Analysis of a Police Report

A Police Report Shows Need for Training

Background

     In October of 2017 a tenant at Elm Park Tower passed out flyers at a tenants crime watch meeting that was being run by the Worcester Housing Authority (WHA). The Head of  security ordered the tenant to leave the room. The Head of security instructed an Worcester Police Office to talk with the tenant.

     The Head of security and the Executive Director of the WHA were planning to ban the tenant from any WHA meeting. They complained that the tenant was a nuisance or a joke, and disruptive.

     People in the community opposed this ban and held a demonstration, helped by the Mass. Human Rights and Progressive Labor Party,  outside of Em Park Tower. People also interviewed witnesses and gathered statements of the incident, including the police report.

    The WHA management folded and  sent a letter to the tenant saying he was welcomed at tenants, meetings.

Police Report

     The police report is surprising in that the officer went to the tenant's apartment as the officer did not witness any disruption. The report only says that the tenant was passing out flyers with a few demands for changing the lease.

      Passing flyers at a meeting is a civil right protected by the First Amendment from governmental interference (especially by the police). 

     The officer in his report tells the tenant that if the tenant does not like the lease the tenant can move. This is inappropriate as the police officer is supposed to be investigating a disruption and not intimidating tenants or interpreting housing statutes. 

     The bias of the police officer is again seen when he tells the tenant the meeting is not open to the public. Whether the meeting was open to the public is not relevant, as the meeting was open to all tenants. 

     It is clear that the management of the WHA is a bully violating tenants. rights. It is also clear that the Worcester Police knowingly or in ignorance violated the civil rights of a tenant.

SCHOOL TO JAIL PIPELINE AND ICE

Superintendent Maureen Binienda

              

SCHOOL TO JAIL PIPELINE AND  ICE

Meeting With Superintendent Binienda 7-12-17

On July 12, 2017 people from Mass. Human Rights Comte., Progressive Party, and other met with School Superintendent Maureen Binienda and School Safety Officer Robert Pezzella. The discussion included the so called School to Jail Pipeline, Policies regarding ICE, and high stakes testing.

 Regarding the issue of the school resource officers (police in schools) many of the issued raised seemed to outside of the School Administration to control.  Whether school resource officers (SRO) should carry guns in school and when they make arrests are decisions that can only be changed by the Police Chief and the City Manager.

Mr. Pezzella promised to provide further information regarding the number of students arrested at school for last 2 years, the curriculum of the 40 hours of training that was given to the SROs, number students given long term suspensions over the last 2 years, and the latest Memorandum of Understanding with the City Police Department.

Superintendent Binienda and Mr. Pezzella indicated several times that they wanted to maintain a dialog with the community and hoped that the documents provided would help in that dialog.

Another part of the School to Jail Pipeline discussed was the afterschool programs at the Worcester Public Schools. Superintendent Binienda said that these programs are especially effective during traditionally problematic hours of 3 PM to 6 PM. She said students not in Worcester Public Schools participates in the programs and the program provide a service to the entire City.

The Worcester Public Schools do not as a rule enforce Federal laws. As a rule ICE is not allowed on School buildings or provided students’ information except by Federal warrant or summons. With the summons the School District is given 24 hours to comply. Superintendent Binienda said that Administration would take appropriate actions within the 24 hours compliance period.

The Schools do not ask for or keep information regarding a student’s immigration status. Should a student return to his home and find that his parents have been arrested by ICE, there is program at the Schools to help the student.

When asked about any effect of high stakes testing, both Superintendent Binienda and Mr. Pezzella were of one mind that it was a complex issue. Neither would say that high stakes testing had any significant adverse effect on any student’s success.

 There will be a meeting of the Massachusetts Human Committee on July 19, 2017, 6PM at the YMCA 766 Main St. Worcester, MA 01610 to discuss and plan activities around the information we obtained from the meeting with the School Administration.

