minority reporter newspaper - week of dec 10, 2012

7/30/2019 Minority Reporter newspaper - Week of Dec 10, 2012

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1 :: www.Minorityreporter.net - week of december 10 - 16, 2012Rochester, NYDecember 10 -16

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From Information to Understanding

MinorityReporter

VOL 6. NO. 5

to Provide redesigned school day/year

for some rcsd students


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2 :: www.Minorityreporter.net - week of december 10 - 16, 2012

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Maili Ae:P.o. bx 26352, rhs, nY 14626

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I thi Ie:

cOvEr P 8

- Class time expansion initiative: toprovide redesigned school day/yearfor some RCSD students

LOcAL P 4 - 5

-Kodak Accepts ImprovedFinancing- City of Rochester Public Market to

Begin Holiday Schedule- New Appointments at Hope Hall- UofR and Service Workers Reach

Agreement, Approve Contract- New Bus Pass System in Effectfor RCSD Students-RCSD Names NewCommunications Chief- City Breaks Ground on NewTransit Center- Mayor Richards Announces

Appointment of Ann McCormick toJoint Schools Construction Board

stAtE P 6

- Federal Prisons Urged to GrantMore Money Early Releases for

Ailing Inmates

Hcr Healh P 10

- Caring For Your Loved One

nAtIOnAL P 7, 12

- New Face of America: DemocraticShifting Changing Electorate- Blacks Must Become Number OneEmployer of Blacks

cOLuMns: P 13-15- Another Rising Star Crashes andBurns!

By Gloria Winston Al-Sarag

- Al Sharpton, Ben Jealous, Shouldno Longer be Invited to the WhiteHouse By Boyce Watkins

- Its Really Slavery!

By E. Faye Williams

- The Flawed New York State CourtSystem and How Women arePermitted to Abuse it

By Davy Vara

1:: w w w .Minorityreporter.n et- w eek o f d ecember 10- 16 ,2012Rochester, NYDecember10-16

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In the last two elecons, candidateObama and then President Obamawas able to point to your endorsementas an example of a Republican forObama. Thats a shame. When onelooks at your past record, one can onlyconclude that youve been nothingbut a Republican of convenience witha poorly hidden disdain for your partyand your country.

During the First Gulf War, as Chairmanof the Joint Chiefs of Sta, you earnedgreat popularity for a successful andquick war on Saddam Hussein. TheRepublicans watched the war onCNN and thought: Look at that, wecame, we saw, we kicked bu, andthen we got out. General Powells aprey smart guy. This was a resultof your Powell Doctrine, which,among other aspects, emphasizes anexit strategy aer exhauson of alldiplomac opons. It also stressedminimizing US casuales by usingdecisive force to crush the weakerforce into capitulaon. Sounds good.

In short, we went in, planted our ag,told Saddam to stay out of Kuwaitand got home in me to watch ourag get burned by the Iraqi Street.At that point, even the Democratsloved you. They watched the war onCNN and thought: Look at that. Wewent in, and now were out. Oh hey,and theyre burning our ag. Thatsawesome. They sll have a right tofree expression, and we didnt eventake out their leader Saddam. Thatsso thoughul. His mustache makeshim look like Stalin, and that Luigicharacter from Mario Brothers. I lovedDonkey Kong. Hey, lets play someNintendo.

With an eort like that- one thatpleases everyone- your popularitynumbers were sky-high. The liberalsloved that this war really didntaccomplish much, and the Republicanshadnt yet realized how lile it hadaccomplished. Liberals are notoriouslyoblivious to the past and love to live inthe moment, so their lack of inabilityto ancipate problems in the futurecan be forgiven. Its why theyre liberal.But you cannot be forgiven for thatfailure to ancipate. By not taking outSaddam Hussein while we were in hisneighborhood, we just le him thereto plot. And plot he did.

In the run up to the second IraqWar, as President George W. BushsSecretary of State, you were in chargeof informing the global community ofwhy we were going to war. You referredto intelligence sources from numerousdierent naons concluding that hedid have some WMDs and was indeedseeking the development of more.This was also prey obvious since hedslaughtered over 100,000 Kurds in1988, many of which hed killed withmustard gas and nerve gas, which is aWMD. If hed had them in 1988, werewe really supposed to conclude thattheres no way that he would sll havethem?You made the argument before theUN well, but then you proceeded toundermine the same war eort youdmade the arguments to embark upon.

Consider the fact that the person whosupposedly outed Valerie PlamesCIA identy was your best underlingDeputy Secretary of State DickArmitage. First o, Plame was a deskjockey blowhard at the CIA, and shewasnt undercover. Second o, themedia and your State Departmentminions were misreporng Plameshusband Joe Wilsons report. In hisinial report, he wrote that SaddamHussein was indeed trying to buyyellow cake uranium for nuclear bombsin Niger. However, to discredit the wareort based on the lack of evidence ofWMDs, the story became a retelling ofJoe Wilsons actual experience. He wasnow saying that Hussein wasnt tryingto buy yellow cake, even though heknew that this lie totally contradictedhis original report, which actuallyserved to bolster the intelligencereports on WMDs. And thirdly, eventhough you and Armitage knew thatyou were the ones that told RobertNovak of her name, you let ScooterLibby spend me in jail while trying toclear his name.

The whole thing was policallydestrucve nonsense and a distraconthat only made it harder for our nemen in combat to perform their dues.It split the country and prolongedthe war by creang opposion thatwasnt necessary. The opposionturned to obstrucon that has cost ourservicemen support and some of theirability to prosecute a war eecvely.These lies and distorons also madePresident Bush extremely unpopular,while you sat by and did nothing butthrow red organic vegetables to thean-war le that runs the DemocratParty.

And then what happened? Youendorsed President Obama, he wonand now weve ensured that we foughtthe Iraq War for absolutely nothing.We have no conngent force allowedto be there, and now Iraq is kickingAmerican oil companies out whileallowing the Russians in.

So heres the truth about your 70%approval rangs. 50 of that 70 is the100% of Democrats that know yourenothing but one of them who pretendsto be a Republican. The other 20 isthe 40% of Republicans who arentpaying aenon. Youre a sheep inwolfs clothing. Do us a favor and takeo your mask. Admit youre really aDemocrat. Quit trying to pretend youropinions deserve more clout becauseyoure a Republican who hates hisparty and his countrys success on theinternaonal stage. And please, dontever endorse another Republican ever.If hes actually worth elecng, yourendorsement will hinder his cause.

Signed,

The Frederick Douglass Foundaton of NY

[This leer was edited for space. Toread the unedited version, visit ourwebsite at www.minorityreporter.net]

An Open Leer to Colin Powell fromThe Frederick Douglass Foundaon

[email protected]

Send us your

To The Editor:

It seem as if President Obama will beforced to use his execuve powers inorder to get things done in the whiteHouse all the way through his secondterm.

Republicans are only showing talkingsigns of doing anything posive toassist the President in the rebuildingof the country and economy.

When it comes to soluons thecountry, economy and people need;Republicans acts as if they are thereasonable ones while democrats arenot.

When will the President realize, justas the saying goes--no negoaonswith terrorist--there will be nobiparsanship for him with majority ofrepublicans?

The American people elected thePresident for a second term, whichsuggests the majority of the countrylove the vision the President has forthe country.

Its me for Obama to refrain lengRepublicans acts as if their party wonthe elecon.

Republicans will never get over theresults of the 2012 elecons whereas

they lied and muddied the policalarena so much against the President;but, in the end got the aenon ofmajority of the peoples vote.

The President needs to kick the nogood Republicans to the curb and donot let them mess up his Presidencywith their undercover racist viewstowards him.

Ras Howard Henry

President Obama Must

Stand up to Republicans


4/16


LOCAL

Rochester Among 17Districts to Receive Virtual Learning GrantNew York high school students inseveral poor districts will have beeraccess to advanced placement coursesunder a program featuring virtualclassrooms.

The state Educaon Department this

week said $17.3 million in federal Raceto the Top Funds will be distributedto 17 districts or consora of districtsunder the states Virtual AdvancedPlacement Program.

Educaon Commissioner John King says

low-income students dont always getthe chance to take AP courses, whichgive students a leg up in their collegeapplicaons. The 18-month grants willfund the development of online andblended courses that combine onlineand tradional classroom instrucon.

Among districts receiving fundingare New York City, Bualo, Yonkers,Rochester, Niagara Falls, Hunngtonand South Hunngton.

Geva Theatre Center Looking for Local WritersSubmissions Sought for Gevas 19thAnnual Regional Writers Showcase

December 7, 2012, Rochester, N.Y.Geva Theatre announce Friday theywill be collaborang with Writers &Books to give regional playwrights theopportunity to take their works frompage to stage.

The theatre is seeking plays andplaywrights for its Regional WritersShowcase to be held on April 29 andMay 6, 2013 in Gevas Nextstage.The Showcase gives area playwrightsthe opportunity to have their workspublicly performed by actors in a script-

in-hand, reading format with the helpof Geva directors and dramaturgs.

