Entertainment
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin in Global News
Laurence Fishburne to Be the New Voice of Cadillac
Actor Laurence Fishburne speaks on the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln during the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C., May 24, 2009. Photo by Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy
DETROIT, — Laurence Fishburne will lend his voice to television advertising for Cadillac. Advertising will launch in the Rose Bowl game telecast on Jan. 1, 2011. Fishburne’s multifaceted career makes him unique in the creative industry. Not only has he been recognized with Emmy and Tony Awards as well as an Academy Award nomination, he is also a noted screenwriter, director and producer.
Advertising for Cadillac will start in the Rose Bowl game telecast on Jan. 1, 2011
“At Cadillac our ambition is to continue to set a new standard in our own distinctive way,” said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing. “We are excited to be working with Laurence Fishburne as we bring new thinking to the automotive luxury space in 2011.” PRNewswire
Prince Calls Celebs on Stage to Party at NYC Show
Prince entering his car in Paris, France, 2010. Photo by Nicolas Genin
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody AP Music Writer
NEW YORK- Sherri Sheppard finally got her wish to spend the night with Prince _ but she had to share him with a few other celebrities, including Spike Lee, Naomi Campbell, Jamie Foxx and her “View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg. Prince called Sheppard and a host of other stars on stage Saturday night during his sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden. Lee played the tambourine as Alicia Keys, Jamie Foxx, Professor Cornel West, talk-show host Tavis Smiley and others danced onstage with Prince and Sheila E. to the hit “A Love Bizarre.” (AP)
After Australia Tour, Winfrey Vacations in Fiji
SUVA, Fiji – Fresh off an Australian tour with her frenzied talk-show fans, Oprah Winfrey is taking a respite in the South Pacific island nation of Fiji, where the military regime wished her “a great time.” Local media reported she arrived Thursday and that she and longtime beau Stedman Graham were to stay until Dec. 26.
‘Driving Miss Daisy’ Stays on Broadway into Spring
NEW YORK – James Earl Jones will be staying behind the wheel of “Driving Miss Daisy” for quite a bit longer. Producers of the play by Alfred Uhry said Wednesday they are extending the show’s run with its original cast until April 9. It also stars Vanessa Redgrave and Boyd Gaines and was originally expected to end Jan. 29. (AP)
SIRIUS XM Celebrates Richard Pryor’s 70th Birthday with ‘Richard Pryor Radio’
"Richard Pryor Radio" will launch December 30.
NEW YORK — SIRIUS XM Radio announced recently that it will launch “Richard Pryor Radio,” a four-day uncensored channel devoted to the legendary comedian’s decades of groundbreaking work. “Richard Pryor Radio” will launch December 30 at 5:00 am ET and will run through 11:59 pm ET on January 2 on SIRIUS channel 108 and XM channel 139. PRNewswire
Mel Gibson’s film `The Beaver’ due out in March
Distributor Summit Entertainment announced that Gibson’s comic drama “The Beaver” will open in limited release next March 23 and expand to more theaters on April 8. The film has been in limbo amid Gibson’s custody battle with ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, who claims he physically abused her. (AP)
Flo Rida Not Too Concerned with Selling Albums
Rapper Flo Rida on the set of the music video for his song "Sugar" in 2009. Phot by Beyond the Barricade Photography
NEW YORK – Flo Rida has sold millions when it comes to hit singles, but his albums have yet to get that kind of love from music fans. His first two albums haven’t reached gold status, and his latest, “Only One Flo (Part 1),” debuted at No. 107 on the charts earlier this month. But Flo Rida says he’s “not too fond of even just worrying about that.” He says selling millions of singles is just as good as selling millions of albums. (AP)
Showtime
New York Film Critics pick `Social Network’
NEW YORK – “The Social Network” continued its virtual sweep of the early awards season, earning best film from the New York Film Critics Circle. David Fincher, director of the Facebook drama, won best director in the awards, announced Monday. The New York critics followed the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics Online in choosing “The Social Network” as the year’s best film.
