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1 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012Rochester, NYRochester, NYVOL 5. NO. 35VOL 5. NO. 35 June 25 - july 1, 2012June 25 - july 1, 2012

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From Information to Understanding


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T e a c h e r Evaluation?!

2 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2012

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ADVERTISINGDave McClearyLucy Smith-Fulmore

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PHOTOGRAPHYTemple Boggs, Jr.Todd Elliott

COLUMNISTSGloria Winston Al-SaragC. Michael Tillman Rev. Michael Vaughn Vincent FelderDiane WatkinsMike DulaneyDavy VaraAyesha Kreutz

Minority Reporter, Inc. is a family of publications and other media formats committed to fostering self awareness, building community and empowering people of color to reach their greatest potential. Fur-ther, Minority Reporter, Inc. seeks to present a bal-anced view of relevant issues, utilizing its resources to build bridges among diverse populations; taking them from information to understanding.

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In This Issue:

COVER Pg 8

-Teacher Evaluations?!

By Dave McCleary LOCAL Pgs 4 - 5

- Police ID Man Fatally Shot in Bar Brawl- Rochester City and School Budgets Approved City Council- School of the Arts Issues Consequences For Student Vandalism- Chief Sheppard Says Fatal Shooting By RPD was Justifi ed- Senator Joe Robach’s Kodak Retiree Healthcare Legislation Passes Senate- Swimming at Ontario Beach Now Open for 2012

STATE Pgs 5-6

- 32,000 Phones Seized in NY Counterfeit Crackdown- NY Moves to Restrict Welfare Spending Alcohol

NATIONAL Pg 7

- Police Chief Fired Over Trayvon Martin’s Shooting- Senate Bill Brings Some Big Changes to Farm Policy

HEALTH Pg 11

-Strokes Can Happen In Anyone’s Neighborhood

POLITICS Pg 12

-Romney Faces Latino Group Amid Immigration Debate

COLUMNS: Pg 14-15

-Recent Examples of Racism 2012

By Gloria Winston Al-Sarag

- Why Schools Can’t Discipline

By Diane Watkins

- Monroe County Sheriff

By Davy Vara

Rochester, NYVOL 5. NO. 35 June 25 - july 1, 2012




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The Jeff erson Avenue Revitaliza on Project

By Honorable Willie Joe Ligh ootAssistant Minority Leader

The Jeff erson Avenue Revitaliza on Project is one of the most exci ng and worthy programs I have been involved with in my me as an elected offi cial. As most folks in our neighborhood know, this program is about breathing new life into our community through infrastructure improvements, quality of life enhancements and ci zen involvement. This program is guided by the seven pillars: spirituality, family, community, economic development, social interac on, good health and poli cal par cipa on.

Contrary to what some in our community think, this project is not about gentrifi ca on or having power over people. Instead, this project is about empowering people to improve their surroundings and their neighborhoods with the help of their friends and neighbors. With the assistance of great community leaders like Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, we have been able to secure much needed funding to improve infrastructure and allow local businesses to obtain free one-on-

one business training and counseling through the Urban League.

Using these seven pillars as a guide, we have been focused on increasing spirituality by bringing together diff erent houses of worship to help unite and empower worshipers.

We have worked on strengthening families, planning safe playgrounds for our children and promo ng more family-oriented events in our community. We have sought to strengthen our community by encouraging residents to get involved, while also increasing job opportuni es and bringing much needed economic development to our area.

We have pursued a strategy of increasing social interac on and improving health by, among other things, encouraging community gardens to increase the availability of fresh foods.

Finally, and of signifi cant importance, we have tried to increase poli cal par cipa on by building rela onships, registering new voters and holding open discussions about issues of concern.

This is just a small sampling of the important work contained in the Jeff erson Avenue Revitaliza on Plan. In order to succeed, everyone must par cipate. It is absolutely cri cal that we have boots on the ground to help improve not just each of our lives, but the quality of life and economic opportuni es for all ci zens. Anyone interested in learning more should contact the Democra c Staff Offi ce of the Monroe County Legislature at 585-753-1940 or visit our website at www.democra cledger.org.


Police ID Man Fatally Shot in Rochester Bar BrawlAuthori es have released the name of the 21-year-old man who was fatally shot during a fi ght that started inside a Rochester bar and spilled onto the street.

Rochester police tell local media that Deavoughn Hernandez-Ruffi n was shot in the upper torso early Monday

morning outside the Bug Jar bar. Offi cials say the nightspot was hos ng a rap concert when a fi ght broke out and con nued outside.

Hernandez-Ruffi n was taken to a Rochester hospital, where he died.

Police say it’s unclear what sparked

the fi ght.

No one has been arrested. The shoo ng remains under inves ga on Tuesday.

Rochester City and School Budgets Approved by City CouncilStaff

Tuesday, June 19, Rochester City Council members approved a $488 million opera ng budget for the City’s next fi scal year beginning July 1, and a $705 million budget for the Rochester City School District for the 2012-2013 school year.

“We’re going to keep our libraries open. Keep our rec centers open. We’ve maintained and been able to hire new policemen to replace the complement. So that we’ve been able

to fi ght off for another year,” explained Rochester Mayor Tom Richards in comments to the media.

The mayor’s budget includes spending cuts the mayor says “will not have signifi cant impact on services.

“As I have said before, a city budget is more than balanced numbers. It is a statement of aspira ons for the City, the mayor said in his budget address last month. “The important balance that we strike is not in numbers, but in services, programs and facili es. We

balance police offi cers, fi refi ghters, libraries, recrea on centers, roads, refuse collec on, fes vals and many other things.”

“The signifi cance of the balance is not found in money, but in the quality of life we can deliver to our ci zens.”

The mayor added that the city will s ll need to fi nd long-term solu ons to its fi nancial problems.

Rochester City School district offi cials say they plan to add about 70

addi onal teaching posi ons mostly in music, art and physical educa on.

The district says their goals for the 2012-2013 budget are to: Target resources to increase student achievement; Increase resources to our schools; Introduce stability for students, families and staff ; Increase effi ciencies in Central Offi ce and throughout the District.