Plays must be submied betweenJanuary 22 and February 5, 2013.

The purpose of the Regional WritersShowcase is to give promising localwriters a chance to hear their work outloud and thereby gain the informaonthey need to rework the script and takeit to the next level of development,explains Dawn Kellog, CommunicaonsManager. The showcase will featureas many noteworthy new works asme and resources allow, showcasinga range of regional talent.Entrant Guidelines

* The Showcase is open to writersnow living or having lived within thesix-county area: Monroe, Livingston,Wayne, Ontario, Orleans and Genesee.

* Plays for consideraon must besubmied between January 22 andFebruary 5, 2013 to Writers & Books,740 University Ave, Rochester, NY14607. Manuscripts should be markedto the aenon of Jean Ryon, RegionalWriters Showcase.* Please include clear contactinformaon: name, address, phonenumber and email (if available).* Scripts will be returned aer theselecon process has been completed.Therefore, playwrights should includea self-addressed stamped envelopewith each manuscript.* Musicals will not be accepted.* Entrants must submit the play in its

enrety.* Writers may submit up to three (3)plays for consideraon.* Plays that have been submied forconsideraon for previous Showcasesmay be submied if there has beensignicant work done on the scriptsince the last submission.* Let your imaginaon be your guide:there are no rules regarding length,content or style.* Selected authors will be noed inearly April and writers will be expectedto aend rehearsal on the day of theirplays appearance in the Showcase.

For more informaon, please callJean Gordon Ryon, Gevas New Plays

Coordinator, at (585) 232-1366 ext3034.

Rochesters Eastman Business Park hosng summitROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- A formerassistant U.S. Secretary of Laborduring the administraon of PresidentGeorge W. Bush is the keynote speakerat a manufacturing summit being heldin Rochester.

Wednesdays gathering at EastmanBusiness Park is being hosted by theEastman Kodak Co. and the InnovaonAccelerator Iniave of the NaonalScience Foundaon.

The discussions will focus on the rolethe business park will play in bringingadvanced manufacturing and next-generaon technological innovaonback to Rochester.

Former George W. Bush administraonocial Emily DeRocco is the keynotespeaker. DeRocco is former presidentof The Manufacturing Instute and asenior vice president of the NaonalAssociaon of Manufacturers.


5/16


LOCAL

Holidays at the Market 2012 to Connue Sunday(Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012) - The RochesterPublic Market, 280 N. Union St., willbe lled with holiday spirit during the16th-annual Holidays at the Marketscheduled to connue the next twoSundays, Dec. 9 and 16 from 9 a.m. to3 p.m.

Enjoy a day of sleigh rides, Santaand shopping for unique gis fromaround the world. Locally grownproduce, specialty foods and holidaydecoraons are also available duringthis seasonal community tradion.

Holidays at the Market boasts a largeselecon of fresh cut trees, wreaths

and garland. Choose from an arrayof party supplies, fresh bouquets andtable sengs. Locally-produced winemakes a perfect host or hostess gi.Discover a diverse selecon of one-of-a-kind handcraed gis ranging fromalpaca gloves and hats to wooden toys.

Public Market gi tokens - accepted byover 100 Market vendors - are on saleat the Market oce and make a greatstocking stuer for the hard-to-please

friend or relave. Market-brandeditems - such as canvas tote bags andthe popular Public Market Cookbook -will be for sale by the Friends of thePublic Market (www.markeriends.org). Enjoy the avor of the holidayswith homemade baked goods and avariety of ethnic foods, while waingfor a free horse-drawn sleigh ride.

Santa will greet children from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. Free cookie-decorangand other interacve acvies willalso keep children 12 and underentertained each day.

The highly compeve Holiday Cookie

Baking Contest returns this year - withamateur and professional categories.Entry informaon is available at theMarket oce or online at www.cityofrochester.gov/holidaysatmarket.Bakers should bring two dozen oftheir best cookies to the Market Oceon Saturday, Dec. 15 unl 3 p.m. orbefore noon or Sunday, Dec. 16, whenSanta and his elves will take a breakfrom their busy work to decide whois the King or Queen of the Cookie in

Rochester. Contestants need not bepresent to win.

Vending spaces are available for$40 for one Sunday. Call the Market

Oce at 428-6907, Tuesday throughSaturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. formore informaon, or log on to www.cityofrochester.gov/holidaysatmarket.

Two New Photo Enforced Intersecons added Friday(Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012) - Two new

camera-equipped intersecons wentlive on Friday, Dec. 7 bringing the totalinventory to 31 intersecons.

The launch is part of the RochesterPolice Departments (RPD) Red LightPhotographic Enforcement Program.

Cameras went live at the interseconsat Alexander Street and UniversityAvenue; and Court Street and ChestnutStreets.

RPD ocials say they plan to usePhoto Enforcement at as many as50 intersecons as part of theirongoing eort to improve publicsafety by reducing trac accidents.Intersecons are selected based oncrash data and video surveys.

The red light cameras capture sll andvideo images of vehicles in the act ofa red-light violaon, which iniatesthe procedure to deliver a Noce of

Liability to the registered owner of the

vehicle.

The violaon is a civil penalty and isnot reported to insurance companiesand does not generate points on adrivers license.Evidence captured by the Red LightCameras is reviewed by the RochesterPolice Department before a summonsis delivered in the mail. Vehicle ownerswill have an opportunity to pay a ne

or appeal the summons. The penalty

carries a $50 ne.The Noce of Liability includes theme and date of the alleged violaon,two pictures of the vehicle in the actof the alleged violaon and a close-uppicture of the vehicles license plate.No images of the driver are captured.The citaon recipient will be giveninstrucons to view an online video ofthe alleged violaon.

The new intersecons join those at:

* East Main and North Goodman Streets;

* Monroe Avenue and Alexander Street;

* North Goodman Street and Cliord Avenue;

* South Goodman Street and Interstate 490;

* State Street and Allen Street;

* West Avenue and Ames Street;

* West Main Street and Brown/Genesee Streets;

* 691 St. Paul Street at the pedestrian crossing;

* North Clinton Avenue and Andrews Street;

* North Clinton Avenue and Norton Street;

* North Street at Cliord Avenue;

* Broadway Street at Alexander Street;

* State Street at Jay Street;

* East Avenue and Culver Road;* Dewey Avenue and Ridgeway Avenue;

* St. Paul Street and Upper Falls Boulevard;

* Brown Street and Broad Street;

* Lyell Avenue and Murray Street;

* Maple Street and Saxton Street;

* West Main Street and Broad/Ford Streets;* Ridge Road and Ridgway Avenue;

* Lake Avenue and Ridge Road;

* Norton Street and Hudson Avenue;

* Lake Avenue and Ridgeway Avenue;

* Lake Avenue and Driving Park Avenue;

* West Ridge Road and Bonesteel Street;

* Mt. Read Boulevard and Lyell Avenue.

* Mt Read Boulevard and Driving Park Avenue

* Mt. Read Boulevard and Emerson Street.

For more about this program, please go to

www.cityofrochester.gov/redlight.


6/16


STATE

LOCAL

NY bus tour for educaon ends with Albany rallyBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) _ An Albany-boundbus became a rolling civics classroomfor Samantha Heva and other OleanHigh School students Wednesday whenthey clambered aboard in support ofmore state funding for schools.

In a scene played out in all cornersof the state, Heva, 17, and severalclassmates took seats among parents,teachers and administrators on

chartered buses to Albany, wherehundreds met and marched on thestate Capitol later in the day.

``What is a public school without theinterest of the public, Heva said byphone as the bus rolled east from itsSouthern Tier starng point.

The eort organizers called the EducateNY Now Express tour was a response tonancial hardships facing New Yorks700 school districts, following lossesof state educaon aid combined with anew property tax cap that limits whatdistricts can raise through tax hikes.

Olean is facing a $1.2 million decit nextyear, Superintendent Colleen Taggertysaid. District ocials are consideringcuts to non-mandated programs suchas music, art, sports, pre-kindergartenand kindergarten. The district closed

two elementary schools last year tosave money amid declining enrollmentand the cash crunch.

``What more can we reduce and sllhave quality programming for ouryouth, Taggerty said from aboard thebus.

She saw the bus trip and rally as aleadership and learning opportunity

for the students whose programs areat risk.

``We understand that New York stateis nancially strapped just like everyschool district, she said. ``Were justasking that they stop reducing thefunds, stop cung, and that theybecome a lile more responsive tohow can we help facilitate to connueto keep school districts solvent.

Rally organizers said the state has fallenbillions of dollars behind on a 2007agreement to adequately fund schools.The agreement followed a lawsuit bythe Campaign for Fiscal Equity, whichrecently wrote to Gov. Andrew Cuomoand legislators saying the state wasviolang its constuonal obligaonto educate its children.

