by Suzanne Potter, Producer
During this contentious election season, people may think rural and urban voters are hopelessly divided but experts said it is largely a myth.
The University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy is hosting a webinar two weeks from today on understanding rural voters.
Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, professor of public policy at the university, said urban and rural voters actually have quite a bit in common.
“Their values are very much aligned on the basics,” Currid-Halkett reported. “We all care about the environment. We care about our families. We hope for a better future for our country. We believe in democracy.”
The University of Chicago’s General Social Survey found rural and urban Americans share the same basic values when it comes to their belief in God, environmentalism and social policy. But she observed you would never know it from the false stereotypes permeating cable news and talk radio.
Currid-Halkett noted most high-quality journalism these days is hidden behind paywalls, making it hard to access for the average voter.
“I think if we had easier access to understand varying political perspectives, we might, one, realize we aren’t so divided,” Currid-Halkett contended. “And two, we might get a sense of why people think differently than us, but it’s very hard to do that in the current way we get media.”
The webinar will also feature speakers from Colby College, the Center for Sustainable Development, the Brookings Institution, and the Unruh Institute of Politics at USC Dornsife.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, tips on financial literacy
During National Hispanic American Heritage Month, financial experts are speaking out to help Latino families build wealth.
Federal data show that more than a quarter of Latino consumers in the U.S. have no recent credit history, making them “credit invisible” and unlikely to qualify for a loan.
Jorge López Colunga, business development officer in commercial lending for Self-Help Federal Credit Union in San Francisco, said some Latinos are unaccustomed to using credit.
“In Mexico, Latin America, it’s either you pay cash or you just don’t buy it because you cannot afford it,” López Colunga explained. “Here you have to learn how to use credit and leverage it, because it’s crucial in order for them to afford something bigger in the future.”
López Colunga pointed out many Latinos are self-employed and may operate on a cash basis. He advised people to keep meticulous records and hire an accountant because accurate business income and tax records will help them qualify for business, home and car loans down the line.
María Ramos Cuaya, racial wealth gap coordinator at Self-Help Federal Credit Union, encouraged people to seek financial counseling.
“We always try to connect our members with the proper resources for them to understand how to create a spending plan, how to manage their finances, how to access credit without having to get into so much debt,” Ramos Cuaya outlined.
Ramos Cuaya noted many banks and credit unions offer “credit builder” loans to help people establish or build new credit using their own money.