For information:  Gordon T. Davis 508 757 5873

A Year of Struggle

A Year of Struggle  2016-2017

April 2017

End School to Jail School Comte. 4-27-17

March for Science

Black and Latino Caucas

Anti Hate Crime Rally at Mosque

End Racist School to Jail Pipeline

City Delegation to State Ed, Funds

March 2017

International Women's Day 

February 2017

No Racist Deportation Forum 2017

This link to Worcester News. It covered the anti hate crimes petitions. Go to 3:02 on video.

https://youtu.be/DeQxYtU2D_U?t=207

Sanctuary Training

January 2017

Inauguration Day Rally in Worcester 

December 2016

Sanctuary City meeting 

November 2016

Sat. After Elections 

Rally for Immigrants

October 2016

State Candidate Education Forum

September 2016

Screening of documentary " Profiled"

July 2016

Protest Murder of Sterling and Castile

May 2016

Green Rainbow State Convention

May Day

The Connection Between Budget and Racist School to Jail Pipeline

The Connection Between Budget and Racist School to Jail Pipeline

During the old civil movement of the 1960s, it was shown that the principle of racially “separate and equal “schools was a myth. The non- White majority schools always got the inferior funding and resources. Although unlawful there are still attempts to create racially “separate and equal” public school systems. The beginning of the charter school movement in Massachusetts was based on the refusal of some White Boston parents to the desegregation of Boston schools.

During the 1990s the issue of separate and unequal schools based on property taxes was remedied to some extent by MGL Chapter 70. This statute removed basic school funding from cities and towns. Under the statute the State would provide a “foundation” budget for all of the public school districts

The foundation budget was based on the number of students in a school district. A monetary figure is assigned to each student. That number is about $6,500.00. So a school district gets that number of dollars multiplied by the total number of students in the district.

The foundation budget did not prevent cities and towns from adding to their respective school budget based on property taxes.  Of course the more affluent towns added more to their school budget as a rule, than did the less affluent cities. Last year Worcester added $500,000 to its school budget on top of the foundation funding provided by the State. Economic disparities continue.

The foundation funding from the State has some problems that need correcting. The first is that more Cities are becoming “Gateway Cities” in which live and work many immigrants and other newly arrived people. This population is larger in some cities than others. The resources needed for this population exceed the $6,500 per student provided by the foundation budget,

Another population that is underfunded are the special needs children whose costs of education greatly exceed the $6500. The cost to educate this group of children is almost two and one half times higher than the foundation funding.

The foundation funding does not cover some teachers’ benefits such as health care. The Gateway Cities’ school districts have more teachers and higher teacher benefits costs. There is little or no property tax money to cover the benefits needed to attract good teachers and ensure their long service.

The so called Gateway Cities and other poor communities have large people of color populations. The cutbacks that occur because of the lack of fully funded schools causes conditions that exacerbate the school to prison pipeline.

There are lacks of supplies. Programs such as art and music are cut. Summer and after school academics are ended. Most importantly the student to teach ratio is increased. Several teachers has said that 35 students to 1 teacher is not uncommon in Worcester.

Lack of teachers, lack of programs, and lack of supplies are setting the conditions for children to get into trouble. These items also increase the likelihood that children experiencing difficulties will drop out. Dropping out will increase the likelihood of problems outside of school.

All children suffer from the underfunding of public schools. Although some school committee people are good people and are somethings to mitigate the lack of adequate funds, some city official do not see themselves as fighters for fully funded schools and an end to the school to jail pipeline.

The City officials should see themselves as asserting the rights of the children who can not do it for themselves. The attitude of “It is not my job “or “color blindness” will not due.

There is a need for a coalition of Gateway Cities and other underfunded school district to be form and pressure the legislature for reform of the Chapter 70 and the end of the racist school to jail pipeline.

Gifts For Worcester

Epiphany Gifts for Worcester

     Giving gifts at the end of year is a tradition around the Western world. It has become secular and commercial. I grew up Roman Catholic and the Church tried to make this end of year gift giving religious.

An attempt was mad to connect the gifts of the three wise men to Christmas day.  Some culture still exchange gifts on the Epiphany.

So in the secular spirit of the Epiphany, I wish the following to people.

1.     To the Worcester City Council I wish a big box of common sense. The schools of Worcester are seeking “private money” for equipment and teachers. At the same time the City Council is taking out a loan for $250,000 to build one dog park.

Common sense tells us that it is the dog owners who should seek a private funds for the park. Common sense says that our children are more important than the dogs.

The Worcester City Council has also allocated $400,000 a year for four horses. Boston has gotten rid of their horses because of the expense.