Advocates want the state to relax

policies tying school aid increasesto personal income and capping theproperty tax.

``We have a school nance systemthat, by design, is broken because itmeans the money adds up to morecuts in the classroom every singleyear from now on, said Billy Easton,execuve director of the Alliance forQuality Educaon.

Cuomo, who pushed the property taxcap to slow future growth of rates thatare among the highest in the naon,said the 4 percent increase in schoolaid he included in this years budgetwas signicant.

``What else in your life has gone up 4percent? Most peoples income hasntgone up 4 percent, their home valuehasnt gone up 4 percent, their savingsaccount hasnt gone up 4 percent, hesaid in Albany. ``That is a signicantincrease. At what point can you getwater out of a stone?

``If they are saying we need to raisetaxes higher in this state to fund morethan a 4 percent increase in educaon,I disagree, he said.

Cuomos budget increased school aid

by $805 million, but districts said itdidnt compensate for a $1.3 billioncut a year ago or a $1.4 billion cutthe year before that. Districts haveeliminated more than 30,000 teachingand support posions in the past threeyears, according to the New York StateUnited Teachers union.

``We need to ask our governor andlegislators, please give our children

the same opportunity we had, parentKelly Walker said before boarding abus at Bualo, where her 9-, 11- and13-year-old children aend HoughtonAcademy, School No. 69.

Walker said her children lost access tolessons when the instrumental musicprogram was cut this year, and she losta bargaining chip. Her children haveto get good grades to take part in anyextras.

``I would like to see our children wantto go to school as well as achieveacademically, she said

(Friday, Dec. 7, 2012) RochesterMayor Thomas S. Richards and PoliceChief James M. Sheppard will host aseries of community forums to try andnd soluons to violence in the city.

Richards and Sheppard announcedFriday their plan to host Voice ofthe Cizen forums. The two say theywant cizens to play an acve role indeveloping a comprehensive strategyto reduce violence.Stascs for violent crime are down inour city, but when it happens to you orwhen you see it in your neighborhood,then stascs mean nothing, saidMayor Richards. I want to hear

directly from our cizens about theirexperiences and their ideas to reduceviolence. I encourage everyone to takepart in these community forums sowe can create strategies that will havea lasng eect on decreasing violentbehavior.With Voice of the Cizen we havea tremendous opportunity to engagewith the community and receive real,honest feedback on how the RochesterPolice Department can address

important crime-related issues thataect our community, said ChiefSheppard. This iniave will also giveus an opportunity to provide cizensupdates on current crime-solvingstrategies and help us on our path tobuilding and sustaining relaonshipswith the people that we serve. Ibelieve events like this will go a longway in solving and deterring crime andkeep our community members safe.One forum will be held in each ofthe citys four quadrants and cizenswill be asked to discuss the issue ofviolence under four broad categories:Open-air drug sales and gate houses;Gangs, guns and the culture of

violence; Bullying and truancy; andHouse pares.At the meengs, RPD crime prevenonocers will be available at breakoutsessions for each of these topics andCity sta will act as facilitators. Cizensuggesons will be recorded andused to enhance the Rochester PoliceDepartments long-term violence-reducon strategies.The meeng schedule is as follows (all

meengs are from 6 to 8 p.m.):* Southwest: Tuesday, Dec. 11.Frederick Douglass Resource Center,36 King St.* Northeast: Tuesday, Jan. 15. CarterStreet Community Center, 500 CarterSt.

* Northwest: Tuesday, Jan. 29.Edgerton Community Center, 41Backus St.* Southeast: Tuesday, Feb. 5. CobbsHill Park, Lake Riley Lodge, 100 NorrisDrive.

Rochester Mayor, Police ChiefSeeking Soluons to Violence, Will Host Cizen Forums

Mayor Tom Richards Police Chief James Sheppard


7/16


Sharpton blasts NY Senate power sharing dealALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The Rev. AlSharpton says a mostly white coalionof Republicans and independentDemocrats have stolen the Senatemajority from the tradionalDemocrac conference, whichincludes most of the chambers blackmembers.

Republicans created an unprecedentedcoalion with ve breakawayDemocrats to form a biparsan

majority to control the chamber, eventhough more Democrats won seats inthe November elecons.

The members of the IndependentDemocrac Conference are partneringwith Republicans in an arrangementthat will keep most Democrats in the

nearly powerless minority.

The civil rights leader says hescontacng state leaders to oppose the

Senate coalion.

Sharpton also says it would beenormously troubling if a state ocialallows what he calls a miscarriage ofjusce.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is ready to work

with the coalion.

STATENew York Using Lions Share of Tobacco SelementMoney in General Fund, not to Fund Prevenon ProgramsALBANY, N.Y. (AP) An annual reportnds that New York and other statesare using just a fracon of the massive1998 court selement with tobaccocompanies on programs to endsmoking and to keep kids from lighngup.

New York ranked 21st among thestates in funding programs to helpsmokers quit and to keep youths fromstarng, despite having the highestcigaree tax in the naon. The statespends $41.4 million a year on theprograms, only a fracon of the $254million recommended by the Centersfor Disease Control, the report shows.

New York puts the lions share of itsselement money into the statesgeneral fund.

The report by the Cancer Society,American Lung Associaon and othergroups ranked Alaska at the top andOhio at the boom, but noted thatAlabama, which has been amongthe lowest ranked in the past, hadntsubmied its plan in me to beincluded in the report.

More than a decade ago, New Yorkwas a naonal leader.

New Yorks slide connues and, sadly,its not surprising, said Blair Horner,

vice president for Advocacy, AmericanCancer Society Cancer Acon Networkof New York and New Jersey. Over thepast few years, funding for the states

tobacco prevenon program has beencut by more than half. That meansfewer smokers can get the help theyneed to quit and more kids are tryingtheir rst cigaree.

The naonwide $246 billion selementby tobacco companies ended lawsuitsby smokers and governments for thecost of smoking-related health careand Medicaid costs. The report saysNew York and other states haventkept their promise to use a signicantpart of the selement to ght the useof cigarees and chewing tobacco andthat most states have cut funding forthese programs.

The state Health Department had noimmediate comment.

New Yorks an-smoking campaignsare credited with pushing the smokingrate to historic lows of 15.5 percentfor adults and 12.6 percent for highschoolers. In addion, state ocialssay inroads have already been madein cung smoking in half among highschool students over the last 10 years,using $500 million in state and federalfunds.

But Audrey Silk of the smokers rightsgroup CLASH, said taxpayers moneycould be beer spent. As a naon

were going over a scal cli, but letsspend hundreds of millions every year,duplicated by all levels of government,to eliminate the free will of informed

adults to purchase a legal product,Silk said.

The report said New York spends just1.8 percent of the annual $2.3 billion itreceives from the tobacco selementand from cigaree taxes on tobaccoprevenon programs. The rest goes togeneral funds.

The report also cricized the statefor recent cuts in smoking cessaon

programs, including a 30 percent cut in2010. Those cuts were mostly duringhard mes for New York state whentax revenues dropped during the Great

Recession and in a slow recovery whileocials sought to avoid tax increases.State spending in general was cut,although the smoking programs cut in2010 was far deeper than most.

In 2013, states will use 1.8 percentof the $25.7 billion annual allotmentfrom the tobacco selement onprograms that seek to prevent youthsfrom smoking or helping smokersquit, according to the report, Broken

Promises to Our Children: The 1998State Tobacco Selement 14 YearsLater.

NATIONAL

U.S. Economy Adds 146,000 Jobs in November(AP) - The Labor Department saysmodest hiring connued in November

-- and the unemployment rate fell toits lowest level in nearly four years.

In its monthly report, it said theU-S economy added 146-thousand

jobs in November. Economists werepredicng about half that amount.

The Labor Department also reportsthe unemployment rate is now atseven-point-seven percent, down fromOctobers seven-point-nine percent.

While thats the lowest unemploymentrate since December 2008, it fell due

mainly to workers dropping out of thelabor force.

The department says SuperstormSandy, which hit in October, did not

have a major impact on the naonalemployment and unemployment

esmates


8/16


By Sta Reporter

In an eort to radically improvelearning for thousands of students,Rochester City School District(RCSD) representaves say theywill be signicantly expanding andredesigning calendars for severalschools starng in 2013.

The district expects about 4,000 RCSDstudents to be aected by the changeswhich are part of a ve-state pilotplan intended to improve studentachievement.

The iniave is called TIME (Timefor Innovaon Maers in Educaon)and was announced Monday by U.SEducaon Secretary Arne Duncan.

Eight Rochester schools, includingSchool No 3, 9, 10, 19, 23, 34, 45, and46 will add at least 300 hours of classme and enrichment.Proponents described a need to re-imagine and redesign the school year,especially in areas of high poverty, tobeer prepare students for collegeor jobs. The extra me will allow forimproved collaboraon and planning

among teachers and opportuniesto learn the arts and technology. Italso will make it easier for schools tomeet increasingly rigorous curriculumdemands, they said.