By Staff Reporter

Rochester police offi cials say offi cers tried to use a stun gun to disarm a shotgun-wielding man before being forced to shoot him a er he fi red at them.

Israel Andino was killed by the return fi re during the confronta on on the street outside his home Thursday, his 20th birthday.

In a press release to local media Thurs-day, Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard outlined the incident as fol-lows:

“On today’s date at approximately 7:15am Rochester police offi cers were dispatched to 72 Locust St. for the re-port a male who had called 911 and stated that he had just stabbed his mother, and that he was going to kill others. The fi rst responding offi cer found an injured and bleeding woman on the porch of 72 Locust St., and she stated that her son had stabbed her, and she pointed him out as he walked down Locust St., armed with a long gun.

Addi onal responding offi cers en-gaged the individual and a empted to

contain and defuse the situa on, giv-ing several orders for him to drop the gun. The offi cers tried to engage the individual in conversa on for several minutes as he walked throughout the neighborhood. However, near 103 Lo-cust St., this individual fi red a round at the offi cers. Several offi cers returned fi re.”

Sheppard said Andino was yelling as he walked down the street with the shotgun. Offi cers used a Taser on him but it didn’t work.

Offi cials say when Andino fi red at the seven offi cers nearby, all of them opened fi re and killed him.

According to local media reports, sev-eral neighbors witnessing the events said it did not appear that offi cers had to shoot Andino. One witness said he saw Andino point the gun at offi cers but did not seem to fi re at them.

Chief Sheppard, off ering condolences to Andino’s family, said his offi cers are trained to use deadly physical force when they sense an imminent threat to either themselves or a third party.

The involved offi cers were: Sgt Aaron Colle , 36 years of age/13 years of service; Sgt. Mike Nicholls, 46 years of

age/17 years of service; Offi cer Anto-nio Gonzalez, 31 years of age/11 years of service; Offi cer Brian Cala, 38 years of age/14 years of service; Offi cer Greg Karnes, 39 years of age/16 years of service; Offi cer Onasis Socol, 38 years of age/8 years of service; and Offi cer

Eluid Rodriguez, 43 years of age/19 years of service.

Andino’s mother was treated at Strong Memorial Hospital for minor injuries and released.

Chief Sheppard Says Fatal Shoo ng by Offi cers was Jus fi ed


School of The Arts Punishes Students for VandalismThe School of the Arts and the Rochester City School District say they have completed their inves ga on into the vandalism that started as a senior prank during the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 12, 2012 and will punish students for their ac ons.

In a press release to media, school offi cials say the students responsible for pain ng graffi across the front of the building on Prince Street will be required to complete a minimum of 10-hours of community service at School of the Arts prior to Thursday, June 21 at 4:00 PM. If the students complete their community service, they will be aff orded the privilege of par cipa ng in SOTA’s gradua on ceremony scheduled for this Friday night at the Auditorium Center Theatre.

“We are mindful of the importance of allowing young people to learn from their mistakes and of the powerful educa onal message conveyed when a student crosses the stage to receive their high school diploma. Though, it is important to diff eren ate rights from privileges. This has been the

single most-diffi cult and heartbreaking experience of my 28-year tenure in the Rochester City School District. The en re school community will have cause to celebrate once these students have completed their service, and earned the privilege of walking across the stage at gradua on,” said Brenda Pacheco, Principal of School of the Arts.

Principal Pacheco hosted a mee ng last Wednesday morning for the senior class, and their parents and guardians to provide the fi nal decision regarding the consequences and to prepare for commencement. “During this mee ng, the expecta ons for appropriate behavior at gradua on were outlined and closure was brought to this painful incident,” explains the release.

The community service includes: interior and exterior locker cleaning and graffi removal throughout the building. The students are being supervised by staff members and the senior class advisors. SOTA’s custodial department has ou i ed each student with RCSD regulated cleaning solu on, gloves, masks and buckets.

Video of Greece Bus Monitor Being Bullied Goes ViralStaff

A video of a Greece School district bus monitor being cruelly taunted by the middle-school students has gone viral.

The incident which took place last Monday on a Greece Athena Middle School bus was captured on a cellphone camera and posted to Facebook but was pulled off Facebook and posted to You Tube late Tuesday. By Wednesday, it had gone around the world receiving more than 130,000 hits overnight.

The ten minute video shows Athena middle school students con nually taun ng bus monitor Karen Huff Klein.

Among the taunts: “Dumb-ass, fat-ass.” “Maybe she is an elephant.”

“She’s gonna pick out which kid she’s gonna rape next.” “Karen wants herpes.” “F**king hearing aid.” “I’ll egg your house.” “What’s your address so I can p*ss all over your door.”

A spokesperson for the Greece Central School District says the incident is being inves gated.

“The Greece Central School district has a clear code of conduct and all staff and students have been fully trained,” the district said in a broadcast to parents. “This behavior will not be tolerated.”

District offi cials say upon being no fi ed of the video and confi rming that Karen Huff Klein was in fact an employee of the district they immediately ac vated the district’s bullying and

violence preven on response team to inves gate the ma er and contacted the Greece police department to conduct their own inves ga on.

Klein did not report the incident. She said she fi gured she had just ended the school year on a bad note.

Two similar videos of Klein being harassed has also surfaced.

One bit of good news for Klein is that an online eff ort on Indiegogo.com to raise funds for her reported they had raised $500,000 by last Friday morning.

The interna onal crowd funding site was set up by Max Sidorov, a 25-year-old Toronto nutri onist.

Sidorov says he is raising the money “to send her on a nice vaca on.”

Greece police say they interviewed four of the students, but no arrests have been made. The Greece school district said the students will be disciplined.

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Senator Joe Robach’s Kodak Re ree Healthcare Legisla on Passes Senate

By Earl Gonzalez

On June 13th, the New York State Senate re-passed legisla on that would protect healthcare benefi ts for employees and re rees of Eastman Kodak, a major employer headquartered in Rochester, NY.

The bill (S.6740b), sponsored by Senator Joe Robach of Rochester, serves to provide a safety net for the former employees of the company as it reorganizes under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protec on. This protec on would come in the form of a demonstra on program that would provide group health insurance coverage for former employees of a major New York-based employer, such as Kodak.

