Investigation of Philly's Charter Schools Finds "Gigantic Loophole Through Which People Can Profiteer"

(Philadelphia Inquirer) Martha Woodall reports ~

City Controller Alan Butkovitz's investigation of 13 Philadelphia charter schools found repeated examples of complex real estate arrangements in which charters leased or rented facilities from related non-profit organizations.

"The way the charter law is written and not enforced--there is a gigantic loophole through which people can profiteer," Butkovitz said. "This is not supposed to be a vehicle for maximizing profit for operators and related parties."

Butkovitz began his special fraud investigation of charters several months after The Inquirer reported allegations of financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest at Philadelphia Academy Charter School in April 2008. His staff has been sharing information with the U.S. Attorney's Office, which is conducting a criminal investigation of at least nine area charter schools, according to sources with knowledge of the probe.

Butkovitz's complete report, which will include findings on the School District's oversight of 67 city charters and recommendations for tightening state law, is scheduled to be released Thursday afternoon.

..."The fact there were significant issues at 13 out of 13 raises the likelihood you would see many of these same issues found in a much larger sampling of the schools," Butkovitz said. Among those 13 schools, four were the subject of extensive focus by Butkovitz for complex real estate maneuvers, apparent conflicts of interest and CEO salary arrangements, according to a draft of the report obtained by The Inquirer.

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Ted Kaufman: "For Markets To Be Strong, They Must Be Well-Regulated” - Applauds SEC's Proposal Requiring High Frequency Traders To “Tag” Trades

(presser)
Kaufman Applauds SEC on Decision to Consider a Proposed Rule Requiring High Frequency Traders to “Tag” Trades

Commission expected to take up matter at April 14 meeting

WILMINGTON, Del. — Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.) released the following statement today in response to news that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will consider on April 14 a proposed rule that for the first time would require high frequency firms that trade over a certain volume threshold to identify and report their trades to the Commission. The rule is being considered under the SEC’s existing “large trader” reporting authority.

“I applaud the SEC for moving forward with a proposed rule to require tagging of high frequency trades. This is the first step to ensuring the SEC can better understand high frequency strategies and detect any manipulative algorithms. As I have said, the need for transparency and fairness trumps liquidity.

“I further believe the Commission should mask the proprietary nature of this data and release it to the marketplace – or at least to academics and private analytic firms under ‘hold confidential’ agreements – so that independent analyses can be conducted on this data to assist the Commission in determining whether certain algorithmic trading strategies are illegal under existing anti-manipulation law.

“The Commission, Congress and industry all must work together — in the interests of liquidity, efficiency, transparency and fairness — to ensure our markets are the strongest and best-regulated in the world. But we cannot have one without the other — for markets to be strong, they must be well-regulated.”

In a Nov. 20 letter to SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro, Kaufman urged the Commission to move forward with a “large trader” reporting proposal, asserting “we simply cannot permit high frequency practices to continue unchecked without the ability of regulators to observe and stop manipulation.” In her Dec. 3 response, Chairman Schapiro assured Kaufman that the Commission would soon put forth such a proposal in order to gain “better baseline information about high frequency traders and their trading activity.”

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Delaware First Lady Carla Markell Plants A New Garden In The Spirit Of Helping Others Today And Hopes Seeds Of Volunteerism Will Grow In More Plots!

To symbolically plant the seeds of volunteerism and real seeds that will produce vegetables, Delaware First Lady Carla Markell planted a new garden today at Woodburn, the official Governor’s residence in Dover. The garden will produce a variety of vegetables that will be donated to area homeless shelters. The First is encouraging other active gardeners and Delawareans to plant vegetables in the spirit of helping others.

(presser)

First Lady Plants Seeds of Volunteerism
Vegetable Garden Will Provide Food for Homeless Shelters
Delawareans Encouraged to Do the Same

To symbolically plant the seeds of volunteerism and real seeds that will produce vegetables, Delaware First Lady Carla Markell planted a new garden today at Woodburn, the official Governor’s residence in Dover. The garden will produce a variety of vegetables that will be donated to area homeless shelters.

The First Lady is encouraging other active gardeners and Delawareans to plant vegetables in the spirit of helping others.

“If you have space, plant an extra row of fruits and vegetables that you can donate directly to those in need,” said First Lady, Carla Markell. “Food banks, shelters and pantries will appreciate the contribution and those in need will benefit from fresh nutritious items that they otherwise might not have on their table. This is one simple, but significant way we can help others. One household, one garden, many recipients.”

“Our garden is about both healthy eating and giving to the community,“ said Governor Jack Markell. “Gardeners reap the rewards in more ways than one when they share their produce with people in need.”

Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Edwin Kee helped break ground on the garden, as did students from Future Farmers of America.

Homeless shelters, food closets/pantries of area churches and Delaware Food Bank will accept surplus fruits and vegetables from residential gardens. According to the Delaware Food Bank, the average harvest from a typical packet of snap beans seeds, for instance, weigh 20 pounds. Dense vegetables such as carrots produce about 100 pounds.

Planted at Woodburn today were cool weather crops of radishes, Swiss Chard, turnips, beets, carrots, peas and nasturtiums (the flowers are used in salads), along with some herbs. Later this spring during warmer weather, tomatoes, peppers, squash, corn, zucchini and string beans will be planted.

Today’s event marked the first of several efforts to generate volunteerism by the First Lady this year, including a special week of service later this month, April 18-24. Last year, the Markells hosted a weekend of service instead of the traditional inaugural ball.

(photos HERE)

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Virginia Governor Promotes “Treason in Defense of Slavery” Month - Pals Around With Paranoid White Supremacists?

(FDL) Blue Texan writes ~ Group that Lobbied Republican Governor to Honor Confederacy Tied to White Supremacists

The interwebs are buzzing today with the news that GOP Gov. Robert McDonnell of Virginia has declared April “Treason in Defense of Slavery” month.

...See more on the group here.

But you’ve got to see this quote from an article in the May/June, 2008 edition of the SCV’s newsletter, The Southern Mercury.

