Local 341’s leadership has spread inaccurate information regarding pension reform.  To the contrary, the City is not trying to take away anyone’s pension or reduce benefits for those nearing retirement.  Did you know that the Police and Fire pension allow some to retire at 90% of what they earned yearly when they worked?

Reports state that HPD’s deferential response team raided the business after receiving complaints from neighbors. They found two weapons (one of which was a 12-gauge shot gun) and more than 1,000 prescription pills.Additionally, they were running a gambling shack. On the day they were busted, undercover cops observed high-stakes gambling going on inside a shed in the back. I truly wonder who came up with this birdbrain idea. I know it could not have been solely the owner, because he looked to be about my age perhaps slightly older. Then too, I could be wrong. Nothing surprises me anymore.

We need to talk about this population more often and come up with solutions to help them secure employment. The reality is that more and more people with criminal histories are trying to enter the work force but failed background checks keep thousands of people from getting hired, some for offenses that are decades old and as minor as disorderly conduct, drinking and having too much fun in the street with friends. Some of those being denied work have never been convicted of a crime, only arrested.

May 1, 2011 will go down in history as one of the greatest days ever. After ten years of trying to find bin Laden, a military raid of his compound in Pakistan, resulted in Navy Seals Special Op forces taking him out with a gunshot wound to the left side of his head.

It’s no secret that the City of Houston is facing a huge budget deficit.  Tough decisions have to be made.  But, we as a City shouldn’t balance our budget on the backs of our citizens.  This begs a fundamentally important question:  Is the City’s SafeClear program a core City service?  To that, I answer “no.”

According to a recently released NAACP report entitled “Misplaced Priorities: Over Incarcerate and Under Educate,” state spending on prisons in the last twenty years grew six times faster than education spending.

Barack Obama's Birth Certificate

Last week, Obama shared the long form of his birth certificate.  The White House released a copy of a detailed Hawaii birth certificate showing that our POTUS was born to an American mother and Kenyan father, in Hawaii, which makes him eligible to hold the office of president.

Barry Bonds

We all know what it all boils down to. The public refuses to speak on it, but race does play a part in this. Let’s make an example out of Barry Bonds. Regardless of whatever, I always say fair is fair and facts are facts.

First, let me say that I do not envy the job of the City’s demographer.  He has to balance the interests and concerns of many diverse Houston communities, and any map he draws will undoubtedly anger some group or another.  But upon reviewing the map and listening to Houstonians at public hearings, the map needs improving.

Many, if not the majority, of prison inmates did not graduate high school. By catching students before they fall through the cracks and reducing the number of dropouts will, over time, reduce the prison population and save the states money.

The HISD Board of Education had been preparing for a $160 million cut in state funding by approving more than $40 million in districtwide reductions. HISD even sent the City a $1.5 million invoice for School Crossing Guards. Katy ISD is yet another school district that has to lay-off teachers. Like all other school districts in Texas, they are facing a $50 million budget shortfall.

Republicans, with all their spin and fear mongering, will try to convince the voting public that there are no jobs and that America is worse off than it was in 2008. President Obama has the data to prove that he delivered on one of his biggest campaign promises. He has to make sure that his messaging rises above the conservative noise and that, despite push back from political opponents, he is working in the best interest of the average American.

As you likely know, I was not a supporter of the drainage fee, or “Prop 1” as it appeared on the November ballot.  Along with my Black colleagues on Council, I wanted an implementation ordinance in advance of the November vote so that our constituents knew exactly what they were voting for (or against) when they walked in the voting booth.  That didn’t happen, but voters still approved “Prop 1.”

Superintendent Terry B Grier has created a strategic plan to help move HISD forward.

The hiring of Terry Grier took place two years ago and he was charged by the board of education to restructure the administration model established by previous Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra. Dr. Grier eliminated the Regional Offices including Regional Superintendents and Executive principals in addition to slashing many unnecessary positions in the central office.