Schools parcipang in the TIMECollaborave, beyond simplyexpanding the learning day and/oryear, will have the opportunity tocompletely re-imagine how me isused by both students and teachers.

The collaborave requires schoolsto parcipate in a year-long planningprocess with their district, school,and union leadership, teachers,community partners and parents, toplan for the re-designed and expandedschool schedule.

Through that process, school planningteams are encouraged to develop anexpanded-me schedule that providesa rigorous, well-rounded curriculumfor all students; oers individualizedhelp for students who are struggling;uses data and technology to informand improve instrucon; improvescollaboraon among teachers;provides enrichment opportunies inthe arts, music and other areas cricalto development; and promotes aculture of high achievement.

``This is common sense, said RochesterSuperintendent Bolgen Vargas, whoaended Mondays launch of theCollaborave in Washington. He said90 percent of the 32,000-student RCSDqualify for free or reduced lunches.



COVER STORY

More time will allow us to better meet theacademic and socio-emotional needs ofstudents and offer learning experiencesin sports, arts, music, and technology;

additionally, teachers will have

more time for professional collaborationfocused on improving the quality of student-centered teaching -- Dr. Vargas


9/16


More me will allow us to beer meetthe academic and socio-emoonalneeds of students and oer learningexperiences in sports, arts, music,and technology; addionally, teacherswill have more me for professionalcollaboraon focused on improvingthe quality of student-centeredteaching, Dr. Vargas said.

While there are some successes inthe school district, we know that whatwe are currently doing is not workingfor the majority of our students, saidCandice Lucas, parent of two studentsin the District and a member of theRCSD Parent Advisory Council.

Lucas aended Mondays launch ofthe iniave and says she is cauouslyopmisc about the implicaons. Weneed to change the culture of theDistrict and do something drascallydierent to ensure our childrenssuccess, she said. The promise ofthe extended day will give our childrenquality me with teachers, counselors,and access to arts, sports, and otherprograms that will make them wellrounded individuals.

The district won the support of theunion by allowing the faculty atparcipang schools to negoatecertain contractual provisions, saidAdam Urbanski, president of theRochester Teachers Associaonand vice president of the AmericanFederaon of Teachers.

``We involve teachers directly so thatthey own it, Urbanski said. ``Theyhave a stake in it. We think thatincreases the likelihood of success.

Along with the Rochester students,about 15,500 students at schools in10 districts in Colorado, Conneccut,Massachuses and Tennessee are inline for the extended learning program,which Duncan hopes to quickly expand.About 1,000 districts naonwidealready have adopted longer schooldays and years, according to theNaonal Center on Time & Learning,which is oering technical support forparcipang schools.All of the test districts must spend thenext year on planning.

``This is not just about adding meand doing more of the same. Its aboutcreang a learning day that suits theneeds of our children, the realies ofworking parents and the commitmentof our teachers, said Luis Ubinas,

president of the Ford Foundaon,which is giving $3 million in annualfunding for three years. `Ìts a totalschool makeover.

Students in high-needs districts standto benet most from addionalinstruconal me, but it may becost-prohibive and unnecessary tolengthen the school day and schoolyear across the state, parcularly inhigh-achieving districts, a spokesmanfor the New York State United Teachersunion said.

`Àddional me for instrucon is justone piece of the puzzle, spokesmanCarl Korn said. `Ìf were going to endthe achievement gap, its going tomean providing social services in theschool sengs for those students whootherwise do without.

This past September, througha partnership with WegmansCorporaon, Northeast College Prepschool in Rochester embarked upona similar program. And while its tooearly to determine the success oftheir program, they may provide aframework as the planning processgets underway.

`Ìf you come to school behind, itonly makes sense that if youre goingto close the achievement gap, youregoing to have to give them (students)more me, Vargas said. `Ì believelearning is a funcon of me andeort, and of course quality teachersand good schools as well .

Associated Press writer CarolynThompson contributed to this report.

Outside the city call 428-5990

Questions? Visit www.cityofrochester.gov/jobs/

Dont miss these Civil Service Examination dates

for entry level positions at the 911 Call Center.

If you thrive under pressure, think fast and clearly when others

are prone to panic; and have an ability to extract important

details from a rush of information, this is the job for you.

Benefts: 13 paid holidays Vacation time Life insurance

Uniform allowance Dental and medical coverage

Pension Non-traditional work schedule Competitive pay

911 Dispatcher & 911 Telecommunicator

Salary Range: $27,307 to $47,875

Its more than a job.Its my career.

Exploreoptionsavailableforlearnersofallages,Pre-KtoAdult.

Interactwithstudentsandstaffateachschoolsexhibittolearn

moreaboutwhattheyhavetooffer.

Placementstaffwillbeonhandtoassistwiththeschoolselection

process,andifyoudecideearlyregistrationwillbeavailable!

Explore.Interact.Decide.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

9am-3pm

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EXPO

COVER STORY


10/16


NATIONAL

WASHINGTON (AP) PresidentBarack Obama asked Congress Fridayfor $60.4 billion in federal aid for New

York, New Jersey and other states hitby Superstorm Sandy in late October.Its a disaster whose cost is rivaledonly by the Sept. 11, 2001 terroristaacks and the 2005 Hurricane thatdevastated New Orleans and the GulfCoast.

Obamas request adds a huge newto-do item to a congressional agendaalready packed with controversy onhow to resolve the naons budgetwoes and avoid the so-called scal cli.

Our Naon has an obligaon to assistthose who suered losses and wholack adequate resources to rebuildtheir lives, Jerey D. Zients, deputy

director of the budget oce, wrotecongressional leaders in a leeraccompanying the formal request. Atthe same me, we are commied toensuring Federal resources are usedresponsibly and that the recoveryeort is a shared undertaking.

The measure blends aid forhomeowners, businesses, and stateand local government walloped bySandy and comes with just a fewweeks to go before Congress adjourns.Whether it passes this month or getsdelayed in whole or part unl nextyear is unclear. Most of the money $47.4 billion is for immediate helpfor vicms and other recovery and

rebuilding eorts. Theres another $13billion for migaon eorts to protectagainst future storms.

The massive request comes aerprotracted discussions into late Fridayaernoon with lawmakers and ocialsfrom impacted areas. Ocials fromthe aected states had requestedsignicantly more money, but theygenerally praised the request andurged Congress to enact it as quicklyas possible.

This is a powerful rst step, said NewYork Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a newsconference in New York City. He saidthe Obama administraon is open to

more funding if needed in the future.Were going to be OK, if we get thisfunding. This is going to be a signicantasset for this state.

Cuomo, a Democrat, and New JerseyGOP Gov. Chris Chrise came toWashington this week to press for

as large a disaster aid package aspossible. Fridays request was at thetop end of what had been expectedand came aer Obama allies like Sen.Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., had cricizedthe White House following reports ithad seled on a $50 billion gure.

Chrise who endured somecricism from Republicans for praisingObama at the tail end of the campaign joined Cuomo in praising theadministraon. We thank PresidentObama for his steadfast commitmentof support and look forward toconnuing our partnership in therecovery eort, the two governorssaid in a joint statement.

The aid request could face a turbulentpath on Capitol Hill, especially from teaparty House Republicans who are likelyto press for budget cuts elsewhere tooset some or even all disaster costs.The looming scal cli of expiring Bush-era tax cuts and automac spendingcuts to the Pentagon and domescprograms complicates prospects foracon in the next few weeks.

The measure is likely to advance rstin the Democrac-controlled Senate,where supporters hope it can bequickly analyzed and brought theoor as early as next week. Its noteverything we wanted, but its close

enough, Schumer said. Our goal is toget this done by Dec. 31.

As is tradional in natural disasters,the request was not accompanied byoseng spending cuts to defray itscost. The aid will help states rebuildpublic infrastructure like roads andtunnels and help thousands of peopledisplaced from their homes. Sandywas the most costly natural disastersince Hurricane Katrina in 2005 andone of the worst storms ever in theNortheast.

The request also comes with lile mele in the nal days of a congressionalsession dominated by an impasse

in negoaons between the WhiteHouse and Republican lawmakers overhow to avoid the so-called scal cli,a combinaon of expiring tax cuts andautomac spending cuts that total

$500 billion for the rst nine month ofnext year alone.

The measure contains $11.5 billion forthe Federal Emergency ManagementAgencys chief disaster relief fundand $17 billion for communitydevelopment block grants, much ofwhich would help homeowners repairor replace their homes. Another$11.7 billion would help repair NewYork Citys subways and other masstransit damage and protect them fromfuture storms. Some $9.7 billion wouldgo toward the governments ood

insurance program. Another $ 5.3billion would go to the Army Corps ofEngineers to migate ood future risksand rebuild damaged projects. Thereare dozens of smaller items, too, in anocial juscaon spanning 73 pages.