It is very clear to me that if Barack Obama should be elected President, he would be extremely anti-white and would demand reparations for slavery and press hard for affirmative action to the degree that it would hurt young whites who were seeking jobs or admission to College and Graduate Schools. Even if he were elected, I would think he would be a one term President and the Congressional Republicans with a “corporal’s guard’ of Democrats would stop most of the radical and unjust laws he would propose. However, I believe that his rhetoric and anti-white legislative proposals would stir up racial riots. If he were running for re-election, these riots would turn into an extremely violent nature that would seriously damage race relations in America, and leave entire sections of some of our cities in ruins.

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Republican House Leadership Takes A Stand Against Reduction In Education Funding Proposed In Markell's Budget

Update: (Dover Post) ~ Private school students, parents call for 'fairness' in funding - A group of private school students and parents descended on Legislative Hall in Dover March 30 to encourage legislators to oppose state budget cuts that would affect their institutions.
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DEHouseMinority Check out the letters by Reps. Dick Cathcart & Nick Manolakos on their opposition to proposed education funding cuts: http://ow.ly/1vEjg




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MoveOn.Org Writes: Save The Internet Once And For All

Help gather two million voices in favor of net neutrality by this Thursday to deliver to the FCC before they rule.

Since 2006, MoveOn members have been working to save the free and open Internet. And now, for the first time, we're on the verge of making an open Internet the law of the land.

The Federal Communications Commission is getting ready to rule on net neutrality—the key principle that keeps the internet open to all. But Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon know it, so they're fighting in court and claiming the FCC doesn't have the authority to do its job.1

It's a smokescreen. The FCC still has all the authority it needs to make net neutrality the law. The only question is whether it'll have the political will to take on these corporate giants. That's where the SavetheInternet.com Coalition comes in. We already have 1.75 million voices telling Washington that we must make net neutrality the law, but we're aiming for two million.

The FCC is only taking public comments until this Thursday before making a final ruling, so we need 250,000 signatures today and tomorrow to send a resounding message that the FCC won't be able to ignore.

Can you add your name below, and then tell your friends to sign so we reach two
million? http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87793&id=19723-6345145-ZYWH6Ux&t=3

The Internet is the future of communications, and we need to keep it open, available and affordable to all Americans so it can continue to drive free speech, democratic participation, and economic growth. Net neutrality ensures that you can go anywhere and access whatever you want on the Internet, without having to pay corporate gatekeepers for the privilege. Without net neutrality, AT&T could charge its subscribers more to visit the website of their local bookstore than Amazon.com.2

Or, as one DSL provider was caught doing just yesterday, they could start forcing you to use their own search engine instead of Google.3 And they'd love that extra profit, so they've sent armies of lobbyists to Washington to in one final push to control the internet.

When MoveOn members joined with hundreds of other organizations to form the SavetheInternet.com coalition in 2006, we could only dream of having a president who would fight to make net neutrality the law. But with President Obama's support, and his appointee Julius Genachowski chairing the FCC, we're on the verge of winning a huge victory for a free and open Internet.4

Can you add your name and tell your friends to help us reach our goal of 2 million signatures by this Thursday?

Thanks for all you do.
–Daniel, Marika, Anna, Eli, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Telecom Lobbying 2009," Free Press, April 6, 2010 http://www.freepress.net/node/62059 "Comcast's legal blow to 'Net neutrality,' FCC draws mixed reaction," NetworkWorld, April 6, 2010 http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/59785
2. "Network Neutrality Fact Sheet", Common Cause, April 6, 2010 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87794&id=19723-6345145-ZYWH6Ux&t=6
3. "Phone Company Helps Make the Case for Net Neutrality," Daily Kos, April 5, 2010 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87796&id=19723-6345145-ZYWH6Ux&t=7
4. "FCC Chair Proposes Net Neutrality Rules," Digital Daily, September 21, 2009 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87795&id=19723-6345145-ZYWH6Ux&t=8

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June Eisley Writes: Investigate Military Cover Up Of Baby Shower Raid

PeacEmail from Pacem in Terris
302-656-2721 www.depaceminterris.pbwiki.com
Find our page on Facebook ‘Delaware Pacem in Terris” and become a Fan

Please read the message below from our friends at Win Without War. Click on the link to send an email to President Obama to investigate this deplorable behavior.

It has been a grim couple of days in the battle for hearts and minds of the people of Afghanistan.Afghan investigators claimed yesterday that US Special Operations forces tried to cover up the horrific killing of five Afghan citizens in February following a raid of what turned out to be a baby shower. Military officials, after first claiming US soldiers had stumbled upon the victims of a so-called "honor killing," now admit that our military forces were responsible for these deaths. Three women were killed. Two of them were pregnant.Covering up the murder of civilians is unconscionable.

Join Win Without War as we call on President Obama to investigate these deaths and determine how the US military so quickly and successfully spread misinformation about them to the Afghan and American public.

At the time of these deaths, military officials claimed that the bodies showed signs of puncture and slashing wounds from a knife, and appeared to have died several hours before the raid. Yet The London Times is now reporting that Afghan investigators have determined that American forces "dug bullets out of their victims bodies" after the killing, tampering with the evidence of the crime. American military officials deny the claim.

US and NATO officials have now admitted that Special Forces were responsible for the killing of these innocent women, and that previous denials of any involvement were false. Yet they now expect the public to accept their claim that there's "no evidence to support tampering". Having already misled the public, military officials now claim to be "further investigating" the incident. This is not good enough. At issue is not just a horrific killing but its cover-up and the willingness of military officials to mislead and distort the facts.

Call on President Obama to conduct a thorough investigation not only of what occurred during and after the baby shower raid, but how military officials could mislead Afghans and Americans alike with their false, misleading claims and outrageous suggestions.

Secretary of Defense Gates has claimed that there is no military solution in Afghanistan, that the way to peace and stability is through winning the hearts and minds of the citizens of Afghanistan. Covering up the brutal deaths of pregnant women who died at the hands of NATO forces at a baby shower does not win hearts or minds.