Senator Joe Robach’s sponsorship of the bill was prompted earlier this year, when Kodak asked a federal court for permission to cut healthcare benefi ts for thousands of its re rees. Although Kodak later withdrew the mo on, former employees of the company are concerned that it could s ll cut re ree benefi ts at a later date in order to cut its costs. If Kodak were to cut these health benefi ts, re rees under the age of 65 (the age to qualify for Medicare) would become uninsured. Those unable to aff ord the higher rates of the private pay market would be le without any coverage at all.

Senator Robach’s bill would protect Kodak’s re rees from this scenario by crea ng a health insurance

demonstra on program that would facilitate the provision of aff ordable group health insurance coverage to them by an eligible insurance company. Although the bill ini ally passed the New York State Senate on May 8th, Senator Joe Robach, a er consul ng with several cons tuents and Kodak re rees, has since amended the legisla on to ensure that all insurance companies can compete to provide the healthcare coverage.

The amended bill, which was re-passed by New York State Senate with unanimous support, has also, with the support of Assemblyman Joe Morelle, passed the New York State Assembly. The legisla on now awaits Governor Cuomo’s signature to complete its passage into law.

Friday, June 15, a Flag Raising Ceremony to commemorate Na onal Caribbean American Heritage month was held at city hall. The event was sponsored by the Rochester Jamaican Organiza on(RJO) and the Rochester West Indian Fes val Organiza on (RWIFO) and hosted by City Council President Lovely Warren.The RJO will be celebra ng Jamaica’s 50th indepencence with a gala at the Hya Regency Hotel, July 27, 6pm

(L toR) Dr. Joel Frater, President RJO; Lovely Warren, President City Council; Horace Byfi eld, President (RWIFO)

Entertainment was provided by Urban Steel Band from John Marshall High School

Commemora ng Na onal Caribbean American Heritage

Senator Joseph Robach

Swimming at Ontario Beach Now Open for 2012Season for popular County des na on runs through Labor Day

Monroe County Execu ve Maggie Brooks last week announced that public swimming at Ontario Beach Park, located in Rochester’s Charlo e Neighborhood, is now open for the 2012 Season.

“Once again, we welcome the start of

summer with the opening of swimming at Ontario Beach Park,” said Brooks. “Each year, thousands of residents and visitors alike, enjoy the sandy shore and cooling waters of Lake Ontario at this wonderful beach operated by our Monroe County Department of Parks. This is yet another family-friendly ac vity that we are proud to off er free of charge.”

Monroe County lifeguards are now on duty and swimming will be permi ed at Ontario Beach Park daily from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Swimming is only allowed when lifeguards are on duty.

As Lake Ontario is a large natural body of water, swimming will only be permi ed when condi ons and water quality are favorable. A recorded telephone message will be updated

daily at 753-5887 with informa on on beach condi ons and whether swimming will be permi ed or not. It is important to note that even if swimming is not permi ed, the beach at the park will remain open for recrea onal use.

The 2012 Swimming Season at Ontario Beach Park is scheduled to end on Labor Day.


32,000 Phones Seized in NY Counterfeit CrackdownNEW YORK (AP) -- Authori es in New York say they have seized more than 32,000 bogus cellphones and arrested three individuals as part of a crackdown on counterfei ng.

The arrests came Tuesday a er an inves ga on by U.S. Customs offi cials and the Nassau County Police Department.

The inves ga on started last January when Customs offi cials at JFK Airport became suspicious of a shipment of cellphones from China.

Agents removed some of the phones and sent them to the purported manufacturers for tes ng. The tests showed the phones were fake.

Search warrants were executed Tuesday at warehouses in Plainview and Hicksville and on another shipment at JFK. More than 32,000 phones valued at $2 million were seized. Authori es say they also seized $539,710 in cash and 40 fake iPads.

Three alleged distributors were arrested on counterfei ng charges.

NY Moves to Restrict Welfare Spending on AlcoholBy MICHAEL GORMLEY

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ New York would prohibit welfare recipients from spending their tax-funded benefi ts on cigare es, alcohol, gambling, and strip clubs under a bill passed overwhelmingly by the state Senate on Tuesday.

Ten other states have already ruled social services can’t be spent on items from beer to guns.

`Ì understand that people need food stamps,’’ said Republican Sen. Thomas Libous, a Broome County Republican. ``What I don’t understand is why they need to go to strip clubs, buy lo ery ckets, go to a ̀ racino’ or buy alcohol.’’

Libous said New York must restrict the spending by recipients whose benefi ts

are linked to debit cards to conform to federal law. President Barack Obama signed a law in February that will require states to restrict how the cash por on of social services is spent, or lose 5 percent of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funding. New York risks losing $125 million next year.

Others ques oned the need for the restric ons, saying they were a slap at the poor.

`Ìt’s a prejudice, I think, about poor people that we are seeing represented more than any sta s cal or study of behavior,’’ said Sen. Bill Perkins, a Harlem Democat and one of the few senators to vote against the measure. `Ìf they have evidence that there’s a rash of that, I’d like to see it.’’

Libous’s ``Public Assistance Integrity

Act’’ would specifi cally prohibit the purchase of tobacco products, alcohol and lo ery ckets, which would be a regula on that could be hard to enforce. Easier to enforce because of its paper trail would be his proposed ban on the withdrawal of cash from the Electronic Benefi ts Transfer card at automa c teller machines in liquor stores, casinos, and adult entertainment bars and clubs.

Perkins said the bill would penalize a poor mother who simply withdrew money to buy milk if she used an ATM in a banned establishment to do so.

Many states, including New York, issue welfare recipients an Electronic Benefi ts Transfer card, or EBT card, with cash benefi ts. The systems have simplifi ed the distribu on of fi nancial assistance, but they also provide a

way of tracking where the benefi ts are withdrawn.

Washington already bans purchases of alcohol, tobacco, gambling, lo ery ckets, and adult entertainment

while Indiana bans the purchase of guns, gambling and alcohol using social services. Other states with restric ons include Arizona (lo ery ckets), California (gambling, adult

entertainment), Colorado (alcohol, gambling, guns), Maine (alcohol, gambling, adult entertainment), Massachuse s (alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and lo ery), Minnesota (alcohol and tobacco), Pennsylvania (alcohol and tobacco).

