Grupos cívicos piden a Harvard desvincularse de la deuda de Puerto Rico
Grupos cívicos piden a Harvard desvincularse de la deuda de Puerto Rico
Los grupos que participan de la convocatoria están comandadas por el “Center for Popular Democracy”, e incluyen a organizaciones de estudiantes de esas universidades, así como “Make the Road New...
Los grupos que participan de la convocatoria están comandadas por el “Center for Popular Democracy”, e incluyen a organizaciones de estudiantes de esas universidades, así como “Make the Road New York”, “Make the Road Pennsylvania”, “Make the Road Connecticut”, “New York Communities for Change”, and “Organize Florida.”
Lea el artículo completo aquí.
Sewer Socialism and Rebel Cities, part 3: Immigration Sanctuary
Sewer Socialism and Rebel Cities, part 3: Immigration Sanctuary
Several organization have put together resources for municipalities wanting to enact sanctuary policies: Local Progress is aggregating sanctuary city resources from multiple organizations.
...Several organization have put together resources for municipalities wanting to enact sanctuary policies: Local Progress is aggregating sanctuary city resources from multiple organizations.
Read the full article here.
Latinos Presentan La Mayor Tasa De Mortalidad Por Accidentes En Industria De La Construcción De Nueva York
Latinos Post – October 25, 2013 -
La población hispana e inmigrante que es empleada en el sector de la construcción del estado de Nueva York es el grupo étnico más vulnerable a...
Latinos Post – October 25, 2013 -
La población hispana e inmigrante que es empleada en el sector de la construcción del estado de Nueva York es el grupo étnico más vulnerable a los accidentes fatales en su lugar de trabajo, según reveló este jueves 24 de octubre un reporte realizado por el Centro por la Democracia Popular.
De acuerdo con El Diario NY, Los datos arrojados por el estudio, muestran que entre 2003 y 2011, del total de muertes por caídas y accidentes en las construcciones registrados en La Gran Manzana, el 60% de los casos los fallecidos resultaron ser hombres hispanos y/o inmigrantes.
Se trata de una cifra alarmante ya que 75 trabajadores de la construcción mueren por accidentes de manera anual en el estado de Nueva York, según dio a conocer la periodista Blanca Rosa Vílchez a la cadena de noticias de Univisión.
La fuente señala que en Nueva York el 41% de los trabajadores del sector construcción son hispanos. Sin embargo, el informe dado a conocer este jueves demostró que el 74% de las muertes por accidentes corresponden al mismo grupo étnico.
Un problema de seguridad
El pasado 24 de septiembre, trabajadores de la construcción en Brooklyn se manifestaron para exigir mejoras en las condiciones de seguridad en sus lugares de trabajo, luego de que reportaran una importante alza en los accidentes relacionadas con la escasa inversión en esta materia que las compañías constructores ofrecen, lo que ha causado graves accidentes que en muchos casos han cobrado la vida de trabajadores que reciben un salario mínimo.
En su momento Diario NY dio a conocer que los obreros se manifestaron en el 227 de la avenida Carlton, en Fort Greene, lugar en el que el 10 de septiembre un trabajador de 62 años perdió la vida al venirse abajo el techo de uno de los apartamentos en los que trabajaba.
De acuerdo con los manifestantes, las compañías contratistas de Nueva York compran materiales de mala calidad con tal de ahorrar dinero y no invierten en cursos de seguridad para sus trabajadores, lo que deja a los constructores en una situación peligrosa.
Miedo a denunciar por falta de documentación legal
La comunidad latina que trabaja en la construcción es doblemente vulnerable a esta situación, ya que muchos de los obreros son inmigrantes indocumentados, por lo que en caso de sufrir algún accidente prefieren no denunciar a la empresa constructora por miedo a ser deportados o despedidos.
Por si esto fuera poco, en caso de reportar violaciones a las normas de seguridad, las multas a las compañías constructoras son por montos muy bajos, lo que facilita que se siga omitiendo la inversión en seguridad en los lugares de trabajo.
Según destaca Univisión, las multas a las que se enfrentan las constructoras no superan los 2 mil dólares en caso de accidente, y los 12 mil en caso de muerte de un trabajador, una cifra que refleja la dimensión de los riesgos con los que los obreros de la construcción deben trabajar todos los días.
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Communities Demand End to HUD Distressed Loan Sales
US Finance Post - September 10, 2014, by Christine Layton - Community groups and homeowners in 10 cities have started to rally at local offices of the...
