NPR and PBS under attack

Tell Congress: Save NPR and PBS Don't let Republicans pull the plug on NPR and PBS. Clicking here will automatically add your name to this petition to Congress: "Fully fund NPR and defend public service media." Dear Friend, We're only a few weeks into the 112th Congress, and Republicans are already attempting to pull the plug on public media. In a budget proposal made public on Wednesday, House Republicans announced plans to zero out all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the nonprofit responsible for funding public media including NPR, PBS, Pacifica and more. If the Republicans are successful, it would be a tremendous blow to the entire public interest media sector. We cannot allow Republicans to destroy public media. Tell Congress: Fully fund NPR and defend public service media. Click here to automatically sign the petition. Republicans are disingenuously claiming that they need to cut funding for public media because of budgetary constraints. But what they fail to highlight is that national public broadcasting is remarkably cost effective, providing local news and information, free of charge, for millions of viewers while only receiving about .0001% of the federal budget.1 More to the point, it's nearly impossible to put a price tag on the actual value of public broadcasting. Public media is one of the last bulwarks against the corporate media where the combination of consolidation and profit-motive has long since shifted the focused to infotainment rather than substantive news. In many rural and less affluent communities, broadcasters rely on federal funding to provide the only available high-quality news and public affairs programming. Without public media, corporate media monopolies would increase their already large control of what we see on television, hear on the radio or read in the newspaper. This outcome should deeply worry all of us. The increased accumulation and consolidation of corporate power is a threat to our democracy. And nowhere is this more evident than in our media. At a time when media consolidation is shrinking the number of perspectives we have access to over the airwaves and when newsrooms are shrinking, we need more diversity in our media not less. And we simply cannot afford to lose what public media brings to the table. Tell Congress: Fully fund NPR and defend public service media. Click here to automatically sign the petition. Conservatives have longed for any opportunity to defund NPR, PBS and other public media. And with Speaker Boehner wielding the gavel, it looks like they may finally get their wish. Don't let Congress pull the plug on NPR and PBS! Tell them reject cuts to public broadcasting. Click here to automatically sign the petition. Thank you for defending public service media. Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets P.S. It's been said that NPR receives 98% of its funding from non-government sources. But that's highly misleading. The government — through the Center for Public Broadcasting — provides a significant source of funding for NPR and NPR member stations. Notes: 1"Public broadcasting is critical to our democracy," Rep. Earl Blumenaur, The Hill's Congress Blog, Jan. 20, 2011.

Interim Apple Chief Under Fire After Unveiling Grotesque New MacBook

February 10, 2011

Interim Apple CEO Tim Cook says regularly dousing the new MacBook in lye "should help with the odor."

CUPERTINO, CA—In his first major product release since stepping in for an ailing Steve Jobs last month, interim Apple CEO Tim Cook faced a storm of harsh criticism Monday after unveiling a grotesque new version of the company's popular MacBook that many in attendance described as "disgusting."

Cook presented the bizarre, malformed new product to stunned silence during a media event at Apple headquarters, revealing a device that, while vaguely similar to a computer in certain respects, appeared to be encased in a thick, flesh-like coating that was visibly moist and engorged.

"Oh, my sweet God," Apple employee Kurt Starfeldt said after viewing the MacBook up close. "It appeared to be discharging some sort of mucus-type substance from the headphone jack and making these weird murmuring sounds. And then it started quivering at one point when Tim was demonstrating how to use the touch pad. It was quite upsetting, actually."

Enlarge ImageThe hideous new device, which retails for $1,299.

"I'm having trouble erasing the image of it from my mind," Starfeldt added. "Please make it go away."

Shocked audience members claimed the appalling laptop, which seemed to many onlookers to have functioning digestive, muscular, and urinary systems, was "hard to look at" and easily the most repellent product yet manufactured by Apple.

One customer, who had been anticipating the release of the new MacBook for months, claimed he felt "nauseous" when multiple software applications running at once caused the computer to started wheezing.

"I tried to force-quit some of the programs, but it got all slow and began to turn this sickly purple color," Bill DeLain, 39, said. "Finally I hit the eject button and a tray popped open and spit out a bunch of teeth. Why does it have teeth?"

According to technical specifications released by Apple, the revolutionary laptop also features an advanced graphic display with a movable lid that protects the exposed screen from harmful dust particles or bacterial infections that can cause the monitor to cloud up and ooze a yellow, milky substance.

Available in 13-, 15-, and 17-inch models, each MacBook contains a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a battery capable of lasting eight to nine hours on a single charge, and a full-sized keyboard orifice filled with rows of buttons made from growing keratin.

Apple sources confirmed Cook was disappointed by the intense scrutiny from the media, stockholders, and consumers, believing that he was following in his predecessor's footsteps by attempting to push the technological envelope.

"I watched Steve Jobs build the Apple brand from the ground up, and I know that the name of the game here is cutting-edge," Cook said. "Honestly, I felt like the next logical step would be a laptop that feels like an extension of your body. The design may not be perfect, but I'm hoping over time maybe people will learn to love it, just as it will learn to love them."

Cook also assured consumers that the computer is fully compatible with the iLife suite of software applications.

A group of users who tested beta versions of the horrendous new MacBook told reporters they were deeply disturbed when their products moaned to indicate a low battery and then snored gently when put to sleep.

"There's all this gelatinous webbing that you have to stick your hand in just to turn it on, and then once you do, it starts, like, yelling for 30 seconds or so," said Shane Brick, a 38-year-old beta tester in San Francisco, adding that he "actually felt kind of bad for it." "The maintenance is ridiculous, too: Once a month it sheds all of its skin, and you need to shave the USB ports every couple days."

"And you definitely cannot look at porn," Brick added. "The thing got really aroused."

Brick also told reporters that his MacBook originally weighed five pounds, but ballooned up to 80 pounds during a two-week period when Brick was feeling depressed. He said eventually the computer began to quietly whimper, and tears streamed from the built-in speakers.

As of press time, 3.2 million loyal customers were lining up overnight outside of Apple stores across the country for the chance to buy the slick new abomination.

What's Next for Egypt?