New York’s Republican senators who led the bipar san 56-3 vote Tuesday said New Yorkers are amazed the law allows such spending now. The law prohibits the use of food stamps to buy alcohol or tobacco products, but it’s allowed under the ``cash allowance’’ contained in the EBT cards.

```They can do that? Are you kidding me?’’’ said Sen. John DeFrancisco, a Syracuse Republican, in recoun ng cons tuents’ reac on. ``That outrage is well placed,’’ he said.

``Right now, under the law, you can use the cash assigned for gambling, alcohol and lo ery ckets,’’ Libous said. ``We get quite a few complaints on an annual basis.’’

Some state offi cials are concerned the federal measure, and its 5-percent penalty for failure to enact restric ons, infringes on states’ rights to distribute federal welfare benefi ts under their own rules.

Libous says that if New York doesn’t act to restrict spending using welfare cash, the state could lose $125 million in federal funding ed to the federal ini a ve.

Now the bill goes to the Democrat-led Assembly, which hasn’t introduced it.


T e a c h e r Evaluation?!

By Dave McCleary

Three months a er lawmakers ap-proved a state-wide evalua on system for New York teachers, the state Leg-islature on Thursday passed a plan to limit the public disclosure of teacher evalua ons.

The measure, passed on the last day of this year’s legisla ve session, was introduced by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday night and will allow par-ents and guardians to see the evalua- ons of their children’s current teach-

ers; but the general public will only be allowed to see evalua on data a er the names of teachers have been re-moved.

While the new law is a big victory for teachers unions – who oppose wider disclosure of the teacher appraisals –it limits the ability of parents and guardians to shop for good teachers for their children, because evalua on data would only be available to par-ents if they have a child in the teach-er’s class.

Minutes a er the passing of the bill New York State Educa on Commis-sioner John B. King, Jr. issued a state-ment saying the legisla on was a wel-come step.

“Teacher and principal evalua ons help teachers and principals improve their prac ce, which in turn helps students improve their performance. Public disclosure of individual ra ngs would just get in the way of that prog-ress,” the commissioner said.

“Chancellor Tisch, the Board of Re-gents, and I, have repeatedly stressed our opposi on to the disclosure of in-dividual ra ngs.”

Public disclosure of the teacher and principal evalua ons became an is-sue a er a court, in February, under the freedom of informa on law, al-lowed the release of evalua on data for some 18,000 New York City school teachers to news organiza ons.

The move angered teachers and teach-ers’ unions.

In August, evalua ons for fourth through eighth grade teachers of Eng-lish and math around the state are due and – based on the February court or-der – they would have been available to the public beginning August 15.

The new legisla on disallows the public release of those performance grades.

New York City Mayor, Michael Bloom-berg was vocal with his posi on in support of full public disclosure of the evalua ons.

Bloomberg had been lobbying heavily Tuesday to kill the Governor’s eff ort; but as the bill neared a vote by law-makers, he said he was willing to ac-cept a compromise.

“The governor is trying to come to a compromise and do something right. So am I,” Bloomberg told the New York Times, Wednesday.

A er the bill passed Bloomberg issued this statement: “I believe that parents

have a right to full disclosure when it comes to informa on about their child’s educa on, and I am disappoint-ed that this bill falls short of that goal.”

Rochester Teacher Associa on Presi-dent, Adam Urbanski said he thinks the bill is a fair concession. “It protects teachers’ reasonable right to privacy but also gives informa on to those who are en tled to know: parents of students,” he said.

The Senate debated only a few min-utes before passing the bill, 58-1, with only Sen. Andrew Lanza, (R-Staten Is-land), vo ng against it. The Assembly passed the bill with an overwhelming majority, 118-17.

“Being able to have some informa on on the people who are spending a sig-nifi cant amount of me with our chil-dren is important,” noted Candice Lu-cas, chair of the Rochester City School District Parent Advisory Council. “We feel that this is a step in the right direc- on for teachers and parents.”

Lucas says that while she understands

a parent’s desire to get as much infor-ma on as possible so they can select the most qualifi ed teachers, she also respects the right of teachers to have a level of privacy.

“There is defi nitely more work to be done,” she said. “I’m sure this issue is not going away any me soon.”

The disclosure of teacher evalua ons is an issue that may require future leg-isla ve ac on.

Since the passing of the disclosure law there are already conversa ons in cyberspace about ways to bypass the law, by parents sharing the informa- on or pos ng them on websites for

public access.

Other topics being discussed include the passing of so-called parent trigger laws that allow parents to seize control of low-performing public schools and oust the teachers or bring in a private management company.

Teacher Evalua on Bill Passed but Issues Surrounding it Remain

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reacts a er same sex marriage was legalized a er a vote in the Senate Cham-ber at the Capitol in Albany last year. AP Photo


Police Chief Fired over Trayvon Mar n Shoo ngSANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Saying he’s lost the trust of offi cials, a city manager fi red a central Florida police chief who was cri cized for his agency’s ini al inves ga on of Trayvon Mar n’s shoo ng death at the hands of a neighborhood watch volunteer.

Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte said in a Wednesday statement that he relieved Chief Bill Lee of duty because he “determined the Police Chief needs to have the trust and respect of the elected offi cials and the confi dence of the en re community.”

“We need to move forward with a police chief that all the ci zens of Sanford can support,” Bonaparte said. “I have come to this decision in light of the escala ng divisiveness that has

taken hold of the city.”

The ini al lack of an arrest following the death of Mar n, an unarmed black teenager, by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in February led to protests across the na on and spurred a debate about race and the laws of self-defense. Zimmerman’s father is white and his mother is from Peru.

FILE - In this March 22, 2012 fi le photo, Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee speaks to the the media during a news conference as city manager Norton Bonaparte Jr. listens at le , in Sanford Fla. Lee, who was strongly cri cized for his agency’s ini al inves ga on of Trayvon Mar n’s slaying, was fi red Wednesday, June 20, 2012, city offi cials said. Photo: Julie Fletcher / AP

Senate Bill Brings Some Big Changes to Farm PolicyWASHINGTON (AP) — Briefl y pu ng elec on-year poli cs aside, the Senate on Thursday moved toward strong approval of legisla on assuring that farmers hit by bad mes will be protected and that millions of others hurt by the bad economy won’t go hungry.