We owe the people of Afghanistan nothing less than the truth.It is also time to admit the truth that our military led policy in Afghanistan is incongruous with winning the hearts and minds of Afghans. This is not the fault of our soldiers. It is the fault of the misguided judgment of those who have put them where they are. The pressure from within and outside military circles for more, not less, militarization of our Afghanistan policy needs to give way to reality. These
stories only underscore why.

Ryan, Tom and the Win Without War Team

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Will Delawareans Believe The Flying Pigs Or The Man They Are Chasing --DEM House Majority Leader Schwartzkopf? Stay Tuned...

Jud Bennett writes ~

Dear Friends,

Interesting story below sent to me from a WEB SITE, where the anonymous creators of "THE PIGS FLY BLOG" which is dedicated to attacking Representative Pete Schwartzkopf, are presenting the reasons why they are afraid to identify themselves. Apparently my Coastal Network and WGMD's Dan Gaffney are the first to receive this publication. The claim is that when the illustrious 14th District Rep. Peter Schwartzkopf realized that this Pigs Fly Group was using Georgetown Attorney John Segovic's P. O. Box as a mailing address, he called lawyer Segovic at 3AM and irately took him to task. That's why they claim they are afraid.

I interviewed Representative Schwartzkopf this evening to get his take on the accusations and he says this is the real story: " Yes I called John Sergovic to find out why his office mailing address was attached to the blog, because Sergovic is my friend, and a fellow Democrat who has supported my campaigns.", said Pete. "Furthermore it was not 3AM, it was between 8:30 and 9 PM when the call was made, absolutely not 3AM--absolutely not true what they are claiming here. Additionally the call was cordial and non- intimidating by any standards," exclaimed Pete Schwartzkopf.

There you have it folks (having presented both sides)--scroll down to read the explanation by the Flying Pigs as to why they are still afraid to come forth into the light. Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the Majority leader of the Delaware House of Representatives would act the way these folks have described. Hey Dan Gaffney-- Get lawyer John Sergovic on the phone and see what he says about all of this????

From: info@onlywhenpigsfly.org
To: dan@wgmd.com ; pilotajb@dmv.com
Subject: The 3:00 AM Phone Call

Gentlemen,
We are sending you this avanced courtesy copy of our newest Press Release of the latest developments. We will be sending this out to the general public tomorrow, but we wanted to give you the courtesy of an advanced copy immediately.

The 3:00 A.M. Phone Call

Evidently we struck a nerve. Representative Pete Schwartzkopf called our local attorney and woke him up at home at 3:00 A.M. on Thursday. Schwartzkopf berated this man for his involvement in the website OnlyWhenPigsFly.org and asked for the names of those involved.

Before we go on, let's explain how we got to this point. We sent out a newsletter on Monday announcing the launch of a New Public Information Website, and we accurately published Pete Schwarzkopf's 2009 voting record. On that newsletter was a Post Office Box in Georgetown, Delaware for people to send us correspondence. There was no phone number attached, and there was certainly no home phone number attached to the newsletter. In fact, the local attorney's phone number is not listed under his name; his home number is listed under his wife's name. In the newsletter, we answered the question that many have been asking: Why We Are Anonymous. We stated that "In the United States of America you should not have to live in fear of speaking out against your elected representatives, yet some of us do."

Would you be willing to openly and honestly question the votes of your elected officials if you thought that you might receive harassing phone calls in the middle of the night? This type of behavior from an elected official is extremely troubling.
Is this the type of behavior that voters in Lewes, Rehoboth, and Dewey Beach expect from their legislators? Do the voters of the 14th District want to be bullied when they openly and honestly question their legislators voting record? Do the people want to be intimidated by harassing phone calls in the middle of the night from one of the most Powerful Men in the State of Delaware?

If Pete Schwartzkopf acts this way when you question his voting record, how would he react if he lost the election?

These are the questions that the people must answer for themselves.

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Some Headlines From The Hill

The Hill reports ~

Alexander Bolton ~ Biden calls on agencies to get tougher in tracking spending on $787B stimulus

Kim Hart and Tony Romm ~ Court ruling strips FCC of power and hands Congress a tough task

Kevin Bogardus ~ Blackwater heads back to K Street

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Jud Bennett Writes: Rollins Announces Congress Run

BREAKING NEWS:
MICHELE ROLLINS TO RUN FOR CONGRESS:

Dear Judson,

I would like to thank you for taking your time to talk about my running for Congress. Your opinions and thoughts have been very helpful for me in making an informed decision about seeking our party’s nomination for Congress.

I strongly disagree with the direction of the Obama administration and the Congress. The passage of the health care legislation on March 21st was, frankly, the last straw.

While the Democrats in Congress spent months pushing through their health care bill, the number one problem in the country, and here in Delaware, the lack of good jobs was relegated to the back burner. Without a decent job, there is no family security.

As a long-time party activist, I have worked with many of you to build support and raise campaign funds for Republican candidates. I have never been a candidate. While I know that one person alone cannot make a difference, I believe that one person with the dedicated help of many can.

Today I will file the necessary legal documents to become a candidate for our Party’s nomination for Congress. I know the task ahead is difficult and challenging. I can’t do it without you. I need your help and support. I’m asking you for that support and look forward to our working together.

Please let me know you’re ideas and thoughts. You can contact me directly at
302-426-9489 or at michele@michelerollinscongress2010.com

My thanks for your support.

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Tickets Now Available For Governor's Prayer Breakfast (May 6th) Featuring Bill Yoast Of "Remember The Titans" Fame

(presser)
Remember the Titans Coach to Speak at 50th Governor’s Prayer Breakfast

Dover – Governor Jack Markell announced today that Coach Bill Yoast, portrayed in the 2000 film, Remember the Titans, will speak at the 50th Governor’s Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, May 6, 2010.

“His life’s work has been to inspire and motivate our youth,” said Markell. “Coach Yoast exemplifies the theme for this year’s prayer breakfast – Perseverance with Prayer.”