By Jim Newell

Egypt has finally dumped its arrogant, paternalistic dictator of three decades in the largest country in the Arab world. That's quite an achievement for a suppressive police state after only two to three weeks of protests that weren't very organized to begin with. But what comes next? Will pure democracy just kind of "appear"? Or does an impossible process of constitutional negotiations between the people, the army, the Muslim Brotherhood, business leaders, and foreign powers need to take place over the next year before anything even approaching a stable and responsive political system emerges? Unfortunately it's that second scenario, the "impossible process of constitutional negotiation" one, that's realistic.

Even though Egyptian protesters respect their military and vice versa, it's still slightly chilling that something called "The Supreme Council of the Egyptian Military Forces" now has complete control of the nation. Even though the military rule will only be in place during a transitional process leading up to the next election, there's always the possibility that the military's top general could change his mind and start thinking, "Maybe I will just not ever cede power and rule the country myself, forever, with all of my weapons." And here's an anecdote that Reuters posted not long ago on its live feed: "Al Arabiya is reporting that the Egyptian Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi is touring the presidential palace area." Maybe he'll get a little too used to life in this swanky palace. Wouldn't you? It's a fucking presidential palace, folks.

The military council, though, has said it will wipe out the Mubarak cabinet of cronies and dissolve the parliament until a transitional plan is put in place. Now all these military leaders have to do is draft a new system of government that ably represents the demands of 80 million people unfamiliar with the democratic process in one of the most strategically important nations on Earth. Got any suggestions? They'll probably welcome your emails.

The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg highlights another important problem going forward: Shitty economic conditions at the root of many political crises. In this case, the fact that there aren't any jobs in Egypt: "The Egyptian economy needs to grow at least seven percent a year to create the jobs necessary for the masses of underemployed, often-over-educated, young people who have been crowding the streets, and economic power is still in the hands of plutocrats and oligarchs, who are not terribly interested in reforming the system that has made them obscenely rich."

The United States government has pledged to help where it can, but come on. As long as oil tankers don't run into any problems going through the Suez Canal, we're basically cool with anything. If Egypt ends up under the permanent rule of a Supreme Military Authoritarian Islamist Junta of Death and Not-Democracy but still manages to keep the tankers running on time, then that's good enough.

[Image via AP]

Bob Kappstatter: Ex-State Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr.'s Problems Far From Over

February 10, 2011 4:16 PM

BY Celeste Katz

Here's our Bob Kappstatter's political column for the day, starting off with that ex-state senator whose name will apparently continue to live on in infamy, Pedro Espada, Jr.:

We're sure it's the least of his worries these days, but former state Sen. Pedro Espada still has a small matter of $62,580 to clear up with the city.

That's the amount in Sanitation summons fines and late fees remaining for illegally slapping 598 campaign posters on light poles during last September's primary campaign, in which Gustavo Rivera clobbered him.

The Wascally Wabbit missed a Jan. 7 hearing at the city's Environmental Control Board, though he did make a token payment of $150.

ECB spokeswoman Marisa Senigo said Pedro has one opportunity left to request a new hearing, and if he's a no-show again, the case goes to a judge, who could slap him with a lien.

That 62G fine, of course, probably pales in comparison to his lawyer's fees for dealing with that federal indictment charging him and son Pedro G. with looting his nonprofit Soundview Health Clinic chain to live the high life.

Irish Eyes Not Smiling Over Bloomberg Remark

New York Times

Javier Hernandez reports on an off-color joke made by the mayor that sparked an apology: “The gathering was meant to be a carefree celebration of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. But it took a different tone when Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg made some off-the-cuff remarks. The mayor, speaking at the American Irish Historical Society on Wednesday night, said he was used to seeing ‘people that are totally inebriated hanging out the window’ at the society.”

February 11, 2011 4:52 PM

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Mayor Bloomberg's (Un)Greatest Hits

BY Celeste Katz

Mayor Bloomberg has apologized -- quite elaborately -- if he offended anyone with his remark this week about "inebriated" people hanging out the windows of the American Irish Historical Society, but our Adam Lisberg has compiled this list of other cringeworthy cracks Hizzoner has made:

"This is not democracy, letting people yell and scream."
- Feb. 5, 2011, about protesters at a school closing panel

"That was so much better than having to reach in and let the little sonofabitch bite you."
- Feb. 2, 2011, dissing groundhog Staten Island Chuck

"The city is going fine. Broadway shows were full last night. There are lots of tourists here enjoying themselves."
- Dec. 27, 2010, downplaying the city's botched blizzard response

"Tom Frieden's with us - Friedman - yes, well, Foley."
- Sept. 17, 2010, trying to remember the name of his health commissioner, Thomas Farley

"The guy that runs BP didn't exactly go down there and blow up the well."
- June 10, 2010, defending BP CEO Tony Hayward during the gulf oil spill

"We successfully advocated for reducing or eliminating the unincorporated business tax for some 17,000 freeloaders."
- May 12, 2010, trying to praise freelancers

"You're a disgrace."
- May 28, 2009, to a reporter who questioned his rationale for a third term

Key Figure Pleads Guilty In CityTime Scandal

February 10, 2011 4:28 PM

BY Celeste Katz

A key figure in the CityTime scandal has pleaded guilty to federal charges and is cooperating in the expanding probe of one of the biggest municipal scandals in recent years, our Greg B. Smith reports today:

Victor Natanzon is one of four computer consultants arrested in December, charged with participating in a complex scheme to skim $80 million from CityTime, the ill-fated project to computerize the city's vast payroll system.

Natanzon appeared in Manhattan Federal Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to an 8-page criminal information, admitting his role in the long-running scheme, records show.

He signed a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's office, agreeing to help the city Department of Investigation in its ongoing examination of the complicated scam in a program that's risen in cost from $68 million to more than $700 million.

Natanzon's lawyer, Tony Mirvis, did not return calls seeking comment.

New York Chinatown Parade Discriminates Against Community

China’s overseas manipulation evident

By Joshua Philipp
Epoch Times Staff Created:
Feb 3, 2011 Last Updated: Feb 5, 2011

DIVINE LAND MARCHING BAND: Falun Dafa practitioners parade through Washington DC in July 2009. (Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—Flying in the face of American values, organizers of the Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival, in Manhattan, are now excluding past parade participants for their religious beliefs.

The Chinese meditation group Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) was barred from joining this year’s parade with claims from the organizer of “potential security issues and disruption.”

