Feb 24th Links- IPA Hearing & Obama Speech

Thanks to Mike Rhodes, KFCF has archived the testimonies of the IPA Hearing on its website at

http://www.kfcf.org/archives/IPA/.

Also, if you missed President Obama's "state of the union" address, you can play or download a copy at KCFC's sister station KPFA's archives at http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/48690 .

Pictures from DC

The Spirit in Washington: Inauguration

America made history on January 20^th, 2009. I was a part of history. I will be able to one day to look back and tell the story of where I was the day that the first black man was made president. Though this sound cliché’, these words were amongst many quoted and described by myself and other visiting universal citizens from across the globe that quickly filled the streets of Washington D.C.

The cold morning of waiting for the Green line Metro in Greenbelt Maryland started the morning of inauguration at about a windy 18 degrees. The line of patron reached half a mile to the back fence of the metro station. SheRee Johnson, my best friend, also from the Central Valley and me attended this historical event together.

Standing in line for over an hour and a half seemed like no time as we talked and fellowshipped with other visiting patrons. I was surprised to see people openly communicating with each other. I also was touched by the stories that I heard. D.C. reportedly had no arrest. That shows that what I am saying about the sense of family and peace promoted by President Obama was a valued ethic during the inauguration events. As each person openly stated on the train where they were from, and how cold the weather was or how they didn’t care that they took an unpaid day off work or even an AWOL was well worth attending this almost unbelievable day.

By the time I arrived to the National Mall, it was 8:15 a.m. The streets were full, and the air was almost unbearable. I recall wearing three pairs of thermal pants and a pair of jeans, four tops, a trench pea coat and a scarf. The weather was nothing to play with. There were people everywhere. I even saw people within the entertainment industry freely walking the streets of D.C. A statement that the Obama family was the celebrities of this event. I mean this was the most people I seen in my life at one event. I approached the capitol from the behind, with hopes of getting a good spot in front. But s authorities informed us the Mall had been closed well before 7 a.m. being that it was over capacity.

We traveled by foot 1.5 miles around the large crowds and finally reached the Metro Center Metro Station and traveled to a more urban neighborhood in D.C, known as U St. Which is also home to Ben’s Chilli Bowl, where Obama ate just 5 days prior to our arrival. Entering the door of the historic Busboys and Poets Bookstore/Restaurant we were met with hellos and tear filled eyes as the Clintons approached the seating area on the television screen and the ceremony came to a start.

We made friends, exchanged numbers, made toast and even cried with strangers as our first African American President was inaugurated. A feeling of equality can describe what I felt after the intense words of Obama’s speech. I felt no race, no color, no gender and others in the room felt the same way. As the tissues passed and champagne filled glasses everyone basked in the ambiance of hugs and on the spot utterance of their feelings after reality had set in.

I was in fact overjoyed that I was able to experience this historical moment. After being exhausted from the large crowds and heavy walking I retired as the rest of the world partied…………….to be continued.

Leonard Smith
Bowie State University '09
Hometown: Lemoore, CA

From Washington: Tuesday

What a day was today!

The college friend I'm staying with in Washington and I left at about
6:45am, and headed to the Metro for a ride to the Capitol area. What
we found were subway trains already PACKED with exuberant
inauguration-goers. We found out later that the crowds were made
thicker by a half-hour delay on that line due to a passenger having
fallen onto the track. No word on any injuries, but apparently the
incident did cause a delay of about half an hour.

When we reached the destination station near the Congressional office
buildings, everything came to a standstill. The station exit simply
couldn't handle such a flood of people. Three trains arrived during
the time it took us to exit. The station operator was on the PA
system telling everyone to "walk straight through the gate" and "keep
it movin'". Eventually, being in an irrepressibly cheerful mood, the
crowd started to parrot these calls, and the words seem to take on a
political dimension. The station operator caught on too, and started
mixing in "yes we can" with her other instructions. This made a long
and frustrating wait thoroughly enjoyable. It was a remarkable
display of unity and the powerful of a joyful spirit.

We met briefly with friends from Fresno who had just flown from
Sacramento into New York, driven directly to Maryland, parked there
and made their way by subway into Washington. This was at about
7:30am, and they were already clocking a 24-hour day. We shared
tickets and split up from there. We didn't see them again because
they were on their way back to New York as soon as the ceremony was
over. What commitment! (And, ouch!)