Born in 1924, William “Bill” Yoast grew up in Alabama and later served in the United States Air Force. Following his military service and graduation from college, Yoast turned to coaching. In 1972, Yoast took the position of assistant football coach at a newly desegregated high school in Virginia. The team’s road to a second-place national ranking was the basis for a Hollywood blockbuster and Yoast’s critically acclaimed memoir, Remember This Titan.

This year will also mark the 50th Anniversary of the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast tradition, so the previous Governors who have served Delaware over the past five decades will be honored.

The breakfast begins at 7:00 a.m. (Doors open at 6:30 a.m.) at the Modern Maturity Center at 1121 Forrest Avenue in Dover.

Contacts:
Lorilee Harrison at 674.7305; Lorilee.harrsion@state.de.us
Denise Myles at 674.7306 email: Denise.myles@state.de.us

Ticket information:
Tickets are $16 or $200 for a table of 10. Tickets may be purchased by sending a check payable to Governor’s Prayer Breakfast to: Governor’s Prayer, Post Office Box 186, Dover, DE 19903-0186
Please include a note with your name, address, telephone number, email address and number of tickets requested. Reservations must be received no later that 23rd April 2010.

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Frieda Berryhill Writes: France is waking up!

Yesterday morning at 8 AM CET, eight Greenpeace activists dismantled the railway tracks between the Tricastin nuclear facility and Pierrelatte in order to stop a shipment of nuclear waste being shipped to Russia.


In other News:
Published: April 3, 2010
In a major victory for environmental advocates, New York State has ruled that outmoded cooling technology at the Indian Point nuclear power plant kills so many Hudson River fish, and consumes and contaminates so much water, that it violates the federal Clean Water Act.
Read the whole story HERE

Can Salem be far behind?

My experience last night with the Nuclear Regulatory Commision next.

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High Maintenance Caesar Rodney Institute Blogger Chaffing At The Bit - Refused To Hold His Unsubstantiated Story To Get Some Confirmation D'OH!

Lee Williams and his crew at the CRI are a bit too big for their britches these days. Their new CRI Blog story, that was choking Delaware twitter feeds and email addresses this morning --BREAKING NEWS: Insurance Commissioner wants secret meeting with lawmakers before public hearings--, is full of even more bunk and misapprehension than Williams' "13 page nine month expose" about the IC published last week.

This meeting is not, nor was it ever, a secret meeting!!!! The public is certainly invited to attend. In fact, the memo that the CRI story is based on was sent out last night to Assembly members and it preceded a presser from the Insurance Commissioner announcing the meeting to the general public and press. (I guess a legislator forwarded the memo to the scoundrels over CRI...it is hard not to couch them in these terms since they persist in spreading falsehoods...but then, they're REPUBLICANS and that's what THEY DO)

This statement in the story is patently false ~

The Caesar Rodney Institute tried to RSVP with Harrison. No response was received. Neither Stewart nor her chief of staff Elliott Jacobson would address the propriety of the closed-door meeting. They were not willing to be interviewed for this story.

Naturally, we are expected to believe that Mr. Williams is telling the truth. But I don't. Karen Weldin Stewart was never asked to be interviewed for "this story" is what she told me today. Williams presumed to describe their willingness to 'address the propriety of the closed-door meeting' and made the unsubstantiated claim that they were 'not willing to be interviewed'. But the truth is that he could not know any of those things since he never spoke to either one of them about it. Lee, you kinda have to wait until you get some confirmation on this sort of thing, don'tcha think?

I happened to have read the CRI 'report' online this morning and I too tried to RSVP with Harrison and I also didn't get a return call from her (but she did tell Karen that I had called with some questions and Karen called me back).

Williams is simply playing with fire here and it is scandalous to say the least. IF WILLIAMS HAD ACTUALLY SPOKEN to anyone at the IC office he would have realized that the meeting was open to the public. But noooooooo. Let's just make stuff up, Lee. (For the record I just called Williams and he admitted that he never spoke to anyone at the IC office about this. He said that CRI "waited until 11AM and got no call so they ran the story").

OK. So then how do you come up with the lines "Neither Stewart nor her chief of staff Elliott Jacobson would address the propriety of the closed-door meeting. They were not willing to be interviewed for this story" when the memo went out last night? Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, Elliott Jacobson told the IC staffer to forward any voicemail from press to his phone. So, all Williams knew was that he hadn't gotten a returned call yet about a memo that was sent out last night in regards to a meeting being held a week from now. (Now, it is within the realm of possibility that Elliott will never return a call to Lee Williams at this point. If so then Karen had ought to fire him and get someone in who can do the job. But that is another story.)

Ron Williams has already backed off of a few of the assumptions he drew from CRI's extravaganza report in Tuesday's Is insurance tit-for-tat motivated by primary grudge? column. The good DEMs in the General Assembly are probably trying hard not to get sucked into the sensational vortex our DE GOP-CRI propaganda arm has set before them. Note To CRI - if you continue to play these kinds of games you will really find yourself in the naughty corner.

What I found out from the horse's mouth ~
1). Karen had originally scheduled an informational meeting with the joint committees at Leg Hall to go over what was happening with her office, with insurance providers and with the issue of denial of potentially (and demonstrably) life-saving medical testing, as outlined in the WNJ story on BCBS.

2). Evidently, Byron Short told Karen that there were multiple concerns and questions that the legis was interested in pursuing in the afternoon meeting (issues raised by the CRI report among others).

3). So, since the Insurance Department had prepared for a detailed and informative meeting (they have a staffer from Senator Rockefeller's office among others scheduled to participate), Karen scheduled an additional meeting for the morning (WHERE ANYONE IS WELCOME) to accommodate the DC staffer and insurance reps who wanted to have the kind of detailed discussion that these issues DESERVE.

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Peter Jesson Writes: For The Love Of The Battlefield - Lunch At The Outback In Support Of The Battlefield Set For April 17

Join the Chadds Ford Civic Assoc
for a

Brandywine Battlefield Benefit
Saturday April 17 - 12:00- 2:00 PM

$50 per Guest

Luncheon Celebration with Silent Auction

Outback Steak House

561 Glen Eagles Square, Glen Mills, PA

Reserve Now! Send checks made payable to the Chadds Ford Civic Assoc. to

PO Box 823, Chadds Ford, PA 19317

click to enlarge for information on more fundraisers throughout the spring and summer

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Reminder - Come Out To Hear William Julius Wilson Tonight At 5PM In Newark

Click to enlarge
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Over Forty Years Of GOPers "Making The Country As Ungovernable As Possible While A Democrat Is In The White House"?

