What struck me most about Heidi Hartmann and Elyse Shaw's cover article was the extent to which equal pay for women would alleviate poverty for families and children. That has to be a win-win for both government coffers and individuals. And as Sarah Halpern-Meekin points out in "It's Not Like I'm Poor," the psychological benefits of relying less on government programs go beyond monetary benefits. Check out her Earned Income Tax Credits article-and Marco Gorini and Kaili Mauricio's map showing where New Englanders are getting those credits.

In other articles of interest, Patricia Sears shares new AARP research on older workers in northern Vermont, and Lawrence Andrews and Carmen Panacopoulos write about Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation and how it often helps small businesses by first building their capacity, then lending them money. Brian Clarke describes a new Boston Fed collaboration that could yield insights on how prepaid cards could help lower-income consumers save for a rainy day. And researcher Leah Zallman and coauthors from the Cambridge-based Institute for Community Health demonstrate that, contrary to popular misconceptions, immigrants' tax payments are benefiting the US health system, keeping Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund solvent.

Steve McDonagh, of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, provides tips on how power and leadership can be nurtured in black and brown communities. And Bill Traynor and Frankie Blackburn explain how they use circles and marketplaces to level the playing field for civic engagement across race and class.

Best,
Caroline Ellis

Managing Editor
caroline.ellis@bos.frb.org