Elections should be about real people and the issues they face.  One issue that nearly always gets left off the agenda is poverty.   But since Gordon Smith voted to approve George W. Bush's economic agenda the number of Americans living in poverty has risen (after years of declining poverty rates).  That means growing numbers of children are homeless right here in Oregon, that people are struggling with the rising cost of food, and are losing their homes and living in their cars or in shelters.

Two months ago I asked Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick, the two leading democrat candidates for U.S. Senate, to outline their plans for fighting poverty.  As I reported this week, both campaigns responded.  Steve Novick invited me out for coffee with him and his campaign manager to discuss poverty and Jeff Merkley's net outreach coordinator did the same.

Now Steve Novick has issued a comprehensive anti-poverty plan:

Today nearly 39 million Americans, including 480,000 Oregonians live below the federal poverty line. That is a staggering disgrace. We are the richest nation in the world, yet the number of people in poverty has been actually been rising in recent years. It is a central commitment of mine in this campaign to help rebuild this nation’s middle class and that means providing opportunities for every American to make a better life for themselves. And I mean everyone. Too often those living in real poverty are overlooked in our discussions of the economy. I simply cannot accept a society where people are left out the effort to create shared prosperity. Therefore, I have outlined a “Poverty Agenda” to help those living in poverty join the middle class.

His plan addresses affordable housing, national health care reform, the minimum wage, affordable child care, assistance for those needing food, better investments in public transportation, and public advocacy.

Aside from policy prescriptions and proposals, we must do more to ensure that the poor in America are never overlooked or forgotten. I was proud to support John Edwards’ campaign, in part for his commitment to addressing poverty and economic inequality in America. As Oregon’s next U.S. Senator, I’d be an outspoken advocate on poverty issues – demanding real action in Congress to ensure that everyone in our nation can get ahead, not just the richest one percent. In addition, I’d use the bully pulpit to put the issue squarely in the public’s eye, holding town halls, visiting communities to talk about their challenges in fighting poverty and pushing the media to cover the issue.

All of this - on top of Novick's already announced health care reform plans - offer us a good look at how he would address the issue of poverty in America.  I'm proud of him for being the first candidate in the race for the U.S. Senate to make this issue a top priority.  His plan is solid and he has chosen many of the right issues to address.  Take the time to read the full plan.

I look forward to Speaker Merkley following Novick's lead soon and issuing a comprehensive plan of his own.  He already has experience with this issue and a clear interest in it.  But voters deserve specifics.  We need to know that our next United States Senator will be an advocate for the poorest of the poor in America.  Steve Novick has already gone a long way toward demonstrating that he would be a senator for all Oregonians.