A Boulder County writer argues that the local social service agency has separated children from parents due only to impoverished living conditions.
"Sue has no criminal convictions and a history of only minor drug use. She's gainfully employed as a provider of homecare assistance for people with disabilities and has her own clean apartment. When social services took her child, she was guilty of poverty and despair, not abuse and neglect."
"Often, a family's poverty is confused with 'neglect,'" [Richard Wexler, executive director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform] wrote. "Indeed, the director of intake for child protective services in Denver has acknowledged that children sometimes are taken away just because their parents are down on their luck, out of work or unable to provide adequate shelter."
FULL STORY: Poverty Police

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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