Peter Jesson writes from the Chadds Ford Democratic Party ~

Republicans explained

There's A Method to Republican 'Madness'

by Robert Parry

Washington's conventional wisdom for explaining the intensity of Republican obstructionism toward President Barack Obama breaks down one of two ways: either it's a philosophical disagreement over the role of government or a desperate need to stay in line with a radicalized right-wing base. But there is another way to view the GOP political strategy, as neither principled nor reactive to the rantings of Tea Partiers, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. It is that the Republicans are following a playbook that has evolved over more than four decades, to regain power by sabotaging Democratic presidents.

In this analysis, the Republicans believe they can reclaim the lucrative levers of national authority by making the country as ungovernable as possible while a Democrat is in the White House, essentially holding governance hostage until they are restored to power. Then, the Democrats are expected to behave as a docile opposition "for the good of the country" (and usually do).

The "destroy Obama" game plan tracks most closely with Newt Gingrich's strategy for undermining Bill Clinton 16 years ago. But today's strategy also traces back to Richard Nixon's sabotage of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Vietnam peace talks in 1968 and Ronald Reagan's October Surprise gambit against President Jimmy Carter's Iran hostage negotiations in 1980.

Read the entire analysis HERE.
Parry's conclusion:

And as long as this "make-the-political-system-scream" strategy continues to work, it is probably unrealistic to expect the Republicans to disavow it. Washington power and the money that comes with it are so intoxicating that the political risks appear well worth it, especially if Democrats and the American Left don't have the means or the courage to stand against abuses by Republicans and the Right. That pattern of acquiescence by the Democrats and the Left dates back to the emergence of this Republican anything-goes strategy more than four decades ago.

As audiotapes at LBJ's presidential library make clear , Johnson was aware of Nixon's pre-election sabotaging of the Paris peace talks in 1968, but remained silent to avoid risking damage to Nixon's presidential legitimacy. Similarly, Jimmy Carter and other leading Democrats, such as former Rep. Lee Hamilton, were aware of substantial evidence that Ronald Reagan's campaign secretly undercut Carter's efforts to win the release of 52 American hostages held in Iran in 1980, but the Democrats have chosen to look the other way.

Hamilton, who prides himself on his "bipartisanship," led a congressional investigation into the Iran-hostage "October Surprise" mystery in 1992, but refused to pursue late-developing evidence pointing to Republican guilt even after his chief counsel, Lawrence Barcella, asked for an extension because so much new information was pouring in by the end of 1992. Barcella told me later that Hamilton simply ordered the inquiry brought to a close with its finding of Republican innocence. Much of the new evidence implicating the Republicans was then stored away, including a Russian intelligence report confirming secret meetings between Republicans and Iranians. [For details, see Robert Parry's Secrecy & Privilege ]

For his part, ex-President Carter appeared more concerned about the danger of being accused of sour grapes than learning anything new about how the Republicans sank his presidency. In 1996, while meeting with Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat, Carter reportedly raised his hands into a physical stop position when Arafat tried to confess to his role in the Republican maneuvering to block Carter's Iran-hostage negotiations. "There is something I want to tell you," Arafat said, addressing Carter at a meeting in Arafat's bunker in Gaza City. "You should know that in 1980 the Republicans approached me with an arms deal [for the PLO] if I could arrange to keep the hostages in Iran until after the [U.S. presidential] election." Arafat was apparently prepared to provide additional details and evidence, but Carter raised his hands, indicating that he didn't want to hear anymore.

The Pattern Continues So, the Republicans have never been made to pay a political price for their scheming to undercut sitting Democratic presidents -- and to grease the GOP's route back to power. Whenever a Democrat is in the White House, the Republicans believe they are free do whatever they want to block him from solving national problems, making him look weak and ineffectual. That was true of Johnson, Carter, Clinton and now Obama.

This GOP strategy is pursued even if it tarnishes the international image of the United States or if it undermines national security, even if it means more than 20,000 additional U.S. soldiers dying in Vietnam, or 52 American hostages facing longer captivity in Iran, or the likes of Timothy McVeigh feeling empowered to blow up a federal building. The strategy continues even if it raises the current threat level against President Obama and Democratic lawmakers. The strategy continues because it works.

___

About author Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek. His latest book, Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq, can be ordered at secrecyandprivilege.com . It's also available at Amazon.com , as is his 1999 book, Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, the Press & 'Project Truth.'Robert Parry's web site is Consortium News



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NEW CASTLE COUNTY COMMUNITY REENTRY SERVICE COALITIONS Meeting Set For 10AM April 14th In Wilmington

The new date and time is Wednesday April 14 10AM – 12PM
Dept of Labor - Lea Blvd Annex Building - Next to Wilmington Trust Bank across from the Wilmington Drama League.

NEW CASTLE COUNTY
COMMUNITY REENTRY SERVICE COALITIONS
Your Organization Is Asked To Send One or Two Representatives
to theCommunity Reentry Services Coalition Meeting

Where & When
New Castle Coalition: Wednesday April 14 10AM – 12PM
Dept of Labor - Lea Blvd Building - Next to Wilmington Trust Bank across from the Wilmington Drama League.

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Delaforum: DDOE "Remains Vague On How $100 Million Will Be Divvied Up" - Other States Miffed - May Not Bother With Second Round Of Competition

(Delaforum) Jim Parks reports MEMOS AT RANDOM ~ Grant distribution rules uncertain

While several governors around the country are questioning how just Delaware and Tennessee, alone among the states, qualified for education financing windfalls, the state Department of Education remains vague on how $100 million will be divvied up. In response to Delaforum inquiries, DelDOE spokesman Ron Gough repeated a previous statement: "Fifty percent of the [money] goes directly to the schools while the remaining 50% of the funds will go to the state." The latter, he went on to say, "will be portioned out to the school districts and charter schools with a small amount" kept by the department "to help provide oversight of the ['Race to the Top'] programs and funds."

