Oct. 12, 2014

Oct. 12, 2014

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Remember the old movies where the outlaws robbed banks for a living, or the gangsters did “bank jobs” as they moved from town to town?  Noted bank robber, Willie “The Actor” Sutton is said to have responded to the question, “Why do you rob banks?” by saying, “Because that’s where the money is.”  Indeed, banks are where the money was and still is.  There was a time in history when men and women made careers and established reputations by robbing banks for various reasons.  Now the tables have turned; in many cases, banks are now robbing the people, no doubt under the same rationale that Willie Sutton used:  “That’s where the money is.”

In many cases, your friendly local bank of the past has now become a monstrosity bent on squeezing every dime out of you.  Recent reports cite ATM fees as high as $4.35 and overdraft fees average $32.74.  Banks earned $32 billion in overdraft fees in 2013.  I guess they say if the airlines can do it, with their a la carte charges, so can banks.

Some banks have become robbers of the poor and refuges for the rich.  They have grown into bastions of powerful competitive bullies vying to see who can charge the most, rather than the least, for their services.  If you are fortunate enough to be “accepted” as a customer, after having been subjected to a battery of questions that would make the Inquisition look like child’s play, you are then subject to a myriad of charges and fees.

There are transaction fees, analysis fees, usage fees, over-usage fees, excess deposit fees, teller fees, and a host of others that make your monthly statement look like your local phone bill.  Banks pay you less than one percent on your savings accounts while they earn far more on the money in your account.  They charge you 20% interest on your credit card balances and will not approve your small business loan request.

Maybe banks are paying us back for being robbed in broad daylight by bold, brash, unremorseful fortune-seekers, by morphing into those same kinds of characters. They are so greedy and so arrogant with their greed and actually flaunt it for all to see.  Remember when ATM’s came on the scene, how they were marketed as “conveniences for our valued customers.”   Of course we were all willing to pay an extra fifty cents for each transaction.  But at $4.35 per out of network transaction, as for me, they can keep their ATM “convenience.”  By the way, my hometown, Cincinnati, Ohio, has the nation’s “lowest” ATM fees, around $3.00.

Here’s the deal.  A few years ago, banks that committed crimes were deemed “too big to fail” and were given billions in taxpayer dollars for their efforts in the subprime housing market, which had the greatest negative impact on Black people.  They soon became known as “too big to jail” as our justice department refused to prosecute any of the perpetrators for the biggest heist in history—a heist that makes Willie Sutton really look like an actor.

But what else should we expect from a political system that is run by a larger more powerful economic system?  When the word went out from the bankers to the politicians to leave this issue alone, it reminded me of MC Hammer saying “Can’t touch this.”

What can we do to prevent ourselves from being robbed?  Well, it’s relatively simple.  First, be informed; read the rules and notices sent by your bank so you aren't surprised by the charges.  Do not allow your account to become overdrawn; get overdraft protection by agreeing to have the bank transfer money from your savings account to your checking account.  (You do have a savings account, don’t you?)

Do not withdraw more than you have in your account from an ATM.  That will result in an instant “loan” at a monumental interest rate.  Take enough cash on one withdrawal to prevent having to return to the ATM over and over.  Going to the ATM every time you need some cash—your cash, is ridiculous and expensive if it’s out of network.  Just keep an “emergency stash” in a secret place.

Never make minimum payments on your credit card, and keep your balance below $1,000.  Resist the temptation to charge large amounts that you will not be able to pay back over two or three months.  Look for no interest “same as cash” deals.

Banks will rob you of your money, but you can prevent it by doing a few simple things.  Be proactive with your money; leverage your money by maximizing your return.  Avoid instant gratification purchasing.  You can prevent bank robbery by being more responsible with the money you have.  Economic empowerment begins at home.

Oct. 12, 2014

To Be Equal 
National Urban League and One Solution Team Up to Urge the Nation to “Put Our Children 1st”
Marc H. Morial

“Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” George Washington Carver

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - In recent weeks, the latest major steps towards realizing the Brown v. Board of Education guarantee that education “is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms” have been taken.  First, on September 22, the National Urban League launched the second phase of our Put Our Children 1st campaign, which includes a series of television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) airing on TV One and Comcast, as well as on Radio One and Reach Media, including Tom Joyner, Rickey Smiley, Yolanda Adams and Russ Parr.  These PSAs stress the importance of the equitable implementation of Common Core State Standards in helping to ensure that all children – no matter their race, where they live or their parents’ income – receive a high-quality education.   Then last week, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released updated guidelines to ensure that students have equal access to educational resources, such as academic and extracurricular programs, effective teaching, high quality technology and instructional materials and safe school facilities, “regardless of race, color, national origin or zip code.” 