US Finance Post - September 10, 2014, by Christine Layton - Community groups and homeowners in 10 cities have started to rally at local offices of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), calling for an end to a program that sells off delinquent loans to investors, HousingWire reports.
The groups are protesting the HUD Distressed Asset Stabilization Program, which was created two years ago to auction delinquent loans to the highest bidders. In 2010, the government began selling delinquent mortgages that are at least 90 days past due to the highest bidder in an attempt to help the FHA rebuild cash reserves that were hit hard by loan defaults during the recession.
In the first 2 years, the FHA sold 2,000 loans in six auctions. In September 2012, when the loan pools were expanded under the new DASP program, it sold over 3,000 loans during the first auction.
The community groups claims these sales harm stabilization goals in neighborhoods, including affordable housng and homeownership.
“We’re seeing an unprecedented rise of the corporate landlord, and HUD’s DASP is just facilitating the process,” said Rachest Laforest, executive director of the Right To The City Alliance. She argues that HUD should instead use a system to favor nonprofit bidders whose mission is to invest in the community with greater requirements for winning bidders to preserve homeownership and offer affordable housing options to homeowners.
In a report released earlier this month, HUD said it sold $15.8 billion in nonperforming loans since 2010, which reduces losses to its insurance fund and saves homeowners from foreclosure. New reports claim the program helps the FHA avoid having to get more money from taxpayers, although it is questioned whether there are any efforts to protect neighborhoods that are hit hard by foreclosures.
About 97% of loans sold have gone to for-profit, private investors, such as private equity firms, hedge funds and mutual funds. Just 11% of the loans sold under DASP are considered “re-performing,” according to a report released by the Center for American Progress, while 22% were allowed to short sale or the property was surrendered for loan forgiveness. One-third were turned around and re-sold, while another one-third went into foreclosure.
“These are companies that put the financial gains of their shareholders first and community stabilization second — or I would say it’s not even necessarily a priority for them,” said Connie Razza, co-author of a report released by the Center for Popular Democracy and the Right To The City Alliance.
The group has sent a petition to Julian Castro, who took over HUD, which houses the FHA, asking that he stop selling loans under DASP until the program an be strengthened and refocused on improving neighborhoods.
During the housing crash, the share of FHA loans skyrocketed as homeowners could not get private loans, increasing from 2% of mortgages in 2006 to almost one-third by 2009. A wave of defaults put the FHA’s mortgage insurance fund into the red, and it took its first $1.7 billion taxpayer bailout in 2013. So far, almost 100,000 non-performing loans have been sold under DASP, giving the FHA a net of $8.8 billion.
Source: US Finance Post
Kenny Leon on directing the Avengers-studded Our Town reading
Kenny Leon on directing the Avengers-studded Our Town reading
The one-night-only reading, which will benefit hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, takes place Monday night at the Fox Theatre.
...
The one-night-only reading, which will benefit hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, takes place Monday night at the Fox Theatre.
Read the full article here.
Warren leads crusade for diversity at Fed
Warren leads crusade for diversity at Fed
“I’m judging John Williams based on the last several years of him being wrong about the levels of maximum employment and pushing for additional [interest rate hikes] prematurely because that...
“I’m judging John Williams based on the last several years of him being wrong about the levels of maximum employment and pushing for additional [interest rate hikes] prematurely because that mistake puts millions of jobs at risk,” said Shawn Sebastian, who co-leads the Fed Up coalition comprising advocacy groups and unions.
Read the full article here.
Juan González On De Blasio's NY: The Mayor Has Not Confronted The Affordable Housing Crisis
Juan González On De Blasio's NY: The Mayor Has Not Confronted The Affordable Housing Crisis
For nearly 30 years, Juan González used his column in the New York Daily News to expose massive corruption scandals and further the cause of social justice. He retired his column last year, but...
For nearly 30 years, Juan González used his column in the New York Daily News to expose massive corruption scandals and further the cause of social justice. He retired his column last year, but has continued his work at Democracy Now! and as a journalism professor at Rutgers. In his new book, Reclaiming Gotham: Bill de Blasio and the Movement to End America's Tale of Two Cities, González argues that Mayor de Blasio, who is likely to win a second term, is the leader of a nationwide movement for progressives to take back municipal government, and recently wrote that de Blasio has presided over a $21 billion infusion of progressive benefitstargeted at the New Yorkers who need it most.