When the local Falun Dafa Association attempted to register, the organizer, Steven Tin, replied with an e-mail stating “I'm sorry to inform, we'll not able to accommodate.”

His reason was “due to the unsettled conflict your organization has with numerous community groups and individuals that can create potential security issues and disruption.”

Spokesperson for the New York City Falun Dafa Association Levi Browde said Tin may be “alluding to the fact that maybe some of those groups that participate in this parade are those tied directly to the consulate.”

Browde added, “We’re a very peaceful member and a peaceful part of that community. There is no conflict, other than groups that are influenced by the Chinese consulate trying to bring the repression of the Chinese communist regime into this country."

The “security issues” Tin referred to likely relate to the 2008 attacks against Falun Dafa practitioners in Flushing, Queens. It was later discovered, via an investigative phone call, that New York Chinese Consul General Peng Keyu was meeting with and encouraging those involved in the attacks.

Further investigation revealed that New York City’s current comptroller, John Liu, was also meeting with and encouraging individuals behind the attacks; and that Chinese community associations with ties to the CCP were involved.

One of the main groups was the Fukien American Association, which has also organized events in cooperation with the Better Chinatown Society—including their 2009, 2008, and 2007 New Year's Day Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival.

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According to Ko-lin Chin, a leading expert on Chinese gangs, the Fukien American Association has close ties to the CCP. “Once that organization, the Fukien American Association, became one of the leading [China]-supported organizations, they became the host of almost all these Chinese officials who are visiting New York,” Chin said in an earlier interview with The Epoch Times.

Peng Keyu also has a history of targeting Falun Dafa. He was the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco before he took up the same position in New York.

In 2004, the San Francisco Chinese Consulate tried to stop a showing of a movie depicting the torture and abuse of Falun Dafa practitioners in China by pressuring the Manteca Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). However, the CVB refused to give in and the film played as scheduled.

In January 2006, a resolution condemning the persecution of Falun Gong in China was issued by the San Francisco City Development and Community Service Committee. Peng Keyu then issued a public statement threatening that supporting Falun Dafa could “harm the Sino-U.S. relationship” and warned them “not to make decisions which may interfere with the friendly exchange between the city of San Francisco and China.” Peng’s statement was published in Chinese media including the “World Journal” and “Sing Tao Daily.”

Overseas Manipulation

Although just a community parade through Chinatown on Feb. 6, the issue ties into a long-running trend of overseas manipulation by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“One of our concerns, in a nutshell, is the impact on the community and what the Chinese Consulate has done in that regard,” said Browde.

Much of the CCP’s control of overseas Chinese communities was revealed by Chen Yonglin, the former consul for political affairs of the Chinese consulate general of Sydney, who defected from the CCP.

He testified before Congress on July 21, 2005, calling the persecution Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party a “systematic campaign.”

Next: Must be at least one Chinese official in charge of the Falun Gong affairs

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Bloomberg talks down to parents, teachers and students fighting for lives of their schools

Michael Daly

Sunday, February 6th 2011, 4:00 AM

Egan-Chin/News

Mayor Bloomberg and NYC Schools Chancellor Cathie Black (c.) attend Sunday church service at Christian Cultural Center.

"This is not democracy, letting people yell and scream."

No, that was not Hosni Mubarak talking about the demonstrators in Egypt.

That was Mike Bloomberg talking about the parents, teachers and students who turned raucous at two meetings preceding a rubberstamp vote to close 22 schools.

How does Bloomberg propose NOT to let them yell and scream in an actual democracy? Eject them? Lock them up?

Bloomberg went so far as to say they had embarrassed their city, their state, even their nation.

He did not seem to consider that they were roused to fury by much the same feeling that rouses the protesters in Cairo. This is the sense that whatever you say in more reasonable tones will be ignored.

Bloomberg is no Mubarak, silly sound bites by teacher's union boss Michael Mulgrew aside.

But, the folks in that auditorium at Brooklyn Tech had no more real voice than the folks in Egypt.

Schools Chancellor Cathie Black and the ruling majority of the panel on stage are mayoral puppets. They hardly even pretended that whatever the people in the auditorium had to say made much difference.

"Not one person on the panel was actually listening," said Charm Rhoomes, who was there Thursday night as the mother of a student at Jamaica High School and the president of its PTA. "Even Cathie Black. She was on her BlackBerry."

Rhoomes came with her 16-year-old son, Shawn Nevers, and did not join in the yelling. She understands those who did. "They know that whatever they are saying is falling on deaf ears," Rhoomes said. "The decision was already made. It was horrible."

The only ears that mattered were not there. The mayor would hear afterward of what he deemed shameful behavior. He would say, "When you're yelling at a meeting like they had ...you're yelling at the teachers, you're dissing them, you're dissing the principals, you're dissing the school safety officers, you're dissing the custodians, you're dissing the taxpayers paying for it."

They were really dissing the mayor. And to demonstrate their outrage, a good number of them staged a walk-out. Rhoomes stayed, and calm had returned when it came her turn to speak.

"There was no shouting, there was no screaming," she recalled.

Had they bothered, the minions on the stage would have had no trouble hearing Rhoomes as she spoke with a Caribbean lilt of her son, who never misses school and gets good grades and was so thrilled when he was admitted to college-level math. He attended one class only to be told at the second that it had been dropped from the curriculum because the teacher had been cut. He would still love to have college math, but he does not want to lose the school where he has worked so hard. "He still loves the school," she said.

This magnificent working mother of three was speaking from her very core, the place of her greatest hopes and deepest fears. There is really no measure for the disrespect that the people on the stage showed her.

"They were absolutely not listening," she recalled. "There was not one person I could see that was listening."

The dis far outdid the dissing the mayor called a national disgrace. It may be bad manners to shout at a meeting. It is truly shameful to sit there and ignore the heartfelt and considered words of a mother who is everything a mother should be.

The meeting ended with a sham vote to close the designated schools, including Jamaica High. I'll tell you what's not democracy, Mr. Mayor. Democracy is not a vote whose outcome is pre-ordained by the boss.

Afterward, Rhoomes and her son journeyed home across Brooklyn and Queens. He had school in the morning. He got there on time, ready to make the best of it, just like his mother said at the hearing where nobody listened.