The Senate is expected to show bipar san support for the $500 billion bill that sets farm safety net and conserva on policies and funds the food stamp program over the next fi ve years. The vote will come a er lawmakers fi nish the fi nal eight of more than 70 amendments the Senate is considering as part of the 1,000-page bill.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky opened Thursday’s session by praising the Senate’s recent successes in ge ng bills passed. McConnell said they were “ge ng back to opera ng the way the Senate tradi onally has.”

The bill goes next to the House, where

there’s less enthusiasm for it among conserva ve Republicans. The House Agriculture Commi ee has delayed a vote on the farm bill un l July 11, and it’s uncertain when the full House will vote. The 2008 farm bill expires at the end of September.

One issue the Senate le unresolved that the House will have to consider is a division between northern and southern farmers over safety nets.

The Senate bill makes major changes in past prac ces, elimina ng direct payments to farmers regardless of whether they plant a crop and replacing the payments with greater emphasis on crop insurance and a new revenue protec on plan that compensates farmers for minor losses un l crop insurance kicks in.

Northern and Midwestern corn and soybean farmers support the change, but southern rice and peanut farmers, who have relied more heavily on direct payments and a target price subsidy that would also be eliminated, are looking to the House to keep at least

some parts of the old system.

Senate supporters say the changes to the subsidy programs will save $15 billion over the next 10 years. The en re bill, with savings to conserva on programs and food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutri on Assistance Program, or SNAP, would save the treasury $23 billion over that period.

The Senate bill also limits subsidy payments to those with adjusted gross income of less than $750,000, half the current ceiling, and caps payments at $50,000 for an individual or $100,000 for a couple. An amendment approved Wednesday would also reduce by 15 percentage points the taxpayer share of crop insurance premiums for those with incomes of more than $750,000. The government now pays an average 62 percent of crop insurance premiums.

The bill also ends payments to “farm managers,” some mes wealthy people who may have an interest in a farm but don’t live on the property or ac vely engage in farming.

Food stamps con nue to command the great majority of farm bill dollars. Spurred by the bad economy, there are now 46 million people ge ng food stamps, at a cost of about $80 billion a year. That’s 80 percent of the en re farm bill budget.

The farm bill does make an eff ort to end abuse or misuse of SNAP benefi ts. Lo ery winners and college students being supported by their non-low-income families no longer qualify. The bill cracks down on benefi t traffi cking, prevents liquor and tobacco stores from accep ng food stamps and closes a loophole in which some states

give as li le as $1 a year in hea ng assistance to people, even when they don’t have hea ng bills, to increase their food stamp benefi ts. That saves about $4 billion over 10 years, a ny part of the $770 billion the program is expected to spend, and senators rejected amendments that would have made deeper cuts in the program.

The measure also diff ers from past farm bills in paying more a en on to what are called specialty crops, mainly fruits and vegetables. It expands block grants to states to support research and promo on of specialty crops, assists organic farmers and expands support for farmers’ markets and programs that help get healthy foods to low-income areas.

S ll, there are numerous groups that say the bill doesn’t go far enough in cas ng off old farm bill habits. The conserva ve Club for Growth said it s ll asserts too much government control in the private sector. The public interest advocacy group U.S. PIRG said the bill “will con nue the current prac ce of dispropor onately subsidizing the largest agribusinesses, who are already profi table and don’t need taxpayer handouts.”

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., long a watchdog for special interest projects included in highway and farm bills, noted that the bill doesn’t change the program that protects sugar growers from foreign compe on and creates a new $3 billion program for co on growers. He said there is also money in the bill to improve the U.S. sheep industry, study the health benefi ts of peas and len ls and plant trees in urban parks.


Strokes Can Happen in Anyone’s NeighborhoodBy Susan S. McDaniel, M.Ed. CCC-SLP (Speech Language Pathologist at HCR Home Care)

James Mullen lives in your neighborhood; you probably have seen him around. Maybe he is your brother, your cousin, or your neighbor. He is quiet in the morning, but the life of the party at night. He has been like that for years, and anyone who knows James fi nds it hard not to like him. When he started ac ng silly one night and falling down, everyone thought he was just being himself and goofi ng off . But that night was diff erent from most others. Actually, that night his life was changed forever. A stroke can do that to you, and a stroke did just that to James. Once he got his friends to fi nally recognize he wasn’t horsing around, they drove him to the emergency department of a local hospital where he remained for about ten days.

Strokes occur more o en in the United States than you may think. Stroke is the third leading cause of death, killing more than 150,000 American Adults every year. And about four million people live with post stroke aff ects. In our region, the average rate of hospitaliza on for strokes is 388 per 100,000, and African American mortality rates for stroke are higher than other groups (when compared to La nos and White/non-La nos).

There are many risk factors that can cause a stroke such as: High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, smoking, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol consump on, life style, ethnicity, and diet. Symptoms of stroke include: Weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, a sudden confusion or trouble talking or understanding,

sudden trouble moving or walking, severe sudden headache, to name a few.

Strokes happen suddenly and can leave permanent damage; just ask James. When he was discharged from the hospital to go back home, James could barely walk by himself because of paralysis on his right side. When he spoke, James talked in a so whisper that was hard for everyone to hear. He could not feed himself easily, as he only had use of one hand. And for the fi rst me in his life, James had been prescribed several medica ons, all of which he had to manage on his own.

It was at this point that James’ physician realized he needed assistance at home and ordered home health services. The primary goal of his mul disciplinary Stroke Rehabilita on Team was to make sure James could live safely and independently at home. James’ Social Worker located a used refrigerator and a microwave to replace the broken appliances in his home. The Occupa onal Therapist got him a one-handed can opener, so he could open up canned foods by himself. The Physical Therapist worked with him on his walking and balance so he could get in and out of his apartment safely, and walk around with the proper assis ve device like a cane. The Speech Pathologist worked with James to get him use to a loud voice regularly and encouraged him to eat so foods to prevent choking. Nurses who worked with James to make sure he understood his new medica ons and how to feed himself through the gastrostomy tube (tube inserted into his stomach because his swallowing muscles were damaged by the stroke).

