Question 1

This Question was addressed to Dr. Collins and Mr. Jacobs, however, all candidates should feel free to respond.

"The reading ability of inner city students i said to be low-Why do you suppose such [situation] exists, and what are you doing to change this?"

"So, since you prepared the 3 year academic plan-What is in it for reading?"

Candidates Forum

Last night we hosted a candidates forum to allow for a healthy exchange of community questions and responses from the candidates running for the 3 At-Large seats for the Board of Education. We had several questions that went unanswered due to limited time, so we are posting the questions here, with the hope that candidates will take the time to respond.

There are approximately 15 questions that we were unable to get to last night, so over the course of the next few days, we will post 5 a day.

We would like to thank all of the passionate community leaders who attended last nights forum, as well as all of the candidates. The list of candidates in attendance is as follows; Catherine Collins, Patricia Devis, Rosalind Hampton, Chris Jacobs, John Licata, Bryon McIntyre, and Fred Yellen.

The Movement-A Dance Party for the People

This past Saturday night, CEJ helped throw a tremendous Dance Party at Soundlab! The Movement, a quarterly fundraiser Dance Party for the Partnership for the Public Good, brought out a huge crowd, close to 200 people over the course of the evening. And more importantly, The Movement got people dancing and moving!

Thank you to all who danced, donated, performed, and promoted. The night was a great success. We look forward to seeing everyone again in late summer for the Movement 4!

For more information on the Partnership for the Public Good, please see their wiki site-http://ppg-buffalo.wikispaces.com/

School Board passes Living Wage Policy

Below is the Press Release from last week. It should be noted that raising the wage floor for low wage jobs is a pathway not only out of immediate poverty for those affected, but also a solid mechanism for addressing the economic crisis. This courageous step taken by the Buffalo School District, demonstrates their understanding of the intersections of poverty and education as well as establishes a comprehensive and new way of developing sound, safe, and sustainable communities for our children to learn and grow.


The Buffalo School Board, with unanimous support, passed a Living Wage Policy for the school district last night, March 25th, 2009.This policy will ensure that all district employees earn a wage in accordance to the City of Buffalo Living Wage Ordinance.

The district will make a series of incremental pay increase to employees currently earning less than a Living Wage, in order to meet full compliance with the policy no later than FY 2011/2012.

The policy, as it stands, is for direct district employees. Employees to be initially effected by the wage increase are the Transportation Aids and the Food Service Workers, which prior to the implementation of this policy earn on average $8.40 with no benefits.

By adopting a policy that mirrors the City of Buffalo Living Wage Ordinance, the district will be doing its part to improve conditions for its workers and curb poverty within the city. By taking a stand to live by the boards mantra, “Putting Children and Families First, to Ensure Academic Excellence for All,” the district has acted with the understanding that there is a direct correlation between poverty and the quality of our neighborhoods and schools.

“I don’t have to tell anyone, that poverty has the potential to undermine every positive thing we do for our children and our communities,” said Joan Malone, a leader from the Coalition for Economic Justice. “Paying good wages for valued work helps alleviate the consistent strain and anxiety that poverty produces. The adoption of a Living Wage Policy means the restoration of dignity for workers.”

Esther Macklin, a Food Service worker with the School District, spoke to the packed Board of Education office. “I love my job. I wake up every morning with a smile on my face because I know that I am doing something for our children. I give them the sustenance they require to learn every day. It hurts me that we aren’t appreciated and that we are paid poverty wages.”

At about 9pm, after significant debate and compromise, the Board finally voted on a policy that will directly impact the economic situation of close to 1,000 workers.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said Betty Martin, the President of the Transportation Aides of Buffalo. “I’ve been here since the beginning, for close to 2 years, encouraging the Board of Education to pass this. We are really happy the Board finally decided to do the right thing."

Fix the Economy, NOW!

Fix the Economy, Now!

Layoffs, home foreclosures, stagnating wages, benefit cuts, bankruptcies, vanishing retirement security and more, OH MY. We are facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Jobs with Justice and other groups have been mobilizing to demand strong, immediate action to create jobs and restructure our economy to work for everyone, not only the people at the top.

President Obama and Congressional leaders are developing a recovery and reinvestment plan that addresses immediate economic needs, creates jobs and invests in the infrastructure America needs for recovery. It will also invest in America's families and America's workforce by ensuring that states can fund the services they depend on, including health care, public safety and education.

We have already seen and heard much regarding the Patterson’s proposed budget cuts to education and we already know what devastating affects these cuts will have on a city like Buffalo. The depletion of State funding stream to Buffalo has and will continue to cut essential programming, hurt our already floundering public schools, and inevitably grow the already staggering 7.2% unemployment rate. We are hit hardest in Buffalo, a city already deep in it’s own depression, and we need a Plan that prioritizes the People

This plan will not fix all our problems and is not the end of the campaign, but it is an essential immediate step that will create jobs and invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation, schools and health care.

While some progressive economists believe this plan will not be big enough or bold enough to stem the crisis, conservatives in Congress are trying to block the plan, apparently copying the Herbert Hoover strategy of responding to crisis by doing less, rather than more. Some Republicans have argued for more CEO tax breaks, rather than funding for unemployment insurance or food programs for hungry children.

Don't let them block the first step towards recovery. Don't let Congress sit idly by while millions more Americans lose their jobs and homes.

Already the politics of Congressional negotiations have plagued the Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. We need a strong economic stimulus package, and caving to narrow special interests is a surefire way to stall the process and prolong the passage of a much needed plan!

Late last week the House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment in the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" that would require all businesses and public private entities that contract to receive money from the stimulus package to use E-Verify, the flawed federal program that is riddled with error and has been documented to promote workplace discrimination.

The E-Verify provision in the stimulus will:

• Harm workers who are either falsely denied work or are targeted by employers abusing the E-verify program;
• Create substantial new burdens for businesses, especially small businesses, at precisely the wrong time;
• Send the wrong signal to new voters that the Congress prefers to play politics by enacting symbolic and ineffective immigration "enforcement" measures over serious and effective economic stimulus or serious immigration reform.

Please call your Congressional Representatives and tell them you SUPPORT a Stimulus package for the rest of us, for all of us!