Senate Democrats join Cuomo's focus on broken juvenile justice system

by Carlos González

Senator Velmanette Montgomery

NEW YORK CITY - Senate Democrats, child advocates, and clergy joined together today to support Governor Andrew Cuomo's plans to reform the broken juvenile justice system.

In what was supposed to be a press event with Democrats calling on Senate Republicans to drop their "politically motivated opposition to juvenile justice reforms so taxpayers stop paying for a government that doesn't work for them, and children start getting rehabilitative services they deserve," the actual press conference was toned down with no mention of the Senate Republicans position on Gov. Cuomo's 2011-2012 Executive Budget proposal.

The press event was led by Senator Velmanette Montgomery (D-Brooklyn), ranking member on the Senate's Children and Families Committee.

Joining Senator Montgomery were Senator Bill Perkins (D-Harlem), Senator Daniel Squadron (D-Manhattan), Judy Yu, Associate Director, Youth Issues - Correctional Association of New York, Juvenile Justice Project, Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson, Executive Director - Children’s Defense Fund, Stephanie Gendell, Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, Anthony Ng, Director of Policy and Advocacy - United Neighborhood Houses, Ted Houghton, Executive Director - Supportive Housing Network of New York, Fran York - Good Shepherd Services, Maria Barreto Victoria Kriemelan and Alyce Harriet - The Jewish Board, Amy Sananman, Executive Director - Groundswell Community Mural Project, advocates from the Center for Community Alternatives, and youth from DREAMS - a Brooklyn-based Young Adult Training Program.

According to Senate Democrats, for years, "taxpayers have been forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to keep empty facilities open to satisfy local political interests over the interests of children of the state."

These facilities did not become empty overnight. The reduction of beds not filled in detention centers throughout the state stretches prior to when Senate Democrats were in the majority. In 2010, Senate Democrats led by Senator Montgomery addressed the crisis by passing the Juvenile Justice Reform Agenda only to see the bill stalled in the Assembly. Montgomery's package would've prevented the inappropriate detention placement of juveniles, provide alternatives to detention, and the training of youth offenders in vocational skills for employment.

Many of the initiatives from the stalled bill are included within the Executive Budget, which was met by high optimism from Senator Montgomery and other alternative to incarceration advocates. Working with the new governor at this point is the highest priority for Senator Montgomery.

"We envision that we can save the state $120 million or more," said Senator Montgomery. "Over 500 children can return back to the community immediately, and with the $225 thousand per bed that it costs the state per per person, we can reduce these costs to $20 thousand locally. This is an effort to give taxpayers some relief."

Weighing in on the discussion was Senator Bill Perkins who said, "Don't put people in juvenile detention centers just to give jobs."

"We know that investing in resources that are local is best to serving juveniles," said Stephanie Gendell of Citizens' Committee for Children of New York. "We call for the closing of facilities that are underutilized, and for the state to reinvest savings into services that help young people."

One of the juveniles, Eddie Velez, spoke directly about how the Center for Community Alternatives has helped him. Velez said, "They kept me out of jail."

Other juveniles advocating on behalf of alternative options to detention centers was Loren Johnson from DREAMS, a youth-building and young adult training program helping young adults become dedicated, responsible, and accountable.

"Because of my involvement with DREAMS, we've learned the principles of leadership," said Johnson.

Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson, Executive Director of the Children's defense fund said, "We really have to stay disciplined and unwavering. This is a system that's actually hurting our children instead of helping them.

"We have to build a community infrastructure and not invest into the criminal pipeline," continued Jordan-Simpson. "We have failed them and turned the juvenile justice system into a dumping ground."

Cuomo's budget calls for a reduction in the number of beds at the state's youth detention centers, many of which are scattered across upstate New York. Democrats and advocates alike argue that sending troubled youth, many who come from the greater New York City area, are far from their homes and places an unnecessary and draconian burden on juveniles and families.

Cuomo also wants judges to consider alternative forms of punishment for low-risk youth.

To date, Republicans have been cautious on their support of the idea, but in fairness they must be given time to go through the details of the proposed budget. The closure of facilities would have a severe economic impact to small upstate communities, many of which allowed placement of facilities within communities at a time when nobody wanted detention centers in their backyards.

However, something "must get done because the current policy is not working," said Judy Yu, Associate Director of Youth Issues for the Correctional Association of New York - Juvenile Justice project. "About 89% of boys and 81% of girls are re-incarcerated after leaving these detention centers."

"The challenge is making sure this happens this year," said Senator Daniel Squadron.

This Video blew me away

This video blew me away.... [HQ]

Length: 2:47

This Video blew my mind

Did Da Vinci Use His Gay Lover as the Model for Mona Lisa?

An Italian researcher claims Leonardo DaVinci used his apprentice and gay lover Gian Giacomo Caprotti as the model for the Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world. We did always think her hands were kind of large.

Eat the Rich

The rich are richer than ever, but don't ask them for help

By Tom Robbins

Wednesday, Feb 2 2011

If you want a true picture of New York's current economic plight, take a look at a remarkable graph showing the share of income going to the top 1 percent of earners over the past 100 years.

Morgan Schweitzer

The chart is the product of the Fiscal Policy Institute, the labor-backed group that is one of the lone voices trying to be heard over the ever-growing roar demanding that wages and benefits for workers be knocked down as low as possible.

If you look at this chart for a while, an image comes to mind: It is a long hammock with a slumbering tycoon stretched out in blissful repose. His head is tucked comfortably on the years right before the Great Depression when he and his pals controlled almost 25 percent of all income earned. His back and posterior then slide down in a long graceful arch from the late '40s through the '70s. This is the period considered the Golden Age of America's middle class, when workers managed to capture a greater share of the pie, standards of living rising accordingly. Back then, our upper strata did just fine, too, enjoying a robust 10 percent of the pot. Then, in the '80s in the Reagan era, the graph starts to climb again. From there, it spikes up and up. This is where the snoozing baron now has his feet comfortably planted atop his magnificent wealth, while the rest of us tread water.

The numbers on the chart show that nationally, America's top earners are now taking in 24 percent of the income, back to where they were just before their gluttony crashed Wall Street in 1929. But they are pikers compared to New York. Our state's most privileged class holds 35 percent of the dough. Here in the city, the fat cats do even better, with a whopping 44 percent. This is why New York State ranks last in terms of the income gap between rich and poor. And it is why New York City is the most polarized of the nation's 25 biggest urban areas.