The Stroke Team of HCR Home Care worked with James un l he was able

to receive out-pa ent rehabilita on services at a local center where he could con nue his therapies. While James may not be able to party as he used to, he is s ll walking around, living independently by himself, and spending me with his friends. He is pre y happy about that. A stroke came on suddenly and changed his life forever, but because of his therapies and the detailed care of his stroke team, James is living on his own, just where he wants to be.

Susan McDaniel is Speech/Language Pathologist with HCR Home Care

whose Transcultural Team’s purpose is reducing dispari es in health outcomes of African Americans and other minority groups. HCR provides nursing, therapy, home health aide service, and companion care to older adults in the comfort of their homes. It is the only home care agency in our region to be designated a winner of the na onal Top 100 Home Care Elite Award, and is a valued partner of Minority Reporter and the Perspec ves TV show. To learn more call us at 585-295-6590, or visit www.hcrhealth.com.

Learn the National Stroke Association’s

Act FAST test:

FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple

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Romney Faces La no Group Amid Immigra on DebateBy STEVE PEOPLES |

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Mi Romney is taking an economic-focused message directly to Hispanic leaders, facing a large gathering of the infl uen al vo ng bloc for the fi rst me since immigra on was thrust into the forefront of the presiden al contest.

The presump ve Republican presiden al nominee on Thursday is addressing the Na onal Associa on of La no Elected and Appointed Offi cials in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. President Barack Obama will speak to the same group Friday.

Romney has struggled in recent days to clarify his immigra on policy as he pivots from the harsh rhetoric that defi ned the monthslong GOP primary to a general elec on audience in which La nos will play a cri cal role. The stakes are high not only for states with larger Hispanic popula ons such as Florida, Nevada and Colorado, but for a growing number of other ba legrounds — Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia, among them — where even a modest shi among La no voters could be signifi cant.

At least 1 in 6 Americans is of Hispanic descent, according to the Census Bureau.

“We’re talking about a signifi cant share of the American electorate that could well decide this elec on,” said Arturo Vargas, execu ve director of the La no associa on. “It’s only now that both candidates are turning their a en on to the La no vote.”

Romney’s speech comes as the Supreme Court prepares to render judgment on a get-tough Arizona law and a er Obama announced plans to ease deporta on rules for some children of illegal immigrants.

Obama is riding a wave of La no enthusiasm over his decision to allow hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to stay in the country and work. Under the administra on plan, illegal immigrants can avoid deporta on if they can prove they were brought to the United States before they turned 16 and are younger than 30, have been in the country for at least fi ve con nuous years, have no criminal history, and graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED or served in the military.

The new policy could help anywhere from 800,000 young immigrants, the administra on’s es mate, to 1.4 million, the Pew Hispanic Center’s es mate.

Romney has refused to say whether he would reverse the policy if elected, but he has seized on the temporary status of Obama’s plan as his prime cri cism. The Republican has also highlighted what he calls the president’s “broken

promises” to deliver comprehensive immigra on reform during his fi rst term.

“These people deserve to understand what their status will be long term, not just 4 1/2 months,” Romney said on Fox News Radio this week. “And that’s why I think it’s important for me and for Congress to come together to put together a plan that secures the border, that insists that we have an employment verifi ca on system and that deals with the children of those who have come here illegally on a long-term basis, not a stopgap measure.”

Both sides are cra ing aggressive strategies to appeal to a demographic that is by no means monolithic but has supported Democrats in recent elec ons. Some Republicans fear — and Democrats hope — that Obama could capitalize on this moment to help solidify Hispanic voters as predominantly Democra c this fall and for years to come, much as President Lyndon Johnson hardened the black vote for Democrats as he pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

As is typical, Romney intends to focus on the economy when he faces the La no conven on. The former Massachuse s governor argues that his economic creden als would benefi t all people who have struggled under Obama’s leadership in recent years — women, younger voters and Hispanics among them.

That’s a message that resonates with La nos, according to Vargas. “Overall, what’s on the minds of the folks who will be gathering here is the state of the economy — the need for more jobs,” he said. “La no workers have suff ered.”

Regardless of his focus, Romney’s appearance will draw a en on to his recent rhetoric on the issue.

Facing a Rhode Island audience in April, for example, Romney drew large cheers when he said: “We want people to come here legally. And we like it when they come here speaking English.”

He did not support the Obama administra on’s lawsuit challenging Arizona’s hard-line immigra on law. And he said that he would veto the DREAM Act, which would have given legal status to some children of illegal immigrants.

Obama so far has vastly outspent Romney on Spanish-language television and radio. But Romney has released targeted TV and radio ads in Spanish, including some that feature one of Romney’s sons, a fl uent Spanish speaker.

Romney is set to leave Florida later Thursday en route to a three-day retreat with fundraisers in Utah.

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Recent Examples of Racism 2012One would think that a er decades of concentrated a w a r e n e s s , a c t i v i t i e s , o r g a n i z a t i o n s , eff orts, and events to combat racism more progress would have been made by 2012.

One would certainly think that a er the

Civil War allegedly ended the peculiar ins tu on called slavery that we could all get along.

The late Rodney King o en given credit for being the “father” of the Los Angeles riots coined a phrase that is o en ignored: “Can’t we all just get along?”

Recent events that occurred in my li le corner of the world suggest we may have come a long way baby, but we have miles to go in this ongoing ba le with racism.

Most people who look like me are accustomed to racial profi ling, and recognize it occurs more so when certain cars are being driven by men of color.

I have one friend who drives a car that some young folks would die for. I won’t bother with too much of a descrip on because I don’t want to contribute to the poten al for harassment that accompanies any cri cism of law enforcement at mes.

Let’s just say the vehicle has eight cylinders and is an a en on-ge er. My friend recently stopped by a store in the ‘burbs in a small plaza.

Because parking was not a luxury he found a space to the le of an inconsiderate driver who had straddled lines when

parking his/her vehicle.