The ceremony was fantastic. You saw it all on TV -- and you probably
had a better view than almost any of the 2,000,000 of us on the Mall.
Having tickets, we were able to get a little closer and could at least
see the Capitol (though we were too far away to see any individuals).
Mainly we relied on a Jumbotron, partially obscured by an
inconveniently placed tree, to show us the action. A 3- or 4-second
delay between the video and sound made the viewing a bit odd.

Later, walking away from that location, I realized how lucky we were.
Hundreds of portable toilet units were in place FAR from the Capitol,
near the Washington Monument. From there, depending on where you were
situated, you couldn't even tell where the Capitol was. Certainly
seeing the Capitol made things feel special.

The other special thing was the crowd. The Jumbotrons showed the
various celebrities and dignitaries filing in. There were strong
reactions -- positive and negative -- to the different figures. I was
particularly interested to hear impressions from some of the DC
residents about some of the national or local figures I didn't
recognize. It was a fun way to share a story with a friendly neighbor
and help pass the time. After all, speaking of passing the time,
things didn't really start until 11am, and we were in place by about
9. So, plenty of waiting. Not to mention being packed in so tight
that you felt pressure from your neighbors on all sides!

As chaotic as arriving was, leaving the Mall area was particularly
rough. My friend and I ended up walking several miles, sometimes in
circles, trying to escape the rush of the crowd, looking for a working
subway station, and navigating blocked streets, which were many and
seemed placed at random. By the time we reached our home station and
got ourselves to a restaurant, we had been on our feet for nine hours
straight -- all with almost no food or water. So you can understand
why we didn't stick around for the parade!

Those I've talked to all agree this is a historic occasion which we
would never have missed. However, at this point, I also agree with
those who say it's probably something I'll never want to do again!

Elliott Balch

From Washington: Monday

I knew when I ran into -- who else? -- Lyle Lovett at Dulles airport
Sunday night that it would be a good trip to Washington. If Lyle can
marry country, gospel, and jazz, surely the nation can come together
for one day to celebrate a historic new beginning in its leadership.

And come together we have. At the Marriott next to my friend's
apartment near the Zoo yesterday, I passed part of a cohort of 5,000
university students in town for the national Inaugural Convention.
They were waiting for charter buses to take them downtown.

When I got downtown via Metro, I realized a bus would be the last way
I'd want to try to get around. Lines to get in the House Office
Buildings, which house the Representatives' personal offices, were
wrapped around the block. Just to get in the Rayburn Building, where
I was picking up inauguration tickets, the line was over quarter-mile
long and three abreast. It took two hours of standing in the cold
just to get in the building.

Once in the building, the scene was slightly chaotic. Not everyone
had arranged tickets through a Member of Congress, so folks were
storming the halls looking for any extras. Extras were hard to come
by, though. I got really lucky that Congressman Radanovich had a last
minute cancellation or two, freeing up a ticket for me.

Elliott B.

The Obama Inauguration

I so was excited to watch the inauguration of the country's first black president this morning. CNN.com Online with Facebook broadcasted the entire ceremony live. The inaugural speech will reair this afternoon at 5, 7, and 9 PM EST.

Fresno Inaugural Events

Fresno Inaugural Events

Join Fresno area residents of all ages for breakfast, Inaugural viewing & a celebration of our America's 44th President who is bringing CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN.

Contact the Democrats in Action office: 559-486-5422 fresnodemocrats@gmail.com

'We are the Change' Celebration

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

5-7 PM

African-American Museum of the SJV

1857 Fulton Street, Fresno, CA 93721

FREE

This is an opportunity to commemorate the life of King and the presidency of Obama at the local level through the

“We are the Change” Celebration . This event invites local elected officials, business and community leaders to participate in a day of festivities that will unite greater Fresno. RSVP your attendance, please contact Kimberley Jackson at (559) 243-1550 or at vbtalk@aol.com.

Day One

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

9 PM-1:30 AM

The Starline

831 Kern Street

Fresno, CA 93728

Fresno Swearing-In Ceremony

Today, well wishers, the media and family members from as far away as Aspen, Greece gathered to welcome the change of the guard in Fresno's leadership. At the first council meeting of the year, the City Clerk swore in Council members Andreas Boregas and Lee Brand along with Mayor Ashley Swearengin. In a capacity filled chamber, Brian Calhoun, Jerry Duncan and now former-Mayor Alan Autry also said farewell and thanked their colleagues, staff and the residents of Fresno for the opportunity to serve.