The New York reviewers are among the influential critics groups that suggest potential favorites ahead of the Feb. 27 Academy Awards.
The Tally
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin in Global News
Satellite TV Providers Sue Utah Over Higher Taxes
Satellite television providers are suing Utah. Photo by kevinzim
SALT LAKE CITY – Two satellite television providers are suing Utah for giving cable TV companies a tax break that is not available to the satellite providers.
DIRECTV and DISH Network filed the lawsuit in 8th District Court.
The satellite providers say the Utah Legislature rewarded cable TV companies in 2008 with a sales tax break because they employ more people and have to rent public rights of way to run cables. The cable companies pass along the savings to their customers.
The satellite companies acknowledge they employ few people in Utah and don’t have to pay franchise fees or property taxes because they don’t own any infrastructure in Utah. But they say it’s unconstitutional to show tax favors only for cable TV customers.
DIRECTV and DISH Network are demanding the same tax break. (AP)
Micron CEO Predicts Winnowing of Industry
Only two or three memory chip manufacturing companies are predicted to survive the consolidation happening now in the industry. Photo by Dano
BOISE, Idaho – The head of Micron Technology Inc. predicts that only two or three memory chip manufacturing companies will survive the consolidation happening now in the industry.
Chairman and CEO Steve Appleton told shareholders at Micron’s annual meeting in Boise Thursday that the chip maker’s strong balance puts it in a good position to ride out the latest drop in chip prices.
The Idaho Statesman reports the company ended fiscal 2010 with $2.9 billion in cash, up from $1.5 billion a year ago.
Appleton has said the consolidation happening in the industry could take years. There are now 11 companies in the business.
More than half of Micron’s chip manufacturing happens through joint ventures abroad, and the company has looked for more opportunities to expand. (AP)
AT&T Agrees To Acquire Wireless Spectrum From Qualcomm
DALLAS and SAN DIEGO — AT&T and Qualcomm Incorporated announced AT&T has agreed to purchase spectrum licenses in the Lower 700 MHz frequency band from Qualcomm for $1.925 billion. The move will bolster AT&T’s ability to provide an advanced 4G mobile broadband for its customers.
Qualcomm currently uses the licenses to support the service business of FLO TV Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, and the sale follows Qualcomm’s previously announced plan to evaluate strategic options for the FLO TV business. Qualcomm expects that the FLO TV business and network will be shut down in March 2011. (PRN)
Weighing Costs, Companies Favor Temporary Help
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin in Global News
By Motoko Rich
Temporary workers are starting to look, well, not so temporary.
Despite a surge this year in short-term hiring, many American businesses are still skittish about making those jobs permanent, raising concerns among workers and some labor experts that temporary employees will become a larger, more entrenched part of the work force.
This is bad news for the nation’s workers, who are already facing one of the bleakest labor markets in recent history. Temporary employees generally receive fewer benefits or none at all, and have virtually no job security. It is harder for them to save. And it is much more difficult for them to develop a career arc while hopping from boss to boss.
“We’re in a period where uncertainty seems to be going on forever,” said David Autor, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “So this period of temporary employment seems to be going on forever.”
This year, companies have hired temporary workers in significant numbers. In November, they accounted for 80 percent of the 50,000 jobs added by private sector employers, according to the Labor Department. Since the beginning of the year, employers have added a net 307,000 temporary workers, more than a quarter of the 1.17 million private sector jobs added in total.