Some City Councillors have said the crazy idea that the horses will help “community” policing.  Common sense is that there is no community policing when you are 12 feet up on a horse.  

2.     To the pedestrians and drivers of Worcester I wish for a 25 mph speed limit on City streets. There have been too many pedestrians killed or injured in Worcester. A 25 mph speed limit would help and remind drivers that city streets are congested with other cars, pedestrians, and children.

Hopefully there will be no pedestrian deaths in 2017

3.     For Union Station I wish better handicap accessibility. This lack of handicap accessibility is well known to the City Manager. It is especially bad for handicap pick up or drop off at the Interstate bus terminal.

Union Station is built over Mill Brook and its water is damaging the structure. To make this white elephant a modern and sustainable transportation center might mean tearing it down.

 In the meantime as a quick fix the area where the taxis park should be made into a handicap pick up and drop off area. The area around Columbus ‘statue should be made into the taxi waiting area.

4.     To the children in the Worcester Public School I wish that the racist bloggers and other racist people would stop attacking you. You are the value in the heart of this City. These racist attacks not only are hurtful, but it hurts everyone in the City.

People move away and properties values go down everytime the racist bloggers, City councilor, and School Committee members open their foul mouths.

5.     For every human being in the Worcester area I wish for you your human right of good drinking water. It is fairly certain that the amount rainfall for the area has on average decreased from 48 inches annually to 38 inches.

There is a need for some forward thinking people to begin planning for an improved water infrastructure that can adapt to the new reality of Global Warming.

6.     For the police I wish that they can be brave enough to wear body cameras. It would help all concerned.

7.     Wishing everyone good fortune and happiness.

Goimg Back to Electoral College

Going Back to Electoral College

                                            

This year was the second year in 16 years that an USA Presidential Election had a candidate with the most popular votes who did not get the most Electoral College votes. Now there are calls for the abolition of the Electoral College. Its abolition is almost impossible and it will have to wait for a new generation of voters. People working on its abolition are probably wasting their energies.

There is a Gordian Knot entanglement between states and the Electoral  

College.  The Electoral College was created to protect small states. There is no workable definition of a state, except that a state is what the Congress defines it to be. As a result we have hodgepodge of political entities such as Alaska and Rhode Island which are states. Other political entities such as the District of Columbia are not.

At first the Electoral College protected the states with small populations from being dominated by the states with large populations. Of course this creates inequalities. For example the smallest state in terms of population is Wyoming with about 550, 000 residents. Wyoming has 3 votes (electors) in the Electoral College. Montana which also has 3 electors, but almost twice the number of residents.

This proportional inequality is magnified when Wyoming is compared to larger states like California.

The supporters of the Electoral College will sometimes argue that the Electoral College will prevent national voter recounts. The recounts would be limited to individual states. An example of this is the Florida recount of 2000.

Even then in 2000 the Electoral College did not prevent a Constitutional crisis. The Supreme Court ruling has not resolved that issue. For that reason Jill Stein of the Green Party is seeking recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

As an old friend once told me the real motivation for American politics is race and class.  So it is with the Electoral College,

Originally the proposal was for the President of the United States to be elected by the Congress. There was no popular election. Many thought that men without means could not elect a qualified president. Those who argued for a popular election by the people had to settle for the election by the states via Electors who then elected the President in a process described in Article II of the Constitution.

Unfairly women did not have the Franchise until the1920s. No enslaved person could vote. This disfranchisement of Black people continues in the form of not allowing ex-felons the Franchise and by voter suppression.

All of the Anti Bellum slave states supported the Electoral College as the enslaved people were not counted as people in the Federal Census. Our ancestors were counted as chattel. This meant that all of the slave states had very residents. The slaves owning plantation class were relatively few in number.

 Faced with the loss of political power all of the slave states took their horrible irrationality and crimes a step further. They argued that enslaved people were not people when in their respective states, but should be counted as a person in the Federal Census.

Of course the free soil states pushed back and said “no”. From that dispute arose the so compromise that enslaved people would be counted as 3/5 of a person in the Federal Census.

The abolition of slavery by the 13^th Amendment put an end to that particular issue for the Electoral College.