We spoke with González about Mayor de Blasio's first term, how he fits into the progressive movement nationwide, and whether the mayor is doing enough to fulfill his initial campaign promise to end the tale of two cities.
Read the full article here.
It's Not Yet Time to Celebrate State's Graduation Rate
SCTimes - March 13, 2013, by Annette Meeks - Late last month, the Minnesota Department of Education released new data regarding Minnesota's high school graduation rate. The good news from the...
SCTimes - March 13, 2013, by Annette Meeks - Late last month, the Minnesota Department of Education released new data regarding Minnesota's high school graduation rate. The good news from the department, according to the Star Tribune, is that the "graduation rate for Minnesota students is the highest it's been in a decade, even though many minority students continue to lag behind their white peers when it comes to getting a diploma on time."
The new data showed that in 2013, "85 percent of white students, 56 percent of black students and 58 percent of Hispanic students graduated." Minnesota is not alone — many other states show an increase in the number of students leaving high school with a diploma. In 2014, according to the Star Tribune, the U.S. graduation rate was the highest it has been in 40 years when nearly "78 percent of high school students nationwide graduated on time."
What happens to a Minnesotan who doesn't earn a high school diploma? Those students face daunting challenges in life because the public education system has failed them. Instead of a celebratory front page news story, these students become a statistic in a report issued by the Center for Popular Democracy. Hardly part of the "vast right-wing conspiracy." The Center for Popular Democracy's "partners" include the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO, to name just a few.
According to a recently released report by the center, "Minnesota has the third-highest unemployment gap between white and black people in the country — with the jobless rate among blacks almost four times higher than among whites."
Minnesota's astonishing statewide high rate of unemployment among African-Americans "fell" to 11.9 percent in 2014, down from a previous high of 15.4 percent seven years earlier. In 2014, the white unemployment rate in the state was 3.2 percent.
In 2013, the Star Tribune reported that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Minnesota was second only to Wyoming [where the] black unemployment rate was triple the white rate." There was virtually no change in the Minnesota's Hispanic unemployment rate (7 percent), which remains at nearly twice the rate of white unemployment.
Furthermore, according to a report on BringMetheNews.com and WalletHub, "Minnesota has the second-worst wealth gap between white people and people of color in the United States."
So while officials at the Minnesota Department of Education continue celebrating the improving graduation rate, we'll postpone any celebrations. We'll wait until there is no achievement gap for minority students that attend (and graduate on time from) Minnesota's public schools. That will be worth celebrating.
This is the opinion of Annette Meeks, founder and CEO of Freedom Foundation Of Minnesota.
Source
New Orleans experience a warning to Texas
Behind Frenemy Lines - May 10, 2014, by Jason Stanford - This is a typical day for Greg Abbott’s gubernatorial bid: He goes into the office, screws up his own campaign and goes home. If it weren’t...
Behind Frenemy Lines - May 10, 2014, by Jason Stanford - This is a typical day for Greg Abbott’s gubernatorial bid: He goes into the office, screws up his own campaign and goes home. If it weren’t for his mistakes—Ted Nugent, thanking a supporter who called Wendy Davis “retard Barbie”, calling South Texas a “Third-World Country”, and his bungled opposition to equal pay come to mind—Abbott would seem to have no campaign at all. But it’s when you separate the wheat from the gaffe on education that Abbott’s campaign looks like a disaster waiting to happen.
The negative coverage of Abbott’s education plan—and boy howdy has there been a lot—is focused on Abbott’s mistakes. His education plan cites Charles Murray, whose retrograde views on race and gender got him called a “White Nationalist” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. On page 20, his plan calls for “standardized tests” in pre-K. As a dodge, his campaign spokesmanclaimed that was in the plan “for informational purposes only.” And then he cancels campaign events at public schools when the Davis campaign points out that the schools are suing him over funding cuts.
But behind this façade of denials, backpedaling, and obliviousness sits the luckiest man in American politics, because almost no one has bothered to discuss his idea to create “takeover districts” for low-performing schools. He has reportedly modeled his plan on the privatization reforms in New Orleans.
That last bit should scare you. Education reformers—that is, those who think private charters would do better than public schools at educating poor children—call the Recovery School District in New Orleans a success. If the RSD is a success, I’m the third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles. No matter how much I wish that to be true, the facts say otherwise. Here’s why:
No one argues that schools in New Orleans were turning out Harvard scholars by the boatload, so the legislature created the RSD, a takeover district as Abbott has conceived. Davis also supports recovery districts, but Abbott likes the New Orleans model in which “failing” schools would be run by private charters that promised to get the schools shipshape and back into the public school system within five years.