While more may be needed in thelong term, this robust package is amajor rst step that we will work topass as quickly as possible in Congressto help devastated communies,families and businesses, said Reps.Peter King, R-N.Y., and Nita Lowey,D-N.Y., in a joint statement.

The praise was not universal, however.We should not shortchange nor

add strings to the support residents,businesses and communies inmy district and across the regiondesperately need, said RepublicanRep. Frank LoBiondo, whose southernNew Jersey district includes hard-hit Atlanc City. I will connue towork with my colleagues to ensurethe federal aid package passed byCongress realiscally matches theneeds idened by the states on theground.

A potenal complicaon is that thecongressional delegaons of the ninestates hardest hit by the storm aredominated by Democrats. While thatmay have helped boost the request

from the White House, it will take GOPsupport to advance the costly measurethrough the Republican-controlledHouse and win enough Senate supportto clear procedural hurdles.

A spokesman for House Speaker JohnBoehner, R-Ohio, said the speakerhad received the request and wouldreview it.

The late October storm ooded partsof the East Coast when it roaredashore, creang a storm surge thatle parts of New York City underwaterand millions of people in several stateswithout heat or electricity for weeks.

Superstorm Sandy is blamed for atleast 125 deaths, including 60 in

New York, 34 in New Jersey and 16 inPennsylvania. At least seven peopledied in West Virginia, where the stormdropped heavy snow.

Sandy damaged or destroyed morethan 72,000 homes and businessesin New Jersey. In New York, 305,000housing units were damaged ordestroyed and more than 265,000businesses aected.

While lawmakers say more moneyis needed New York, New Jerseyand Conneccut together are seekingabout $83 billion in aid lawmakerspraised the administraon forlistening to suggesons on ways to

make sure projects arent delayed bybureaucrac rules or a congressionalban on targeted spending.

There is a great deal of exibility thatbeer allows us to help homeowners,small businesses, hospitals, beachcommunies, and localies rebuild,repair and protect themselves, saida joint statement from New York andNew Jerseys senators Schumerand Kirsten Gillibrand of New Yorkand Robert Menendez and FrankLautenberg of New Jersey.

On Tuesday, the head of the FederalEmergency Management Agency,Craig Fugate, said the governments

disaster relief fund sll has $4.8 billion,enough to pay for recovery eorts intoearly spring. So far, the governmenthas spent about $2 billion in the 11states struck by the storm.

President Obama is asking for $60.4 billion for Sandy aid


11/16


16Holidays at the Market and Cookie

ContestTime: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Locaon: Rochester Public Market,280 N. Union StreetHolidays at the Market featuresnumerous vendors with art,cras, decoraons, holiday fooddelicacies, gis, stocking stuers,and much much more. Takeadvantage of the largest seleconof holiday trees, wreaths and freshgarlands found in Western NewYork.Bring the children to Holidays atthe Market for a visit with Santaand free horse-drawn sleigh rides!

22SKATE WITH SANTATime: 5:00 to 6:15 p.m.Locaon: Genesee Valley Park IceRink$2.00 youth, $2.50 college studentw/ ID$5.00 for adults, $14.00 familymaximumSkate rental, addional $3.00

31NEW YEARS EVE SKATE ATMANHATTANTime: 6 to 11 p.m.Locaon: Manhaan Square Park

Free admission. $3.00 skate rental.Family skate: 6 to 8 p.m.; Adultsonly (over 16 years old) skate: 9 to11 p.m.

31NEW YEARS EVE CELEBRATION &FIREWORKSTime: 7 to 9:45 p.m.Locaon: Rochester RiversideConvenon Center, 123 E. Main StFesvies begin inside theRochester Riverside ConvenonCenter with acvies andentertainment for all ages and

parking in Sister Cies, CourtStreet, South Avenue and

Washington Square Garages.Refreshments will be availablefor purchase. The enre familywill enjoy a dance party hostedby long-me local DJ, Jimmy CMusic Machine and funny posesin an old-me photo booth. Kid-friendly aracons will includea giant bounce house, climbingwall, obstacle course and otherinatables. Also featured will be amagician, clowns, slt walker andcaricaturists.

From 9:50 to 10:15 p.m. Relocatejust outside the Convenon

Center, overlooking the Main St.Bridge. From this perfect vantagepoint, view the City s spectacularreworks nale the largestNew Years Eve reworks showin Greater Rochester. Events aresponsored by the City of Rochester.For more informaon, call 311(outside the city, 428-5990); visithp://www.cityofrochester.gov/downtownholidays/ or watchCity12 Cable TV.

January

9Facing Race, Embracing Equity

Time: 8:30 a.m. - NetworkingSession - 9 a.m. to Noon - ProgramLocaon: Asbury First UnitedMethodist Church - 1050 EastAvenueFrom educaon to polics, povertyto health, race aects all areas ofour community. Begin 2013 byjoining Rochesters Facing Race,Embracing Equity iniave to builda framework for creang a raciallyequitable society.For quesons or to RSVP, emailIsha Torres at [email protected] orcall 585.341.4346

cALEndAr

DECEMBER CLASSIFIEDSTo include your event on this calendar email us at

[email protected]

ADOPTBirth Date: November, 1995Joe is an athletic young man witha passion for sports. Currently alinebacker for his high school team,Joe has high hopes of pursuing aprofessional career in football. He isan easygoing, respectful young manwho would enjoy having a family tocheer for him on and off the eld. A

family who enjoys year-round sportswould be perfect for Joe, as he alsoloves baseball and track. In additionto being a sports enthusiast, Joeenjoys playing his Playstation 3 andgoing to the movies. A dedicatedfamily who is willing to guide Joe and support his relationship with his older

siblings, is being sought.

If youre interested in learning more about Joe or other waiting children, visit:

.chileAaiiPae.o o all 585-232-5110.

NOW HIRING:

FOR SALE:

ROCHESTER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTREQUEST FOR INFORMATIONThe Rochester City School District is solicing proposals for:

E-LEARNING COURSE MATERIALS

Specicaons and ocial proposal forms may be secured from www.govbids.com. Click on the Empire State Purchasing Group link. TheBoard of Educaon reserves the right to reject any and all proposalsas may be in the best interests of educaon in the City of Rochester.

All proposals must be submied to the Purchasing Department atthe Rochester City School District, 131 West Broad St., First Floor,Rochester, NY 14614, no later than 2:30 p.m., on Thursday, January10, 2013.

Gary B. Smith, DirectorProcurement and Supply

Employment opportunity:Parent liaison

E-mail cover leer and resumeto [email protected]: December 12, 2012For more informaon, visitwww.rochesterdiscovery.com

Discovery Charter School125 Kings Highway SouthRochester, NY 14617

Economy Paving Co, Inc willbe preparing quotaons forthe NYS DOT project D262151

culvert replacement at 2 sites onRoute 5 in the Town of Hopewelland NY Route 363 in the Townof Gorham, Ontario County thatbids 12/13/12 and the MonroeCounty project on Paul-Fisher Rdcorridor improvements, Town ofChili that bids 12/14/12. Pleasecall our oce for plan info at607-756-2819. Fax quotes to607-756-4742.

PUBLIC NOTICE:

tHE 150tH yEAr OF tHE sIgnIng

OF tHE EMAncIPAtIOn PrOcLAMAtIOnOn January 1,1863 President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclama-

tion. The people who would be the most affected by the Proclamation, the

captive people of America knew that President Lincoln was considering

signing that important document. So the Black people both captive and

free gathered together, where ever they could to discuss hope and pray

that the Emancipation Proclamation would be signed. Here in Rochester

the people gathered at Old Zion Church( now Memorial AME Zion Church)

to have Watch Night Service, to band together and use their great spiritual

power to encourage the President to sign. It was our faith and collective

prayer that persuaded President Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Procla-

mation on January 1, 1863. Jubilee Day.

Please come join us on December 31, 2012 from 6-9pm at the AME Zion

Church at 549 Clarissa St. and help us commemorate and celebrate in

knowing freedom once again.

For further information please call Delores Radney at 436-6453

Rochester Kwanza Coalition

PUBLIC NOTICE:

EVENTS:

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Dunn Tower IApartments

100 Dunn Tower DriveRochester, NY 14606

(585)429-5520

Dunn Tower IIApartments

200 Dunn Tower DriveRochester, NY 14606

(585)429-6840

www.dunntower.com


12/16


Govt calls for black boxes in new carsWASHINGTON Federal regulators

are proposing automakers installevent data recorders - beer known asblack boxes - in most new cars andtrucks despite privacy concerns.

The Naonal Highway Trac SafetyAdministraon proposal announcedFriday would apply to passengervehicles sold aer Sept. 1, 2014, andweighing less than 8,500 pounds.

The agency is behind the curve.Automakers have been tuckingthe devices into cars for years. Itautomacally records the acons ofdrivers and the responses of theirvehicles in a connuous informaonloop.

Many motorists dont know it, but itslikely that every me they get behindthe wheel, theres a snitch along forthe ride.