The stakes are high. But no one would have guessed that the pressure would  lead to alleged cheating on these exams.  An investigation by USA Today into drastic test score turnarounds at Noyes elementary, a
Washington, DC public school, revealed that seventh grade students in one classroom at the school each had, on average, nearly 13 wrong answers that were erased and changed to the correct answer.

 As part of that contract, there are two items of particular interest to Blacks and Hispanics, both of which I negotiated for.
The microwave version is that
1) Black and Hispanic “independent physicians groups” (IPAs) will share in 25% minority goal in a $1 billion contract, and 2) the Black and Hispanic IPAs will have the ability to participate in the first and least expensive Tier of health

April 4th marked Dr. King’s 43rd death anniversary, and his dream is still wishful thinking on our part. Sadly, history speaks for itself and there is nothing in America’s history suggesting that slaves and their ancestors are oppressed because we lacked, or lack good character. On the other hand, there’s no denying that White Americans have always had a bigger problem with African-Americans’ Black skin, than their godly character.

At the press conference, we were asked about the girl not out-crying; somehow indicating her consent.  Wrong answer!  Silence doesn’t equal consent.  I was raped by an uncle.  I was   eight.  He was grown.  He continually raped me over a course of years.  He threatened to kill both my Mom and me if I told.  I believed him.  I didn’t outcry until I was 21.  

Such is the case in New Orleans. The United States Justice Department spent 10 months investigating the city’s police department, at the mayor’s request, and discovered a deeply dysfunctional and corrupt system, one that regularly abuses its power and the city’s residents. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu contacted federal officials just after he took office, making good on a campaign promise to clean up the Crescent City’s long dirty police
department.

I interact with numerous politicians, sometimes on a daily basis. I have the opportunity to frankly speak them on opposing point-of-views and a wide range of topics regarding our community. Would you believe that for some strange reason, I began thinking about what MLK said about judging people on the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin during a meeting with a Black public servant?

 Doing business with the City is a privilege, not a right.  We, as taxpayers, should expect that government officials appropriate dollars in a way that is consistent with principles of fairness and equality.  The City recognizes that MWDBEs have a historical obstacle in competing with larger, majority-owned companies.

Head Start has been one of the most studied early education programs since it began more than 40 years ago. The program has proven itself to be one of the United State’s most successful social experiments and an efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Research shows students who complete Head Start do better both socially and academically and are less likely to drop out of high school.

We all know that bad stuff happen to good people just like sometimes people just do dumb stuff. (Those who know me, knows that not the word I really wanted to use.) I’ve heard and seen it all. Rapist, robbers, drug dealers, etc. Hell, everybody has someone who has been locked up. When these folks get out of jail, everybody knows they need a damn job. Its no big secret or something surprising.

Many high-tech companies cite the availability of a skilled STEM workforce as the number one reason for determining where they locate their facilities.  More and more U.S. companies are moving abroad because they can’t find the highly skilled workforce they need here at home.  According to 2008 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the professional IT workforce was projected to add a little under a million new jobs between 2008 and 2018.  This represents more than twice the rate of the overall workforce growth between 2008 and 2018.

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world...All the days of my life I have never heard of a more veracious statement. Thus my Black people we have to do better.” -Nelson Mandela

Many educators are referring Black students to Special Education classes simply because they do not want to do their job and educate, or they do not know how to build a positive relationship with the kid so that they can teach them.  Far too many of our teachers have forgotten of the task of which they signed up for. Teachers don’t teach no more, and they surely don’t have a passion to educate the total child.

Courage is why I fight for the disenfranchised as both a lawyer, which I did before I got elected; will continue to do while elected; and which I will continue to do after my elected servitude.  It is also what I do as an elected official to the chagrin of those who desire to maintain the status quo and to the appreciation of those who want a fair shake in opportunity for ALL and not just the special ones.

A recent article in the New York Times shed light on this disturbing movement toward larger class sizes. According to the article, the size of 11th and 12th grade classes in Los Angeles has increased by more than 40 students. Detroit is considering increasing the size of its high school classes to 60 students. School officials say its unlikely classes will grow that large, it’s disturbing the conversation has even turned in that direction. Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin have all relaxed their restrictions on class size. Idaho and Texas are deciding whether or not they are going to grow their classrooms.