Before taking a look at the results, we must first figure out what “failure” means, because they keep moving that target. RSD used to takeover any school that failed to get a passing score of 60 on the state performance index. After Katrina, the legislature changed that to allow RSD to scoop up any school that fell short of the state’s 87.4 average. The New Orleans private charter district took over 94 schools, 26 of which met the old passing standard. The state redefined failure to mean below average so more schools could get privatized.
Almost a decade later, the takeover district in New Orleans has failed to turn around even one school, so “improvement” became the new goal. Not one school has received an “A” or even a “B” grade. In fact, RSD stopped disclosing the grades their schools received, preferring to publicize percentages of improvement without disclosing the underlying data or that they were cherry-picking the data every year, making it impossible to honestly chart progress. By their original standards, though, all the RSD schools are still failing.
Remember, Louisiana was throwing millions of tax dollars at what were essentially startup small businesses. Fraud and bankruptcy are commonplace, and if you think that’s confined to New Orleans, think again.
Integrity in Education and the Center for Popular Democracy looked at 15 states that have charter schools, one of which was Texas and found “rampant fraud, waste and abuse,” according to a report released last week. The two groups found numerous cases of embezzlement, misuse of tax dollars, child endangerment, bilking taxpayers for services not rendered, inflated enrollment numbers, and general mismanagement. Private charters are running schools like a business. Unfortunately, that business is Wall Street.
It’s never the schools in the wealthy neighborhoods that get taken over. On average, poor children score worse than their wealthier peers. We have always known that, but we cannot get poor children to achieve in school simply by insisting they act like wealthy children.
Now Abbott is using the false dogma of education reform as cover to give up on public schools. Giving up on public schools will not fix public schools, but if Abbott becomes governor, he’ll go into the office every morning, screw up public schools, and go home.
Don’t say you weren’t warned.
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Civic Engagement Groups Respond to the Passage of Maryland’s Freedom to Vote Act
04.12.2016
Annapolis, MD – A voting rights coalition recognized the Maryland General Assembly for passing the Freedom to Vote Act, legislation that will ease the path to voting while...
04.12.2016
Annapolis, MD – A voting rights coalition recognized the Maryland General Assembly for passing the Freedom to Vote Act, legislation that will ease the path to voting while cutting red tape for Maryland citizens. The coalition includes partners such as Demos, the Center for Popular Democracy, Maryland Working Families, Casa de Maryland and Maryland Communities United.
“Demos recognizes the Maryland General Assembly for continuing to push forward common‑sense practices of voter modernization that are being embraced around the country,” said Damon Daniels, Campaigns and Outreach Associate for Demos.
“Maryland has taken a step forward today. The legislation will modernize the voting process and work to make Maryland’s democratic system more accessible and inclusive,” said Emma Greenman, Director of Voting Rights and Democracy at the Center for Popular Democracy.
The coalition partners said that while this bill expands voter registration opportunities for Marylanders, they are disappointed that Automatic Voter Registration (AVR), proposed in this measure and in Senate Bill 350, was excluded from the final legislation. The AVR provision called for the Maryland State Board of Elections to use relevant information provided to government agencies to automatically add eligible individuals to the voter rolls, unless they declined to be registered.
“Automatic Voter Registration could potentially add tens of thousands of newly eligible voters into Maryland elections, emphasizing an enhanced and inclusive approach to increasing voter participation while also protecting the rights of those who choose to refrain from the process. Its strength lies in its potential to transfer the responsibility of voter registration to the government, saving time and money while also providing the strongest opportunity to address current race and income gaps in voter turnout,” said Charly Carter, Executive Director of Maryland Working Families.
“We are grateful for the work of Senator Roger Manno and Delegate Eric Luedtke for introducing Automatic Voter Registration, and look forward to working with Maryland leadership and the Board of Elections to assess ways that we can continue to improve voter access in Maryland, especially for those who remain underrepresented in our electorate,” said Yaheiry Mora, Advocacy and Elections Specialist of Casa de Maryland. “We hope that Maryland will lead the national effort to let all eligible voters participate in the political process, and urge Gov. Larry Hogan to sign the Freedom to Vote Act into law and demonstrate the importance all elected officials should place on promoting fair and inclusive elections.”
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