in which children start off on roughly the same footing regardless of origins or ancestry. Enunciated by a slaveholder, that idea was in Abraham Lincoln's mind when he ended slavery; it inspired the civil rights revolution and the resulting breakthroughs for people of color, women, the disabled, gays, and others who had lived outside the cover of the Constitution. Even in this age of deregulation and boundless faith in the market, the image of America as a land of escape from the rigid systems of class and foreordained lives of the Old World remains a vital piece of what Bruce Springsteen has called "the country we carry in our hearts." Some authorities-economists and others-insist that America's commitment to opportunity is alive and well in our era of $300,000-a-year lobbyists and $30,000-a-year librarians. A more unequal society, they argue, is merely one with the good sense to reward invention and enterprise properly-in other words, a land of greater opportunity than ever. It's a consoling thought but a mistaken one, according to almost every expert who has taken the trouble to examine the evidence. When it comes to mobility as well as inequality, it turns out, the United States lags behind a good number of what we used to call the "class-ridden" societies of Western Europe. A poor German or Swedish child, the research shows, has a better chance of getting ahead than a poor American child. Poverty, in addition to being more widespread on this side of the Atlantic, casts a longer shadow. Democracy, like opportunity, has always been a work in progress; and here, too, our progress has run aground on the shoals of rising inequality. A growing class divide means a diminished store of shared experience, common haunts, and inclusive institutions, feeding a politics of narrow interests that rely on money rather than popular support and involvement to assert their will& In their global proselytizing, our country's leaders promote democratic values with undiminished fervor. Meanwhile, millionaires, who make up about 1 percent of the American people, hold close to half the seats in the Senate; and in the House, incumbents have used their fundraising and redistricting powers to achieve the kind of reelection rate associated with banana republics. (That rate was close to 99 percent last time around: out of 401 House members up for reelection in 2004, five went down to defeat, two of them victims of a partisan redistricting plan in Texas.) Much has been said about the voter apathy that supposedly explains why so many Americans fail to show up at the polls on Election Day. Surely some of that supposed apathy flows from a suspicion on the part of many Americans that meaningful political representation, like regular doctor's visits and a four-year college, has been priced out of reach. Back to Top
	Michael Lipsky Senior Program Director of Public Works	Topics of Expertise: Government and the Public Sector Public Opinion about Government and the Public Sector Tax Policy
	As Senior Program Director, Michael oversees Demos' research, policy and advocacy work on public sector issues. Michael has spoken throughout the nation and appeared before three different Congressional subcommittees on emergency food provision. Michael has written five books and many articles in scholarly journals over the years, including Street-level Bureaucracy which won three major awards including Best Book on national policy (American Political Science Association), the C. Wright Mills prize from the Society for the Study of Social Problems and the prize from the policy analysis section of the APSA for the best book in public policy that remains relevant and timely 20 years after publication. His Op-Eds have appeared in the Boston Globe, the Milwaukee Sentinel, Chronicle on Philanthropy, and The American Prospect. Michael came to Demos from the Ford Foundation where he worked for 12 years, most recently as Senior Program Officer in the Peace and Social Justice Program. Responsible for the Foundation's portfolio on "government performance and accountability," he helped assemble the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative, a national network of organizations devoted to budget transparency and accountability, and International Budget Project of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Prior to Ford, Michael taught political science at the University of Wisconsin, and, for 21 years, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His best-known books are Protest in City Politics, Nonprofits for Hire: The Welfare State in the Age of Contracting (with S.R. Smith), and the award-winning Street-Level Bureaucracy. He holds degrees from Oberlin College and Princeton University. In addition to his role at Demos, Michael is currently a board member of Innovations in Civic Participation, the Advisory Committee to Honoring Contributions in the Governance of American Indian Nations, administered at Harvard University and the International Advisory Committee to the Kennedy School's Ash Institute on Democratic Governance and Innovation. He is also currently a visiting professor at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute. Back to Top
	Glenn E. Martin** Co-Director National H.I.R.E. Network of the Legal Action Center **Demos affiliate	Topics of Expertise: Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Felon Disfranchisement
