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Vol. 64 No. 4 | Thursday, January 25, 2024
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Serving San Diego County’s African & African American Communities 64 Years
SOUTHEAST SAN DIEGO SLAMMED BY WINTER FLOOD Months of rain compiled in a matter of hours brings havoc to the heart of Southeast
By Macy Meinhardt VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER Reported to be the fourth wettest day in San Diego since 1850, a destructive Winter storm brought historic rainfall and damage to San Diego, particularly within the southeastern communities. Muddled vehicles, litter, debris, clothing and miscellaneous items scattered the mud soaked streets as residents came out to assess the damage and begin clean up efforts. The rain came in on Monday Morning and sustained throughout the rest of the day. Notable damage to vehicles, powerlines, and roadways came within a three hour window when a flash flood warning was issued. In this brief timeframe,
Storm damage and flooding residue in Encanto Neighborhood off of Imperial Ave. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint
a reported three inches of rain pounded neighborhoods and overfilled creeks—exceeding the region's average monthly precipitation by one inch. One resident who lives in Encanto off of Imperial Ave, says she was cooking breakfast when the rain started, and then in an instant the road outside her home turned into a river. As people fled, vehicles were swept away by torrents near drainage canals and overflowing creeks such as Chollas Creek. The city reports that hundreds of people were rescued from their homes and flooded areas in the communities of Mountain View and Southcrest. See FLOOD page 7
INSIDE THIS WEEK'S ISSUE:
WORLDBEAT’S 35TH MLK DAY
PNV’S MLK DAY OF SERVICE SEE PAGE 8
SEE PAGE 8
HOW DOES “DEI” FIT INTO
14TH ANNUAL MLK COMMUNITY CELEBRATION SEE PAGE 8
MASS INCARCERATION’S ROLE
IN DEEPENING INEQUALITY AND HARMING PUBLIC SAFETY
The Sentencing Project Unveils Final Report
claim PLA’s discriminate based off union status By Macy Meinhardt VOICE & VIEWPOINT STAFF WRITER ramed around the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, the Black Contractors Association held their first annual “Justice, Equity, and Inclusion” summit last Tuesday. The roundtable discussion focused on equality in construction and the exclusionary impact project labor agreements will continue to bring to BIPOC construction workers if voted on by San Diego City Council. In honor of the late civil rights leader’s birthday, this past month several organizations have hosted events tying their cause to Dr. King, including the Black Contractors Association (BCA).
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA NEWSWIRE SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT
Founded in 1982, the BCA of San Diego is a community-based building trade association organized to promote equal opportunity for Blacks in construction. Notably, the organization also hosts the only African American State and Federal certified Apprenticeship program in America, allowing inner city youth in San Diego to learn trade skills and build a career in the construction industry.
The collateral consequences of a criminal conviction often amount to a lifelong disadvantage, particularly for African Americans. According to the Sentencing Project, in 2010, one in three (33%) African American adult men had a felony conviction on their record, compared to 13% of all adult men. Researchers found that employers discriminate against job candidates who have criminal histories, especially against those who are Black. Further, application See SAFETY page 7
PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS? Leaders of National Black Contractors Association
Believing in the mission and need of a program like this in Southeast San Diego, the late Councilman George L. Steves granted $1.5 million from the city to build a training headquarter facility to train non-union youth apprentices.
PHOTO: NNPA
Stakeholders and leaders in the contractor and trade space gather for a roundtable discussion on the policies that shape the realities of BIPOC industry construction workers at the 2024 first Annual BCA summit. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint
However, one of the main arguments discussed at the summit consisted of the exclusion of nonunion BCA apprentices from city project labor agreements, in favor of labor unions. A project labor agreement (PLA) sets wages and provisions for contractors on city projects, in return for a “reliable” and “skilled” workforce that meet standards for worker health and safety. This also includes provisions that mandate exclusive hiring through union halls. “If there is a policy and procedure that says we shouldn't [work on city jobs] then that plays into what Dr. King says, ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’.” said in an introductory statement during the summit. Yet, in a recent State of the City Address Mayor Todd Gloria announced that he would be proposing a policy for a city wide project labor agreement with the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council, a group representing unionized construction workers. The agreement will apply to all city projects and is slated to be voted upon by the City Council in the near future. See DEI page 7
BIDEN UNVEILS NEW SWEEPING STUDENT LOAN DEBT RELIEF MEASURES By Stacy M. Brown NNPA NEWSWIRE SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT President Biden continues to make strides in alleviating the student loan debt crisis, announcing the approval of debt cancellation for an additional 74,000 student loan borrowers. The latest action contributes to the record-breaking relief the administration has provided to more than 3.7 million Americans. Earlier this month, Biden announced the accelerated implementation of a crucial provision under the Student Aid for Voluntary Education (SAVE) plan, which the administration said
has helped 3.6 million Americans by canceling their student debt. Biden said the plan aims to create a more affordable student loan repayment structure while providing life-changing support to students and their families. “Today, my administration approved debt cancellation for another 74,000 student loan borrowers across the country, bringing the total number of people who have had their debt canceled under my administration to over 3.7 million Americans through various actions,” Biden said in a statement on Jan. 19. See DEBT RELIEF page 7
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