Category: Uncategorized

The Center for Public Policy Priorities has posted a resource page for activists who want to help document the failures of public benefits enrollments resulting from privatization. Here’s the skinny:

INFORMATION YOU SHOULD INCLUDE IN YOUR REPORT

√ Date that you are reporting the problem/complaint
√ Name of person or agency/CBO sending the report

√ If agency/CBO, include information about client (if client gives permission to share)

√ Benefits sought by client (if general system or customer service problem, please say so) √ Description of the problem/complaint (be as specific as possible, i.e., client submitted required renewal information on time, but contractor has no record of it)

√ Impact on client or your agency (i.e., client couldn’t fill prescription for child; had to go to food pantry for food, etc.)

√ Date(s) that problem occurred

√ Where did the problem occur? (e.g., local office, 211, call center, Internet – be very specific)

√ Any response from state or its contractor: List name(s) of any person(s) you spoke to and the dates you spoke to them

√ Did client file an appeal? (If so, give date of appeal)

√ Was the problem resolved? If so, how and when?

“For more than twenty years, the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) has been a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization committed to improving public policies and private practices to better the economic and social conditions of low- and moderate-income Texans.

“The center pursues this mission through independent research, policy analysis and development, public education, advocacy, and technical assistance.”

Ruling Abandons Low-wealth Districts and Upholds Glaring Inequities in the System

PRESS RELEASE

(AUSTIN, TEXAS) More than 16 years after declaring the school finance
system unconstitutional in Edgewood I, the Supreme Court of Texas
refused to remedy persistent inequalities in the present school funding
system. As a result, millions of school children in property-poor school districts
across the state face the prospect of even greater inequities in a new system that will not contain a property
tax cap.

MALDEF represented the Edgewood Districts∗, a group of 22
property-poor school districts, many of which filed the original
landmark school finance suit in 1984. With a trial record consisting of 655
findings of fact and 24 conclusions of law based on over 7,000 exhibits and testimony from dozens of
witnesses, the Supreme Court refused to address the issues and, instead, deferred to the Legislature’s
discretion. Although the Supreme Court found that the State violated the Texas Constitution by forcing
districts to tax at the maximum rate, the Court failed to address the gross inequities in the system. “MALDEF is very disappointed with the Supreme Court’s ruling,”
said MALDEF President and General Counsel Ann Marie Tallman. “This case
is not about money but rather about lost educational opportunities for
the 2 million-plus students attending
schools in property-poor districts. Unfortunately, the
Court’s decision ill-serves the interests of those children and the future of all Texas residents.”

David Hinojosa, MALDEF Staff Attorney and lead counsel in the
case, added: “Fifty years after Brown v. Board, our undisputed evidence
at trial showed that the quality of education for certain Texas
children still suffers as a direct result of which side of the tracks
they live on. Despite the glaring disparities between the haves and
havenots, the Court refused to confront the issues head on.

He continued: “The saving grace for our districts was that the Supreme Court did not state that the
recapture system needed to be eliminated. With that in mind, there is every reason for the Legislature to
address the inequities in the system when creating its new school finance plan.”

"While the Supreme Court ruled that the financing system is constitutionally efficient, no one should
believe we have a quality school system that can support the economic future of Texas. MALDEF looks
forward to working with the Legislature to provide a funding system that is fair and equitable for all Texas
children," commented Luis Figueroa, MALDEF Legislative Staff Attorney.

A national nonprofit organization found in 1968, MALDEF promotes and
protects the rights of Latinos through advocacy, community education
and outreach, leadership development, higher education scholarships and
when necessary, through the legal system.

∗ The Edgewood District consist of the following Independent School Districts: Edgewood, Brownsville,
Edcouch-Elsa, Harlandale, Harlingen, Jim Hogg County, Kenedy, Laredo, La Feria, La Vega, Los Fresnos,
Monte Alto, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, Raymondville, Roma, San Benito, San Elizario, Socorro, Sharyland,
South San Antonio, United, and Ysleta.

Note: received via email at noon Nov. 22, corrected version received about 2pm.

Austin, Texas (Dec. 16, 2005) The Austin City Council yesterday
approved unanimously a resolution opposing the activities of the
Minutemen and other similar groups. The resolution cites concern over
untrained civilians taking immigration law into their own hands,
activities which may encourage discrimination and racial profiling.

The resolution directs the City Manager to report any vigilante activities to the City Council. The resolution was an initiative of the American Friends Service
Committee (AFSC) and the Coalition for Justice and Dignity in Austin, a
diverse coalition of immigrant and advocacy organizations. Fifty-eight
allied civic, faith and labor organizations were signatories to this
effort.

"We are pleased that Council recognized the dangers of vigilante groups
posturing as nothing more than neighborhood watch groups, and took
proactive action to diffuse any potentially violent situation," said
Yvonne Montejano of the AFSC.

The Minuteman Project and other vigilante groups say they are
protecting this country’s borders. Human rights organizations point out
that vigilante groups frequently use fear, intimidation and violent
tactics in their efforts to "secure" borders.