In the next few days, the NaonalHighway Trac Safety Administraonis expected to propose long-delayed regulaons requiring automanufacturers to include event datarecorders - beer known as blackboxes - in all new cars and light trucks.But the agency is behind the curve.Automakers have been quietly tuckingthe devices, which automacallyrecord the acons of drivers andthe responses of their vehicles in a

connuous informaon loop, intomost new cars for years.

When a car is involved in a crashor when its airbags deploy, inputsfrom the vehicles sensors during the5 to 10 seconds before impact areautomacally preserved. Thats usuallyenough to record things like how fastthe car was traveling and whether thedriver applied the brake, was steeringerracally or had a seat belt on.

The idea is to gather informaon

that can help invesgators determinethe cause of accidents and lead tosafer vehicles. But privacy advocatessay government regulators andautomakers are spreading an intrusivetechnology without rst pung inplace policies to prevent misuse of theinformaon collected.

Data collected by the recorders isincreasingly showing up in lawsuits,criminal cases and high-proleaccidents. Massachuses Lt. Gov.Timothy Murray inially said thathe wasnt speeding and that he waswearing his seat belt when he crasheda government-owned car last year. Butthe Ford Crown Victorias data recorder

told a dierent story: It showed the carwas traveling more than 100 mph andMurray wasnt belted in.

In 2007, then-New Jersey Gov. JonCorzine was seriously injured in thecrash of an SUV driven by a statetrooper. Corzine was a passenger. TheSUVs recorder showed the vehiclewas traveling 91 mph on a parkwaywhere the speed limit was 65 mph,and Corzine didnt have his seat belton.

Theres no opt-out. Its extremelydicult for car owners to disable therecorders. Although some vehiclemodels have had recorders since the

early 1990s, a federal requirement thatautomakers disclose their existence inowners manuals didnt go into eectunl three months ago. Automakerswho voluntarily put recorders invehicles are also now required togather a minimum of 15 types of data.

Besides the upcoming proposal toput recorders in all new vehicles,the trac safety administraon isalso considering expanding the datarequirement to include as many as

30 addional types of data such as

whether the vehicles electronicstability control was engaged, thedrivers seat posion or whetherthe front-seat passenger was beltedin. Some manufacturers already arecollecng the informaon. Engineershave idened more than 80 datapoints that might be useful.

Despite privacy complaints, the tracsafety administraon so far hasnt putany limits on how the informaon canbe used. About a dozen states havesome law regarding data recorders,but the rest do not.

Right now were in an environmentwhere there are no rules, there are

no limits, there are no consequencesand there is no transparency, saidLillie Coney, associate director of theElectronic Privacy Informaon Center,a privacy advocacy group. Mostpeople who are operang a motorvehicle have no idea this technology isintegrated into their vehicle.

Part of the concern is that theincreasing computerizaon of carsand the growing transmission of datato and from vehicles could lead tounintended uses of recorder data.

Basically your car is a computernow, so it can record all kinds ofinformaon, said Gloria Bergquist,

vice president of the Alliance ofAutomove Manufacturers. Its a lotof the same issues you have aboutyour computer or your smartphoneand whether Google or someone elsehas access to the data.

The alliance opposes the governmentrequiring recorders in all vehicles.

Data recorders help our engineersunderstand how cars perform in thereal world, and we already have putthem on over 90 percent of (new)vehicles without any mandate beingnecessary, Bergquist said.

Safety advocates, however, say

requiring data recorders in all cars isthe best way to gather a large enoughbody of reliable informaon to enablevehicle designers to make saferautomobiles.

The barn door is already open. Itsa queson of whether we use theinformaon thats already out there,said Henry Jasny, vice presidentof Advocates for Highway andAutomove Safety.

The Naonal Transportaon SafetyBoard has been pushing for recordersin all passenger vehicles since theboards invesgaon of a 2003accident in which an elderly driver

plowed through an open-air market inSanta Monica, Calif. Ten people werekilled and 63 were injured. The driver

refused to be interviewed and his 1992

Buick LeSabre didnt have a recorder.Aer ruling out other possibilies,invesgators ulmately guessed thathe had either mistakenly stepped onthe gas pedal or had stepped on thegas and the brake pedals at the sameme.

When reports of sudden acceleraonproblems in Toyota vehicles cascadedin 2009 and 2010, recorder data fromsome of the vehicles contributed tothe trac safety administraonsconclusion that the problem wasprobably scky gas pedals and oormats that could jam them, not defectsin electronic throle control systems.

Black box, a term for a device whoseworkings are obscure, is most widelyused to refer to ight data recorders,which connually gather informaonabout an aircras operaon duringight. Aircra recorders, by law, areactually bright orange.

Some automakers began installing therecorders at a me when there werecomplaints that air bags might becausing deaths and injuries, partly toprotect themselves against liability andpartly to improve air bag technology.Most recorders are black boxes aboutthe size of a deck of card with circuitboards inside. Aer an accident,informaon is downloaded to a laptop

computer using a tool unique to thevehicles manufacturer. As electronicsin cars have increased, the kinds ofdata that can be recorded have grownas well. Some more recent recordersare part of the vehicles computersrather than a separate device.

Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass.,has repeatedly, and unsuccessfully,introduced legislaon to require thatautomakers design recorders so thatthey can be disabled by motorists

A transportaon bill passed by theSenate earlier this year would haverequired that all new cars and lighttrucks have recorders and designated

a vehicles owner as the owner ofthe data. The provision was removedduring House-Senate negoaons onthe measure at the behest of HouseRepublican lawmakers who said theywere concerned about privacy.

Many of us would see it as a slipperyslope toward big government andBig Brother knowing what weredoing and where we are, Rep. BillShuster, R-Pa., who is slated to takeover the chairmanship of the HouseTransportaon and InfrastructureCommiee in January, said at theme. Privacy is a big concern formany across America.

NATIONAL


13/16


WASHINGTON (AP) Americans areliving longer, and Republicans wantto raise the Medicare eligibility ageas part of any deal to reduce thegovernments huge decits.

But what sounds like a prudent sacricefor an aging society that must watchits budget could have some surprisingconsequences, including higherpremiums for people on Medicare.

Unlike tax hikes, which spawn hardparsan divisions, increasing theMedicare age could help ease a budgetcompromise because President BarackObama has previously been willingto consider it. A worried AARP, theseniors lobby, is already running adsknocking down the idea as a quick xthat would cause long-term problems.House Democrac Leader NancyPelosi, D-Calif., doesnt like it either.

But for Republicans seeking morethan just tweaks to benet programs,raising the current eligibility age of 65has become a top priority, a symbolof their drive to rein in government. IfObama and the GOP cant agree soonon a budget outline, it may triggertax increases and spending cuts thatwould threaten a fragile economicrecovery.

Increasing the eligibility age to 67would reduce Medicare spendingby about 5 percent annually,compounding into hundreds of billionsof dollars over me. But things arentthat simple.

This is a policy change that seemsstraighorward, but has surprisingripple eects, said Tricia Neuman,a leading Medicare expert with thenonparsan Kaiser Family Foundaon.

Its a simple thing to describe, and thejuscaon is that people are livinglonger, but I dont think people havethought through the indirect eects.

Among the cost shis idened in a

Kaiser study:

Higher monthly premiums forseniors on Medicare. Their costswould go up because keeping younger,healthier 65- and 66-year-olds out ofMedicares insurance pool would raisecosts for the rest. The increase wouldbe about 3 percent when the highereligibility age is fully phased in.

Higher premiums for privatecoverage under Obamas healthoverhaul. Thats because older adultswould sck with private insurance fortwo extra years before moving intoMedicare. Compared with youngeradults, they are more expensive to

insure.

An increase in employer costsbecause older workers would try tostay on company insurance plans.

Higher out-of-pocket health carecosts for two out of three older adultswhose entry into Medicare would bedelayed.

The Congressional Budget Ocehas also projected an increase in thenumber of uninsured. That possibilitybecomes more real with populousstates like Texas saying they wontaccept the Medicaid expansion inObamas health overhaul, which would

provide coverage to low-income adults.Then theres the impact on peoplewith physically demanding jobs, forwhom extending their working yearsmay be dicult.

Sll, the idea isnt going away.

Polls show that many Americans arewilling to consider raising the ageat which people become eligible for

Medicare benets as part of a plan toreduce decits, even if on the wholeits sll unpopular.

A new Associated Press-GfK poll foundthat four in 10 back gradually raisingthe eligibility age, while 48 percentoppose that plan.

Those under age 30 were mostsupporve, while a clear majority ofthose between the ages of 30 and64 were opposed. Seniors were split.Surprisingly, there were no signicantdierences by polical party. Overall,foes of the idea were more adamant,with strong opponents outnumberingstrong supporters by 2-1.

