Vol. 50 No. 39
January 16, 2020 -January 22, 2020
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or words or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress. —Fredrick Douglass (1849)
The Black Struggle in 2019: Staying Aware, Facing Injustice and Fighting for the Future
Publisher’s Corner Email: sbamericannews@gmail.com Clifton Harris Editor in Chief Publisher of The San Bernardino AMERICAN News
Foolish California bonds put taxpayers at risk By JON COUPAL
By Brian 18X Crawford | J.S. Adams and Toure Muhammad |The Final Call@TheFinalCall
Your cash, and a catch. (iStockimage)
According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of December 1, 2019, there were more mass shootings in America (385) than days in a calendar year. 2019 saw challenges and signs of a continual awakening of the Black community, even as racism and police killings remained a problem in the United States. Alongside the insults was a strong spirit of resistance and growing frustration with the lack of respect for and deprivation of Black lives. Heroes continued to emerge in sports and entertainment as Black stars refused to bow to the desires of powerful figures in those industries. Colin Kaepernick continued to be a lightning rod for discussion, even though the former NFL quarterback played his last game in 2016. He continued to challenge the NFL for essentially blackballing him and keeping him off the field. Mr. Kaepernick was openly critical of what was billed as an NFL workout in November for team scouts, but in actuality, was an attempt to get him to sign a non-standard waiver that included language that would have limited his ability to pursue legal claims against the NFL. Mr. Kaepernick held his own, private workout instead, and his representatives sent that tape to all 32 NFL teams. Hip hop guru Jay-Z received criticism for entering into a business relationship with the NFL. His Roc Nation imprint was named the league’s “live music entertainment strategist,” putting the rapper’s company in charge of the Super Bowl halftime show.
The rapper took heavy criticism from NFL players and many in the Black community, but others urged caution, saying time will tell what happens. On the field, it was the year of the Black quarterback in the NFL. Players like Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans), Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals) and Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) busted up the stereotype that Black athletes aren’t smart enough to play quarterback at the pro level. Both the Chiefs and Ravens are legitimate NFL contenders. And with top notch collegiate prospects like Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma), Justin Fields (Ohio State), Khalil Tate (Arizona), and Deondre Francois (Hampton), the Black quarterback talent pool was deep. America and Black people continued to suffer from violence in 2019. According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of December 1, 2019, there were more mass shootings in America (385) than days in a calendar year. There was a mass shooting in this country every single day in 2019 and 29 of those 385 mass shootings were also mass murders. Some of the most devastating tragedies included the Aug. 4 mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, that killed nine people, an Aug. 13 mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, where 22 people were killed, and
three Dec. 1 shootings in New Orleans that left 11 people injured. The Gun Violence Archives reported the highest number of mass shootings since 2014. There were more than 35,000 gun-related deaths in 2019, over 27,000 gun-related accidents, and still no meaningful, federally mandated gun legislation. Elijah Al-Amin, a 17-year old from Peoria, Arizona, was shot and killed by a White man at a convenience store because he didn’t like the rap music the teen was playing. In Louisiana, Sean Barrette fatally shot and killed three people at random in New Orleans; one of his victims was Black. Violence at the hands of police continued in 2019. According to a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Black men’s risk of being shot and killed by police is 2.5 times higher than that of White men, and 1 in every 1,000 Black men will be shot and killed by a police officer. Black women were also victims of police violence in 2019. In October, Atatiana Jefferson was shot and killed by a police officer in Ft. Worth, Texas, while at home playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew. An officer began peering through Ms. Jefferson’s window after a neighbor called a non-emergency number to ask for a well-being check. Her front door was open. Officer Andrew Dean shot through a window killing Ms.
Jefferson. The 35-year-old had only been on the force 18 months, and resigned before he could be fired. He’s been charged with murder. The trial of Amber Guyger, a Dallas police officer who shot and killed Botham Jean in his own apartment, saying she mistook it for her own, was probably one of the most talked about stories of 2019. Ms. Guyger was convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison for the killing the young Black man who was a native of St. Lucia. Both the judge, who is Black, and Mr. Jean’s brother hugged Ms. Guyger after the verdict was read. The judge even gave Ms. Guyger a Bible. These perceived acts of kindness and forgiveness enraged many in the Black community. Lee Merritt, the attorney representing the Jean family, understood the outrage. But, he said, key elements in the Jean story as well as the case of Atatiana Jefferson were overlooked. Some of these elements have often been used to justify police killings of Black people, said the Dallas-based attorney. “For a long time, the conversation was about compliance. In other words, it was said the Black community wasn’t properly complying with law enforcement and giving them the (continued on page 6)
Walk to raise awareness about human trafficking SB County News The San Bernardino County Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE) will draw attention to the crime of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking one step at a time. The coalition will host its 2020 Human Trafficking Awareness Walk on Jan. 25 in San Bernardino. Registration for the annual event, now in its tenth year, will begin at 8 a.m. at the Children's Network office at 825 E. Hospitality Ln. in San Bernardino. There will be speakers at the event at 9 a.m. Walkers will leave the Children’s Network office at 10 a.m. and head east towards Tippecanoe and back around to the starting point. Participants can preregister for
the free event at https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/10thannual-case-human-traffickingawareness-walk-tickets79199653295?fbclid=IwAR2gr2Tl9-qGVwg6lht OGRvt4uub PaCEhEBvtflDx0Jwhmb3EGZ2IKTgI “Human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children are often thought of as only occurring in foreign countries, but it happens here and we’re all responsible for educating ourselves and others about the realities of trafficking in our own neighborhoods and communities,” said CASE Coordinator, Angel Magallanes. “Commercial sexual exploitation affects children in all parts of our
county-- all children are vulnerable.” The San Bernardino County Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation formed in 2009 to address commercial sexual exploitation of children in the county. It’s a collaborative effort among child-serving county departments, service agencies and community members. Quarterly CASE outreach & education meetings are the second Tuesday of the month. For locations or more information, contact Angel Magallanes at (909) 383-9677 or email her at angel.magallanes@hss.sbcounty.gov.
