forum N RICHMOND
markwassberg CITY COUNCIL ACTION HALTS POSITIVE PROGRESS
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ig money in politics — right or wrong? Did Chevron really try to buy the 2014 election in Richmond? Chevron was a few days away from modernizing its Richmond Refinery in 2008, to make it safe for the community and the environment in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards. The environmentalist liberal majority on the Richmond City Council claimed that Chevron was violating environmental laws and was unsafe for the surrounding community. Lawsuits began flying through the courts, stopping the project and losing Richmond 1,000 of good paying jobs, as well as losing the city’s economy millions of dollars. In desperation Chevron spent $3 million to endorse its preferred candidates for City Council, in order to stop the gridlock on the council and allow for the upgrade of the refinery. The Richmond City Council is known for its Jerry Springer-like quality during council meetings. Mayor Gayle McLaughlin had to police escort public speakers from the chambers, thus violating their constitutional rights to free speech. She called a recess to stop a meeting and said, “I have the right to run this council my way.” Audience members booed and even Councilman Tom Butt was outraged enough to point his finger in the mayor’s face and yell at her about her inability to run a meeting. McLaughlin, Vice Mayor Jovanka Beckles and Councilman-elect Eduardo Martinez, all part of the liberal majority on the council, are backed by the anarchist organization the Richmond Progressive Alliance. The RPA is responsible for trying to implement unconstitutional policies in Richmond that would never hold up on a federal level — the soda tax, the use of eminent domain to protest fair market values on homes, the issuing of municipal I.D. cards without background checks to those entering the country illegally and banning the box on job applications, thus jeopardizing public safety in the workplace. In 2007 a crime wave hit Richmond and the Richmond Police Department conducted checkpoints to arrest parole violators. It just so happened that persons who immigrated to the country illegally were stopped at the checkpoints and had their vehicles towed away for driving without license and insurance. After the Latino community complained, McLaughlin and former council member John Marquez stopped the checkpoints. Richmond had 47 homicides that year. Richmond’s population is more than 100,000. Only 20,000 residents voted in the recent election — the lowest turnout ever. Most of the votes went to the RPA-backed candidates and put them back in office. The RPA in government will implement its own laws, not the constitutional laws of the United States. Mark Wassberg is a staff writer for The Advocate. Contact him at mwassberg. theadvocate@gmail.com.
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 11.19.2014 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
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People are not ‘illegal’ or ‘aliens’ A
ccording to Dictionary.com, the definition of the word “alien” is no longer just a creature from outer space, but it is also actually “a resident born in or belonging in another country who has not acquired citizenship by naturalization; a foreigner.” Some people will use the word almost over-willingly, not understanding the effect it can have on people. At times alien is used as if the word does not have a burdening, almost-oppressing connotation attached to it — which it does. When hearing the word alien, it brings to mind a green creature from outer space, with big black eyes, slimy fingers and a slender body. Lacking human-like characteristics, the word robs undocumented families of the dignity that is supposed to be given to all in a free society. It is a reminder that this is not their country, that they do not belong here because
To say that a person is illegal is to say they are unlawful by way of their very existence, even if no crime was ever committed. In that case, why not call rapists and murderers “illegals” as well? A large segment of society has embraced the stereotype that if someone is undocuof their place of birth, mented, they will steal jobs because of their lack of a and commit violent crimes, document. and words such as alien and It is often used without illegals only solidify those realizing the deep-rooted paradigms. history of undocumented The word criminalise the people in this country and innocent and makes them how the power of the word appear as if working to create discredits their contribua better life for their family tions. Yes, many people emigrate is the equivalent to capital offenses. from their place of origin, Typically, people choose but they do it in search of to use the word or words better opportunities, and a “illegal,” “illegal alien,” “illebetter life for their families. gal immigrant” to refer to The word illegal means a undocumented people. person is unlawful, when in Having been born in the reality, the action of commitUS, these people have no ting a crime is unlawful. actual attachment to the It is illegal to kill, rape or drive while intoxicated. Does word. And they tend to use the that mean it is right to call word to rally people of a people who commit those similar mind-set. crimes illegal?
roxanaamparo
One such person is antiillegal immigration proponent and former politician Tom Tancredo who opposes legislation such as the DREAM Act, which enables undocumented students to gain permanent residency through education or military service. Anti-DREAMers believe undocumented people are taking educational opportunities from American students and hinder those trying to get tuition assistance. When it implies that my hard work, and the hard work of millions of undocumented people should be less than appreciated, I take offense. It is important to choose our words wisely. For some, the word illegal may not mean anything, but for others it is a painful reminder that some people do not want them in this country. Roxana Amparo is the news editor of The Advocate. Contact her at ramparo. theadvocate@gmail.com.