U.S. life expectancy has risen byabout eight years since Medicare wascreated in 1965. During the 1980s,Republican President Ronald Reaganand Democrac congressional leadersagreed to gradually increase theage for receiving full Social Securitybenets from 65 to 67. But they didnttouch Medicare eligibility.

Since then, some policy experts haveadvocated aligning the Medicare andSocial Security eligibility ages througha gradual phase-in that would sparethose close to rerement.

The idea gained new life when

Republicans won the House in 2010,and Budget Chairman Paul Ryan,R-Wis., embraced it. Obama indicatedhe was open to it during budget talkswith Republicans in 2011. But the

president quickly retreated, and nowsays hes not willing to consider cungMedicare unless Congress agrees toraise taxes on the wealthy.

The No. 2 Democrat in the House,

Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, saysraising the eligibility age and other cutsclearly are on the table, although hedoesnt see much chance for them ifRepublicans dont yield on taxes.

For his part, House Speaker JohnBoehner, R-Ohio, has relented frompursuing other major changes toMedicare, such as privazaon. Butwhen it comes to the eligibility age, heis sll pushing.

Its a structural change but it doesntrequire you to adopt a whole newmodel, said Sco Golieb, a healthpolicy expert with the business-oriented American Enterprise

Instute. It can be enacted quicklyso you get the savings, and it can bephased in so you dont aect peopleabout to rere.

AARP and other groups represenngolder adults are mobilizing against it.

We are prepared to oppose this oneprey strongly, said AARP legislavepolicy director David Certner. Its aprey big deal.

Raising the eligibility age is not theonly Medicare cut in play. Hospitalsand other service providers couldsee reducons in payments, drugcompanies may owe new rebates to

the government and upper-incomeseniors would face higher monthlypremiums. The total package couldreach around $400 billion over 10years.

Trade-os in raising Medicare eligibility agePOLITICS

Pearl Harbor dead remembered on 71st anniversaryPEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) Morethan 2,000 people are gathering atPearl Harbor on Friday to mark the71st anniversary of the Japaneseaack that killed thousands of people

and launched the United States intoWorld War II.

Ceremonies get under way with amoment of silence at 7:55 a.m., theexact me the bombing began in 1941.

The crew of a Navy guided-missiledestroyer will stand on deck whilethe ship passes the USS Arizona, abaleship that sll lies in the harborwhere it sank. Hawaii Air NaonalGuard aircra will y overhead.

The Navy and Naonal Park Serviceare hosng the ceremonies, whichare being held in remembrance of the2,390 service members and 49 civilians

killed in the aack.

Friday events also will give special

recognion to members of the WomenAirforce Service Pilots, who ewnoncombat missions during WorldWar II, and to Ray Emory, a 91-year-oldPearl Harbor survivor who has pushed

to idenfy the remains of unknownservicemen.

Admiral Cecil Haney, commander ofthe U.S. Pacic Fleet, is scheduledto give the keynote address. Theceremony will also include a Hawaiianblessing, songs played by the U.S.Pacic Fleet band and a rie salutefrom the U.S. Marine Corps.

President Barack Obama markedthe day on Thursday by issuing apresidenal proclamaon, calling forags to y at half-sta on Friday andasking all Americans to observe the dayof remembrance and honor militaryservice members and veterans.

Today, we pay solemn tribute toAmericas sons and daughters who

made the ulmate sacrice at Oahu,Obama said in a statement. As we do,let us also rearm that their legacywill always burn bright whether in

the memory of those who knew them,the spirit of service that guides ourmen and women in uniform today,

or the heart of the country they keptstrong and free.

The Navy and park service will resume

taking visitors to the USS ArizonaMemorial, which sits atop the sunkenbaleship, aer the ceremony.

NATIONAL


14/16


The views expressed on our opinion pages are thoseof the author and do not necessarily represent the

position or viewpoint of Minority Reporter.OPINION/EDITORIAL

The murder-suicide involvingJovan Belcherof the KansasCity Chiefs was,without queson,a tragedy amongtragedies. I feelterrible for thisfamily and as afather myself, Iwish that Belcherand his girlfriend,K a s s a n d r aPerkins, had

sought the help they needed to survivesuch a terrible sequence of events.

Kassandra is hardly to blame for anyof this, but as a vicm of domescviolence, I wonder if she ignored signsthat her boyfriend might commit sucha heinous act.

Somemes, our most valuable lessonscome from our most costly experiences,and here are a few things I think we canall learn from this unfortunate incident:

1) No maer how bad it gets, life isnever over: When I was 22 years oldand going through some dicules, a

42-year old man said to me, You haveto be as old as I am to understand howyoung you are. Just keep going, it s goingto be ok. As I approach my own 42ndbirthday, I reect on that mans wordsand now have the perspecve to fullyunderstand what he was talking about.Most serious problems are temporary.If theyre permanent, the human mindhas an extraordinary capacity to adjustto new circumstances. No maer howdicult life gets, you should alwayskeep moving forward.

2) If you or someone you know isconsidering suicide, talk to someoneimmediately: If you have a friend that

appears suicidal, you should speakup. If you have a friend in an abusiverelaonship, you should speak up. Ifyou have been convinced that yourown life isnt worth living, you shouldspeak up. I hope you get my point.speak up.

3) Be extremely careful with drugsor alcohol: It is reported that alcoholmay have played a role in escalangthe argument between Jovan andKassandra on that fateful night. Alcoholand drugs always made me nervous

because I would hate to do somethingwhile under the inuence and end uppaying the price for the rest of my life.Prisons are full of people who madeone bad decision on one night that theynever would have made had they notbeen drinking. Its OK to avoid alcoholcompletely, since that gives you oneless thing to worry about.

4) Your children are more importantthan you are: I wish Jovan had thoughtabout his daughter before killing thechilds mother and himself. But thenagain, he wasnt thinking clearly. If hehad been, the thought of his daughterliving the rest of her days without either

of her parents might have stoppedhim from doing the things he did thatday. Our kids have to be the leadconsideraon in most of our decisions,especially if they are young.

5) If youre having relaonshipproblems, seek counseling: Im notsure if Jovan and Kassandras fateswould have changed with addionalcounseling, but it might have helped.You shouldnt try to solve problems onyour own if youve never experiencedthem before. There are thousands of

books wrien by older people whounderstand how relaonships workand how to make them successful. Ifyou nd yourself in a bad relaonship,either x it or get out.

-----------------------------Dr. Boyce Watkins is a professor atSyracuse University and author of thebook, Black American Money.

dr. bOycE

wAtkIns

FROM THE bOycE BLOG

5 Things We Can Learnfrom the Death of NFL Player Jovan Belcher

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!Leave us a comment! Search: Minority Reporter Newspaper

Jovan Belcher

Throughout my17-plus yearsas an acvistagainst policemisconduct andcorrupon inRochester, NewYork, theres oneword Ive oenheard people,especially localg o v e r n m e n tocials, use to

describe me: Crazy.

Usually they will say Oh! Hes crazy.

So, what exactly is crazy?If crazy is realizing at a young age thatOcer Friendly was not real, and thatreal police ocers abuse their power,as Rochester police Ocer RandallRambo Benjamin did in 1986 whenhe kicked in the front door to my homeon Child Street without a warrant, andabused me and my family, when I wasa child then, Im crazy.

If crazy is, as a Cuban-American whosefamily le Cuba in search of a beer

life and freedom, someone who takesfull advantage of freedom of speechand not taking my constuonal rightsfor granted, like many Americans do then, Im crazy.

If crazy is looking at my communityof African-Americans and Lanos inRochester, and being disappointedat their complacent atude andtheir refusal to stand up to injuscescommied against them daily by thevery same people who are supposedto serve and protect them then,Im crazy.

If crazy is me taking that same

disappointment and using it asmovaon to stand up to the corruptRochester Police Department, and bea voice for those too afraid to speak up then, Im crazy.

If crazy is demanding that Rochesterselected city and county ocials do thejob that the taxpayers voted them intooce to do then, Im crazy.

If crazy is not being afraid to call thosesame ocials out the minute theyfail to do their jobs, and hold them

accountable then, Im crazy.

If crazy is refusing to remain quiet orsimply turn a blind eye to the abuseand corrupon in my hometown of the585 then, Im crazy.

If crazy is not being a sellout like manyof our so-called community leadersand City Council members who havesold out their morals and principles,

and most importantly their owncommunity for a few dollars and tobeer themselves then, Im crazy.

And, if crazy is having a passion, and anunwavering, relentless commitmentof dedicang my life to exposing theinjusces of those in power wouldmuch rather sweep issues under therug then, Im crazy.

What Is Crazy?

dAvy vArA


15/16


The views expressed on our opinion pages are thoseof the author and do not necessarily represent the

position or viewpoint of Minority Reporter.OPINION/EDITORIAL

God Always Works in Mysterious WaysDont you just love the wayGod opens up other doorsand opportunies as onedoor slowly closes?

The enemy is always ontheir job, and the dreamkillers in this communityhave been wrien about tothe point of exhauson.