Despite its call for equity in education 60 years ago, full compliance with the letter and the law of the Brown decision remains a promise unkept.  To fulfill that promise, more must be done to ensure that all districts are held to high standards, that those standards are consistent across the country, and that schools, teachers and students in all schools and neighborhoods have the necessary resources to succeed.  That is a primary goal of Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

Common Core establishes clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in math and English from kindergarten through the 12th grade.  It does not dictate curriculum – or how to teach. School districts and teachers still have complete authority to create their own curricula.  CCSS also empowers students by placing a greater emphasis on critical thinking, problem solving and expository writing that focus more on a child’s understanding of a subject rather than memorization or repetition. 

The National Urban League firmly believes that with equitable implementation, Common Core State Standards offer an unprecedented opportunity to help meet our national goal of preparing America’s children for the 21st Century.  By raising standards for everyone, Common Core can help bridge the education achievement gap and create a new reality in which all students are adequately prepared to excel.  But equitable implementation – high-quality resources, teacher training and support in every school – is essential for its success.

That is why we have launched this second phase of our Put Our Children 1st campaign with a national media, digital and thought leadership effort in partnership with One Solution, the creative and branded entertainment arm of Radio One, Inc., touching more than 80% of African Americans through Radio One, TV One, Interactive One and Reach Media.  All four PSAs included in the campaign demonstrate how young people can reach their goals and fulfill their potential when we put our children first with equal access to a high-quality education and resources.

Launched in April of this year, Put Our Children 1st: Common Core for Common Goals is a multi-state parent education campaign developed by the National Urban League and implemented locally through the Urban League affiliate network.  The purpose of the campaign is to ensure that parents are fully aware of and understand the Common Core State Standards and what they mean for their children.  Parent Circles have been convened by Urban League affiliates in Cleveland, Los Angeles, Nashville and Pittsburgh, and Citywide Parent Summits have been held by the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Urban League of Middle Tennessee, with upcoming events in Pittsburgh (October 17) and Los Angeles (November 1).

Achieving true equity and excellence in education involves all aspects of a child’s education, from resources and teachers as called for by the Department of Education in its racial disparity guidance, to consistent educational standards as provided by the Common Core State Standards, which have currently been adopted by 43 states.  The mission of Put Our Children 1st is to responsibly inform and educate parents about these standards and the potential they have to better prepare our children for college and jobs.  No large-scale change is ever easy, but missteps and underinvestment in implementation cannot be used to attack the merits of the standards and what they are meant to accomplish. 

It’s time to put down the politics and Put Our Children first.  For more information visit, www.PutOurChildren1st.org.

Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.

Oct. 13, 2014

What If the Ebola Epidemic Hit France?
By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - When it comes to matters of trade and economics, experts are eager to speak of “globalization”.  People are keen to talk about the dissolution of borders and the many ways that countries work together across the globe.  At least part of every Apple computer you purchased was manufactured or assembled in Ireland.  Many call centers are located in the Carribean and India.  US companies subcontract these jobs to other countries because hourly wages are lower in those countries than in the US.

To be sure, this economic globalization does not go well with some.  Why can’t these jobs stay in the US?  If some in Congress have their way, companies who send jobs abroad may face higher taxes or fewer incentives from those that keep their jobs at home.  The fluid nature of borders allows for copyright infringment.  Some companies have taken their complaints to world judicial bodies, with mixed results. The World Court and others are not intimidated by the United States.

Now Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian national who travelled to Dallas to see his fiance and his son, has died.  His death raises lots of questions about the world response about of ebola, especially on the  on the African continent.  More than 7400 people have been diagnosed with the ebola virus, and nearly half have died from it.  But when Duncan went to the hospital on Septembeer 25, he told staff he had recently been living in Liberia and complained of the flu-like symptoms that can also signal ebola. Ebola sufferers experience fever, headaches, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, and unexplained bleeding.  It can only be transmitted through exposure the bodily fluids of an ebola-infected person.  Doctors sent him home with antibiotics. When he returned to the hospital on September 28, he was admitted and then quarantined.

Most of the ebola cases are in West Africa, and Liberia has the greatest number of any country; more than half of those diagnosed in Liberia have died.  Guinea has the highest survival rate, but a third fewer cases than Liberia which of course has the lowest survival rate in Africa.The other African countries, including Nigeria and Senegal, have few diagnoses, But Nigeria, with just 20 cases, has survival rate of 40 percent. There are some reports that the virus has spread to Senegal. Among Western countries, Spain and the US each had one case as of October 3.  There may be unreported cases in other states Canada and other Western countries.