Kevin Powell suggests in his “Black Leadership is Dead” article that the reason why large pockets of Black America remains in great despair despite the post-Civil Rights era advances; is attributed to, “incredible lack of vision and imagination of our Black leaders – be they elected officials, ministers and imams, public intellectuals, heads of social service organizations, educators, entrepreneurs, or grassroots activists.” I have to concur with his statement.

For the first time in United States history, various members of the U.S. House of Representatives read aloud the U.S. Constitution, on January 6, the opening day of this legislative session.  
They read the Constitution, with politically incorrect yet accurate text left out as if it didn’t exist, with all of its amendments. When I first heard of this unprecedented reading, I wondered if the whole truth would be told.  In other words, would they read the Constitution as it was originally written and ratified and its subsequent amendments?

Once again, the Republican Party is showing that it cares very little about the average American and their struggles. While taking a stab and crafting a budget that will serve the nation in the long-term, Republican members of the House of Representatives proposed cutting $5.7 billion from affordable housing programs.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has set off a fire storm among the state’s unions and public employees. To compound matters other states are proposing similar laws and will soon have to deal with their own revolts. Walker, in the name of balancing the state budget, has proposed legislation that will essentially deny public employees their collective bargaining rights and increase their payments to the state’s healthcare and pension plans.

Kimberley Trimmer-Davis recieved unfair treatment.

The police officers who beat Chad Holley were wrong, but Holley got off light.  Yes, I saw the video and the gang of thugs wearing the colors of the Houston Police Department. I saw the can of “whip ass” that was emptied on him like “white on rice.”

One of the first places state and federal governments look to make cutbacks in an attempt to balance their ballooning budgets is in the penal system. As a result, ex-offender re-entry programs that help rehabilitate those who are at risk for returning to prison are on the chopping block. Sure, cutting funding to these programs may help balance budgets in the short term. But, as ex-offenders become repeat offenders and return to jail or prison, we end up shelling out more money in the long run to incarcerate them. Additionally, communities and individuals will continue to be victimized by crime and trapped in a seemingly never-ending cycle.

A great deal of conversation has taken place regarding the recent release of a video tape depicting several Houston police officers repeatedly striking Chad Holley, a juvenile burglary suspect, after he appears to have stopped resisting or attempting to flee. I have seen the tape and listened to the conversation. In my opinion, three primary issues require our collective attention:The District Attorney’s Office has brought misdemeanor charges against four of the officers shown in the video.

A lot of people are eagerly waiting results of the 2010 census information that details how Americans identify themselves
racially.  The data will be released state by state this month and is expected to show a significant growth in the number of people who identify as multiracial. When the data is made public, it is expected the number of Americans identifying as multiracial will have grown by 35 percent in the last decade.

By Wanda Adams, Houston City Council, District D
C. O. “Brad” Bradford, Houston City Council, At-Large Position 4
Jarvis Johnson, Houston City Council, District B
Jolanda “Jo” Jones, Houston City Council, At-Large Position 5

Prior to this past November’s election, we, Houston City Council members, due to the lack of an implementation plan, voiced our opposition to Proposition 1, or “Prop 1” as it was known to Houston voters. Proposition 1, the $8 billion proposal to improve drainage in the Bayou City, passed by a narrow margin.

Supporters of the proposition, bankrolled mostly by engineering and construction companies, called it crucial to Houston’s development. We were quite clear in acknowledging that Houston has significant flooding and drainage problems—particularly in older and disadvantaged neighborhoods.

     Every year about this time, some people, White, Black and otherwise, begin to ask about the relevancy of Black History Month. The younger generation in particular don’t see the need to talk about people like Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Sojourner Truth or others who paved the way so that they can enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Back in the 1960s, as a civil rights lawyer working in Mississippi, I learned that civil rights without economic rights did not add up to justice. After two civil rights bills had passed and three years into President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, the condition for poor Black Americans in Mississippi was not improving beyond a snail’s pace.