	Glenn E. Martin is affiliated with Demos through our work on felon disfranchisement issues. Glenn is the Co-Director of the Legal Action Center's National H.I.R.E. Network, a national clearinghouse for information and an advocate for policy change on issues related to the employment of people with criminal records. In this role, he is responsible for developing H.I.R.E.'s capacity to foster and promote employer and labor support for the workforce participation of qualified jobseekers with criminal records. Glenn has also worked with advocates and policymakers on the local and state level to identify and implement criminal justice policy reform initiatives to remove roadblocks to employment for HIRE's constituency. Glenn has an extensive record of speaking on issues of democracy, felon cisfranchisement and civil liberties. Recent speeches include: Haywood Burns Conference on Law and Policy, Critical Consequences of Criminalization on Communities of Color (Flushing, NY), March 24, 2006; Moving Beyond a Criminal Record, Conference for Adult and Juvenile Offenders (Brooklyn, NY), March 8, 2006; Metropolitan Black Bar Association, Black Heritage Month, Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions (New York, NY), February 28, 2006; NYS Black and Latino Legislative Caucus Weekend, From Crisis to Resolution, Addressing the Needs of Black Males (Albany, NY), February 24, 2006; New York Urban league, Black History Month Celebration, 4th Annual Symposium, January 13, 2006; and the Central Connecticut State University, Building Bridges Conference, A Continuing Discussion of Connecticut's Reinvestment Initiative (Hartford, CT), January 12, 2006. Prior to joining the Legal Action Center, Mr. Martin spent three years as the Assistant Program Coordinator at Consortium College in Buffalo, one of the only surviving male prison college programs in New York State. He remains actively involved in policy advocacy efforts to increase advanced educational opportunities for people currently and formerly incarcerated. Mr. Martin is also involved in a number of other efforts related to prison, parole and criminal record issues, including efforts to reinstate Pell Grants for people who are currently incarcerated, chairing the Enfranchise NY! Alliance, testifying at the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Correction's hearing on the New York State Parole and Post-Release Supervision System and the New York City Council Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services Hearing on Discharge Planning and Jail Reentry in 2003 and 2004. Mr. Martin currently serves on the Steering Committee of Reentry.net and on the NYS Criminal Justice Coordinator's Committee to address employment related prison reentry issues. Back to Top
	Lorraine Minnite Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Democracy Election Day Registration Election Reform Voter Identification
	Lorraine teaches American and urban politics at Barnard College. Her research is concerned with issues of equality, social and racial justice, political conflict and institutional change. She has consulted with various labor, advocacy, governmental organizations, and political campaigns about public policy and demographic patterns in New York City. An experienced survey researcher, she has published on various aspects of political participation, immigration, voting behavior and urban politics. She is currently writing "The Myth of Voter Fraud", a book about the politics of electoral rules. She holds a B.A. from Boston University, and an M.A and Ph.D. from the City University of New York. Back to Top
	Scott Novakowski Policy Analyst, Democracy Program	Topics of Expertise: Democracy Election Day Registration Election Reform Felon Disfranchisement National Voter Registration Act Implementation Poverty/Welfare
	As Program Associate of the Democracy Program, Scott works on issues of felon disfranchisement and the implementation of the National Voter Registration Act. Scott joined Demos in September 2005. He recently attained a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work where his major method of concentration was Policy Practice. Scott has spoken at the Election Day Registration Cnference in October 2005 on Election Day Registration and the National Voter Registration Act, and has appeared on Talk Back with Hugh Hamilton on WBAI. While attending graduate school, Scott served as co-chair of the Committee for Multicultural Awareness and Social Justice, an organization he co-founded and now serves as a consultant. Scott also completed an internship with DemocracyWorks where he lobbied the Connecticut General Assembly on issues of open government and immigrants' rights, and also coordinated an initiative to increase civic engagement among 16-24 year olds. In 2005, Scott was selected as Connecticut's Student Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers. As an undergraduate, Scott completed a thesis on the welfare rights movement. Back to Top
	Nomi Prins Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Bankruptcy Business & Industry Business Ethics Corporate Governance Credit Card Industry/Credit Card Debt Economic Policy/Security Insurance Companies International Economic Development Investment Banks Middle Class:  Challenges, Broadening Access to, Policy  Retirement Security/Social Security Tax Policy:  Gen