My friend managed to get his car in a space that was alongside a handicapped parking zone. He was unaware that his front re was about an inch off the line and sat inside the handicapped zone.

You just have to see the pictures to really comprehend my descrip on. His car in no way prevented another vehicle from u lizing the handicapped parking space, but managed to get him a cket from a less than sensi ve offi cer of the law.

A cket he will fi ght, hopefully before a judge that will determine how vindic ve the offi cer’s a tude that wrote the cket was.

My friend bit blood into his lip and tongue trying hard not to respond to the nasty a tude that accompanied this offi cer in the line of duty.

According to my friend the offi cer in blue, while wearing a gun, a billy club, and mace dared him to say anything in protest of the cket.

I honestly felt he would have wound up behind bars if he had said anything that could have been misinterpreted by the so-called peace offi cer.

Our recent heat wave has given rise to another incident I perceive to be racially mo vated.

Again, I will not name names to protect the innocent. I invited four of my “nephews” to take a dip in the pool. I am allowed to entertain guests at this pool if I so choose to.

My four nephews all stand about 6 feet 2 inches tall. Their pigmenta on is representa ve of people of color; we

come in all fl avors.

These young men are all in college, home for the summer and represent the posi ve side of our community.

They are all in their twen es and by the Grace of God have never been in jail.

They are not thugged out, drugged out and any less than respec ul to adults and their elders. They are what most adults would call nice young men, with a future.

So, why when they entered the pool did others who did not share their pigmenta on choose to leave? What threat did they pose? Did someone think they were going to drink all the water or leave stains that chlorine could not kill? People literally went to the rental offi ce to complain about their presence I was told.

The fi rst day they came, armed with a football they tossed, no one including the lifeguard, found it to be a problem. It only became a problem when they returned the next day.

In trying to give folks the benefi t of the doubt all I could do was revisit and old movie in my mind where white kids were pulled from a pool because a black kid stuck their feet in the water.

The incident was surreal to me and was no less than racially mo vated.

I couldn’t help but imagine if four white males in college would have been treated with such disdain.

All I know is the cowards, reporters and those who fear being in the presence of young black males need to get over themselves, because they will be back per my invita on.

Bullies never have done any more than irritate me. I don’t nor do I encourage others to run from them. It is just sad to me that in 2012 we s ll have folks in the community in midated by presence alone.

If folks were ac ng out like some young folks can, it is understandable.

But what we encountered, in my opinion, was a mindset based solely on appearance, along with the assump on there was going to be a problem. And they felt the need to correct it even before a problem manifested itself.

Yep, there were folks who seemingly were in fear of their lives and ran for the hills, but not before stopping by the rental offi ce to ques on the four “bucks” in the pool.

They wanted an explana on as to who they were and who they were with. They felt unsafe. They also assumed their children were in harms way also because they were sharing a pool with four young men of color who were looking to do nothing more than stay cool.

These are just some examples racism that came across my radar screen this week. I am confi dent there are more.

We all have to be careful and recognize to paint a picture with broad strokes from a brush can be dangerous. First impressions are never wrong un l we take a second look.

GLORIA WINSTONAL-SARAG

----------------------------------Gloria Winston Al-Sarag is a Community Activist, Writer, Communicator, Political Activist. She is a native Roches-terian and has been involved with numerous community orgainzations in Rochester. Contact Gloria at: [email protected]

Why Schools Can’t DisciplineI have discovered over the years that school staff has lost the ability to discipline students. My father used to say that he didn’t have to do anything but stay black and die; everything else was a choice. Some students live

by this… literally! They have chosen not to comply

with even the most basic direc on given by adults. My theory is that school policies, prac ces and procedures in high density black and La no, urban districts have become so

rigid and prison like, that some children have learned to push the envelope and accept the worst punishments that we have to off er.

And, in light of all of the local, state and federal policy that governs schools, what “stay black and die” students have discovered and shared with the masses of other students is that our worst punishments aren’t so bad. In one building I was in, a student slapped the principal right across the face as hard as she could. They held a hearing and a er a fi ve-day suspension, the student was allowed back into school. In a diff erent school a child told the principal to “get the h--- out of his face” when he was asked to get into his

school uniform. Another student told the principal to “shut the h--- up” when they were asked to go to their class. Some students feel that they are well within their rights to address not only their teachers, but the school principal with disrespect and belligerence. I shudder to think of what would have happened if I ever cursed at, toward or around my old principal, Dr. Thieme, my dean, Mrs. Robinson or any of my teachers. I don’t what to know what they or my parents would have done and I wasn’t going to be the one who found out. We have some very well-behaved students in the Rochester City School District. I can tes fy to this fi rst hand, but when they witness other students get away with egregious behavior over

and over again, and they realize those students always come back as if nothing happened, the en re system loses credibility. Students are very astute; they have seen our hold card it is frightening. Children intrinsically feel that adults in school can’t keep them safe because legally, adults cannot even keep themselves safe. My best guess would be that some adult in the district is cursed, pushed, hit or worse at the hands of someone’s child. The well-behaved child bears witness to maladap ve behaviors of a child who misbehaves, gets put out of class, and gets sent right back for the teacher to provide a consequence. In most cases, the children are not forced to off er the teacher an apology for

DIANE WATKINS


Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn S ll in the Wrong A er Death of an Innocent Dog

Despite his d e p a r t m e n t ’ s support of the Do The Right Thing program, which encourages kids to do good in school, respect adults, stay out of trouble, and tell the truth, Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn – did the

wrong thing – on Friday, June 15, when he announced that the killing of Diablo, an innocent, loving, family pitbull, by two Monroe County Sheriff ’s depu es was jus fi ed.

Ac ng like a typical poli cian, O’Flynn inten onally waited un l the weekend to announce what he knew would be very unpopular news.

Then O’Flynn, not only jus fi ed the shoo ng of an innocent pet by his depu es, but it appears he also lied in an a empt to cover up his depu es’ ac ons.