Approximately one year ago, I wrote a rather pugnacious article entitled “BET Needs an Intellectual Stimulus Package” in which I attempted to lambaste what I considered to be a failing – nay, insulting – channel. The initial question posed by the jeremiad is as follows: “Is it possible that Black Entertainment Television has done more damage to the African-American posterity than any White supremacy group ever has done or ever could do?” One might recall that I answered in the affirmative.

If I had a husband and he told me, “Honey don’t worry, I have life insurance from the military.”  Well dog gone it, I would not worry my pretty head anymore.  Unfortunately, that is the most naïve mistake a future widow could make when it comes to helping managing the household affairs.  Recently after a whole month had passed Wilbert Reed Washington was put to rest.  This Black man, a good productive brother and outstanding citizen, received an honorable discharge (Airplane Electrician – E5) from the Air Force back in 1974, and paid for life insurance.  His policy started on July 25, 1956 according to the paper work.   So why did his widow, Washington received the run around?

Dear Editor:

As an African-American resident of the City of Houston, I have watched for a number of years as a couple of organizations, namely The Black Heritage Society and it’s talking head Ovide Duncantell and the MLK Grande Parade’s Charles Stamps, have proceeded to make a mockery of most of the tenants and precepts that MLK stood for.

What unity is there in the constant bickering about who came first, the never ending fusillade of negative comments spewed from both camps, the utterly embarrassing conduct of two men, who would hold themselves up as models for our children? The time has passed when the two of them should have mitigated this petty feud.

Ensuring children access to comprehensive health coverage is one of the smartest, most cost-effective choices our country can make. The hidden costs of not insuring children include high costs of uncompensated care for those without insurance; use of costly emergency room care instead of early access to primary care; long term treatment of preventable illnesses; and the costs of untreated emotional problems in children whose unmet needs bring them to the child welfare or juvenile justice systems.

“If you are not at the table, then nine times out of ten, you are going to be on the menu.”

Houston City Councilman Mike Sullivan, District E, showed his true colors when he had the gall to ask why Texas Southern University was involved in the redistricting process.  TSU joins University of Houston and Rice University in providing the city with demographic analytical support for the process. But apparently, Sullivan thinks this is a bad idea.

It’s telling that just weeks after taking office, Republicans in Congress have made it a priority to change the current law to take away Americans’ healthcare rights and allow insurance companies to drop someone from coverage if they develop a catastrophic illness like cancer. The Republican repeal would add billions to our national deficit and would have very real and drastic consequences on Texas families.

“They could not read it, because they would have to admit their 'founding fathers' were not perfect and neither was the Constitution.” 

This week, the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. had a changing of the guards as Republicans took control. They said they wanted to start the political season off the right way by reading the Constitution of the United States, something that had never been done before. And that’s noble. But they did the right thing the wrong way.

You may be familiar with the problems in the Houston Crime Lab—problems that have been ongoing for over a decade and that I first shed light on in 2002.  Now, almost nine years later, the problems are getting worse. There are currently 11,000 rape kits left untested by the Houston Crime Lab.  Clearly, Houston’s “solution” hasn’t worked.  We still have a backlog, yet more money is being thrown at the problem.  As my grandmother said, to do the same thing over and over again and expect something different is the definition of insanity.

During President Barack Obama’s “The First 100 Days Press Conference,” in 2009, BET’s Andre Showell asked Obama how he intended to address the economic disparities that plague the Black communities. He told him, “…my general approach is that if the economy is strong, that will lift all boats… I’m confident that that will help the African-American community live out the American dream at the same time that it’s helping communities all across the country.” But there are some problems in his philosophy.

How can one hit a moving target?  This has been a self-imposed assignment by the Republican Party for the last two years.

In the past two years, the country’s negative distractions became the perfect narrative by the Republican Party to win the mid-term elections.  They won big by taking control of the House and almost having the majority in the Senate.

It is readily acknowledged that Black Americans have catching up to do when it comes to income and wealth. For some, the knee-jerk reaction is to promote the creation of new Black-owned, Black-run businesses — any businesses, it seems. Income and wealth inequality, it is said, diminishes as Black entrepreneurship increases.