By Joyce Kryszak
Amherst, NY – The 2004 Vice Presidential candidate who spoke about "Two Americas" talked at the State University of New yoork at Buffalo Monday about the growing reality of poverty in the Unites States. Former Senator John Edwards was keynote speaker at the Western New York Poverty Symposium.
During his vice presidential bid, Edwards made poverty a central theme of his campaign stump speech. He spoke about the widening gulf between the rich and the poor and the threat that posed to the nation's well-being.
Today, Edwards heads the Center on Poverty at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. But his message is still aimed at a broader audience.
There are several areas he believes must be addressed to reduce poverty. Among them Edwards said are raising the minimum wage and decentralizing low-income housing. Edwards said we have vivid proof from the pictures of New Orleans after Katrina that current policies have failed.
The former Senator, who was the first in his family to attend college, sid higher education also needs to be available for everyone. On that score, UB President John Simpson said UB is on the right track.
To that end, Edwards said the media also helps to spotlight injustices, such as predatory lending practices that keep the poor from rising into the middle class.
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