"If New York City were a nation," reports James Parrott, economist for the institute, "its level of income concentration would rank 15th worst among 134 countries, between Chile and Honduras. Wall Street," he adds, "with its stratospheric profits and bonuses, sits within 15 miles of the Bronx—the nation's poorest urban county."

Yet while this income inequality grows by the hour, the talk in Albany and City Hall is that we cannot ask this luxury class to carry any more of the burden. These politicians hold that the only acceptable solution to an estimated $10 billion state budget deficit is to cut programs that mainly serve the poor and middle class, while asking state workers to do more with less. The no-new-taxes zealots are so wedded to this notion that they are even looking to immediately shut down the modest so-called "millionaire's tax," which expires at the end of this year.

If you make the rich pay more, this argument holds, they will vote with their feet and head to Florida and places where they get an even freer ride than they do here. Mayor Bloomberg makes this point every chance he gets, even though when he won his own high-income tax measure to meet the post-9/11 fiscal crisis, he dismissed that same argument as so much nonsense.

Then we have this new group of millionaires and business representatives that is being hailed by the new governor, Andrew Cuomo, and which calls itself the "Committee to Save New York." A better name would be "Committee to Save Our Advantages." One of the co-chairmen of this group is a young man named Rob Speyer who is heir to one of New York's great real estate fortunes. I am sure he has matured enormously since then, but some 15 years ago, when we were reporters working in the same newsroom, his idea of a big investigative scoop was a sting on cab drivers: He left wallets with $100 bills in the back of taxis, and then waited to see if drivers returned them, cash safely tucked inside. Those that didn't pass this test got their pictures in the paper, labeled as rip-off menaces. You read the stories and wondered, if the tables were turned, how many photos of reporters, editors, and real estate tycoons we might see.

Speyer's most recent foray was to buy Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village in hopes of replacing rent-regulated middle-class tenants with free-market apartments filled with upper-income residents. This enormous greed resulted in default and the biggest real estate debacle in recent city history.

All in all, this group does not inspire great confidence, and it is fairly frightening to think they may be setting our state's agenda. Cuomo has much smarter people right around him who hopefully have his ear.

This kind of broadside at the ruling elite seems as good a swan song as any. I could just as easily write again about the alleged leader of New York City's unions who is supposed to be leading the people's charge against these forces, but who is too distracted trying to cover up his own earnings. Or I could reminisce about my very first Voice article, co-authored in 1985 with Wayne Barrett, which recounted how city housing funds for the poor were secretly spent to build a lush, mob-controlled restaurant in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. That story, too, links back to today's debate about the way forward for New York, but I will leave it in the archives for now. Suffice to say that it has been an honor to have held the floor this long in an honored institution. Many thanks to many wonderful readers.

trobbins@villagevoice.com

BLACK CITY COUNCILMAN IN GREECE

Fresh Voice in an Ancient Land: Take Five with Yvette Jarvis, First Black Public Official in Greece
Posted on May 10, 2010
To meet Yvette Jarvis is a happening. I first met this multifaceted, talented, committed, and passionate person at the European Union World Diversity Leadership Summit in Vienna, Austria this past March. The hours we spent talking, debating, and strategizing only scratched the surface of how much she has to offer. Brooklyn-born Yvette came to Greece in 1982, the first Black to play in the Greek Women’s Basketball League, as well as the first salaried female athlete in the league. She simultaneously launched a professional career that spanned more than a decade in modeling and television. In 1989 she embarked on a flourishing career as a vocal artist, which she continues to this day (hear her vocals in her video biography).

As a human rights activist, Yvette participated in many Greek NGOs and helped establish many other organizations that emphasize the rights of immigrants, women, and people with special needs. As a result of her political involvement, in October 2002, Yvette became the first Black to be elected to the City Council of Athens, Greece.

During her four-year tenure on the Athens City Council, she focused primarily on women’s rights and domestic violence, immigrants’ rights, assistance for people with special needs, and important initiatives in youth and sports. Her important achievements include being instrumental in implementing a directive to increase the municipal hiring of people with disabilities by 5%, organizing a Greek language school for immigrants, establishing a domestic violence hotline, and spearheading the Football Against Racism Campaign. Currently Yvette serves as Special Advisor on Immigration Issues to the Mayor of Athens.
With so much to say, this really was a Take 200. But here, for your enjoyment and learning, we give you a taste as we Take 5 with Yvette Jarvis.

Take 1: You are the first Black person to be elected to public office in Greece. How has your presence on the Athens City Council changed the dynamics of politics and governance there?
YJ: Yes, I am the first Black to be elected to public office in Greece. Unfortunately, eight years later I remain the ONLY one! Having said that, I can affirm that my presence has opened the eyes of many to the fact that Greece is no longer only inhabited by ethnic Greeks. Finally, immigrants and people of diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds have had a voice in public office, and a very loud one at that!

From my first council session to my last, issues concerning immigrants have been a focal point. Incidents of blatant racism–neighborhood councils that denied granting store or residency permits to immigrants, public facilities restricting access to immigrants, and many other situations–became issues for vote in the council because I raised them as problems. As a result of my initiatives, immigrants now benefit from athletic, cultural and language learning programs. After years of lobbying, the government has finally passed a law solidifying citizenship rights of second generation immigrants born or educated in the country; so for the first time, immigrants may play a vital role in this year’s municipal elections.

I cannot take full credit for these changes, but I have influenced the decision makers at the party level and in the government by heading up committees on immigration and by participating in municipal government. Hopefully with the new immigration laws, the balance of power will swing in favor of immigrant participation in local elections, thus assuring that issues especially relevant to them remain in the forefront.

Take 2: Like the rest of Europe, Greece has become much more ethnically diverse in recent years due to immigration. How is this affecting what it means to be “Greek”?
There has been an ongoing discussion for the past few months about precisely that: “What does it mean to be Greek?” The newly elected PASOK party and our new prime minister George Papandreou ran on a platform that supported giving second generation immigrants citizenship rights at birth. When the campaign rhetoric took legal form, it became apparent that what was seemingly a tolerant society was not so tolerant of difference.