Briefs
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin in Global News
FedEx Raises Expectations
In this Dec. 9, 2010 photo, FedEx cargo planes wait to be loaded at the FedEx facility, at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. Photo by (AP)
FedEx is raising its earnings prediction for the full-year on a brightening economic forecast, but said Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010, its fiscal second-quarter earnings were hurt by a slew of one-time charges. (AP)
Small Businesses Optimistic About 2011
SAN FRANCISCO, — Heading into the new year, a majority of small to midsized businesses (SMBs) are optimistic toward 2011 and planning moderate changes, according to a survey of more than 1,000 SMB decision makers. With 84 percent of the SMBs surveyed predicting that sales will increase or remain the same, many businesses are looking to hire new employees and/or upgrade technology. PRNewswire
Americans Can’t Get Enough of Large Cars, Trucks and SUVs
Shoppers are still attracted to larger vehicles, according to AutoTrader.com. Photo by Ricardo Pérez.
ATLANTA — Small cars and fuel efficiency were all the rage at the first major auto show of the season in Los Angeles in November, but shoppers are still attracted to larger vehicles, according to the AutoTrader.com November Trend Engine report, covering searches and site activity on AutoTrader.com for November 2010. The November report also includes the top-searched new, used and certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles for the year. PRNewswire
War Fires Burning Again in Nigeria’s Oil-Rich Southern Delta
Posted on 22. Dec, 2010 by admin in Global News
Heavily armed soldiers and aerial bombing runs have reportedly killed as many as 150 people in the southern delta, a human rights activist said.
Oghebejabor Ikim, national coordinator for the Forum of Justice and Human Rights Defense, described devastation in the village of Ayakoromo in Delta state with houses destroyed, civilians killed, and women raped. Soldiers are said to be looking for a militant leader called John Togo.
“I can describe it as a killing spree of innocent civilians,” Mr. Ikim said. “Houses have been burnt. Women are raped. There are killings. Is that how to get at John Togo?”
Nigerian officials say they are looking to reach a truce with militants in the Niger Delta who have turned to militancy over failed government pledges to clean up the environment, share oil incomes, build schools, and health care centers. The “rebels” have turned to attacks on pipelines, kidnapping of petroleum company employees, and fighting with government troops.
The attacks have cut drastically into crude production in Nigeria, an OPEC-member nation that is one of the top suppliers of crude oil to the U.S.
The Nigerian Red Cross and other activists have been unable to reach the targeted communities as the military has sealed off the winding muddy creeks that lead to the region. Activists say they continue to see smoke rising from the area and can hear gunfire.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Nigerian environmental activist Nnimmo Bassey recently received the “Alternative Nobel Prize” in Stockholm, for his effort to “reveal the full ecological and human horror of oil production.”
In his acceptance speech, Bassey, who heads Friends of the Earth International, said he represented ‘suffering peoples in the oil fields’ in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Polluters, he said, should face trial for ‘crimes against humanity’. Last year, Bassey was named “Hero of the Environment” by Time magazine.
-Special to the NNPA from the Global Information Network
Black Segregation in US Drops to Lowest in Century
Posted on 22. Dec, 2010 by admin in Global News
WASHINGTON – America’s neighborhoods became more integrated last year than during any time in at least a century, says a broad array of census data released recently on the impact of race and economics.
Segregation among blacks and whites fell in roughly three-fourths of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas as the two racial groups spread more evenly between inner cities and suburbs. Still, ethnic segregation in many parts of the U.S. persisted, particularly for Hispanics.
“It’s taken a civil rights movement and several generations to yield noticeable segregation declines for blacks,” said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution who reviewed the census data. “But the still-high levels of black segregation in some areas, coupled with uneven clustering patterns for Hispanics, suggest that the idea of a postracial America has a way to go.”
Income also varied widely by geography. Poverty ranged from 4 percent to more than 40 percent with many of the poor living on American Indian reservations in the High Plains. Amid swirling congressional debate over taxing the wealthy, just three U.S. counties reported a median household income of over $100,000 all in Virginia.
In contrast, seven counties in 2000 in Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico and Virginia had median income of more than $100,000, before the housing boom and then bust began to ravage household budgets.
The new information is among the Census Bureau’s most detailed yet released for neighborhoods, pending demographic results from the official 2010 census next spring.