He declined to say what criteria will be used to determine who gets what other than to note that "there will be no local competition" involved. "Federal calculations will determine the amount of funds going to each school," Gough said. The money will be doled out over the next four years with only public schools in line to get a slice of the pie and charter schools being treated no differently from traditional ones, he said.

Meanwhile, according to a New York Times article published on Apr. 4, officials in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, South Carolina and South Dakota have indicated they are so put out that they may not even bother to participate later this year in a scheduled 'second round' of competition for grants.

[States skeptical about ‘Race to Top’ school aid contest - NEW YORK TIMES]


Meanwhile (and off topic), more from Delaforum ~ Property owners these days are bearing a proportionately much greater share of the cost of county government services than they have in the past, acting chief financial officer Ed Milowicki told a County Council budget hearing.

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UnPlug Salem Writes: Nuke Power News

(WNJ) Jeff Montgomery reported ~ Delaware energy: NRC judges nuclear safety
Regulators to discuss Salem/Hope Creek findings

And (Salem County News) Bill Gallo reported (April 02, 2010) ~ Salem 2 nuclear reactor cuts power because of river 'grassing'

ALLOWAYS CREEK TWP. — Power has been reduced at the Salem 2 nuclear reactor here because of problems with vegetation clogging the cooling water intakes on the Delaware river, officials said today.

Salem 2 was operating at about 82 percent power because of “grassing,” the collection of dead phragmites and other plants that have been dislodged from the river shoreline collecting on the screens protecting the water intakes, according to Joe Delmar, spokesman for the plant’s operator, PSEG Nuclear.

The grassing problem occurs each spring as old vegetation floats downriver.

...Salem 1 and 2 each draw in, circulate and return one million gallons of cooling water from the river per minute when they are operating at full power. That equates to about three billion gallons per day.

The third reactor on the Island, Hope Creek, uses a cooling tower to recirculate cooling water so it draws markedly less water from the river. That plant was operating at full power today.

It wasn’t clear when Salem 2 could return to full power.

The three plants comprise the second largest nuclear complex in the U.S.

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June Eisley Writes: Nuclear Disarmament Rally in NYC Set For May 2nd

DISARM NOW!!!

Sunday, May 2 - 2:00 PM - New York City
Rally • March • Peace & Music Festival
Join with thousands of people from around the world on the eve of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference at the United Nations.

Hundreds of international organizations have come together to organize a weekend of action to bring pressure to bear on world leaders who will be attending the NPT conference to make nuclear abolition a reality “in our lifetimes!”

We also understand that nuclear disarmament is interconnected with ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, funding human needs and environmental sustainability, so we will march together to call for:
No Nukes, No Wars, Fund Human Needs, Protect the Earth!

All Aboard the Peace Train to Global Nuclear Disarmament March & Rally Pacem in Terris will be riding the Peace Train (regular SEPTA/NJ Transit trains) to the March and Rally. We will either carpool to Philly or board the train in Marcus Hook (to save all-day parking fees). Either way we would connect with others from the Delaware Valley at the 30th Street Station and continue on to NYC. If you have any questions or if you have any interest in joining us (even if you are still trying to decide), just send an email back so you can be kept informed.

For complete information, go to www.peaceandjusticenow.org/wordpress/
On that website, join the millions around the world who are signing petitions (see the wording, below) for abolition of nuclear weapons to be delivered to the White House and the United Nations at the time of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. A printable version of the petition may be found here.

Dear President Obama,

We wholeheartedly applaud you for declaring in Prague, “I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.”

We commend you for your courageous and historic recognition that “as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act.”

We call on you to make good on that commitment and fulfill that responsibility by announcing at the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference your initiation of good faith multilateral negotiations on an international agreement to abolish nuclear weapons, within our lifetimes!

Yes we can!!

Local activities pertaining to the NPT Review at the UN...

On Saturday, April 17 – Sunday morning, April 18, members of the April 2010 Walk for Nuclear Disarmament and Abolition from Washington, DC to New York will be coming and staying in the Newark-Wilmington, DE area. Their purpose is to mobilize grassroots support for nuclear disarmament towards a real solution at the UN 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review during May of 2010.

The walk will depart from Washington, DC on April 8, 2010 and arrive in New York City on April 29. They will be walking about 15 miles each day (some days more, some less) while holding events, meeting, eating and resting with supportive groups and individuals in cities and towns along the way, covering about 250 miles in 21 days. They want to include MANY groups in this issue-based coalition. Students and youth, Seniors, Artists and Entertainers, Academics, Caregivers, Lovers of Peace and Justice, the Environment, Wisdom and Sanity. They hope you all will support the walk or even walk with them, whether for a mile, a hundred yards, or just a few steps. To find out more about their route and goals, go to http://www.nptwalk2010.org/

Schedule in Delaware
Saturday, April 17:

Potluck Picnic: Walkers will leave Elkton, MD in the morning and arrive at
the main campus of the University of Delaware in Newark around noon for a
potluck picnic lunch with students, members of Students 4 the Environment, and
anyone else who wants to come and bring food to share. Contact person: Steve
Hegedus, 302-731-4076.

Walk from Newark to Wilmington via Kirkwood Highway: After lunch the
Walkers and anyone else who wants to join them will walk from Newark to
Wilmington via Kirkwood Highway which has sidewalks along much of the route.
They will walk to Westminster Presbyterian Church on Pennsylvania Avenue in
Wilmington.

Potluck Supper in Wilmington from 5:30 – 7:00 pm: in Classroom #6 at
Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1506 W. 13th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806.
Please bring enough food to share with eight other people. The Walkers will give
a presentation about the walk and their experiences. Following the program, we
will need a few volunteers to drive them to Limestone Presbyterian Church where
they will be spending the night. Contact person: Sally Milbury-Steen,
302-656-2721.

Overnight at Limestone Presbyterian Church: 3201 Limestone Road,
Wilmington, DE 19808, from 7:30 pm – 8 am Sunday morning.