In her usual get-down-to-business fashion, Mayor Swearingin took the opportunity to speak about her plans for her first 100 days in office. Of the number of task and initiatives she plans to employ immediately, here a few I found interesting:

• Conduct a city efficiency analysis. This would be an update to a 2002 report comparing our city service to like cities
• An in-depth department evaluation. Along with this evaluation, department are being asked to present budget scenarios with 4 and 8 percent reductions for the upcoming 2009-20 fiscal year.
• Revamping and refocus of economic development department to the Downtown & Community Revitalization Department. Announce of the changes and its team was presented last week in a press conference at the Holiday Inn's Sky Room.
• Revising and simplifying the city's procurement process that will favor local businesses
• Partnering with community initiatives to increase resident's awareness and access to free earned income tax credit (EITC) services in the city.
• Establishing the Fresno Citizens Academy, a voluntary program to educate and engage citizen leaders

Kudos the Mayor for demonstrating political class by recognizing her former campaign opponent and current council member, Henry T. Perea for his service while voicing her willingness to work with him.

In addition, the Council elected Councilmember Cynthia Sterling as the first African-American and woman to hold the position of Council President. The Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) presented flowers to both Sterling and Swearengin.

Like liquor stores, like payday... regulate them

While I'm not a huge fan of payday lending and check cashing companies, I do believe they provide a needed service in low-income communities-- access to basic banking and lending services. The larger question is why are these companies doing so well in certain neighborhoods? It's because of the lack of traditional financial institutions in these neighborhoods.
Like liquor stores that concentrate where there are few grocery stores, these act as a viable alternative at a premium to their customers. Similarly, I believe the non-traditional financial industry should be regulated as state and local government does liquor stores in two ways:

(1) These non-traditional financial institutions should be required to get a city-issued condition use permit (CUP). Liquor outlets are required to get a CUP which requires to some form of resident oversight through entities like the District Implementation Committees or the Planning Commission.

(2) The City of Fresno Planning Department should restrict the number of pay-day loan and check-cashing services within a neighborhoods. The state Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) restricts the concentration of liquor outlets in residential areas. .

Lastly, the City can encourage/incentivise development of neighborhood banking. It was encouraging to see the City Council began to evaluate its financial/banking policy. With a near billion dollar budget, the City can influence the practices of bank through its deposit policy. The City's Bank of Fresno is a step in the right direction.

For more information on pay day loan services, consumer tips in using them and more, check out Americans for Fairness in Lending.

Fresno's New Focus on Downtown & Revitilization

Congrats to Craig Scharton, Travis Sherdian & Elliott Balch as they began a new adventure at the City's newly formed Downtown & Community Revitalization Department. At the press conference held yesterday in downtown Fresno, Mayor-elect Swearengin announced that this new team will replace the Economic Development department.

Craig spoke to the team’s focus on great design & planning, increasing foot traffic and business districts in downtown, locally-owned businesses and community-led design in the surrounding neighborhoods (Lowell, Jefferson & West Fresno). These are all strategies mentioned in the Creative Economic Council Report that Craig along with others in Creative Fresno helped produce.

Ashley has assembled a great team with the passion and capacity to foster change in our city. Craig has been a man on a mission to revitilize downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods since being on the Fresno City Council in the 1990s. Since 2006, Craig has served as the CEO of the Central Valley Business Incubator and the Claude Laval WET Incubator that provides technical assistance for locally-owned businesses. Craig has also served as the executive director for Main Street Hanford and the Pleasanton Downtown Association, both organizations with the goal of developing and promoting the downtown community (more on Craig and the Incubator). Elliott is the current district director for Assemblymember Juan Arambula (D-31) and Chair of the Fresno Downtown Association. He spreadheaded the Association's successful Fulton Plaza Thursdays that brought thousands to the Fulton Mall for the local music & food festival. Travis is currently at the Central Valley Business Incubator with Craig as the Member Service Director and previous managed Public Relations at Astone. He is currentl the chair of Creative Fresno. But what have they gotten themselves into?

Downtown has many challenges. Fulton Mall foot traffic sometimes is one (depends on when you go). Others included finding the balance of viable businesses that respects the commitment current vendors have made while fostering an environment that encourages new enterprise into downtown.

There is a desperate need to integrate the surrounding neighborhoods into the plans for downtown as they impact the perspective and vitality of Fresno.

The Super Six?