Among the findings:
_New Orleans was among metros with the largest decline in segregation among blacks and whites since 2000, due largely to the exodus of low-income blacks from the city after Hurricane Katrina.
_Four New York counties ranked at the top of longest commute times to work, all in excess of 40 minutes: Richmond, Queens, Kings and Bronx. Residents in King, Texas, had the quickest trip: 3.4 minutes.
_Falls Church, Va., had the highest share of people ages 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher; it was also the locality with the highest median household income at $113,313. In all, 17 of the nation’s 3,221 counties had college completion rates of over 50 percent, compared to 62 counties whose rates were less than 10 percent.
_In 21 counties, more than 1 in 3 people lived in poverty. Nationally, the poverty rate in 2009 stood at 14.3 percent, or 43.6 million people.
The figures come from previous censuses and the 2009 American Community Survey, which samples 3 million households. For places with fewer than 20,000 people, the ACS figures from 2005-2009 were averaged to help compensate for otherwise large margins of error.
The race trends hint at the upcoming political and legal wrangling over the 2010 census figures, to be published in the spring. The data will be used to reallocate congressional districts, drawing new political boundaries. New Hispanic-dominated districts could emerge, particularly for elected positions at the state and local level. States are required under the Voting Rights Act to respect the interests of minority voting blocs, which tend to support Democratic candidates.
Milwaukee, Detroit and New York were among the most segregated, all part of areas in the Northeast and Midwest known by some demographers as the “ghetto belt.” On the other end of the scale, cities that were least likely to be segregated included Las Vegas, Honolulu, Raleigh, N.C., and Albuquerque, N.M.
Hispanic integration was mixed. There was less Hispanic-white segregation in cities and suburbs in many large metros such as Buffalo, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, according to preliminary census figures. But in many smaller neighborhoods, large numbers of more recently arrived Hispanic immigrants are believed to be clustering together for social support, experts said.
The findings on segregation are based on a pair of demographic measures that track the degree to which racial groups are evenly spread between neighborhoods. Both showed declines in black-white segregation from 2000 to the lowest in generations.
One of those measures found that the average white person now lives in a neighborhood that is 79 percent white, compared to 81 percent in 2000. The average black person lives in a 46 percent black neighborhood, down from 49 percent. But for Hispanics, their average neighborhood last year was 45 percent Hispanic, up slightly from 44 percent.
Still, the recent gains in racial integration are somewhat limited, said John Logan, a sociologist at Brown University who has studied residential segregation. He noted that black-white segregation remained generally high in areas of the Northeast and Midwest. In those areas, there is slow population growth and white flight from increasingly minority neighborhoods is still common.
As for Hispanics and Asians, while residential movement out of ethnic neighborhoods has been increasing, those numbers have generally been surpassed by the arrival of new immigrants into traditional enclaves.
“The political implications of these trends are great in the long run – majority black districts will become harder to sustain, while more majority Hispanic districts will emerge, especially for state and local positions,” Logan said.
Due to incomplete 2009 data, the analysis of racial segregation omits seven metro areas: Sarasota, Fla., Greenville, S.C., Harrisburg, Pa., Jackson, Miss., McAllen, Texas, Portland, Maine, and Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Healing the ‘Broken Village’
Posted on 22. Dec, 2010 by admin in Community Focus
by Thelma Sardin
Since his appointment as pastor of St. Sabina Church in 1981, Father Michael Pfleger has been a vocal community advocate for the resolution of systemic disparities in the Black community.
Currently, crime is one of the most severe issues that plague the City of Chicago. Crusading for communities in peril, Pfleger has tirelessly fought on behalf of disadvantaged groups. Last week, he spoke at the Community Mental Health Council’s Annual Meeting.
During Pfleger’s 25 minute speech, he called stagnant violence in minority communities across the country an, “undeclared national emergency.”
“We are putting our future at risk and don’t seem to be concerned about it,” said Pfleger. According to the pastor, violence is something that is continuing to be ignored, “…for many reasons….sometimes it’s ignored because victims of violence are poor and primarily black and brown,” he said.