Fear of diluting Greek bloodlines, expressed in chants of “you are born a Greek, not made a Greek,” were heard at demonstrations, and many expressed the belief that children who were born and raised in Greece of immigrant parents should have rights, but not citizenship! Of course this is not the opinion of all Greeks, but those who opposed the new law were the most vocal.
Greece has a tremendously long uphill battle to fight for diversity issues. As of yet the term “diversity” is not in Greece’s political vocabulary.

Once the new law takes effect, it will become increasingly apparent that Greeks will have to deal with non-ethnic Greeks integrating into society as they apply for civil service jobs as police officers, fire fighters and teachers. The fact is, however, that there are more and more nontraditional looking Greeks, in part because of mixed marriages, and the challenge will be how we begin to understand that.

Take 3: Although you are native to the U.S., you have lived outside of the country for a long time. From your perspective, what seems significant about how diversity issues have been unfolding in the States?

I find it very significant that most companies are now actively involved in diversity issues and that diversity has become the topic of the day in the U.S. A niche has been created and a new job market: diversity specialists and conferences are increasing in number as more and more organizations respond to an increasingly diverse global market.

It’s an exciting time, actually–especially for someone like me who lives outside of the U.S. With Obama as president, I think we may have the most diverse cabinet in the history of the United States. Women, African-Americans and other minorities have catapulted to the upper echelons of the highest offices in the country. Very exciting indeed.
Take 4: In Greece and/or Europe as a whole, how are women advancing in terms of leadership, and how are women being held back?

I think there is no doubt that women are advancing in politics. Around Europe for the first time ever, many women have been elevated to the posts of president or prime minister. But even so, women still remain underrepresented within governing bodies. In business the picture is even more bleak. The percentages of female CEO’s is disproportionately low in Europe, and many women cannot claim equal pay for equal work. The glass ceiling may certainly have a million cracks today, but it has not shattered by any means!

Take 5: In the U.S., much has been written about the generation of Millennials who are just beginning to enter the workforce. In your experience, how are Greek Millennials similar to or different from their counterparts in the U.S. or other parts of the world?
I think youth around the world possess some basic shared desires–to get the job of their choice in their field of study, to make money, to be independent, and to make their mark on society. Where Greek Millennials may most differ from U.S. Millennials is in how possible it is for them to realize those hopes and dreams.

For the past few years unemployment among Greek youth has been steadily rising, and it has become increasingly difficult for Millennials to find jobs in their field of study. The riots in Athens in 2008 were a clear message to the establishment that hope for the future was dismal for Greek youth. In 2007 we began hearing the phrase “Generation 700.” Generation 700 refers to the employment conditions of college graduates who, although possessing multiple degrees, are condemned to a salary ceiling of 700 euro monthly.

These jobs were also often contractual and not permanent, creating a very unstable outlook for their future. As a result, more and more 20- to 30-year-olds are still living with their parents and have no plans for marriage or family in the near future.

The recent financial crisis has made the situation worse. The austerity measures which Greece has taken in order to satisfy the EU and the IMF will take a tremendous toll on the average worker and the retiree. The average wage in Greece is one of the lowest of the EU member states. Workers already burdened with a soaring inflation rate and increasing costs for utilities are finding themselves having to cut back on even the bare essentials.

Generation 700 has now become Generation 500! Pundits exclaim that Greece may see its first wave of 21st century immigration out of the country, and consequently experience an enormous brain drain that will worsen the deficit of an already overburdened social security system. I remain optimistic, however, that the cycle of depression will come to an end, leaving behind a more resilient and resourceful society. After all we are Greeks and through the thousands of years of the existence of this great nation it has stayed the test of time!
To follow Yvette Jarvis on twitter, click here. For some more of her thoughts on the current Greek financial crisis, click here.

BLACK FEMALE RABBI FIRED

Monday, January 24, 2011
Black female rabbi, congregation parting

Less than two years after she arrived in Greenville as the world's first black female rabbi, Rabbi Alysa Stanton is moving on.Stanton was the center of international media attention when a small Jewish congregation picked her as its leader in 2009. But the board of Congregation Bayt Shalom recently voted not to renew her two-year contract.

This spring, the Pitt County synagogue plans to conduct a search for a rabbi.Quantcast"We went through an exhaustive consideration, and it would be inappropriate to discuss the details," said Samantha Pilot, president of the congregation, which is affiliated with both the Reform and Conservative branches of American Judaism.Pilot added, "She wasn't a good fit for the congregation."Stanton, whose contract expires July 31, said she was "humbled and blessed" to have served the congregation and may stay in North Carolina."Greenville is my home," she said in a written statement. "At this point and time in my life, my desire is to remain here as long as I can to serve the community as a spiritual leader."Stanton did not specify what she would do, but one of her strengths has been interfaith relations and community outreach. She is also a licensed psychotherapist.As the first black female rabbi, Stanton, 47, drew intense media interest when she graduated from Cincinnati's Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2009.

Her acceptance of the job in Greenville was offered as proof that the South had moved beyond its racist past in calling a black woman to lead a predominantly white congregation.Members of Bayt Shalom said race was never discussed when Stanton interviewed for the job."It was a non-issue," said Michael Barondes, past president of the synagogue.Stanton was born into a Pentecostal family in a mostly Jewish suburb of Cleveland. She began her own spiritual quest at age 9, trying various Christian denominations and exploring some Eastern religions.

At 11, her family moved to Colorado, where Stanton continued her spiritual quest and later earned an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master's of education in counseling and multiculturalism from Colorado State University.She converted to Judaism in 1987 and gradually grew more involved with her newfound faith as a chaplain, cantor and Sunday school teacher. Ultimately, she returned to Ohio to attend seminary.Upon arriving in Greenville in late 2009, Stanton was deluged with requests to speak at area synagogues, churches and universities. In May, she accepted an invitation from President Barack Obama to recite a poem at the first Jewish-American reception held at the White House.

The Greenville congregation, which has about 50 families, reached its decision in late October, but made it public this month."Rabbi Stanton brought a lot of gifts," Pilot said. "I wish her well as she continues her journey."http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/23/938120/black-female-rabbi-congregation.html

Cuomo vs. Bloomberg, budget collision course?

by Carlos González

Robert Megna

NEW YORK CITY - Yesterday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticized the proposed budget of Governor Andrew Cuomo, indicating that he sees it as being totally unfair to New York City.

