Environment

Op-Ed:Struggle for Voting Rights Justice Goes On

Published

9 years ago

April 6, 2016

On April 4, we celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King even as we marked the 48th anniversary of his assassination. On April 5, voters will go to the polls in the Wisconsin primaries, but a new raft of voter suppression laws will insure that the results are skewed.One of Dr. King’s great legacies — the Voting Rights Act — is now under assault across the country.

In Wisconsin, voter suppression laws were passed by a conservative Republican legislature despite the fact that there was no evidence of voter fraud to justify them. The legislature seemed intent on passing the most restrictive laws.

They passed the whole passel of conservative model laws and invented a few more. The laws were challenged in court, but the Supreme Court refused to review a lower court decision leaving them in place.

The voter suppression laws include requiring a photo ID for voting, a measure that may impact an estimated 300,000 voters, disproportionately older, younger, poor and people of color.

They reduced early voting times from 30 days to 12 days and eliminated it on weekends and evenings, discriminating against workers who can’t get leave to go to the polls. They eliminated statewide certification of registrars, so registrars can only enroll voters the country where they are certified, making registration more difficult.

They eliminated faxing and emailing of absentee ballots — except to military and overseas voters — making absentee voting more difficult. They eliminated straight ticket voting, except for military and overseas voters, ensuring that waiting times and lines will be longer when people go to vote.

They made it harder to use student ID as proof of residence, even as they required proof of residence to vote.

The thrust of these laws is clear: They are designed to make it harder to vote, particularly for working people who can’t take time off, for students, for the elderly who may not have the right ID, for the poor and people of color.

No wonder Bernie Sanders denounced the suppression laws as “truly un-American.” Hillary Clinton’s legal counsel challenged them in court. Key constituents of both candidates will be impacted.

The Wisconsin primary results will be distorted — and that is the intent.

In the general election, these laws will be most destructive to the Democratic voting base, not the Republican base. And that is intentional also.

This is a disgrace. Forty-eight years after Dr. King’s death, we witness how much of his agenda remains unfinished, how much is being reversed.

He marched against inequality and poverty, but inequality is worse, and childhood poverty in the United States is the worst of any major country.

He marched for equal protection under the laws, but our system of racial injustice continues to discriminate, particularly against young black men. He marched for voting rights, and now across the country conservatives are systematically passing laws to making voting harder.

He protested against the endless war in Vietnam that robbed the funds needed for the war on poverty at home.

And now we seem stuck in endless wars without victory on the other side of the world, even as our own neighborhoods suffer from the lack of public investment in everything from clean water systems to public schools.

Dr. King will be remembered for helping to make America better. But he always taught us that justice can’t be inherited. Equal opportunity can’t be taken for granted. “Human progress,” he wrote, “is neither automatic nor inevitable…. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle, the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”

And as Wisconsin will show, the struggle must continue simply to guarantee every American the right to vote.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Map Reveals Measure X Fuel Reduction Progress Throughout Richmond

Passed by voters on Nov. 3, 2020, Measure X is a 0.5% tax on taxable purchases for general purposes, with the County Board of Supervisors determining how it will be used. The tax generates approximately $120 million annually in support of county services.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Image courtesy of the City of Richmond.

By Kathy Chouteau, The Richmond Standard

A new interactive map spotlights the City of Richmond’s efforts to reduce fire hazards on City-owned parcels through the Measure X Fuel Reduction Program.

This Fuel Reduction Initiative is one-way Measure X funding is being applied, looking to improve community safety by “managing vegetation and mitigating fire risks across high-priority areas,” according to the City of Richmond.

On the map, community members can see parcels that have been completed, approved for treatment, or are currently under review, according to city sources. It added that the map also offers people a transparent view of the program’s progress.

Check out the map at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/b17c829f94e249719f9191291a0bcae4/?org=cityofrichmond to see where various parcels in Richmond stand as part of the program funded by Measure X.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Electric UPS Delivery Fleet Coming to Oakland, Richmond, and SF

The project will replace the current Class 6 UPS delivery trucks with ZE battery electric vehicles. It will also install chargers at the Bay Area logistics centers. In total, 40 vehicles and chargers are coming to the facility near Oakland, another 10 in San Francisco and 10 more in Richmond.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo courtesy of the Port of Oakland.

The Richmond Standard

A total of 60 UPS delivery trucks serving logistics centers in Oakland, Richmond, and San Francisco will be replaced with electric versions as part of a partnership between the delivery business and the Port of Oakland.

The Port will use a newly announced award of $10.5 million in Environmental Protection Agency grants and $5 million from UPS to advance the fleet conversion.

The project will replace Class 6 UPS delivery trucks with ZE battery electric vehicles. It will also install chargers at the Bay Area logistics centers. In total, 40 vehicles and chargers are coming to the facility near Oakland, another 10 in San Francisco, and 10 more in Richmond.

The project will feature opportunities for green career pathways through workforce development and training.

“The Port of Oakland is grateful for additional investments to transition freight equipment and infrastructure to zero emissions,” Colleen Liang, the Port’s director of environmental programs and planning.

Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez said the “bold investment” will curb pollution, protect public health and provide good-paying green jobs.

“The City of Richmond welcomes this bold EPA investment in zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles,” Martinez said in a statement.

For more information, see the 2024 EPA Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Grant Project.

Oakland Post

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California Black Media

Gov. Newsom Goes to Washington to Advocate for California Priorities

Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior Biden-Harris Administration officials and members of California’s congressional delegation. During the week, he pushed for increased resources to improve public safety and quality of life in California.

Published

2 months ago

November 26, 2024

Oakland Post

Gov. Newsom visits the White House on Nov. 14. Photo courtesy of Gov.Ca. Gov

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior Biden-Harris Administration officials and members of California’s congressional delegation.

During the week, he pushed for increased resources to improve public safety and quality of life in California.

“California is continuing our work to secure additional tools and resources to improve access to health care, clean air and water, and secure critical funding to support communities recovering from disasters,” said Newsom.

At the White House, Newsom met with President Joe Biden and key officials, advocating for disaster relief funding, healthcare expansion, and environmental protection. He also engaged in discussions with senior Biden-Harris officials, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, to address water quality improvements and the San Luis Dam project, which will support water supplies for two million Californians.

“Building on our strong partnership with the Biden-Harris Administration, California is working closely with the White House over the next two months to deliver the critical protections and resources our communities need,” Newsom said.

On Capitol Hill, Newsom met with California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with other Congressional leaders, to emphasize the need to approve pending disaster funding, healthcare programs, and environmental protections. He also previewed California’s upcoming special session to proactively address potential federal challenges when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.

Newsom’s discussions also focused on securing Medicaid waivers from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to enhance behavioral health services and reduce homelessness. The state seeks approval for the BH-CONNECT waiver, which would address behavioral health and homelessness, and the MCO Tax Waiver, which would provide over $20 billion for Medi-Cal to improve healthcare access.

Additionally, California is pushing for Clean Air Act waivers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are crucial for enforcing air quality regulations. These measures are projected to prevent 11,000 premature deaths and provide $116 billion in health benefits over the next three decades, according to the Governor’s office.