Pfleger also quoted the African Proverb, “It takes a whole village to raise a child.” Applying the adage to communities currently under siege with violence, he said, the village is “broken” and “…we cannot raise healthy children in a broken village.”
Highlighting how crime scenes are becoming normal he added,“It is unacceptable…that teddy bears and yellow police tape are becoming new landmarks in our communities across this country.”
Pfleger who believes a step in creating a functional community is strengthening ties with the police added, “…we must repair the broken bridge between law enforcement and civilians.”
The pastor also believes more assistance from all levels of government will help close gaps of inequality. “We must demand that city, state and federal government unleash the resources needed to build healthy communities and to level the unequal playing field…,” he said.
The South side pastor has been an outspoken community leader for years. In all of his years of work, he admits he’s beginning to see change cultivate. “…I ‘m seeing more and more people kind of drawing the line and saying enough, this has to stop. I’m seeing a frustration level that is now moving to an action level in the neighborhood. That’s where I’m seeing the greatest hope,” he said.
Recently, Pfleger and a group of citizens asked Chicago mayoral candidates’ about their platform on crime but only one candidate showed up. He said he reached out to the candidates because, “…often times in these campaigns, we get into mudslinging, we get into the stump talk and we have very serious issues and one of them to me is absolutely the crime issue.”
Some mayoral candidates are beginning to communicate ideas for crime prevention.
At a fundraiser this past weekend, Congressman Danny Davis said if he’s elected mayor residents will benefit from, “One Chicago, where every man, woman and child can live without fear of violence and crime.”
On her website, Carol Moseley Braun cited economic and educational development as the best way to ensure public safety. The mayoral hopeful notes community involvement is the, “strategy to help break the code of silence that keeps many of our crimes unsolved.”
Chicago City Clerk Miguel del Valle lists a plan for public safety on his campaign website including enhancing the CAPS program. He said he plans to strengthen relationships among police, trusted community organizations, and residents on all public safety issues by revitalizing community policing and the CAPS program. Investment, training, and traditional community organizing will be key to this initiative, his website states.
Early in December, community organizer, Patricia Van-Pelt Watkins unveiled her crime plan at a news conference. As reported by WBEZ, Watkins says the city should invest more in violence prevention programs. She also feels the Chicago police should fill vacancies and put more cops into community policing. “We know cops are extremely important- more police are extremely important…but it’s wrong for us to just put police officers in the line of fire, and the rest of us just go home. I think that, in order to solve the challenges that we face as a city now, we can’t look to the old bag of tricks that have been used in the past.”
Report Tracks Students’ Performance Globally
Posted on 22. Dec, 2010 by admin in Community Focus
by Thelma Sardin
Although some public school students are benefitting from stimulating math and science
educational programs, nationally, American students still lag behind their global counterparts in
math, science and reading.
While science fairs like the ones held recently at Granville T. Woods Math and Science
Academy in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood help peak a student’s interest in science, a
recent Associated Press report, indicates there’s still much more work to do among students
nationwide.
The AP report unveiled America’s rank among its global counterparts in the areas of math,
science and reading. According to results from the 2009 Programme for International Student
Association (PISA), students in the United States rank 17th in science, 25th in math and 14th in
reading out of 34 countries that were assessed.
The test results demonstrate that American students perform average in reading and science and
below average in math.
Among the attendees at the Wood’s science fair held recently at the school was State Rep.
Monique Davis (D-IL). A former school educator and administrator, Davis believes science fairs
are beneficial because they help students understand the relationship between life and science
and they help build important communications skills, including writing, since students have to
write reports based on the experiments they conduct, she said. “It’s just an overall excellent
experience for children,” she added.
When you think about all of the advances that have been made in this country, there’s no reason
for Americans to lag behind any other group, Davis said, adding, parental involvement is key to
the success of any child.