Immediately after, State Budget Director Bob Megna, a Paterson administration holdover, responded with a scorching statement rejecting the mayor's claim that the city stands to lose $2 billion if Cuomo's spending plan is enacted as-is by the Legislature.

Statement by Megna:

“Governor Cuomo’s budget does not cut $1.4 billion in education aid to New York City,” Megna declared. “Rather, on a year to year basis, education aid to New York City is cut $579 million.”

“I want to be very clear on this because there can be no dispute about it – New York City will get $579 million less in education aid than it did in last year’s budget. It is also worth noting that Mayor Bloomberg has at least $2 billion in reserves which could be used to offset the loss of this education funding.”

“The fact that the Mayor has these reserves is a credit to his Administration for smart fiscal planning.”

Battles between Bloomberg and Megna are not new, but Megna did accuse Hizzoner of using fuzzy math when speaking against cuts and revenue-sharing aid.

“In terms of revenue sharing aid, New York City received no such aid last year and this year also does not receive any aid. Mayor Bloomberg has chosen to characterize this as a $300 million cut, but in fact on a year to year basis, the city has remained exactly the same.”

“An analogy is helpful to understand this point: If I was paid $50,000 last year and I get paid $50,000 this year, my salary remains flat. And I would not characterize it as a cut of $10,000 even if I had hoped I would be making $60,000 this year.”

We're not sure if New York City has $2 billion in reserves, but if so, it's a credit to a disciplined fiscal approach by the mayor and city council. However, for Megna to suggest that Hizzoner offset the loss of educational aid by raiding city reserves in not only incredulous, but it asks the mayor and city to participate in the same type of dysfunction and overspending that led to Albany's trouble in the first place.

Cuomo's budget proposal seeks to reduce overall state spending by $3.7 billion. He promised a fair and equitable budget. It should be noted that this is the first decline in 15 years, but the suffering will mostly happen in New York City.

George W. Bush's Daughter Has Un-American Views

Dennis DiClaudio

George W. Bush's Daughter Has Un-American Views About Gay People Having Rights

Oh, the devastation George Bush — who, in 2004, endorsed a constitutional amendment restricting homosexuals rights — must be experiencing right now. His own daughter, his own flesh and blood, going out there and stating publicly, for all the world to see, that she thinks the gays deserve the same rights as real people…

Bad enough that his wife and his vice-president felt this way. But his daughter?

At least he's still got the current president on his side. That must be some comfort.

TAGS: Barbara Pierce Bush, George W. Bush, LGBT, Marriage Equality, New York

4 Comments

GLAAD Outraged at 'SNL' Transgender Skit

By Kelly Fisher

'Saturday Night Live' is in hot water this week thanks to a controversial skit it aired during last weekend's show.

According to E! News, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is up in arms over a parodied commerical for a fake product called Once Daily Estro-Maxx, a pill designed to "give you all the sex-changing hormones you need."

Male 'SNL' cast members, including Bill Hader, are pictured as transgender women talking about their bodies and hormone levels.

"The piece was a mock commercial for estrogen replacement therapy and featured men with facial hair wearing dresses, meant to represent transgender women," GLAAD said in a statement. "This segment cannot be defended as 'just a joke' because there was no 'joke' to speak of."

"The attempted comedy of the skit hinges solely on degrading the lives and experiences of transgender women," the group continued.

GLAAD took to its website and has demanded an apology from NBC for the skit, which the group claims is a "dangerous and blatantly anti-transgender segment." GLAAD has also circulated a petition for supporters to sign demanding the online clip be removed as well.

So far, there has been no comment from 'SNL' regarding GLAAD's complaints.

Cuomo's Budget chilly toward NYC - Bloomberg responds

by Carlos González

NEW YORK CITY - Though New York is at a crossroads and an urgent need for fiscal discipline is in order, decades of Albany overspending and overtaxing is exactly what brought us to the brink of financial disaster.

That's why today all eyes were on Governor Andrew Cuomo as he released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2011-2012.

According to the proposed budget, NYC is facing a whopping $2 billion cut, to include $1.4 billion worth of educational aid.

Not surprisingly, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not too happy with the cuts facing the city stating that the proposed budget will have "a major impact on our schools, our health-care system and our social services.

"The residents of our five counties pay a disproportionate amount of State taxes," said Bloomberg. "They deserve the same level of support."

Bloomberg expressed disappointment that Cuomo's budget lacked any inclusion of mandate relief.

"We can't only look at one side of the equation," the mayor said. "We need relief from unfunded State mandates, as well as changes in State law that would allow us to save money, particularly where we can find ways to save money that would not cost the State a dime.

"Without those changes, we will be looking at thousands of layoffs in our schools and across City agencies," continued Bloomberg. "And because of the last-in, first-out law, we would be forced to layoff teachers based solely on how many years they've logged on the job, not the quality of the job they're doing."

Bloomberg also states that the budget in general does not treat New York City equitably, especially when it eliminates 100 percent of New York City's revenue sharing aid - over $300 million - while cutting other localities by just 2 percent.

The mayor's criticism is the first legitimate swipe at the new governor since Cuomo took office, despite endorsing him in last November's election.

The governor has twenty-one days to amend his plan before it is settled by the Assembly and the Senate.

Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012.

Rafael --

I am thrilled to make sure you are the first to hear some very exciting news. Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012.

Charlotte is a city marked by its southern charm, warm hospitality, and an "up by the bootstraps" mentality that has propelled the city forward as one of the fastest-growing in the South. Vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunity, the Queen City is home to innovative, hardworking folks with big hearts and open minds. And of course, great barbecue.

Barack and I spent a lot of time in North Carolina during the campaign -- from the Atlantic Coast to the Research Triangle to the Smoky Mountains and everywhere in between. Barack enjoyed Asheville so much when he spent several days preparing for the second Presidential debate that our family vacationed there in 2009.

And my very first trip outside of Washington as First Lady was to Fort Bragg, where I started my effort to do all we can to help our heroic military families.

All the contending cities were places that Barack and I have grown to know and love, so it was a hard choice. But we are thrilled to be bringing the convention to Charlotte.

We hope many of you can join us in Charlotte the week of September 3rd, 2012. But if you can't, we intend to bring the spirit of the convention -- as well as actual, related events to your community and even your own backyard.

More than anything else, we want this to be a grassroots convention for the people. We will finance this convention differently than it's been done in the past, and we will make sure everyone feels closely tied in to what is happening in Charlotte. This will be a different convention, for a different time.