The department will needed all the help they can get. Craig will be joined by Wilma Quan, Elaine Robles-McGraw and Elizabeth Johanson who will focus on redevelopment, neighborhood revitalization and multicultural marketing & enterprise. Elliott and Travis will focus on downtown and local small businesses. Members of the department will start on the same day Mayor Swearengin takes office on January 6.

Fresno's Black Buying Power?

Annual Black Purchase Power in Fresno County?

$486 Million (Source: 2000 Census)

Based on the Selig Center for Economic Growth's estimation that national black buying would grow 34% over five years could have local buying power in 2007 more than $652 Million.

Selig estimated national black buying power to be $847 billion while minority toppled more than $2.1 trillion in 2007.

Who passed the Cheese?

The community opposes an odorous milk & cheese waste processing plant in West Fresno

On Wednesday, December 17, a group of about 30 concerned citizens and organizations won their plea before the Fresno Planning Commission asking them to uphold the City's decision to not allow the southwest Fresno Cottonwood Creek South Gate facility to operate. Cottonwood Creek Consultants, a locally owned renewable technology company had operated a single cell protein production facility that processed water waste from milk and cheese industries into caloric feedstock for animals, appealed to the Commission about the revocation of their site plan.

Recently retired planning director, Nick Yovino had revoked the site plan that allowed them to operate this fall after working with Cottonwood Creek for eight months with no resolve on numerous solid waste and public nuisance violations and citations at the plant due to odor and overwhelming air-borne chemicals. The City's code enforcement department was asked by Yovino to investigate the situation after the former director, others members of city staff and the community went on a tour of the Darling International meat rendering plant in October 2007. The group noticed a significant odor that wasn't coming from Darling as it was not online at the time but from the adjacent city-owned South Gate Pre-Industrial Wastewater Plant. Yovino promised to have the situation investigated as the group noticed four uncovered pools of foaming water and milk products.

In the appeal case heard before the Commission, code enforcement officers testified under oath that the odor and the chemicals presence were so strong it was difficult for them to stomach staying on site but for a few minutes. The City also cited speaking to homeowners at the Habitat for Humanity subdivision at West & Church stating they could not open their windows due to the pervasive odor that persisted throughout the day. A neighboring business & property owner located at the corner Church & Walnut testified that he had difficult keeping employees and lost potential tenants because of the odor. The site plan was revoked due to violations of the conditions that the City was sold on by the owners that the operation would emit no odor.

The owners armed with the staff, consultants and the Central Valley Business Incubator spoke to the merits of the demonstration site and how it produced 200,000 gallons of recycled water a day available to water-starved Westland Water District for irrigation along with a resalable product from the milk waste-feedstock. One commissioner countered that the quantity of water was relatively small given that 27,000 gallons are needed to do a one inch irrigation of one acre of farm land (how did we calculate that?) and the Westlands is compromised of 600,000 acres.

The Incubator argued that the pain should be tolerated in order to support a locally headquartered company that would produce jobs (presently 18 employees) and build up the renewable/recycling industry. Members of the community countered that the smell was too profound especially in a one-mile radius of five schools (preschool-12), four churches, and hundreds of residents. Also Sarah Sharpe, Environmental Health Director from Metro Ministries and Edison High alumnus spoke to the potential unknown health hazards that the facility may present in its' open air biological processing.

The owner and regional investors also spoke to the $3 million investment they had made into the project, which they didn't expect to make a significant return for another eight years. Tate Hill, Chair of the District Three Implementation Committee stated the Edison/Southwest Fresno Merger II Advisory Planning Committee approved the project on the contingency that the site would do no harm. He was concerned about the odor's impact on the Housing Authorities' HOPE VI Project that has $20 million of federal funding along with the $100 million plus of potential commercial and housing development in the surround area.

Among the individuals that came out for the almost four hour agenda item included representatives from California Rural Legal Assistance, The Concerned Citizens of West Fresno and the National Network In Action that spoke in support of the city's action. At the end, the Commission agreed the City and voted unanimous to deny Cottonwood Creek's appeal.

Racial scapegoating: Are black voters responsible for the passage of Prop. 8

Weeks after the fallout from California's passage of Proposition 8 that defines marriages between one man and one woman, opponents are blaming black voters for it's victory. According to exit polls (CNN Exit Poll), African-American's overwhelming supported the Proposition in conjunction with voting for the country's first president of color (well, let me rephrase that- self-identified black president as some argue that some past presidents had a mixed Anglo-African heritage). Black women (75%) next to Republicans (82 %), provided the most support of the proposition. So, should the victory or defeat be laid at the feet of African-American voters? Were they the deciding factor? Not really. Let's look at the facts.