As an educator, Davis posed several questions while sharing techniques she used in the
classroom. “… I would use plays in order to teach math,” she says. “The children would have to
design their own props and memorize their lines. Parents would come out and give children their
encouragement.
“We must ask ourselves, when was the last time you attended a program at school, when was the
last time you visited a science fair at the school? Does your school have them? When was the last
time you attended a play that your children participated in?”
Although Bobby Otter, spokesperson for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) says science fairs at CPS
are still quite popular, other schools have seen a decline in participation.
In March 2011, CPS will host its citywide science fair for the 61st year at the Museum of Science
and Industry. He adds CPS is preparing students globally by, “expand[ing] our extracurricular
science offerings to include additional programs related to science. This has produced two types
of impact for students: it has given a wider spectrum of students’ access to science programming
and it allows students to experience other aspects of science and the scientific process,” he said.
CPS also has several schools designated as “math and science” academies including Walter
Payton Math, Science and World Language Academy, Lindblom Math & Science Academy and
Galileo Math& Science Scholastic Academy.
The academies include a rigorous program of math, science, and technology courses that help
prepare students for the future.
In spite of these efforts, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the 2009 PISA results show
there’s a lot of work to be done. Referring to the results, he told the Associated Press, “This
is an absolute wake-up call for America…the results are extraordinarily challenging to us and
we have to deal with the brutal truth. We have to get much more serious about investing in
education,” he added.
While CPS has not seen a drop in activities like science fairs which help keep students involved,
Laura Hirsch, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at Crete-Monee School
District 201-U in the far South suburbs said participation in science fairs has declined because of
a lack of student interest.
“Science Fairs are not popular in our district,” Hirsch said. “About six years ago we attempted
to resurrect a K-8 District Science Fair,” she added. “The student participation rate was very
low, even with teacher and classroom support. This did not support our goal of having more
students engaged in science discovery,” she stated.
Currently the district is focused on developing a “hands-on science curriculum that fosters
student engagement, inquiry and high-level thinking,” she said. The school district does not
receive special funding for science programs, she said, however, “We use our local funds and
annual federal grant dollars to support our science programs including teacher training. We have
been able to accomplish our goals by establishing a multi-year plan for science, and planning our
budget allocations accordingly,” Hirsch stated.
World Briefs
Posted on 22. Dec, 2010 by admin in Global News
Senegal doctor fined for saying president is ill
DAKAR, Senegal – A Senegalese court has fined a doctor who publicly said the country’s 84-year-old president is too ill to run for a third term.
The court on Monday charged Dr. Mame Marie Faye with spreading false news that could disrupt public order. The eye doctor was fined 500,000 West African francs (about $1,000) and given a deferred one-year prison sentence for publicly saying in November that President Abdoulaye Wade would be unable to stand for 2012 elections because of illness.
Wade was first elected president in 2000 and again 2007. In October, he named his son Karim as energy minister, provoking accusations that he is trying to position his son to seize power upon his death.
Ghana to begin pumping oil for first time
ACCRA, Ghana – The West African nation of Ghana is poised to begin pumping oil for the first time, kicking off a lucrative new industry.
Oil is expected to bring $1 billion annually to a part of the world where most people still get by on less than $2 a day.
Ghana is one of the most stable and democratic countries on the continent. But critics warn that Ghana has yet to pass crucial legislation to avoid what is known in Africa as the “resource curse.”
In other countries, oil or mineral wealth has fueled conflict instead of boosting development.
British-based explorer Tullow Oil PLC is leading a consortium which started producing 55,000 barrels per day on last Wednesday from rigs off Ghana’s Atlantic Ocean coast.
Veterans to hold Xmas Eve vigil at Del. memorial
WILMINGTON, Del. – Veterans are planning to gather for an annual Christmas Eve vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Delaware.
The emotional tribute at the memorial in Wilmington has been held by the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 83 for the past 25 years.
Tom Daws, president of the chapter, says the 6:30 p.m. vigil is open to the public and will include the singing of Christmas carols.