Since the Civil War the Electoral College has been a refuge for the smaller mostly rural states like Wyoming. The United States like the rest of the world is moving to a point that 80 percent of the world population will soon be living in cities.

The material conditions are changing such that not only the Electoral College, but its small states protectors are becoming obsolete and something of an anachronism.

A reasonable person could wonder about the usefulness of the Electoral College and then wonder about the usefulness of small states like Wyoming, Montana, Vermont, and even Massachusetts. 

Gaffney, Lukes, and a Few Dollars More

A Few Dollars More

When thinking about Reverend Sarai Rivera’s church building controversy and the City Council of Worcester, Malcolm X, southern Black churches, and the White Citizens Councils come to mind. The Worcester City Council has given its support for the partial removal of Federal block grant money from the fund to demolish six condemned properties in Worcester. One of the properties is a building owned by Reverend Rivera’s church.

The controversy arises because Reverend Rivera is also a City Councillor.

Reverend Rivera is co minister of the Christian Community Church which is open to all races and serves a mostly Hispanic congregation. Reverend Rivera has been an outspoken critic of the Worcester Police in the past, especially after the police killing of Cristino Hernandez. Reverend Rivera has also shown support for the Black Lives Matter civil rights movement.

To be fair Reverend Rivera has also express support for the Worcester Police, especially in its efforts to remove trail bikes from the streets.

The City Manager has defended his decision to include the property own by Reverend Rivera’s church in the Federal block grant for demolition of condemned properties.

The property met the same criteria as the other properties on the Manager lists.

The appropriateness of the money going to the church was originally raised by a blogger who is known for his racism. A White City Councillor who has been characterized as a racist, brought the issue to City Council.. It was alleged that a person in blackface attended one of this City Councillor’s fundraisers.

It is not the first time this White City Councillor has attacked Reverend Rivera. He wrote offensive electronic posts, as claimed by a Worcester weekly newspaper, against her several months ago. He has attackrd another woman of color when he sought to close Mosaic Center.

Malcolm X said that black coffee loses its essence if too much milk is added. For a long time some people in government and elsewhere said that they were “revolutionaries” or at least progressives. These people I suppose were well meaning, but they misled the struggle for racial and economic justice.

The southern Black churches during the old Civil Rights movement supported its ministers independently of the White community.  It was known that taking the “man’s” money brought ambiguity to whom the ministers were ministering.  A predominantly Black church’s minister was on the board of directors for Mosaic; he abruptly quit the board. It is known that he also serves on at least one committee run by the City with some funding involved. A reasonable person could conclude that instead of ministering to his flock, there is ambiguity in his responsibilities.

 A history of divide and conquer by the racists existed in the old civil rights movement. It seems to be extant in the new Civil Rights Movement. We have learned from the old Civil Rights movement that the strongest organizations have been multi racial organizations. Unfortunately many progressives still have difficulty grasping this; even the right wingers have their “tokens”.

 Wikepedia gives the following definition “The Citizens' Councils (also referred to as White Citizens' Councils) were an associated network of white supremacist organizations in the United States, concentrated in the South. The first was formed on July 11, 1954 After 1956, it was known as the Citizens' Councils of America.”

Although the Worcester City Council is not anything like the so called Citizen Councils, they come to mind for this issue. The Worcester City Council to some extent is a representation of the old Worcester. The old Worcester was mostly White and seemingly comfortable to many White people. It was not so comfortable for many Black and Latino people then.

This nostalgia has allowed City Councillors like Michael Gaffney, Gary Rosen, and Konnie Lukes to remain in office. “BlackLabs Matter”.

Councillor  Lukes has recently sought a report of arrest records of recent immigrants to Worcester.  This is a form of terrorism as it has caused much anxiety and emotion distress for many law abiding residents of the City. She could have instead sought a list of hate crimes and harassment of the newcomers to the City in an effort to mitigate the racist Trump effect.

Reverend Riverai’s church’s board should say it did not ask for nor does it at this time want any Federal block grant money for the demolition of the condemned property. It should remain separate from government, especially when in the struggle for justice.

I suppose each generation will have to learn anew the lesions from the old civil rights movement, people with one foot in each camp will eventually mislead us and the bosses’ few dollars will be the downfall of some and the heartbreak for others.