Some of yall are not hearingme, so I am feeling the needto take Straight No Chaseron the road and into your

living rooms via digital media.

When the TV show comes into existence give creditto the vision of local producer, Kenny Jean. Kennyis the CEO of LYFE (Living Your Future EverydayEntertainment) and will produce the show.

But, of course I will have my Oprah on and hosng.See, Kenny is not one of the people who has his footon my neck and is afraid to give me my props like somany others I threaten do.

I am truth and light and he sees that as clearly asthe rest of my supporters do. Some people just canthandle the truth because it truly hurts. But, justbecause it hurts is not a reason to withhold the truth.I suspect the new show and the new year will bringwith it lots of surprises, especially for my haters.

This show will be an experience. We promise not tobore you with talking heads and pseudo-intellects.If you have any ideas for topics or guests you wouldlike to see please drop me a note. Stay tuned, we areabout to turn the ROC upside down with the truthothers are too mid to tell! Its coming soon to a TVnear you!

_____________________________

Another one of the angels in my life is Diane Sheeld.She is one of the few people who can get away withdropping my name or referring folks to me. Why?Because she knows me.

I want to take the me to publicly thank her for hermost recent referral and aempt to put me to work,in a good way. (I dont know why some people thinkrerement means I am looking for something to do)

Because of Diane I received a call from someone Ihad never had the occasion to personally meet eventhough we have crossed paths at various mes.

Her name is Tina Chapman DaCosta. Shes a classact. Tina is creang a documentary as a class projectfor R.I.T. on the infamous Pythodd Room. Some callit the Pythodd Club, but the ocial name was thePythodd Room.

I worked as a waitress and bartender at the Pythoddfor three years unl its unmely closing in 1972;and because I was among the last generaon ofemployees at the Pythodd, Tina expressed aninterest in pung my experiences on lm.

Even though Tinas documentary is for a class project,

I suspect she will nd a way to make sure the publicgets an opportunity to review her work.

There is so much ugliness in Rochester it was morethan a pleasure to be interviewed by such a kindredspirit. I cant claim pride, ownership or support of

a lot of what I see in this community, but I can sayunequivocally that if most people managed to havea spirit as warm, caring and giving as Tina ChapmanDaCosta, Rochester would be a beer place.

Tinas husband, Jose DaCosta, promotes Jazz in thearea and the documentary she is working on appearsto be a mely t. Stay tuned.

_____________________________

The holiday season has a tendency to bring out thewarmth in people, thank God. But, on the otherhand, this season also shines a spotlight on some ofthe blemishes we have in our community. We haveso-called leadership, or those vying to be leaders,involved in everything from adultery to pedophilia.

And we have folks walking around here aware ofthese aws but saying nothing because they are sopolite. They would see a child in harms way and saynothing, just because.

This me of year I always feel bad for the childrenwhose fathers are not in their lives to protect them.Having had mine for 53 years, I cant imagine how itmust really feel not to have your dad in the housewith you.

It has got to be a painful experience, especially whenyour friends may have their dad living with them andactually married to their mother.

Some fathers are not there because they are notavailable due to incarceraon. Some are not theredue to bad choices, or being at the wrong place at thewrong me took them out of this dimension. Thenthere are those who fathered a child (intenonallyor accidentally) with the wrong woman not realizingthey would soon be a caught up in the kind of drama

oen seen on the Jerry Springer Show.

There are just too many women who connue to usetheir children as pawns, aempng to blackmail aman into a relaonship. It is the child who eventuallysuers because you cant fool a child. They see, theyfeel, they hear. Some women are stupid enough toprevent the babys daddy from having a relaonshipwith his child because he has moved on to anotherwoman. How sad is that? Who suers? The child.

Someone wiser than me recently said we haveto take responsibility in our community for thedemise of our families. We have to stop promongand accepng that having a child out of wedlock ismorally acceptable.

Yes, I know it is a so-called new day but moralber is not new. Women just need to close their legsand take the me to get a grip on what a real man,and father looks, walks, and talks like before evenconsidering motherhood.The stakes are high because motherhood is a lifelongcommitment, and one that may lead to them raisinga child all by themselves.

The game is not new. Women have tried for ages totrap men by geng pregnant. It worked much beerback in the day because then we saw it as morallywrong to be a pregnant single women or a fatherwho was not married.My God is always on the move and has alwaysworked in mysterious ways. Stay tuned.

gLOrIA wInstOn

AL-sArAg

strAIgHtNO CHASER

----------------------------------Gloria Winston Al-Sarag is a Community Activist, Writer, Communicator,

Political Activist. She is a native Rochesterian and has been involved withnumerous community orgainzations in Rochester.Contact Gloria at: [email protected]

Throwaway Culture


16/16


COME EXPERIENCE THEGENESEE CORRIDOR

Everything you need and more...

CHURCHESVan Hanh Buddhist Meditation Ctr 158 Genesee

Aenon Baptist Church 175 Genesee

Restoration Church of God 595 Frost AveFaith Temple Apostolic 141 Arnett Blvd

Trinity Missionary Baptist Church 770 Genesee

Saint Monica Church 34 Monica StTrue Saints Temple 100 Brooks Ave

Genesee Baptist Church 149 Brooks Ave

Spreading the Good News 208 Scottsville

CITY SERVICES

Rochester Fire Department 873 GeneseeNeighborhood Service Center 923 Genesee

INVESTMENTS IN YOUTHWilson Foundation Academy 200 Genesee

SWAN Community Center 275 Dr.SMcCree

Teen Empowerment 392 GeneseeBoys & Girls Clubs 500 Genesee

Wilson Commencement Academy 501 Genesee

Rochester Academy Charter Sch. 841 GeneseeChabad House Jewish Student Center 955 Genesee

GROCERIESMiami Grocery & Takeout 176 Genesee

A J Market / 191 Genesee, Inc. 191 Genesee

Johnie Grocery 313 GeneseeSams Mini Mart 462 Genesee

Maklan Food 628 Genesee

Ayham Mini Mart 760 GeneseeSoas Stop and Shop 874 Genesee

D & L Groceries 1005 Genesee

Millenium Deli 1057 Genesee

HUMAN SERVICESUnity Health System St. Marys 89 Genesee

Outreach Community Center 447 Genesee

Jordan-Woodward Health Services 480 GeneseeSojourner House 30 Millbank St

Monica Place Apartments 837 Genesee

LifeTimes Adult Day Health Care 1400 S PlymouthUR Employment Service Center 910 Genesee

PERSONAL SERVICESSouthwest Community Barber 197 Genesee

Flash Hair Designs 235 Genesee

Rugless Beauty & Variety 412 GeneseeK J Designz 440 Genesee

Reliable Beauty Salon 726 Genesee

Ofcial Cuts Barber Shop 758 GeneseeGenesee Nails 759 Genesee

Sparkle Nails 902 Genesee

Brooks Boutique & Salon 947 GeneseeHills Barber Shop 1009 Genesee

RESTAURANTSThis Is It Jamaican-American 211 Genesee

MoJoes Pizza & Chicken 337 Genesee

Brooks Landing Diner 904 GeneseeSubway 910 Genesee

California Rollin, Etc (open soon) 910 Genesee

Boulder at Brooks Landing 960 GeneseeCampis Restaurant 205 Scottsville

RETAILLevels Clothing & Footwear 26 Genesee

Family Dollar 46 Genesee

West Main Jewelry Buy & Sell 118 Genesee

Beads & Bangles by Jaira 172 GeneseeIts Ofcial 195 Genesee

761 Accessories & Records 761 Genesee

Family Dollar 773 GeneseeQuality Home Furnishings 844 Genesee

Bridgeway Liquors & Wines 900A Genesee

Jim Dalberth Sporting Goods 925 GeneseeSE Unlimited 945 Genesee

VARIOUS SERVICESChase Bank 36 Genesee

Sector 4 Community Development 89 Genesee

Canopy Coin Laundry 92 GeneseeBulls Head Glass & Screen 134 Genesee

Pollocks Alternator & Starter 271 Genesee

About Time Magazine 283 GeneseeJust Wash Hand Car Wash 283 Genesee

Heritage Park Apartments (rentals) 300 Genesee

Joy Gallery 551 GeneseeRegency Funeral Chapel 596 Genesee

CJW Tax & Accounting 637 Genesee

Brooks Landing Laundromat 726 GeneseeBrooks Village Apartments 750 Genesee

DAlessandro House Buyers 753 Genesee

Inna Ballet 757 GeneseeH&R Block Tax Service 921 Genesee

Brooks Auto Parts & Repair 973 Genesee

Staybridge Suites Hotel 1000 GeneseePlymouth Gardens Apartments 1400 S Plymouth

Unied Taekwon-Do 202 Scottsville

Premier Sunroom Solutions 211 ScottsvilleC&C Automotive 230 Scottsville

minority reporter newspaper - week of dec 10, 2012

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