To help us make sure this is a grassroots convention -- The People's Convention -- we need to hear from you. We want to know what you'd like to see at next year's convention, how and where you plan on watching it -- and the very best way we can engage your friends and neighbors.

Rafael, please share your input with us right now -- how can we make The People's Convention belong to you and your community?

I can't believe it has been more than two years since my brother Craig introduced me at the 2008 Convention in Denver. It truly feels like it was yesterday.

As I looked out at a sea of thousands of supporters that night, I spoke about my husband -- the man whom this country would go on to elect as the 44th President of the United States. I spoke about his fundamental belief -- a conviction at the very core of his life's work -- that each of us has something to contribute to the spirit of our nation.

That's also the belief at the core of The People's Convention. That the table we sit at together ought to be big enough for everyone. That the thread that binds us -- a belief in the promise of this country -- is strong enough to sustain us through good times and bad.

Barack talked at the State of the Union of his vision for how America can win the future. That must be the focus now, and I know so many of you will help talk about our plans with your neighbors -- that through innovation, education, reform, and responsibility we can make sure America realizes this vision.

But, conventions take time to plan, so please help us make sure that your thoughts and your ideas will ring all the way to Charlotte. Get started now:

http://my.barackobama.com/PeoplesConvention

Looking forward to sharing this together,

Michelle

Fierce Budget Proposal - Cuomo Not Kidding

by Carlos González

Governor Andrew Cuomo

ALBANY - The Division of Budget has posted the 2011-2012 proposed budged by Governor Andrew Cuomo. You can find downloadable sections of the budget here.

The total budget is expected to be #132.9 billion or $3.7 billion less amounting to a 2.3 percent decrease.

School aid drops $1.5 billion from $20.9 b to $19.4 billion, based on a school year scheduled to begin July 1, 2011.

Cuomo also proposed a 10 percent agency cut, and seeks savings in what is described as givebacks. If the savings can't be achieved, he'll consider the layoff of up to 9,800 as a "last resort."

State operating funds will see a 1 percent increase.

Cuomo is also seeking to merge Corrections with Parole, the Commission of Correction with the Division of Criminal Justice Services, and also has his sights on Banking, Consumer Protection and Insurance.

The budget extends the low income housing tax credit.

He creates a task force to target prisons for closure.

Worse, for NYC residents - and this is certainly not going to sit well with Mayor Michael Bloomberg - New York City will once again receive zero local government aid from the state.

Reaction to the budget proposal coming soon.

Legislators in Arizona are pursuing a white supremacist campaign to erase Mexican American presence from teaching

Arizona's cultural genocide law

• Roberto Cintli Rodriguez
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 31 January 2011 23.00 GMT
• 
  



Activists protest against Arizona's anti-immigrant laws. Via HB 2281, the state has banned the teaching of Mexican American studies. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America

The onslaught in Arizona of reactionary and immoral racially-based laws has managed to attract worldwide attention. The brown peoples of this state are being relentlessly persecuted by a majority population that wants to forcefully remove us and suppress our rights and deny our humanity. Here, the state has even gone so far as to, via HB 2281, to prohibit the teaching of ethnic studies in Arizona schools.

Unquestionably, the brown peoples of this state are treated as less than human. Not everyone treats us this way – just the majority: mostly conservative Republicans, many of them with a supremacist ideology. Their general attitude is: if you're brown (read Mexican), get the hell out of our God-given country. And for those of you who remain, either assimilate and abide by our [contrived and unconstitutional] laws or face the full wrath of the state.

There is embedded hate against brown peoples in Arizona – the kind associated with the 1800s, a time when the United States forcefully annexed half of Mexico. All of it is thinly veiled under the guise of opposition to "illegal immigration" and "border enforcement". However, the battle here is actually civilisational: brown peoples, many of whom have been here for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, represent the unfinished business of Manifest Destiny. For conservatives, we represent a return to a past in which we are viewed as a conquered, subhuman species. This brazen attitude informs all the recent anti-Mexican and anti-immigrant bills, proposed laws that long for a return to an idyllic past, which, in fact, never existed.

Aside from HB 2281, other bills include : SB 1070 – the racial profiling law; SB 1097 – the proposed law that will require children to identify the immigration status of their parents; and HB 2561/SB 1308 and HB 2562/SB1309 – bills that seek to nullify birthright citizenship (guaranteed by the 14th amendment ) to children whose parents cannot prove their legal status.

And now, state legislators have introduced the most reactionary bill of them all: SCR 1010 (pdf). This bill seeks to exempt Arizona from international laws. With this bill, these legislators are acknowledging that all their anti-Mexican laws are also outside of international law.

The most onerous and under-reported of all of these bills has been HB 2281; its key component is thought control and the enforced teaching of a master narrative. The former state superintendent of schools, Tom Horne, crafted an Inquisition-style law in 2010 that forces Arizona school districts to eliminate their ethnic studies departments. Despite the rhetoric of claiming that these programmes teach hate, racial separation and the overthrow of the US government, the actual target is the highly successful Mexican American studies K-12 programme in Tucson because its philosophical foundation is a 7,000-year maíz-based curriculum. Students are taught indigenous [Mayan] concepts such as: In Lak Ech (you are my other self); Panche Be (to seek the root of the truth) and Hunab Ku (we are all part of creation). Students are taught to see themselves in all human beings, to be critical thinkers, and that they are all equal to other human beings. Not coincidentally, this programme boasts a 97.5% high school graduation rate.

Horne, whom is now attorney general and so in charge of determining the legitimacy of the law he wrote, believes that such indigenous concepts are unAmerican and anti-western civilisation. Instead, he believes that only Greco-Roman concepts should be the basis for Arizona schools and that the nation's narrative should begin with the pilgrim fathers.

And so the civilisational clash.

As a result, a 2010 lawsuit by 11 educators against the state charges that HB 2281 interferes with their ability to teach. There is also a strong possibility of filing a court case with the Organisation of American States (OAS) and/or with the UN, charging Arizona with attempted cultural genocide. All these bills violate virtually every international human rights treaty and covenant, all of which protect the rights of peoples from discriminatory treatment and forced assimilation, and their rights to education, history, language and culture.

This international showdown is long overdue.

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