Sunday, April 18:

Breakfast & Departure from Limestone Presbyterian Church: Some volunteers are needed to help prepare breakfast for the walkers at 7 am at Limestone and to help pack lunches for them for the day. By 8 am, they will be ready to leave Limestone and we will drive them back into Wilmington, where they will begin their walk to Chester, PA from Rodney Square in the heart of city. Feel free to walk with them as they progress up Market Street to the Delaware-Pennsylvania border.

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News Journal Takes Uneven AP Blurb For Rally Press Today And Completely Misses/Misrepresents The Point - D'OH!

More coverage from WDEL ~ VIDEO: Rally against Christina school district, state
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Rather than bother to actually report what this rally is all about today, the WNJ grabs a distorted item off of the AP wire ~

Groups to rally for school improvement funds - Associated Press • April 5, 2010

The groups say they're rallying on behalf of students in the Christina and Colonial school districts. Delaware recently received a Race to the Top grant of $100 million. Wilmington NAACP spokesman Lance Bruce says with that money going toward school improvements and development, they want to make sure those districts are included.

Other participants in the event include the Delaware Black Caucus, the Coalition to Save Our Children and Delawareans for Social and Economic Justice.

The rally begins at 11 a.m. at the Christina School District office and ends at the State Building.

As if to further indicate what an afterthought this news item was to our paper-of-record, here is the link: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100405/NEWS03/100405014/1111/Liberal-media-clearly-favors-and-protects-Joe-Biden/Groups-to-rally-for-school-improvement-funds

WTF???

Anyhoo, I know that their ace reporter, Adam Taylor, will make the rally and march front page news tomorrow with the actual message-of-the-people intact and intelligible.

Meanwhile, (WDEL) Amy Cherry gets it right ~ Rally against Christina, Colonial school districts

New Castle County Councilman Jea Street of the Delaware Black Caucus is leading a rally againt the Christina and Colonial School Districts and the State of Delaware at 11 o'clock in downtown Wilmington.

WDEL's Amy Cherry reports. Audio Here

Street says promises were made a decade ago, and he still sees nothing but failure in city schools. Street tells WDEL he's sick of sitting idle. He says confrontation is all the districts respond to, so he'll give them just that in order to get some local control. He says there was also a broken promise to divide Wilmington into two districts instead of four. Street wants Wilmington to have its own school district, but he knows that won't happen. But he says folks outside the city got what they wanted, and left Wilmington to suffer.

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SEC Chair: "This Is The Time To Plug Any Holes" - Challenging Congress To Adopt "Stop-Gap" Measures To Complete Grossly Inadequate Finance Reform

Update: politico - Dems bristle at financial reform deadline. http://bit.ly/cXz2Oe
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(WNJ) SEC Chair Mary Schapiro would insist on three additions to the 'fixes' Congress has offered up so far ~ Dragging swaps out of the shadows

1.Create clear lines of regulation. Swaps often are just economic substitutes for the asset or event underlying a contract. It follows, then, that the best chance of detecting and deterring fraud, manipulation or other abuses comes from a cohesive and straightforward regulatory approach — one in which the same regulator can impose similar requirements on similar products. All securities-based swaps should be regulated as securities; all commodity-based swaps should be subject to commodities laws.

As written, the Senate legislation unnecessarily complicates matters

2. Bring more transparency to this shadow market. Transparency is a tenet of the securities markets. Both investors and regulators need to know what is being traded, at what price and in what volume. Additionally, the legislation must provide regulators with the information they need to identify trends and combat abuses.

... In fact, only a subset of securities-based swap prices would be transparent. This means unspecified areas could still be rife with shadow trading. The Securities and Exchange Commission should be given explicit authority to set minimum transparency regulations on all securities-related swap transactions.

3. Maximize the use of clearinghouses and exchanges in transactions involving swaps where possible. A clearing requirement would reduce counter-party risk by substituting the creditworthiness of the clearinghouse for the creditworthiness of the parties to the transaction. Such strong requirements would help to stabilize the market and improve transparency and pricing in the process.

She concludes ~

Risk-taking is at the heart of our capital markets. We cannot eliminate risk. We can, however, establish a simple and cohesive set of regulatory tools to ensure that investors and regulators know what risks are being taken and, if necessary, respond accordingly. Moreover, shining a spotlight on swaps would give the market vital information to better price and value them. It would also provide regulators with information necessary to detect and deter abuses.We are near the finish line for far-reaching financial reform. This is the time to plug any holes. After all, today’s gaps can become tomorrow’s crisis.

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Civil Rights In Education Rally Day Today In Wilmington! Kilroy's Delaware And Delaware Way Will Be There - Will You?

(WDEL) Jim Hilgen ~ Groups to rally against the Christina School District

A coalition of groups are set to rally, bringing their complaints against the Christina School District and the State of Delaware to light. Led by the Delaware Black Caucus and the NAACP, the protest will highlight the district's low academic achievement. The rally will also protest the failure to include more minority owned businesses in the district's procurement process. The protest will also focus on the state's failure to turn control of the city's school districts to Wilmington and its residents. The rally begins at 11 Monday morning at the Christina Administration Building. Marchers will then head to the State Office Building in downtown Wilmington for a noon demonstration.

I have made some extended commentary HERE on the Transparent Christina blog, on the greater Wilmington community's determination to get out in front of the changes in the wind. Kilroy's Delaware has an invaluable post HERE with some pointed essays well worth reading HERE and HERE as has John Young HERE and Red Clay Now HERE.

John also posted about the high rollers that Rodel brought to Delaware to help jump us over the RTTT 'hump' HERE where I noted, "This is a rich find, my friend. I already am fixated on the timeline where this supposed plan jumped out of nowhere on one hand and on the other is a result of the 5 years of work by Rodel and it public face, Vision 2015"

That led to my discovery of another 'set up' by Rodel/Vision 2015 people - the Education Voters of Delaware. The real shocker is getting a look at who and what the DE Education Voters organization is all about. It was formed up in late February of 2009. Just in time to sell the big privatization plan to Delaware stakeholders. The group is made up of mostly Vision 2015 steering committee people but they call it an INDEPENDENT GROUP???