“We look forward to the community coming together and joining us in creating awareness of this important issue that impacts our community,” said Magallanes. “With each step of the walk, we take a step toward ending human trafficking and modern day slavery.” The San Bernardino County Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation is helping the community achieve the Countywide Vision by promoting the protection of children and promoting public safety and health. Information on the Countywide Vision can be found at www.sbcounty.gov/vision.
If you had just won the lottery, would that be a good time to go further into debt or would it be smarter to pay down the debt you already have? Most Californians would like very much to be debt-free, and the thought of being able to pay off their mortgage, car loan and student debt is surely attractive. In some respects, thanks to the forced generosity of California taxpayers, California has won the lottery. Our highest-in-the-nation tax burden has left our treasury full with billions in surplus revenue. One would think that with all that revenue, our elected leadership would be a little more circumspect in taking on new debt or at least manage the debt we have more effectively. But this is California. The Golden State is awash in debt consisting mostly of unfunded pension obligations. Unfortunately, our leadership continues to press on the accelerator in taking on new debt. Just a few weeks ago, this column criticized a big $15 billion school bond that will appear on the upcoming March ballot, ironically designated as “Proposition 13.” As we pointed out, there are two big concerns with this proposition. First is that it would borrow $15 billion from Wall Street and then make taxpayers pay it back plus 80 percent in total interest costs. That’s an additional $12 billion we’ll be forced to pay. Second, and by far a more serious problem, a hidden provision of the bond proposal would increase the current caps on local school bonds. Lifting the caps puts homeowners directly at risk of much higher property taxes. But as bad as the “new” Prop. 13 is, it almost looks responsible compared to what is currently being floated in Sacramento. Senate Bill 45 is a “climate change” bond ostensibly for the purpose of addressing various climate and environmental dangers in California. The bill is a holdover from last year, when it
failed to clear the state Senate. Even a cursory review of SB45 suggests that it is little more than a grab-bag of proposals onto which the proponents have slapped the label “climate change” in the hopes getting support both within the Legislature and with the public. As currently drafted, the $4.2 billion in bond proceeds would be split among several purposes including $1.6 billion going to wildfire and drought prevention and $1.2 billion funding safe drinking water initiatives. Granted, some of the purposes for which SB45 would provide funding are worthwhile. There is no doubt that water quality issues, especially in the Central Valley, are an immediate and pressing problem. But that problem can be resolved with existing revenues from the general fund without going further into debt. Finally, this bond violates all the criteria for responsible bond financing, which includes the constitutional requirement that a bond should be issued only for a “single object or work.” That single object or work must have statewide significance if payment involves a general obligation bond that all taxpayers are responsible to repay. Moreover, the “single object or work” should have a useful life that extends beyond the term of the debt repayment. General obligation bonds should not be encouraged when ongoing state revenues are strong and proper fiscal restraint is not being exercised in the budget process. If voters approve this policy, there will be no incentive for necessary reforms and fiscal discipline. Like problem gamblers, Sacramento politicians seem addicted to debt no matter what the circumstances. But we should reject their gambling with California’s future financial security. Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
Our Values, Mission, & Vision Statement Our Values: Treat all people with care, respect, honor, and dignity. Tell it as it is with love, truth and integrity. Promote the interests of advertisers and sponsors along their strategic interest for the betterment of the community and beyond. Speak truth to power. Our Mission: To continuously improve communication between all people of the world. Our Vision: To be the best community newspaper in our region and the nation. Provider of: A voice for the poor, the underserved, those that are marginalized, Positive and edifying news about people, places and businesses. Keep San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties informed about global trends while retaining the consciousness of local events and processes. Memberships and Associations: The San Bernardino American Newspaper is a member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, National Newspaper Association and addociated with California Black Media.