Depu es Shaun LeClair, and Ma Clancy fi red at least four rounds at Diablo, with at least one of those rounds penetra ng through the home’s garage door, ricoche ng off the cement fl oor then going through a garage window, nearly missing a house next door.

One very disturbing thing is that it appears that 7-year-old Diablo, was shot in the back of the head, indica ng that he was

retrea ng, and therefore contradic ng Sheriff O’Flynn’s claims that Diablo was charging at the depu es, in what he referred to as an “extremely aggressive manner.”

O’Flynn, who ini ally stated that his depu es were dispatched to the home for a call about a house party, changed his story less than 48 hours a er the shoo ng, saying that the reason they went to the residence on Whitney Road was for an illegally parked vehicle in front of the residence.

Gary Brockler, Diablo’s owner, was in his living room watching a movie when he heard what he describes as several loud bangs. When he opened his front door and walked outside he saw LeClair, Clancy and several other Monroe County Sheriff ’s depu es and his dog Diablo, laying in dead in the driveway.

When asked why it takes several offi cers for an illegally parked vehicle, O’Flynn stu ered, back-pedaled, then stated: “That is what I am trying to determine.”

In announcing his decision that his depu es were jus fi ed, O’Flynn made no comments as to why it took several offi cers to come tell someone their vehicle is parked illegally.

The only thing O’Flynn said was that the responding depu es were alerted by a Monroe County Sheriff ’s Offi ce sergeant who had driven by Gary Brockler’s residence and no ced the illegally parked

vehicle.

According to O’Flynn the offi cer “had no cita ons with him” so therefore could not write any ckets.

That s ll doesn’t answer why it took several Monroe County Sheriff ’s Offi ce depu es to respond for an illegally parked car.

On Tuesday, June 5, 2012, shortly before I held my fi rst “Rally for Diablo” outside the Monroe County Sheriff ’s Offi ce headquarters downtown, Patrick O’Flynn was on a local morning radio show laughing about the planned rally outside his offi ce.

At one point, when the show’s hosts joked about “a bunch of people holding candles for some dog,” and asked O’Flynn if he would be watching the rally from his offi ce window, O’Flynn laughed and said he would.

It was on that same radio show appearance that O’Flynn con nued his cover up of the incident.

In a commonly used law enforcement tac c, and a clear a empt to take a en on away from the public’s outrage of his department’s shoo ng of an innocent pet, O’Flynn announced that someone had posted a $1,000 bounty on Facebook for anyone who would shoot the depu es involved in the shoo ng and killing of Diablo.

As expected, local media ran with the story, and, along with O’Flynn con nued to spin this injus ce, and take the a en on away from the real issue – that depu es LeClair and Clancy illegally entered Gary Brockler’s private property, and executed his dog, fi ring at least four shots, recklessly pu ng innocent people’s lives at risk.

It’s interes ng that, with today’s technology, where just about anything and everything can be traced through a person’s ip address, etc., if in fact such an incident had occurred, where someone used the internet to threaten the lives of two depu es by off ering a bounty then why hasn’t anyone in the Monroe County Sheriff ’s Offi ce commented on this incident?

Why haven’t there been any updates on any inves ga on while a emp ng to locate this individual? And why hasn’t anyone been arrested?

Perhaps, one of the most ironic and disturbing things about this incident is that O’Flynn serves on the board of directors of the Rochester Humane Society.

It seems to me that there is nothing humane about two cops needlessly shoo ng to death an innocent dog.

DAVY VARA

disrup ng the educa onal process. Let’s take an historic trip through the halls of student discipline in American schools and compare it to where we are today. Some methods that have been used to insure student compliance have been corporal punishment, deten on, suspension or expulsion. Corporal punishment a.k.a paddling, is outlawed in 30 of the 50 states in the U.S. It is perceived as one of the most unpalatable of forms of disciplining children in schools. NYS banned this prac ce in 1985 therefore this form of discipline has no bearing on current students. Deten ons (lunch & a er school) are probably the most commonly used form of discipline for RCSD students. For the most part, the onus for administering

this form of discipline falls directly on the classroom teacher. Many mes what happens in middle and high school is; the more undisciplined students simply do not show up. They skip both lunch and a er school deten ons!

It then becomes the obliga on of the classroom teacher to follow up with the school’s administra on to try to get them to assign the student some form of discipline. Meanwhile, the student con nues to show up in class as if nothing ever happened. Some mes, administrators will assign non-compliant students to the In-School Suspension room and guess what? Some of them skip that too! They choose to stay home instead. This

kind of defeats the purpose because the next levels of punishments include out-of-school suspensions. Out-of-school suspensions have also proven to be non-eff ec ve for the undisciplined student. It is as if they are okay with being forced to stay home. The longest suspension that a principal can assign, a er a hearing, is 5 days. A superintendent can assign a longer suspension. The most severe and extreme form of student discipline available to school districts is expulsion. This means to put a child out of school for an extended period of me o en for an en re year. In NYS, a child under the age of 17 cannot be expelled, for any reason. The lack of ability for schools to eff ec vely discipline is one reason that they have

become reliant on the Rochester Police Department to deal with things like fi st fi ghts or students refusing to leave school grounds.All in all, staff s at RCSD schools do not have the capacity to eff ec vely discipline defi ant students. This is why it is so important that parents have control, not only over their child’s behavior at home, but how that child acts in public places, including school. If you have lost control of your child, please get help from your family members, friends, neighbors, your pastor or any other caring soul because schools have lost the ability to deal with undisciplined children.

The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not

necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of Minority Reporter.


7:30 pm: Steve Grills & the Roadmasters9 pm: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

Michael Butterman, Conductor10 pm: Fireworks over Downtown

7:30 pm: Steve vevevevevevevvve GrGrGrGriGGrGrGrGrGrrGr llsllllllsllsllsllsllssllslls & & thethetheeeetheeeehe RoRo RoRoRoRoRoRoRooRRoadmadmadmadmadmadmdmadmadmadmadmastasasasasasasasasas ers9 pm: Rochese ter Phhhhhhhhillhahaarmrmrmononononooooonicicicccccc OOOOOOOOOOOOrcrrrrr hestra

Michael Buttermerman,ana CoCoCCC ndundundndddddnd ctocc r10 pm: Fireewoworkrks ss ovovovoverrrer DDDDowo ntown

Main Street at South Ave. & Exchange Blvd.

With the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

With the RochesterCelebration

free parking at city garages:Outside the city call 428-5990

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