And that led to the discovery of this little gem: the INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Delaware's very own venture capital fund FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS dating back to 2003 and overseen by Rodel/Vision 2015 people: Paul Herdman and Pete duPont. The organization no longer lists duPont on their board but they do have the billionaire Eli Broad Foundation's personal representative, Kevin Hall (who was also a member of the Vision 2015 steering committee).

Meanwhile, Kilroy reposts evidence of Jea Street's persistent efforts to draw attention to needed reform in our schools and how he was ignored time after tme after time from this state's officials. This is just the beginning, folks. Just the beginning.

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John Flaherty Writes: You Are Invited To A Wreath Laying Ceremony At The grave Of General Thomas A. Smyth

SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR
Appomattox Camp No. 2
Chartered and Incorporated by Act of Congress in 1954

ROOTED IN HISTORY
WILMINGTON’S OWN GENERAL THOMAS A. SMYTH

The Appomattox Camp #2, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), along with the Wilmington Memorial Day Committee invites the public to join them at a wreath laying ceremony at the grave of General Thomas A. Smyth, the last Union General killed in the Civil War.

The ceremony will be held on, Saturday, April 10, 3:00 p.m., in the Wilmington & Brandywine Cemetery, 701 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington.

"It is fitting that we pause to honor General Thomas Smyth and all those valiant civil war veterans who answered the call to fight for freedom, especially those like the General who gave their very lives doing so." said Ken Chew, Commander, Appomattox Camp No. 2, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

“General Smyth was killed at the battle of Appomattox, the scene of the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Smyth was the last Union General killed in the Civil War.” said John Flaherty, Wilmington Memorial Day Committee.

The local group works to preserve the memory of Union Civil War soldiers.

For further information contact Ken Chew, Commander, (302) 798- 6520 AKC1941@verizon.net

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New York Finds Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant In Violation Of The Clean Water Act - Forces Construction Of New Cooling Towers

Update: from Frieda ~ Finally Some Decisions

Owners of the oldest nuclear power plant, Oyster Creek, said thy will shut down the plant rather then build cooling towers (good move)

Earlier this year, the state Environmental Protection Department required the plant to build one or more cooling towers instead of relying on water drawn to cool the reactor. The state said that process kills billions of shrimp and tens of thousands of fish, crabs and clams each year. Earlier this year, the state Environmental Protection Department required the plant to build one or more cooling towers instead of relying on water drawn to cool the reactor.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/oyster_creek_nuclear_plant_own.htm

Salem kills billions of fish annually , all protests by various groups have so far been ignored.

The truth is that these plants have been operating all these years against the law . The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)requires federal agencies to integrate environmental values into their decision making process. Which makes the operation of these plants with their Ones-through cooling systems illegal.

We are still a nation of law, or are we ?

In other News - NRC is coming to Salem next Tuesday, The subject “ agency’s annual assessment of safety performance for the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear power plants during 2009.” I will be there to testify and will inform you after the hearing.

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(NYT) David Halbfinger reports ~ Water Permit Denied for Indian Point

In a major victory for environmental advocates, New York State has ruled that outmoded cooling technology at the Indian Point nuclear power plant kills so many Hudson River fish, and consumes and contaminates so much water, that it violates the federal Clean Water Act.

The decision is a blow to the plant’s owner, the Entergy Corporation, which now faces the prospect of having to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build stadium-size cooling towers, or risk that Indian Point’s two operating reactors — which supply 30 percent of the electricity used by New York City and Westchester County — could be forced to shut down.

Entergy officials said that they were “disappointed” in the ruling and that they might fight it in court. The original federal licenses for the two 1970s-era reactors expire in 2013 and 2015, and a water quality certificate is a prerequisite for a 20-year renewal by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But a prolonged appeal in New York could delay a shutdown, Diane Screnci, a spokeswoman for the commission, said late Saturday.

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The Great William Julius Wilson Will Be Lecturing At 5PM Tuesday In Newark - The Event Is Free And Open To The Public

Here is the official University notice:

The Declining Significance of Race: Revisited and Revised, a lecture by William Julius Wilson

Event date: April 6, 2010 5:00 PM

Location: Multipurpose Room, Trabant University Center

Description: This lecture, given in honor of Littleton and Jane Mitchell, features William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. & Linda L. Geyser University Professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

A reception for all lecture attendees will be held from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. following the lecture.

A renowned sociologist, William Julius Wilson directs the Joblessness and Urban Poverty Research Program at the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy. He is the author of groundbreaking books on race and Urban poverty including the recently published More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City.

Past president of the American Sociological Associtaion, MacArthur Prize Fellow from 1987-92, and recipient of the 1998 National Medal of Science, Wilson was selected by Time Magazine as one of America's 25 most influential people in 1996.

If you have any questions, please contact the College of Education & Public Policy at 302-831-3169 or mruffing@udel.edu.

I don't know how much people might know about Dr. Wilson around Delaware. I first started reading Dr. Wilson's studies of the inner city minority community when I was in college in the 1980's. He was able to articulate what had happened to the black family and their community by studying the ghettos of Chicago and Detroit.

What he taught was that once the factories started to close, there were block after block of people who had no steady work. Everyone was getting a government check to survive. The children were growing up knowing few men or women holding a job. There were scarce role models for understanding and appreciating a strong work ethic.

And Wilson noted that welfare was a flawed system that ended up destroying the family it was trying to help. Because of the way the welfare system was administered, the government refused to support mothers and children in homes where the parents were married and lived together as a family. Children were growing up without a man in the house and discipline was that much harder to enforce by the single moms.

Single parenting became the norm and fathers were left out of both the joys and challenges of raising their own children. Generations were growing up without having strong parenting modeled to them and soon children began having children that were often give over to the grandparents to be raised.

Dr. Wilson continues to inspire a nation to understand where we have been so that we can move forward together. I am really excited for the opportunity to hear him speak on Tuesday night!

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