By Irene Morrison

Last week, Wade Rathke, the founder of ACORN, came to Buffalo to promote his new book, Citizen Wealth: Winning the Campaign to Save Working Families. The book makes the case that organizing around homeownership is one of the most effective ways for low- and moderate-income (LMI) families to gain economic stability, what he terms citizen wealth, and discusses the successes and challenges which organizers around these issues experience. Rathke also discusses the need for unions at a time in which they are increasingly under attack, as well as the need to continue to pressure corporations to end predatory lending and tax preparation practices.

At a time when much of the left-leaning and progressive media seems to be too negative (though I don’t disagree that there is plenty to be negative about), Citizen Wealth provides an optimistic but not overly-rosy look at the future of the working class. He maintains that we must reframe an argument that has been driven by ideology on the right rather than facts. A key term in this argument is the concept of wealth, which includes income but also includes home ownership, savings, health insurance, and any other asset that has the potential to create opportunities for family members.

Rathke believes that corporations can be pressed to change business practices not only at through legislation but through negotiations with grassroots organizations as well. Citing several examples with smaller community banks as well as corporations like H & R Block, Rathke highlights successes, primarily at the community level, which organizations like ACORN have won.

He also cites examples of legislation, like the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), which have been vital to creating and protecting citizen wealth, primarily by providing loans to LMI families, as well as the constant battle to enforce laws against discriminatory lending.

Finally, Citizen Wealth highlights the need for public education on tax codes and rebates, so that families will be able to get the benefits they are elligble for and no longer be dependent on corporations, who take advantage of the lack of education on tax law, for their tax preparation. Rathke concludes with a call to action for community organizers, and though he does not envision a future free of poverty, he acknowledges the potential for this future, emphasizing that this would be impossible without activism.

Overall, Rathke’s sound diagnosis of the challenges facing economically insecure families, combined with his prescriptions for creating and maintaining financial security for the working class, make Citizen Wealth a worthwhile read for community organizers. Maybe Obama, in light of his recent (rather useless) plea to bankers to shape up and start lending again, should take a few pages out of Rathke’s playbook.