The candlelight vigil initially paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, but now also draws relatives of those lost or serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Mayoral Candidates Voice Positions at Forums
Posted on 22. Dec, 2010 by admin in Community Focus
by Thelma Sardin
While recent mayoral forums have been an opportunity for candidates to state their positions on the issues, forums have also resulted in some clarifications.
Last week on WVON, State Senator James Meeks, who appeared with a panel of other mayoral candidates said only African Americans should be eligible for city contracts set aside for minorities and women.
Meeks’ campaign was quick to issue a statement clarifying that Meeks, “strongly believes” all minority and women-owned businesses, “deserve their fair share of City contract opportunities,” but that Chicago has a history of “systemic corruption in its minority and women-owned business program.”
African-American owned businesses are the most “underrepresented among city contractors,” the campaign said in a release, arguing that “lucrative contracts” have historically gone to companies “disguised” as minority- or women-owned. The result of this has been “multiple investigations, firings and imprisonment on this issue,” as well as African American businesses receiving a “disproportionately low number of city contracts,” the statement further clarified.
While the comments drew fire from Hedy Ratner, co-president of the Women’s Business Development Center, who argued on Thursday that, if anything, the 5 percent set-aside for women “should be higher,” by this weekend, former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun was on the campaign trail revealing her ideas about minorities and city contracts.
Braun told WGN News, “When you get through adding up all the groups that are covered by this law, you’re talking about a majority of the population. And the question again is ‘are we going to be a city of inclusion and diversity? Or are we going to be a city of cabals and exclusion?’ And I think we have to move out of the business as usual mode,” she said. Additionally, Braun plans on repairing the failed minority set aside program by unbundling contracts and holding department heads accountable.
Congressman Danny Davis who also campaigned over the weekend attended a fundraiser where he focused on Chicago’s neighborhoods. If elected mayor, he said he would like to see fewer boarded up homes: “One Chicago where empty homes are not boarded up, but being repaired,” he said.
“In between campaign stops, candidates have been using forums to address the issues including one of the latest forums on education at Walter Payton College Prep last week. Participants included Meeks, Braun, City Clerk Miguel del Valle and former Chicago Board of Education President, Gery Chico. Davis who was in Washington, D.C. voting on legislation did not attend nor was Rahm Emanuel present.
At the forum, candidates touted their ideas for education reform in Chicago. Tax increases for education reform and longer school days were among the topics discussed.
Meeks, a member of the state’s Education Committee, wants accountability to ensure revenue from an income tax increase will go to schools. “The people of Illinois don’t mind spending money for schools, but they just want to know how it’s going to be spent. They just want to make sure it’s going to improve the quality of education and so we have an obligation to make sure you know how your tax dollars are going to be spent before we ask for them,” Meeks said.
Braun is not absolutely sure if raising taxes are a good thing. “I know this is against my governor but we’re still in the middle of a recession and I think a recession is the absolute wrong time to ask people to raise taxes,” Braun stated.
However, del Valle believes a tax increase is the only way to enhance educational resources. “We need additional revenue in the state of Illinois. We are facing a 13 billion dollar deficit. Anyone who says that they are opposed to an income tax increase, they are not coming face to face with the reality here in Illinois.”
Chico drew from his school board experience to explain why he supports a long school day and year. “I’ve proposed lengthening the school day from 6 to 8 hours and school year from 176 days to 200 days. The reason for that is that all the research shows that the more time spent teaching, the more time children learn.”
At press time, Joe Morris, the hearing officer presiding over the Emanuel residency case was scheduled to make his recommendation to determine if Emanuel’s name should be taken off the ballot. Although the recommendation was not handed down by Citizen deadline, an election board of three attorneys appointed by the chief judge of the Cook County Circuit Court will decide on Thursday to uphold or overturn Morris’ recommendation. According to reports, the decision will be followed by a court challenge that is expected to reach the Illinois Supreme Court.
