THE NEW COMMUNITY JOURNAL
FRIDAY JUNE 8, 2012
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cal. The state government for decades has been a patronage haven for well-connected family members and friends of state lawmakers. The informal system of doling out state job spoils was known as “Irish affirmative action” in a nod to the powerful sway Irish-American politicians in particular have enjoyed on Beacon Hill. Romney has said he supports workplace diversity but opposes quotas in hiring, government contracting, school admissions and the like. “I believe our nation is at its best when people are evaluated as individuals,” he said in a 2008 Washington Post issues survey. “I do support encouraging inclusiveness and diversity, and I encourage the disclosure of the numbers of women and minorities in top positions of companies and government — not to impose a quota but to shine light on the situation.” Responding to the uproar in 2003, Romney insisted he wasn’t trying to undercut the state’s affirmative action policies. He stressed his commitment to workforce diversity, saying he had simply wanted to broaden, streamline and update the old policies. “I’m actually very proud of the progress that we’re making in the area of affirmative action,” he said in August 2003. “We’re making a very aggressive effort to change our culture to be more inclusive.” Romney’s executive order eliminated the state’s Office of Affirmative Action, which required executive agencies to have civil rights officers in charge of monitoring the hiring of minorities, women and people with disabilities. A state diversity office was created, along with broad goals and guidelines. Black leaders and civil rights groups said Romney’s order lacked enforcement mechanisms and removed penalties for agencies not complying with the state’s diversity efforts. The Boston Globe scolded him in an editorial, saying that he “sent exactly the wrong message in signing an executive order to revamp the state’s affirmative action program, consigning to the trash heap 33 years of guarantees that minorities and women would have equal access to state jobs.” To quell such criticism, Romney appointed a special advisory panel that included minority and civil rights leaders to recommend changes. “The changes the panel wanted became too hot for the administration to deal with,” said Leonard Alkins, who was head of the NAACP’s Boston branch during the controversy and was a member of Romney’s advisory panel. Alkins said many of the panel’s recommendations were aimed at bolstering the policies Romney had abolished. Romney essentially walked away from the fight, ignoring his own advisory panel. Instead, he had state officials effectively follow the old affirmative action policies he had formally revoked with his executive order. It wasn’t until Deval Patrick, a Democrat who was the state’s first black governor, took office in 2007 that the old policies formally were reinstated. Alkins said Romney never seemed to grasp that the aim of the state’s affirmative action policies was to protect people who were wrongfully denied equal rights in the workplace. “I felt that the governor was out of touch,” said Alkins. “He was very uncomfortable with the issue of race and how you would address issues such as affirmative action.” The policies Romney erased were started three decades earlier by Republican Gov. Frank Sargent and substantially expanded by Democratic Gov. Michael Dukakis in 1983. Three Republican governors who directly preceded Romney had left the policies in place. NASSAU COUNTY EDITION
Nassau County Young Democrats Help Build House for Single Mom in New Cassel with Habitat for Humanity Next NCYD Meeting is June 11 Dedicated to public service and giving back to the communities it works in, the Nassau County Young Democrats partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help build a house for a single mother of four children in New Cassel on June 2. The mother is currently working full-time and just received a master's degree. She spent many years in college part-time while taking care of her children. Her eldest child is currently a senior in high school and is looking forward to attending college. Her two middle children are currently in high school and continue to keep a high GPA. Her family takes education serious and understands how important it is to succeed in school. Her youngest child is severely developmentally delayed, which requires intensive ‘round the clock care and special accommodations in the home. Habitat for Humanity and the Nassau County Young Democrats worked together to help the Robinson family have an accessible home. “The Nassau County Young Democrats were honored to partner with Habitat for Humanity to help this family in New Cassel,” said Lauren Summa, president of the NCYD. “I believe that it was an important and worthwhile endeavor and our organization was proud to volunteer.” The next Nassau County Young Democrats meeting is Monday, June 11 at 7 p.m. at Eleanor Rigby’s in Mineola. For more information about the Nassau County Young Democrats or to get involved, visit the organization on the Web at www.ncydems.com or call (516) 294-3366.
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