John Edwards Has A New Job at UNC

By Linda Orlando

Now that he's lost his bid at heading the country, John Edwards will be heading up the University of North Carolina's new Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity. Edwards certainly knows the meaning of opportunity; the university will be paying him $40,000 a year for the part-time job, and he has made a two-year commitment. He began his new job Tuesday by moderating a panel discussion about the importance of saving money to move families out of poverty. "We have millions of Americans who work full-time and still live in poverty, and that is absolutely wrong," said Edwards.

The Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity is a nonpartisan effort designed to bring together university faculty members and national public policy experts to develop practical ideas for moving more Americans out of the cycle of poverty and into the middle class. Even though Edwards himself is far removed from the middle class, he will lead the center and serve as a guest lecturer on campus. He will be designated a University Professor and hold an Alumni Distinguished Professorship, which is funded by private gifts to the University. Edwards and his wife both graduated from the UNC law school, and his wife has served on the University's Board of Visitors since 2001.

Speaking on NBC's "Today" show Wednesday, Edwards referred to the problem of poverty as being "one of the great moral issues in America today," adding that more people in the United States live in poverty now than 30 years ago. During his six years in the Senate, despite being present for less than 30% of all votes, Edwards says that he supported policy initiatives such as increasing the minimum wage, raising the earned income tax credit, designing incentives for teachers working in low-income schools, and creating matching savings accounts for low-income families. One of his main focuses in speeches he gave while running for President last year was the issue of poverty.

When Edwards was asked if he has made a decision about running for President again in 2008, his answer was no. "I have a campaign and a cause right now, and this is it. This is where I'm going to spend my passion and my energy," he explained. "The time I spent at Chapel Hill gave me many of the tools I have used all my life to help those who are struggling, and I am so proud that I will be able to continue this work and also give something back to UNC-Chapel Hill." Edwards has said that his position as director of the center will allow him to explore "creative approaches to the difficulties that families in poverty face every day."

But Ferrell Blount, the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, believes that the launch of the new Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity is merely a vehicle to keep Edwards in the political limelight, providing him with a more solid footing for his next run for political office. Gene Nichol, dean of the law school, says the accusation is unfounded. "The center will outlast Sen. Edwards' time with us, and will make a lasting contribution to the mission of the University of North Carolina," Nichol said Tuesday. "I don't think John Edwards needs the UNC law school to draw national press. He will be a marvelous resource for faculty and students across campus. His life experiences as well as his time as senator and vice presidential candidate make him ideally suited to lead this new center." The Chancellor of the university, James Moeser, agrees. "John Edwards is a distinguished Carolina alumnus, and we are delighted that he will return to campus to bring together today's best minds to focus on issues that affect us all."