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued guidelines to health care workers to prevent them from catching the virus.  In Liberia and other west African countries, health care systems are inadequate and without a sufficient number of beds to accommodate those with ebola. To avoid infecting others, many choose, and others are forced, to lie on the street, ready and waiting to die.

The health care system is so broken in Liberia because there are no resources.  The World Bank and the International Development Agency are able to make loans, with the IDA offering loans at favorable terms.  But too many African countries have to choose between loan repayment and development.  When the choice is loan repayment, schools and hospitals are the most affected.

Clearly these broken health care systems in West Africa have world impact.  Just as Thomas Eric Duncan traveled from Liberia to the United States, others might come from Nigeria or Sierra Leone.  The “temperature check” at airports may be less than efficient, and in our global world the ebola virus can be transported anywhere.

Many see ebola as an “African disease”, just as they once saw HIV/AIDS as a “gay disease”.  Only when these diseases began to affect a different demographic did legislature direct funds to those organizing HIV awareness. Should our legislation not do the same thing for ebola?

What if the ebola virus turned up in France and people were dying?  Well, France is so structurally different that there would likely be enough beds to manage the ebola-infected (just as the US does).  There might be a more equitable distribution (or might not), and the country might have more than a scant two doses of an experimetal medicine to cure ebola.  The ebola epidemic began in February or March of this year, yet there was unreadiness when the virus came to the US. If we (the US) would have looked at the virus as more than an “African Disease” seperated by several miles and oceans and therefore not our concern or priority, perhaps a man’s life could have been saved. Maybe we would have been better prepared for the threat when it came “home”.

Oct. 12, 2014

If you’re paying attention to the news, you can again hear the bleating of hatred and fear emanating from the intemperate tongues of the haters our President. Since his first term, critical problems threaten the peace and prosperity of the U.S through no fault of his.

Breaking long-standing traditions of unanimity of purpose in our foreign policy, those wishing to denigrate the President have begun anew sowing seeds of uncertainty and distrust in his judgment and abilities.  His detractors are encouraging fear among Americans of an impending world-wide Ebola pandemic and of an intractable conflict of undetermined length with ISIS.

Although seriousness of the problems can’t be understated, we know these fear tactics are designed to eliminate any legislative leverage the President might realize and undermine his credibility in an election year. The greater intent is to obliterate the legacy of this effective President into little more than a footnote in history.

Don’t believe the distortions of the political right. The President has marshaled the resources of the U.S. to present a comprehensive response to the threat of an Ebola outbreak.  His initiatives include, but are not limited to:

·         Controlling the epidemic at its source in West Africa;

·         Blunting the economic, social, and political tolls in the region;

·         Engaging and coordinating with a broader global audience;

·         Fortifying global health security infrastructure in the region and in the U.S.

According to a recent White House press release, the U.S. has committed more than $350 million toward fighting the outbreak in West Africa, including more than $111 million in humanitarian aid.  DOD is prepared to devote more than $1 billion to the Ebola response effort.  The President’s deployed over 130 civilian medical, health care, and disaster response experts to West Africa. He’s increased the number of Ebola treatment units in the region, and has increased the number of safe burial teams.

Our public health officials have led the charge to prepare and fortify our own national health infrastructure to respond quickly and effectively to Ebola cases. This includes heightened screening capabilities at U.S. ports of entry and enhanced surveillance and lab testing capacity.  These aren’t the actions of an indecisive leader.

Although ISIS has demonstrated the depth of its terroristic fanaticism with gross beheadings and appears to be well-funded and capable of international reach, we’re well-served to remember that a significant amount of the animus now directed at the U.S. is in response to actions of others. Despite arrogant assertions to the contrary, President Obama has guided national foreign policy and military decisions in a manner that’s reduced exposure of U.S. troops to hostile action and forces.  While it’s too early to accurately assess how policies determined by the President will play out with regard to ISIS, I have faith that past successes of his judgment will be replicated.

In less than a month, as we go to our polling places to vote, we must not forget that President Obama:

• Led the nation successfully through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
• Created 10 million new jobs over the last 54 months - the longest uninterrupted job growth in national history.
• Gave us the Affordable Care Act, with a 26% decline in medically uninsured.
• Brought us a record high national high school graduation rate with a decrease in our dropout rate.
• Reduced the number of children living in poverty by 1.4 million - largest decline since 1966.
• Caused the national crime and incarceration rates to fall nearly 10%.
• Led the automobile industry from chaos and collapse to prosperity.

We can control how the President's legacy will be written.  We can elect legislators who’ll advance the President's agenda or with our apathy, we’ll allow those whose interests counter ours, and the President's, to triumph.  The choice is ours to make!

(Dr. Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women. www.nationalcongressbw.org)