"These groups are providing simplistic answers to our nation’s
social, economic and political difficulties and many politicians are
jumping on the Minuteman bandwagon to distract the public from major
budget and employment problems," said Montejano.

Yesterday, U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner
(R-WI) introduced anti-immigrant legislation that would make the entire
undocumented population, including 1.6 million children, felons by
their unlawful presence in this country. The House Judiciary Committee
is also considering the construction of a fence in parts of California,
Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to stop the flow of migrants.

The AFSC strongly opposes these anti-immigrant measures and instead
calls for an examination of the roots cause of migration, which it
maintains are primarily due to free trade and globalization policies.

——-

The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization
that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social
justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the
belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to
overcome violence and injustice.


Note: press release received via email, Dec. 16, 2005–gm

By Ramsey Muniz – Tezcatlipoca

There is a day that pertains to our religious culture
which connects the earth, heaven, and nature. It is
a day when we realize the true essence of cosmic visions
which prove that we are truly a part of Mother Earth,
heaven, and the spiritual realm. On that day, the veil
that separates the living from the dead is removed,
and we are reunited with the loving spirits of our
ancestors, forefathers and deceased family members.
It is a day of rejoicing, communing, sharing, praying,
fasting, and meditating with our ancestors and family
members that now reside in Ilhuicatlitic (the heavens),
because once again we share our ancestral spirituality
on earth. It is a day that truly brings us together
with our past in worship to our gods and rejoicing as
one world, one people one nation in our minds and hearts
for the past, present and future. It is a day so
religious and spiritually powerful, that even five
hundred years ago, priests like Sahagun, Torquemada,
Molina, Duran, and others realized the power of
Teotleco — the arrival of the gods. They repeatedly
witnessed the spiritual ancestral power granted from
the past to the present and future raza on El Día
de los Muertos.

History reveals that the invaders and present
society began to taint the meaning of this day and
month with ominous misconceptions, stripping us
of our cultural foundation — the spiritual sharing
between the heavens and earth. The destruction of
our cultural beliefs on this day deteriorated to the
point that eventually this country, the United States
of Amnesia, displaced the importance and value of
Teotleco and El Dia De Los Muertos, and made it a
day embedded with monsters, goblins and appearances
of evil omens. It replaced the day of remembrance
of our ancestors, family members and friends who have
passed away into our cultural heavens.

Hermanos y hermanas, was it by choice, or
ignorance? Do we continue to permit the devious
subtle destructive strategy of the European invaders
and this present day society to destroy the truthful
and spiritual meaning of this day? The destruction
of our cultural knowledge and remembrance of that
special time was replaced with a prank filled
celebration — a day now commercially referred to
as "Halloween." It is now a night spent in the
wearing of masks immortalizing European pagans, evil
omens, celebrities and presidents of the United States.
They can have their "Halloween," and its European
concepts. The time has come for us as a raza of
impregnable beliefs and Nahuatl faith to remove
the masks of misconceptions and ruses, and once
more behold the glorious days of Teotleco — the
arrival of our gods, and to continue this celebration
of remembrance for our future Mexika generations.

El Día De Los Muertos will destroy the evil
spirits that have strived to separate us. This
day has the power to destroy the evil mindset that
invaded us five hundred years ago, attempting to
oppress, exploit and dehumanize our brothers and
sisters.

Rejoice with honor and courage, and celebrate
El Día de los Muertos with your ancestors, family
members, and friends. Pray, sing and dance the ancient
dance of joy. With the spirits of those beloved in
heaven and on earth, acknowledge that this gift
bestowed upon us will give us the ancient warrior
spirit of the land — the spirit of Mexicayotl!
Rise with the spirits to the battle for the liberation
of our God-given rights. We, the flowers of ancient
indigenous roots, are the true heirs of Aztlan and
of the land of Cem-Anahuac.

"With joy and honor, I walk in communion with the
ancient spirits. For tomorrow rises the Sixth Sun
of the Mexika. We many not all be Mexika, but we
can certainly claim a Mexika consciousness."

Note: circulated via email by Irma L. Muniz (Oct. 25, 2005)
******************
Editor’s Comment: I hear Muniz speaking as a shaman, rattling spirits
with old eyes. He speaks to everyone of a real difference between
a night of fright and a night of rejoicing, between a night where we
run run run from death and a night when we celebrate the vast dead
kingdom. To the extent therefore that I am able to laugh as
deeply as the fright before me, I think Tezcatlipoca helps me to
connect with the balancing act that the day of the dead calls
out. To do that in the company of my own dead kingdom seems
like good advice to take. To insist that nobody lose touch with
one’s most authentic dead kingdom is not just cranky talk among the
old. We have to find healthy ways of living with our own dead,
but the health will do little good if none of the dead we learn to live
with
are our own.  On the other hand, wouldn’t it be worthwhile to
welcome Aztec dead to the pagan party where we learn to fear and laugh
together.