BARGAIN SHOPPING over holiday values percent in a year-over-year ratio at $7.4 billion. That accounts for more than 10 percent of retailers’ total holiday earnings. 248.7 shoppers were in stores and online over Thanksgiving weekend in 2013, up .5 percent over the previous year, listed by the NRF. The same statistic shows 64 percent of holiday shoppers went out on BY Christian Urrutia PHOTO EDITOR Thanksgiving Day or visited stores by currutia.theadvocate@gmail.com 10 a.m. on Black Friday. The average amount of spending etail companies now brace their done by consumers was calculated employees for the advent of at $407, down 4 percent from the the holiday season right after previous year. Forty-three percent of Halloween, beginning in November. millennial consumers, that is 18- to Targeted advertising reminds us 34-year-old shoppers, shopped on that the onslaught of early morning Thanksgiving Day, up from 36 percent sales is steadily approaching once in 2012. Millennial shoppers spent again on Black Friday and Cyber 13 percent more than average adult Monday and we, as consumers, must ready ourselves if we want to reap the holiday shoppers over Thanksgiving weekend. Also the most conceited cheap rewards. Within recent years, there is a trend age group, 83 percent of millennials shopped for themselves during that among younger consumers to do at same period. least some shopping on the busiest But more interestingly, mobile weekend of the year — Thanksgiving devices are increasingly getting a weekend. And, as long as consumbigger piece of the pie in terms of ers keep feeding the economic suravenues to conduct holiday spending plus that is Black Friday and Cyber when choosing where to buy. Monday, there will be no cease to it. Results from an analysis of According to the National Retail retail paid search advertising over Federation, the world’s largest retail Thanksgiving and Black Friday found trade association, 44.8 million consumers shopped on Thanksgiving Day that phones and tablets accounted for nearly 40 percent of ad spendand 92.1 million people shopped on ing. Additionally, phones and tablets Black Friday in 2013. accounted for 44 Sales from stores and websites hit percent of $57.4 billion, despite being down all paid 2.9 percent from 2012 according to a market research article by Giselle Abramovich, senior and strategic editor for CMO.com, a digital marketing research firm owned by computer software company Adobe Systems. Cyber Monday sales reached $2.29 billion, up 16 percent in a year-overyear basis. Abramovich goes on to state that total online sales during the 2013 Thanksgiving weekend are up 26
Time spent with family denoted in favor of deals
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MAYRA GARCIA / THE ADVOCATE
search clicks. Compared to Thanksgiving 2012, PayPal saw a 91 percent increase in shopping through PayPal mobile around the world. The eBay Enterprise, meanwhile, saw usage and orders grow nearly 130 percent and 127 percent, respectively. PayPal also revealed shoppers in the U.S. mainly took to their mobile devices to shop throughout the day, according to CMO.com. A study that examined mobile shopping activity across 20 retailers during Thanksgiving and Black Friday found that total mobile visits increased by 93 percent and overall mobile transactions increased 219 percent. Total revenue from mobile transactions increased by 368 percent. Reflecting the mobile and online sales, traditional brick-and-mortar businesses such as Macy’s, J.C. Penney, Best Buy, Kohl’s, Sears and Target have moved operating hours up to 5 or 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, with Kmart staying open for 42 hours straight, according to a press release issued Nov. 3 by the company. Doors will open at 6 a.m. and continue to stay open nearly two days, carrying on the idea of the “War on Thanksgiving” where low wage employees have to work during Thanksgiving holiday hours. The spending spree mentality starts early. Shareen Pathak, brands editor of Digiday.com, said Nielsen’s 2014 holiday sales indicate about a quarter of consumers have already begun shopping for the holidays. Although women are the ones who tend to do the early shopping, 70 percent of men plan to wait, showing that consumer confidence is slowly picking up steam from the 2008 recession. Consumers should probably wait until the weekend is over, as those who purchased on Cyber Monday in 2013 consisted of 60 percent of overall shoppers, as reported by the NRF in a Prosper Insights and Analytics graphed listed on NRF’s foundation website. Now it falls on consumers to decide where and through what avenues to shop. Decide wisely and, if compelled to engage in the madness that is Black Friday, watch out for the stampedes of dealhungry shoppers