Reclaim NW Suburbs looks at income inequality

Reclaim Northwest Suburbs is hosting "Income Inequality: Documentary and Discourse" from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31, at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave., in the Hendrickson Room, on the second floor.

The viewing of the 2013 Robert Reich documentary "Inequality for All" will be followed by a panel discussion on the topic of income inequality and the rise in suburban poverty.

The documentary is narrated by Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, who explains in a clear and concise way the topic of income inequality and the history behind it.

Reich, when talking about the movie on the documentary website, said, "As in the 1920s, so much of the nation's income and wealth are going to the top, that the vast middle class doesn't have the purchasing power to keep the economy going. There's no way you can sustain the economy over the long term without a strong, vibrant and growing middle class."

The panelists, who are experts and leaders from the local community, will answer questions related to the problem of growing income inequality and its impact on local families.

The panel consists of Thakar S. Basati, founder, Partners for Our Community; Jeannine Love, Roosevelt University professor and expert in social policy; Jon Rapp, social worker at Journeys | The Road Home; Jim Slusher, deputy managing editor for Opinion, Daily Herald; and Ram Villivalam, democratic candidate for Illinois' 8th Congressional District.

The panel will address the rise in suburban poverty, which has grown to match poverty levels in rural and city areas. A recent report by the Social IMPACT Research Center shows that, in 1990, about one-third of the Chicago region's poor population lived in the suburbs.

By 2011, the share of the region's poor population living in the suburbs grew to half, meaning nearly equal numbers of people experiencing poverty live in the suburbs as in Chicago.

"People are stressed. Their debt obligations are staggering, they're working harder and longer than ever before. People need to understand what's happening to them - because, from their perspective, the picture looks pretty bleak," Reich said.

For information on the event, visit www.facebook.com/events/2042932929290664/?ti=icl.

For information on Reclaim Chicago, visit www.reclaimchicago.org.