Fact: Black don't control a major voting block in California. African-Americans only make 6% of the California electorate while white-Americans represent 70% and Latino and Asian-Americans compromise one out of five (21%) of the likely state voters (PPIC Just the Facts, August 2008).

Fact: All ethnic minorities aren't political liberal even if they identify themselves as Democrats. One of four African-Americans self-identity as conservative. Asian and Latino-Americans are more likely to identity themselves as moderates (39% of Asians) or conservatives (34% of Latinos) according to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC Just the Facts, August 2008).

Fact: Ethnic minorities and white women with children supported Prop 8. According to exit polls, Asians (49%), Latino (53%) and mothers (61%) voted for the marriage definition proposition along with 49% of whites, who represent 63% of state voters (CNN Exit Poll).
There have been stories across the country and throughout the state about gay activists and proposition opponents claiming that blacks cost gay couples their civic rights. Melissa Harris Lacewell, a African-American political professor at Yale and outspoken Obama supporter, recently on MSNBC compares this proposition to the legality of civic unions vs. gay marriage to a Jim Crow's separate but equal policies.

But even blacks part of the NO for Prop 8 understood that groups that have experienced discrimination don't necessarily support all issues labeled as civil rights-orientated. "African Americans are treated with 'a presumption of civic obligation' to support other liberal causes", said Andrea Shorter, a No on 8 spokeswoman. Some black scholars refer to the phenomenon as "exceptionalism" - a mistaken belief that because African Americans went through slavery, Jim Crow and other systematic forms of oppression, that they automatically have greater moral understanding on all issues (SF Gate, November 16, 2008).

So, what explains why blacks voted for Prop 8? Religion and faith. According to the CNN Exit Poll, 82% of those who voted yes attended church on a weekly basis, with 65 percent proclaiming to be Protestant or Catholic. In numerous surveys, 92% of black Americans say that they practice some faith or identify themselves as 'religious' (81%). Blacks represent a large block in the Baptist church (9.8 million) and count for one of out every four Muslims in the United States (American Religious Identification Survey, 2001, The Graduate Center of City University of New York). When asked in a recent Pew survey, parishioners of historically black churches (46%) and Muslims (61%), believed 'homosexuality is a way of life that should be discouraged by society'. Even with this moral belief, a majority of them voted for or leaned towards democrats, 78 and 63 percent respectively (Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life , June 2008).

Californians continue to be split about this as a moral issue that will play itself out in the California Supreme court in the following months.

READERS: What should the CA Supreme court do? Do you see the gay marriage as a civic right or moral issue? Post your comments and thoughts here.

Where were you when President-elect Obama delievered his victory speech?

I was sitting along Edison alumni Sarah Sharpe (Class of '96) in a crowd of about twenty at the Perea campaign party in the Tower District. We were huddled around a small television provided by one of the news camera crews listening with others including my Valley Black Talk co-host Julia Dudley-Najieb and Councilmember Cynthia Sterling.
There was a certain energy all about us as we cheered like other across the country that America--a country of dreamers-- made history with a resounding choice for change.

Share where you were and what you felt on Election Night.

YES WE DID: Obama Wins the Presidency!

There were crowds of cheers, student streaming, and youth yelling "Obama" all across our city and nation when elections results came out that we as a country elected the first African-American as president of the United States (hear Valley Black Talk interviews on election night comments). Over 100,000 people filled Grant Park in Chicago as President-elect Barack Obama delivered a rousing acceptance speech that echoed "Yes We Can". Tears filled the eyes of one-time presidential candidate, Rev. Jesse Jackson who stood in the crowd celebrating an unquestionable victory for civic rights. Jackson later spoke to Robin Roberts of ABC's Good Morning America about the progress our country has made. "Once the walls [of race] are broken down, we can begin to build bridges". During Obama victory speech he stated that we will get there. It may be in the first year or the first term but that we will get there.

Some commentators questioned whether this election was a referendum on America's morals. Others argue with the statement that the Obama election restates the greatness of the country. This would be a great country no matter what happened but it's a better for it.

We as a country and a people are turning a new chapter in the history and evolution of America and I look forward to seeing what we will write.